When it comes to painting your home's interior, one key element that often comes up is the use of neutral colors. What makes neutral colors so important in an interior palette? How can you use them successfully while avoiding a dull or boring result? Here are a few answers to your questions.
What Colors Are Neutral?
Neutral colors are those which lack color and have a muted effect. Most people automatically think of white, brown, and gray. But in fact, a neutral can be any soft and muted hue, including pastels and many subtly different varieties of traditionally neutral shades. Therefore, you can use a soft blue hue and still find that it accomplishes all the goals of a true neutral.
What Purposes Do Neutrals Serve?
So, why use neutrals in home interior design? First, they provide a simple and stable background against which to decorate. The neutral shade serves as a sort of blank canvas on which to paint with all your decor, furnishings, textures, patterns, and art. Second, a neutral makes it easier to change the decor or color palette in any given space, as it blends more easily with a wide variety of styles and colors.
Finally, neutrals help your home look and feel more cohesive. Rather than face abrupt and jarring changes as the viewer moves from room to room, the neutral foundation blends spaces into one larger plan. This is especially important in areas where the viewer can see more than one room at a time.
How Can You Liven Up Neutrals?
While neutrals serve an important role in interior painting, they shouldn't be the only palette used. Because they act as a base, they need livened up with other elements. The most common is a complementary accent color used on the trim or on an accent wall. Because the neutral contrasts with the use of a bold accent, it highlights and enhances the accent.
Today's homeowners can even liven up neutrals themselves. Modern paint technology means you have a vast array of shades in each main neutral color, so you can choose ones with the ideal undertones or even decorate with a range of different versions of a given neutral.
Where Can You Learn More?
Want to know more about using neutrals in your specific home decor? Start by meeting with an experienced interior paint company near you. With their guidance and the use of modern paint choices, you'll find the perfect base for any room. Get in touch with a company like Albrecht & Son LLC for more information.
