I was lucky enough to have some spare time in the beautiful city of Manchester, England last month and I took full advantage of all the history the city has to offer.
I spent a good bit of my time inside the beautiful and historic Central Library where inspiration was bountiful. Stacks and stacks of old reference books lined the walls, begging me to stop and contemplate their significance in the design world.
Taking inspiration from these shelves I am using this month to start my 'Color Palette Inspiration Series' - where we will look at different seemingly simple images and show you how to create beautiful interiors from their inspiration. First up, we are talking about Neutrals.
Neutrals are relatively easy to work with because they all fall into that white/beige/cream/tan category. However, when creating a neutral space you have to make sure that you inject a good amount of texture and visual interest, otherwise the entire space will feel boring and flat.
You can achieve this by layering materials with different finishes like velvets, woods, leathers and natural fibers. The variation here gives the eye something to grab on to.
Another way to go about creating interest in a neutral space is to vary the shade and tone of the neutral color. Don't stick strictly with white or tan, but mix in varying levels of creams, beiges and anything in between to give the room movement and character.
Starting with your floors, a Beige Jute Area Rug is always a great piece to create a foundation for your space. I love this one because it has a simple yet captivating pattern that will bring life to the room.
Since the other pieces will also be neutrals, don't be afraid to add a graphic pattern either with the area rug or with some fun throw pillows or wallpaper.
Woods are very highly used in neutral spaces because they are, well, naturally neutral! The organic movement of the wood grain is so beautiful and creates such a lovely visual for the viewer that using a few pieces in natural wood in your space will help to make it feel warm, interesting and inviting.
This Square Hardwood End Table is a very classic piece of furniture with a slight rustic edge that can work beautifully with just about anything.
Something a lot of people forget about when designing a space is selecting functional yet stylish wall clocks. Aside from function, wall clocks can act like art or even become part of a gallery wall and serve double duty as utilitarian as well as fabulous.
This Faux Wood Wall Clock implements two neutral tones, adding interest and depth, while still remaining simple enough to serve its purpose.
What do you think of my Neutrals color palette inspiration? How will you create your own neutral space?
Image Source: Allison Rosenberg