“You can make statements with muted colors, interact with natural materials, and go funky with energizing prints”. - HKliving
Beige and muted colors need not be snooze-inducing since the days of only solids are gone. We’ve endured a few years now of mostly solids in rooms and loads of all-beige interiors. And though many of us aren’t willing to let go of the beige (I still love it!) we do yearn for an uplifting enhancement without adding in bold color or going too crazy. But how?
EASY. Let me show you how. Are you ready?
Patterned neutrals. These are everywhere at the moment. I first noticed them at rug and flooring fair Domotex last month. As I perused vast halls of mainly rugs it was crystal clear - patterned neutrals are the new solids and I loved what I saw. Tribal patterns in multiple tones of black, gray, beige, cream and white. Checkerboard patterns. Stripes. I even saw a spectacular Terrazzo-like pattern on a rug that I regret not buying for my bedroom.
Texture. Elevate any space, cozy it up, and bring in some life with texture. Leather, vegan leather, suede, faux suede, fur, faux fur, velour, velvet, bamboo, straw, wood, cork. Look for tactile elements that are very visible, very pronounced - not just smooth - for instance wood grain that can really be seen and felt, or obvious patterns in hardwood flooring such as Herringbone, Brick and Basket weave, Mixed-width patterns, Chevron, Checkerboard, 3D Parquet, etc.
Below are some patterned neutral examples from one of my favorite more affordable interiors brands from the Netherlands called HKliving. These images contain all of their products so you can literally buy everything you see. I find that they really nail it when it comes to the patterned neutrals trends.
Interesting Tile. I love the photo to the right above with the vases… That tile perfectly expresses what I mean when I saw a neutral can be very visually interesting and this can be achieve through a bevy of materials but a wonderful tile job like this absolutely achieves taking neutrals up a notch. I love the variation in warm beige, pale rose, and khaki.
Rich + Cozy Vibes. Add a little glamour to a neutral space with pieces that speak to your senses. A chair to sink into, a rug that feels amazing underfoot… This seductive 70s-inspired sofa shown above in deep caramel draws us in with its welcoming texture. It’s deep and luxurious with all of that lovely ruched velvet. The sofa has so much texture… So the room isn’t a sea of solids - you can see cork on the wall, a hint of a nubby woven rug, and the ruched sofa. It is still a neutral space with technically only solids yet they all have so much visible patterning from how they were made that the room is extremely alluring and not at all boring.
Artwork. I don’t believe art needs to be spectacular or expensive, or even from a working artist - it can be a print or a total DIY job that you do on the weekend at home. This art above shows how simple art can be - yet effective. Again, all neutrals, but playing with shape and dimension creates pattern and texture which makes it so appealing.
Patterned or Textured Lampshades. This trend makes me so happy as I’ve always loved a patterned lampshade (even more than a patterned base). In fact, I love a solid ceramic base with a woven, linen, bamboo, or fabric-covered shade in a fun pattern - but neutral.
Ceramics and glass. There are so many on the market right now from vases to plates and cups, you can find just about anything for an-neutral space that will look fantastic. Try to find some with muted colors like sage or orange tones, those work so beautifully with brown tones. Look for colored glass - for instance a hand-blown glass vase in an appealing shape in pale cream, apricot or rose can add a little bit of color - you can see a hint of that in the glass table above in the room with all of the plants… Which brings me to…
Plants. Plants are wonderful in an all neutral space. They bring in healthy good energy that we need to feel good but also their scultpural leaves and patterning absolutely elevate a space - there is nothing boring about a space with plants - even just one beautiful plant can make a huge difference in a neutral room.
I could go on and on… Add some pale blue to a neutral space or sage, pale apricot… Bring in patterned pillows in neutrals, rugs with patterning, there is no end to creating drop dead gorgeous rooms without a single bold color addition.
Neutrals aren’t boring. Re-think them. How can you level up your beige space?
Photography (with permission): HKliving
(Photos: HKLiving)