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As enduring as the Earth itself, neutral schemes have been a feature of decorating for literally thousands of years. These timeless hues come from pigments used by the earliest artists—such as ochre, charcoal, umber, and sienna—creating colors that are restful, soothing, and completely livable. |
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"True" neutrals
are classified as the colors black, white, and gray
(all the shades in between black and white). Also
called "non-colors", they don't appear anywhere
on the color wheel. They are, essentially, a combination
of all the colors in the spectrum.
Sometimes described as "every color's friend"
and "the diplomats of decorating", neutrals
go with everything, and clash with nothing. Essential
in décor, they can be used to create a sense of visual
relief in a strong color scheme, or used alone to
create a subtle, calming, monochromatic palette.
 Neutrals
are far from boring. Used together, black and white
can create stunning visual contrast—without a drop
of color.
For a sophisticated, modern look, paint walls a crisp white, and fill the room with sleek black furnishings. To soften the look, add accents—like pillows, fabrics, and other accessories in varying shades of gray.
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In recent years, the design community—breaking free of the constraints set by the "true" neutral definition—has reclassified neutrals.
These "new" neutrals are actually very low intensity colors, the most muted versions of colors on the color wheel.
All colors are created from the three primaries—red,
yellow and blue. (see The
Creative Power of the Color Wheel feature). So
even though the "new" neutrals have only
the smallest hint of color, they're still a tone of
the three primaries. |
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Red-Toned Neutrals. From a whisper of beige to deep, russet browns, red-toned neutrals are comfortable and traditional.
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Yellow-Toned Neutrals. Ranging from subtle creams to deep, golden browns, the yellow-toned neutrals are fresh and quietly uplifting.
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Blue-Toned Neutrals. From a hint of gray, to smart charcoals, to deep blue-blacks, the blue-toned neutrals offer quiet, unrestrained elegance.
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To create the most pleasing
neutral schemes, it's best not to mix the different
tones. So, for example, don't pair red-toned neutrals
with yellow-toned or blue-toned neutrals, but try
to stick with several values of the same tone. This
will create a look that's tranquil, elegant and refined.
As with the "true" neutrals, black, white,
and gray, the "new" neutrals can also vary
in lightness value. For example, almonds and creams
are light, taupes and beiges are medium-valued, and
chocolates and charcoals are dark in value. |
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Designers have long appreciated the flexibility of working with neutrals. Decorating with neutrals allows you the freedom to add other colors, patterns, and textures to your space, making the opportunities almost endless. |
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Interiors. Neutrals
are a great choice for interiors, because they're
comfortable, yet elegant and understated. Their
subtlety makes them versatile, simple to use,
and very easy to live with. |
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Decorating a room with light, neutral shades, without much contrast, can help to make a small room appear much more spacious and airy. Using deeper neutrals for the main wall color, or adding more contrast, can make a large room appear more intimate and cozy.
Neutral color schemes work well with furnishings from all time period. Contemporary, traditional, and even period furnishings all look at home with neutrals.
To avoid having an all-neutral scheme look bland,
make sure to use a variety of different values
(light to dark) and different patterns and textures,
to give the room visual interest.
Just as neutrals can calm a colorful scheme,
color can enliven a neutral scheme. Use colorful
accents to bring unexpected "punches"
of color to a neutral room, or use color to
highlight an interesting architectural feature,
or bring attention to a focal wall, in an otherwise
neutral setting. (see Creating a
Dramatic Focal Point feature).
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Exteriors. For the exterior of your home, using a neutral color scheme is probably the safest choice you can make. Neutrals blend with the environment, and are tasteful and timeless, giving them long-lasting appeal. |
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Neutrals harmonize with nature—like sandy beiges, stony taupes, and wood-like browns—helping to integrate the home with the natural landscape.
Permanent fixtures, such as roof color, stone, or brickwork are important to keep in mind when selecting color for the exterior of your home. Neutral colors blend with everything, making them an almost foolproof decision for exteriors.
Neutral colors are unobtrusive, making them
useful for camouflaging architectural defects
and unattractive areas such as gutters or grills.
If you enjoy making frequent updates to your décor, painting your home in a neutral scheme allows you to make small changes to accents (such as changing the color of your front door), or larger changes (repainting your house trim, for example), thus giving your home a whole new look, without having to repaint the entire house.
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Try the ColorSmart™ by BEHR interactive program to experiment with thousands of different color combinations and see how they look in actual room settings.
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