Neutral rooms with style

20 Wednesday Jan 2016

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I have, over time, become a huge fan of a neutral color palate for most rooms in our house. It makes sense to me since it’s easier, and much more affordable, to replace pillows and accessories than to have a sofa reupholstered.

When we remodeled our kitchen it started the ball rolling on more neutrality.

Full confession of this design enthusiast…change is a given. I’ve been know to tire of art and accessories over a stretch of time, not to mention the seasonal changes most of us enjoy throughout the year. I just love the new look of a room when a few accessories are traded out, or a switch in a few small pieces of furniture that can make a room feel brand new.

Our master bedroom underwent new paint and some neutral art. The small pillows are monogrammed with cardinal thread…those were leftovers from the previous color way. The bed linens are soon to be replaced. Note: our Jack Russel mix always gets into the picture, in this case it’s the tip of her tail! 🙂

I still love pattern on certain upholstered chairs, and the blue and white guest room still brings me joy each time I see it.

These are a few of my favorite rooms that are predominantly neutral…

This has been a favorite image of mine for some time. I apologize for losing the source.

A room can have so much personality with the right accessories—no prominent color needed. As in this beautiful Atchison Home bathroom.

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In my view, Joan and Dan [for the love of a house] are rock stars when it comes to neutral rooms. I believe it is her home that inspired me to try harder to attain the calming effect of a neutral palate.

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Joni [Cote de Texas] designed this beauty for a client. I love the selection of neutrals punctuated by the beautiful upholstered chair in the forefront.

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This bedspread wouldn’t work with my 2 dogs…but it such a pretty room.

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A post on show stopping neutral rooms wouldn’t be complete without sharing a room designed by Loi [Tone on Tone]. His work is always proof that neutrals are remarkable. His home is featured in this month’s Martha Stewart Living, be sure to stop by his blog for a visit and pick up an issue of MSL.

What do you think? Do neutrals work for you? I know that this year, and years past, there’s been a trend toward saturated color for the home. It’s not for me but I’ve seen some very pretty examples. Happy Wednesday!

{Home} Keeping things neutral

27 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, House and Home, Paint Color, Trends

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neutral color palate

Since many are still experiencing winter at her snowy best (or worst) I thought I would stay indoors and ponder the beauty of a neutral color palate for a room…

This is Wikipedia’s definition of neutral color:

Grey or gray is an intermediate color between black and white, a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally a color “without color.” ^[2] It is the color of a cloud-covered sky, of ash and of lead.^[3]

In Europe and America, grey is the color most frequently associated with the elderly, humility, reflection, boredom, dullness, uncertainty, and indifference.^[4]

Pretty funny. Grey isn’t the first or only color that pops into my head when I think of a room reflecting a neutral palate. I usually think of white or a soft beige and maybe a little grey. And what’s up with the second paragraph…who entered this opinion?

I am attracted to neutral rooms, and yet I know I am not one to want to live in a home that is primarily decorated in shades of neutral.

Today, I’m sharing today, rooms that are primarily neutral. I love each and every image I’m sharing but I’ve soul-searched and I can’t make the leap. Maybe when I move to that cottage in the Cottswolds?

{queen of white ~ Tricia Foley}

{Nancy Fishelson ~ Litchfield, CT}

{El’lefebien via Belgian Pearls}

{Brabourne Farm}

{Architectural Digest}

{Cote de Texas}

{Segreto Finishes}

{Home Bunch}

{Photo by Antoine Bootz ~ Southern Accents}

{Belgian Pearls}

{Providence Ltd. Design}

The promise of spring is just around the corner. I hope you are warm and dry and may spring shine on your home soon.

{Home} Neutral ground

12 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by Karen B. in Decorating, Paint Color, Renovating, Trends

≈ 9 Comments

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neutral color palate, paint color

I’ve always enjoyed color. I admit, when we moved into our smallish home 30 years ago {I was but a child :-)} a designer friend of mine gave me some very good advice. She recommended that I choose a color palate and use it as a guide with each room. A small house, she explained, will feel more spacious if there’s some uniformity within the overall décor. {Thank you, Gretchen} I would say it has worked well for us. I’ve always kept the baseboards, door casings, raise paneled doors, paned windows and French doors painted the same white throughout the house (Antique White to begin with, Porcelain now).

Maybe the sofa IS looking a little tired, it’s not that old but it does see a lot of wear.

Overall I had a cohesive color scheme that originated with hunter green as the bold color for carpet and even the walls of the family room. Later, as we added oak wood flooring throughout, the carpet was changed to a neutral and kept only in the bedrooms. Years passed and I needed a change. I switched the color combination to red, khaki and black, and boldly painted our family room and kitchen Benjamin Moore, Classic Burgundy. That was probably over 15 years ago. I bet you can see where this is heading.

I’ve recently been attracted to neutral rooms. I don’t want to go overboard with a neutral palate, and with budget constraints and upholstered furniture that isn’t overly worn or in need of re-upholstery work, will remain as it is right now. But somewhere down the line I think I’d like the family room and kitchen walls painted a taupe/gray. I would also love to introduce a bit more blue and white. As you can tell from the photographs, I’ve got a few items but I could see blue and white ginger jars on the mantle, maybe a neutral sofa at some far-off date, with some blue and white tapestry or other fabric pillows.

Tina’s shop at The Enchanted Home had these lovelies:

…and the most recent online issue of Lonny Magazine featured Christy Ford’s home, the author of …and George blog…isn’t this lovely…

There’s been no end to the inspiring neutral rooms and as I said, I believe I’ll always want color but I would like a change, and with it, maybe some calm in my surroundings. Early inspiration came from fellow blogger Joan, for the love of a house. I found the room’s of her restored farm house to be what my mind’s eye had envisioned…

John Saladino creates an understated beauty with his simple and neutral rooms.

This next room (I believe I found the image on Cote de Texas) features burlap curtains, but it’s the casual comfort and neutral color palate the room displays that draws my attention.

I fell in love with Michael Bastian’s apartment when adventures in tartanscot shared some of the space with his readers.

This room from a post at The Enchanted Home has neutral and blue and white touches {sigh}

I would love beams in our home, I have one that was created when we remodeled but check this dining room found at Ivy Clad…so pretty AND neutral.

Any Pam Pierce room is beautiful, this one is especially remarkable.

Mary Ann at Classic Casual Home lives in California, as do I, and I’ve noticed she shares some beautiful rooms, many of them have this neutral look I’m talking about, like…