Neutral-izing Colors

Bright turquoise, sunny yellow, vibrant red – colors in home design are talked about a lot. But what the warm classics? Dark gold, ivory and taupe? Or the currently cool grey and trending rose gold for accessories? Let’s take a look at a neutral palate of colors and how to make them work in any room in your apartment.

Warm colors keep things feeling welcoming, but effortlessly elegant. If you are going for a look of sophistication, weave gold, cream and taupe into the room. To make the style more refined, include rich textures like lush carpets and drapery.

Beige may get a boring rap, but it can actually be soothing yet chic. Adding yellow and grey as accents works beautifully. Beige is especially good for furniture. It’s timeless and typically can handle the hot hue of the year. If beige is your landlord’s favorite color, be okay with it. Walls that are beige will be the perfect backdrop for art, photos, textiles or whatever else you plan to decorate with.

There are a lot of beiges to choose from, from creamy tones to earthy ones. One color that goes great with beige and other neutrals is brown. Here we move away from the sandy colors and into the chocolate realm. This rich hue can bring a look of elegance and strength to a room. Adding a strong brown shade into the mix will enrich a room’s feel, whether you blend it with beige or another neutral or add in pink, turquoise or gold.

If a cool look is more to your tastes, than gray is the neutral for you. This color had been popular for a few years now and shows no signs of losing its status. Thankfully, even when it’s supplanted by some other color fashion, the shade is beautiful enough to retain its timelessness. Including other colors with grey serves to intensify the hues, leaving either cool or warm qualities, depending on the colors added.

Grey with pink gives off a soft sophistication, while the shade with some orange offers up a lovely warmth. Grey and white in the kitchen is still going strong. Grey can be calming if it is on its own or upbeat if paired with bright contrasting colors. It suits couples decorating together as the lighter grey shades have a more feminine feel while the darker hues skew a bit more masculine. And as with beige, grey goes great with grey!

The great thing about grey is its versatility. Besides pairing well with just about every other color you can image, it also plays nice with different styles. Whether your home is totally traditional or amazingly modern, grey will fit right in.

Finally, let’s look at the hot color in neutral accessories. While generally accessories are the place to show-off your favorite hues, there’s also something to be said for keeping key pieces timeless. The color we are talking about is rose gold, a metallic pink that gives off a warm glow. Long popular in the fashion accessory world, this hue is now showing up on lamps, light fixtures, glassware and vases. It’s an adaptable shade that can look soft when paired with white or glamorous when blended with a bold pink or sapphire.