Tips and Tricks for Layering Neutrals
Neutrals are a great choice for interior design. They blend well with one another, or with pops of color. They compliment a variety of decorating styles and most importantly, they’re easy to come by and easy to find. Unfortunately, it can be a bit difficult to actually layer multiple neutral hues together in a single space. Here are a few tips and tricks on how to do exactly that.
Neutrals: It’s All About Texture
With neutrals, you’ll want to focus on texture rather than on the color. While it’s true you want your colors to match or go together, you’ll find that in general, most neutrals do blend together and more importantly, when you’re shopping for your home, you’ll find yourself drawn to the same few hues consistently. So don’t be afraid of mixing and matching neutrals in your interior design.
Texture refers to how an item looks or feels. Clear items still feature texture, but their visual weight is less than those of items that are not transparent, so keep this in mind.
Let’s look at living room designs, for example. A sofa made with a beautiful cream linen upholstery is complimented by two silk throw pillows in a lighter ivory tone. The silk and the linen are two different textures which not only add to the layered look, but also add visual texture and interest to the space. You’ll also have a coffee table and side tables. Ideally, wood tones are best but you can also use painted black or painted white furniture if desired, as these are still neutral.
When looking at upholsteries and fabrics in general, don’t be afraid to mix and match different fabrics in different neutral tones. As mentioned above, these will not look out of place no matter where you use them in your home: living room designs, bedroom designs and so forth, will all be complimented by layered neutrals. This includes mixing and matching materials such as linen, silk, jute, cotton, polyester and more, as well as colors such as ivory, cream, beige, brown, caramel, and many more.
For your accessories, you may want to incorporate natural elements. Natural elements can still compliment a neutral color palette, so don’t be afraid to mix and match natural and neutral interior design elements.
Incorporate Natural Elements
Natural elements are also important when layering neutrals in interior design. Natural elements, such as metals, woods or fabrics, are all elements that can be layered successfully with neutrals. For example, hammered metal bowls or hammered metal charger plates will compliment a large wooden dining table while still allowing the room to flow together with the neutral color palette.
Recycled glass vases, plants and many other items can also be incorporated successfully into the interior design of these spaces while still complimenting the layered neutral look. So don’t be afraid to incorporate different elements into the space. Not everything has to be a shade of cream, beige or ivory!
