Are you someone who feels intimidated by the thought of incorporating color into your home decor?
Fear not!
There are ways to make decorating with neutral colors more interesting and unique.
If you like to wear neutral colored clothing on the weekends, then you likely love decorating with neutral colors in your home.
You can decorate with neutrals and not be basic and boring.
Here are a variety of decorating ideas for people afraid of color.
Use a Combination of Different Neutral Colors
If you prefer a more understated color palette, consider layering neutral tones (such as whites, grays, and beiges) with a few subtle little drops of color in a few places.
Using layers of different neutral colors allows you to create a calm and cohesive backdrop while adding interest and dimension with a few carefully curated accent colors that can be easily removed if you find overwhelming.
Experiment with different textures and patterns to add depth and visual appeal to your space without overwhelming it with color.
When decorating with neutral colors, the overall look can go basic, sterile, predictable, and "flat" very easily.
Most people stick with one neutral color, such as beige, and use varying shades of that color throughout the room, which can look boring.
For a more dynamic and interesting interior design, use a combination of different neutral colors.
You can use a mixture of white, off-white, cream, light gray, medium gray, charcoal gray, beige, brown, tan, black, and any other neutral color you like.
Also consider using colors that are almost neutrals, such as very dark navy, camel, and very pale pink.
A Touch of Black
To offset all of the light colors in your home, add a few touches of black or dark gray to add interest.
Black is also a neutral color, so there is nothing to be afraid of!
Black creates contrast with light neutral colors to add interest to your home.
You can add a black fireplace surround, art with some black in it or a black picture frame, or a dark gray pillow.
If you are daring, you can use large quantities of black, such as painting all of the walls black. Make sure to add plenty of art, mirrors, curtains. and tall furniture to break up all of the darkness.
Also consider adding black accents such as furniture, lighting fixtures, or decorative accessories to create depth and dimension in your space.
Consider taking a photograph of your space and changing the photograph to be black and white. 10-25% of your photograph should be black and 10-25% of your photograph should be white. The rest should be gray. If almost all of your photograph looks gray, then your room likely looks basic and boring since it has no contrast.
Texture
If you do not want to add color to your home, add texture so your home does not feel sterile.
You can select a soft fabric for curtains, a rough wicker basket full of magazines, old hardback books that are slightly tattered and worn, distressed wood, and a shiny neutral colored lamp to add texture.
Hard back books used as accessories always add a nice texture and make your home feel welcoming.
If using books exclusively for decorative purposes, remove the paper jackets and consider the color of the spine of the book in relation to the colors in your room.
Stained Wood
Decorating with stained wood elements in your home makes it feel more cozy & welcoming and gives your home a feeling of warmth since stained wood references nature and the outdoors.
When selecting wood decorative elements for your home, consider the wood's undertone - which is the color that is visible in addition to the brown wood. Some woods have a yellow undertone, some gray (avoid gray floors that are very trendy and unnatural), some red, and others orange. For a timeless look, select wood without a very noticeable undertone.
To add stained wood elements to your home, consider installing a wood floor, decorating with wicker baskets, adding a few rattan accent pieces, using bamboo accessories, and using stained wood furniture instead of painted furniture.
Repeating the same wood tone at least 3 times around your room creates cohesion and makes it feel more thoughtfully designed.
Natural Materials
If you are afraid of the items you select for your home going out of style, or prefer a more classic aesthetic, make sure to select natural materials instead of man made materials.
Natural materials typically never go out of style. Some colors and shapes might be more fashionable at times, but natural materials have proven to be more timeless than manmade materials.
If you are selecting a countertop for your kitchen, select a neutral colored natural granite or marble instead of a solid white man made product.
If you are selecting a wood floor for your home, select a real hardwood instead of a man made look alike laminate or vinyl.
Other natural materials include stained wood furniture, natural colored wicker, and seagrass rugs.
Consider looking to nature and incorporating a few accent colors found in outdoor landscapes, seascapes, and flora & fauna into your home decor.
You can add a few earthy tones such as greens, browns, and blues for a soothing and grounded look, or vibrant hues such as yellows, oranges, and pinks for a lively and energizing feel.
Something Living
To make a any room feel more alive, add a living plant and/or flowers to get a fresh feeling as well as adding a little color.
Natural items are an excellent way to add life and vibrancy into your neutral room while adding texture and visual interest.
To decorate your neutral room with plants, start by selecting greenery that complements your color palette and the style of the space. Do you want greenery that is darker or lighter green (or perhaps a mix of both)? Do you want spikey pointed leaves or soft rounded leaves? Do you prefer having plants with a few larger leaves or many smaller leaves?
Fresh living plants are always better than fake plants, but you must care for them to keep them looking their best. If you are unable to care for your plants, you can use faux plants, but make sure to invest in the highest quality possible. Cheap fake plants (pretty much any plant sold at your local big box store) will make your home look worse than not having a plant.
If you want to incorporate flowers into your home, then start with an interesting base of greenery before adding the colorful flowers. Perhaps you only want greenery in your vase? Maybe you want to add a few neutral flowers? Consider the plants in your garden when creating a cut flower arrangement to see if you want to use some of that greenery or some of those flowers inside your home.
Small Doses of Color
If you want to try adding some color to your home but don't know where to start, try adding just a tiny bit of color at a time.
You can start small by incorporating one or two colorful accessories into your room.
Consider adding throw pillows, blankets, rugs, or artwork in colors that interest you in order to inject personality and visual interest into your space.
These smaller accents can easily be swapped out or updated to experiment with different color schemes without making a long-term commitment.
If buying a blue comforter for your bed scares you, buy a white or gray comforter and put a decorative blue pillow on it.
Look at your bed without the pillow, then look at the bed with the pillow and decide if it looks better or worse.
If you hate it, then return the pillow to the store.
If you like it, consider getting a throw blanket in a complementary color for the bed also.
Metallics
If you add several large items with metallic colors into your home, you will add interest as well as sophistication and glamour to your neutral color scheme without overwhelming your serene aesthetic.
Adding large metallic items will instantly elevate your space, creating a sense of luxury and elegance.
You can incorporate metallic elements through your decorative accessories, lighting fixtures, artwork, and/or furniture pieces.
Select your metal colors wisely - gold or brass metal colors give a feeling warmth and richness to your room, while silver or chrome accents can impart a sleek and modern vibe.
Consider using metallic spray paint to paint your current accessories, or basic store bought accessories, to be one-of-a-kind and perfectly suited to your decor style.
You can select a more unusual metal color, such as copper, gunmetal, or bronze, if you want a more unique aesthetic. Also consider using a metal with a patina to give your room a collected feel.
Embrace Soft Pastels
Soft pastel colors are neutral colors with only a tiny little drop of color, so don't be scared because they are nearly neutrals!
Experiment with Temporary Solutions
If you are interested in updating your home's architecture with color, but are still hesitant, then consider experimenting with decorative accents that can be removed.
Some temporary decorative solutions that you can try are removable wallpaper and peel-and-stick tiles.
Be aware that some of these temporary elements (especially the lower priced ones) might give you a good look from a distace but can often look cheap up close.
These temporary updates will allow you to test out different color schemes and patterns without the commitment or expense of traditional wall treatments.
Plus, they are usually DIY and can be installed in a few hours or one weekend.
These temporary solutions can easily be removed or replaced when you're ready for a change or if you are renting your home and can't make permanent changes.
If you want to try updating your basic walls, but are afraid to change the entire wall, you can add a temporary solution to the inside of an art niche, the back of a bookcase, the mirror wall of your bathroom (above the vanity), or on top of your existing backsplash.
