Designing a neutral colour scheme

As a colour enthusiast, my role is to help people feel confident bringing colour into their own homes in a way that feels authentic to them. But I am well aware that there are plenty of people out there who prefer a more neutral look. A client recently came to me and said what she really wanted was something very understated and neutral, to help her feel calm. Now we could get into the psychology of that and whether those colours can achieve that, but that's for another time. I really want to make 2 points.

1. A natural and neutral colour palette is fine, but the textures have to work really hard.

When there’s a lack of colour, texture becomes essential for visual interest. Whereas some might use colour and pattern for interest and personality, in a neutral colour scheme, there needs to be a really good variety of textures, otherwise the room will just feel flat. Try mixing up different fabrics on furniture, cushions, and curtains. Woven linen, velvet, soft sheepskin and leather combine to bring interest, even if they might all be the same colour family. Neutral fabrics can also bring in pattern and movement. They don't have to be boring - they could even be quite playful!

2. Even neutral palettes have more colour variation than you think.

Take a ‘beige’ sofa. At first glance it can look like a simple neutral. But when you look closer, you might find strands of all sorts of different colours woven into the fabric. This happened with a client recently. We found her sofa had threads of gold, silver and soft blue, so tapping into those gave us a colour palette for the whole room.

I’ll be the first to admit that a neutral colour scheme isn’t my personal preference, and my work is driven by helping people feel more confident with colour. But a good designer also listens carefully, works to a brief, and has the confidence to gently nudge clients out of their comfort zone a little. After all, getting the colours right is how we add personality and the right feeling to our homes.