In recent years, we are all embracing more colour in our homes as injecting character and expressing our personality through our interiors is really the biggest trend. And it’s perhaps because of this that neutral living rooms get a bit of a bad rep as being bland and boring. But we’re here to tell you that they don’t need to be – not with the right neutral living room ideas.
A neutral living room colour scheme doesn’t just mean beige on beige or everything in cream shades. There is a whole spectrum of neutral shades that you can tap into. And with a neutral colour palette, other elements of a room often pop which is why you need to be mindful of what you incorporate into your neutral lounge.
‘A neutral living room doesn’t have to be bland or clinical,’ says Nicky Emlick, interior designer and creative director at Sofa.com. ‘The key is to create depth, warmth, and personality. A neutral living room can feel dynamic, inviting, and far from boring, timeless yet full of character.’
1. Opt for the ‘new neutrals’
When you think of a neutral colour scheme, you likely imagine lots of beige, white, off-white and perhaps taupe. But in the last few years, other shades have replaced the likes of beige as the new go-to neutrals. Green, brown and even earthy, soft pinks like Farrow & Ball’s Setting Plaster paint shade are all fair game.
‘Even shades like pale pink or sage green can work well as neutrals,’ says Magdalena Gierasinska, head of product and displays at Barker and Stonehouse.
2. Avoid too much brilliant white
There’s nothing wrong with a white living room idea. But there’s the best white paint and shade for every room. And even if brilliant white - the brightest of whites - works in your living room, it’s best to mix with other neutrals or at least other shades of white to avoid a flat and clinical look and feel.
‘Too much stark white can feel cold,’ Magdalena at Barker and Stonehouse confirms.
So instead, why not go for something warmer and less clinical like Lick's White 06 paint shade?
3. Layer warm neutral shades
Every living room should feel cosy and comfortable. In the absence of bold colours that would usually help achieve that, opt for warm tones of the neutral shades you choose.
‘A good neutral is one that is warm and versatile – think beige or light brown,’ says Shelley Cochrane, accessories buyer at Furniture Village. ‘These colours work well with many others, giving you flexibility to update your space with new furniture without worrying it will clash.’
And don’t stick to just one neutral shade either. Instead, layer them for more depth and a more interesting look. ‘A layering of warm neutrals works particularly well in living rooms because they create a sense of depth and calm,’ says Jill O’Doherty, design consultant and assistant manager at Sofas & Stuff flagship showroom. ‘Combining lighter shades with richer tones like tan or soft brown stops the space feeling flat, while keeping it easy to live with.’
4. Layer your lighting
Layering your lighting and incorporating multiple sources of light is a great living room lighting idea in any kind of lounge. But it’s especially true in a neutral living space.
‘Having more than one source of light is particularly important in a neutral living room as it creates warmth and atmosphere. So, I would avoid one harsh, overhead light which can make neutrals feel clinical,’ Shelley at Furniture Village says.
5. Add earthy neutrals
Deep earthy tones can also count as neutrals. After Pantone named Mocha Mousse its colour of the year last year, all shades of brown - including the deep, dark varieties like the brown of this Habitat Hawley sofa, available at Argos - became increasingly more popular. And it’s a colour trend that’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
‘Earth-inspired neutrals such as mushroom, putty, or soft clay add subtle richness while still maintaining a sense of neutrality,’ Nicky at Sofa.com says.
Kelly Collins, interior designer and head of creative at Swyft, adds, ‘Earthy tones (if you like a bit of colour) are all great because they work with anything, feel timeless, and make a room feel light and welcoming. They give you the perfect backdrop for adding colour or texture wherever you want.’
6. Include greenery
Bring your neutral living room to life by adding it through houseplants. Greenery won’t just bring an element of the outdoors in but also inject some more colour into your living space.
‘Houseplants bring life and a touch of organic green,’ Nicky at Sofa.com confirms.
7. Drench in a neutral tone
A neutral colour scheme doesn't mean that there's no creativity when it comes to paint ideas. Although the shades you might be using are light, you can still experiment with where you paint in the room to achieve an upgraded design.
In a living room especially, you likely want to achieve an inviting, lived-in look while still keeping the scheme minimal. One way to do this is by colour drenching the room, which means painting shelves, skirting boards, and built-in cupboards in the same colour as walls for an enveloping effect.
'Colour drenching is taking one colour and painting everything from your walls to your woodwork in it. Think skirting boards, radiators, doors, window frames, picture rails and ceilings. Colour drenching your home creates less contrast to distract your eye, which can make a space very visually appealing and like you’re being enveloped in a big hug,' advises Tash Bradley, director of interior design and colour psychologist at Lick.
8. Go for quiet luxury
One way to make the quiet luxury trend stick around is in a neutral living space. A cream colour scheme is the ultimate place to make the most of the best quiet luxury homewares, with understated premium buys that will enhance a front room.
The classy aesthetic, which borrows themes of muted colours, subtle gold features and ample texture, will also make a living room look more expensive on a budget. So if you want an affordable and simple way to upgrade your home, consider giving quiet luxury a go.
9. Find vintage treasures
With a high quantity of vintage furniture coming in neutral tones, you can make a neutral living room feel entirely unique and antique-inspired with some secondhand shopping.
The hunt is often more time-consuming than buying new, but it's also much more satisfying when you score a special find. There is so much high-quality furniture to add to a mid-century living room that will last for years to come, and the wood tones will enhance a neutral scheme.
'Save searches (eg bench or console table) on Facebook marketplace so you get notified when items are listed items will often be free for pick-up,' advises interior stylist Claire Douglas.
'Alternatively, speak to friends and family, they will likely have items, materials, or furniture they plan to donate or ditch that you could use or upcycle.'
10. Play with shapes
Adding dimension to a neutral colour palette through accessories is key to making a living room feel complete. By carefully selecting pieces of furniture and decorative objects with interesting shapes, a living room will look well-styled without appearing cluttered.
'Having different sizes, textures and three-dimensional sculptures will take the eye off the concept of space and refocus on the design of the room,' adds Madison Popper, founder of Chill Casa. Whether it's on a sideboard or upgrading your living room shelves, positioning shapely decor will update a minimal aesthetic.
11. Welcome warmth with natural materials
Keep a scheme neutral but beautifully intriguing with warmer accents through natural materials and pops of colour via accessories.
'I’ve always thought that ‘neutral’ is such a boring word to describe some of the most versatile and beautiful colours in the world,' says Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux.
'Neutrals are the most loved and familiar of nature’s true palette. They include the soothing colours of stone, clay, sand, wicker and wood, basically the colours of the raw materials from which we build and furnish our homes.'
12. Add depth with wall panelling
Give more definition to neutral walls with an on-trend wall panelling idea. Reinvigorate your sitting room with a fresh and soothing colour palette of limestone, lichen and sage. Choose a subtle shade of limestone coloured paint for walls then layer different but tonal shades of soft green and warm wood through furnishings to create a restful scheme.
A chalky white sofa will add a punchy highlight to the room, layer it with cushions depicting natural motifs. Bring the garden indoors by mixing faux plants with fresh seasonal blooms and accessorise with striking oversized botanical prints.
13. Make it feel rustic
A paired-back neutral colour scheme lends itself beautifully to a rustic living room idea. Shades of milky white and bone warmed by deeper accents of taupe blends a harmonious country colour palette of calming colours. Simple additions of raw wooden furniture and tactile fabrics helps to layer a cosy and inviting feel, to prevent neutral from feeling cold and uninviting.
14. Dress the walls to add interest
'Artwork, ceramics, or sculptural accessories can introduce colour and interest without overwhelming the calm neutral palette,' Nicky at Sofa.com says.
Neutral walls provide the perfect backdrop for shelving, for displaying artwork and accessories or simply as a practical living room storage idea. Soft, chalky shades on the walls prevents the space from feeling overwhelmed by too many decorative elements.
Like with an art gallery, a neutral wall enhances the items placed against it, allowing a grounding effect.
15. Pile on the texture
A room without texture can feel dull and lifeless, so add tactile surfaces for warmth and interest. Layering up voiles, cotton, cord and canvas twill on upholstery, soft furnishings and curtain treatments brings warmth and cosiness in spades. This may sound like an expensive endeavour, but you can find deals using home decor discount codes which should help.
Timeless ‘chino’ tones give this look an easy style, while country stripes get a modern makeover in different widths and scales. Mixing styles like this injects rhythm into a room.
16. Think about a striking accent colour
Give a neutral living room scheme definition with hits of colour through accessories such as cushions. Keep touches minimal to keep the overall scheme relaxed and understated.
'Subtle accent colours, such as ochre, work particularly well alongside these palettes, introducing warmth and character without overwhelming the space. Used through cushions, upholstery, artwork, or accessories, these tones help create a living room that feels cohesive, timeless, and comfortably lived-in,' Nicky at Sofa.com says.
17. Inject pattern with a neutral print
Use a beautiful living room wallpaper idea to add interest to an all-neutral decorating scheme. A pattern in the same tonal palette adds a decorative touch without breaking the constraints of the colour scheme. Or layer up texture and tonal patterns on sofa cushions.
'To keep the space visually engaging, introduce subtle patterns, such as a striped cushion, a textured rug, or even a sofa with a soft pattern,' Nicky at Sofa.com says.
18. Evoke a sense of nature
Bring pebble colours and natural materials together to create an elegant coastal living room scheme. This palette is reminiscent of the chalk cliffs of Sussex with ivory, cream, white and pale stone shades in different textures.
A loose-covered linen sofa and French doors dressed with floaty voiles that move in the breeze add a little laid-back comfort. The natural materials of the bamboo chair, woven mat and bamboo blinds bring the outdoors into the scheme, while hand-blown glass and rustic ceramics introduce an artisan feel.
FAQs
How do you make a living room neutral?
The simple way to make a living room neutral is by choosing a dependable shade for decorating the walls. A soft linen off-white or warm oatmeal shade will go a long way to making the room feel inviting for layers of pattern and colour via accessories.
A neutral backdrop allows you to play with accent colour through statement furniture pieces, rugs, windows treatments and accessories.
Neutral walls will ensure the room feels timeless, with the option to add seasonal colour with how you dress the space.
How do you add colour to a neutral living room?
Accessories and furniture are the easiest ways to add colour to a neutral living room. The serene stillness created by neutral walls allows the freedom to add pattern and colour without distracting from the plain backdrop.
Given the versatility of neutral cream, beige or light taupe walls the accent colour possibilities are endless – it very much depends on the overlook you wish to achieve.
Marianne Shillingford, creative director at Dulux, recommends mixing neutrals with natural materials to add colour. But she also comments, 'You can also include greens in a neutral palette too because like all neutrals they work with every other colour you choose to decorate with.'
Nicky at Sofa.com concludes, ‘Thoughtful layering of textures, well-placed furnishings, curated accents, and gentle patterning ensures a neutral living room feels balanced, welcoming, and full of character, while still maintaining a sense of calm and timelessness.’
