Our Favourite Neutral Home Decor Ideas & Home Accessories

Ever thought about adopting a neutral palette for your home’s decor but are unsure of how to do it? In this article, Northern Willow explores some stunning neutral decorating ideas and highlights how to mix different textures and styles to create a harmonious, beautiful space to enjoy. 

What are some neutral home decor ideas? When it comes to neutral home decor ideas, the key factors to consider are:

Colour palette

Larger furniture pieces

Lighting 

Texture 

Accessories 

 

Read on to find out how to create a chic, yet elegant neutral interior space that stands the test of time. 

Our Top Neutral Home Decor Ideas

Looking to transform your home into a tranquil retreat or introduce more versatile colours into your decor? Then, going neutral is the answer! Whilst the new home decor trends are all about colour and pattern mix matching, we believe that the neutral decor style still reigns supreme. 

The neutral aesthetic has a timeless appeal so it's no coincidence that this style is as popular as ever. Whatever your taste is, using a neutral colour scheme creates a calm, balanced and professional-looking home without any fuss. Combine your favourite furniture, accessories and other decorating elements with a neutral colour palette to create an interior scheme that never goes out of style. 

So, what are you waiting for? Elevate your interiors with these neutral home decor ideas and get inspired to embrace the timeless charm of neutral decor. 

Create a Colour Story

Before getting carried away with your neutral decor ideas, it’s important to create a neutral colour palette. This is key to pulling off the all-neutral home decor style. So, how do you go about doing this? 

1. Layer out an assortment of light-to-dark neutral colours 
2. Create your own colour story out of neutrals using colours from the same neutral family

By choosing an array of colours from the same neutral palette, your space will feel cohesive rather than flat. It will also give your room a soothing and fresh vibe without making it look too overwhelming or bland. 

Our favourite colour palette is all about the airy vibes, which includes tones of off-whites, sand hues, light blues and soft greens to add that contrast boost. Top this look off with one of our Seagrass baskets which can be painted in neutral colours to match your space. Take a look at our blog, ‘What is Seagrass’ to find out more about painting this material. 

Focus on Larger Furniture Pieces 

When it comes to giving your space a neutral makeover, the best strategy is to tackle the larger surfaces and bigger furniture pieces first to set the tone that will guide the rest of the decor. Here’s how we would start this approach:

• Walls and larger surfaces (Sofas, tables and statement art pieces) - Play around with furniture that oozes elegance. For example, a pale sleek sofa or a stylish tufted bench. Alternatively, if you’re leaning towards a dark and more moody colour scheme, perhaps a lush-tanned leather tufted sofa will do the trick. 
• Walls, ceilings and floors - Remember to create contrast in your space, adding depth and dimension to your room. Use this initial stage to introduce texture. You could add visual contrast with the help of wallpaper or wood panelling or, you could go for tactile painting techniques such as Roman clay, lime wash or Venetian plaster in neutral tones. 

Lighting is Key

Our lighting choices can make or break the space we’re decorating, especially when it comes to neutral interiors. Whether you have chosen a moody palette or a lighter colour scheme, the lighting you choose will make a huge difference to the vibe of the room. Study the space you want to re-decorate and think about how you want to feel when you are in it. 

To create a soothing space that radiates warmth but is also practical, amp it up and customise your lighting to make your interiors shine. Try to aim for dynamic lighting that incorporates different lighting types, then layer them across the rooms in different areas and heights of your home. 

Spice It Up With Colour 

If you’re worried about ending up with a beige and flat neutral space, you can always add a pop of colour. Once you have decorated your home with light neutrals, this is when colour really comes into play. Because neutral colour schemes are so versatile, you have the freedom to choose whichever colour you like. It also means you can switch things up when you get bored. 

Add fun pops of colour into your space to add contrast to the room. Get creative with your accessories, try new fun trends and showcase your favourite decorative elements. Think outside the box and find new ways to give your interiors a new kind of energy. 

Here are some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing:  

• Botanical wall art
• Abstract landscapes
• Faux greenery 
• Artisan-inspired ceramic vases
• Pampas grass in earthy tones
• Contemporary-style ceramic pottery 

The options really are endless. Be as imaginative as you want! 

Texture It Up 

As one of the most popular ways to add personality and style to a room, neutral decorating comes in many different shades and tones. This can often make it difficult to know where to start! However, the one constant that remains key, no matter which neutral style you go for, is texture. Once again, it makes sense to focus on your larger surfaces first. If on the other hand, you’re not planning on changing your walls or furniture pieces, there are other ways to add that tactile quality to your interiors. Our personal favourite is introducing accessories. 

Accessorising your interior with textured pieces is a fantastic way to elevate and highlight your neutral scheme. Pick elements that are within your neutral colour palette but make sure they are more saturated and add contrast.

 Here’s a list of some materials we recommend:

• Weathered woods
• Restored pottery
• Rattan
• Raw linen
• Jacquard
• Hand-woven fabrics (macrame and crochet) 

If you’re hoping to create that extra wow factor, sequins, metallics and materials with a slightly reflective finish can add a dimensional quality that ties your neutral room together. 

Our Favourite Stylish Home Basket Accessories  

Lush up your neutral space with some of our stylish home basket accessories:

Rattan Baskets 

Made from rattan palm, our beautiful handmade rattan baskets will help give your room that stylish classic touch. Complement your cosy fireplace with one of our gorgeous rattan log baskets or treat your furry companion to a luxury rattan dog sofa bed. 

Water Hyacinth Baskets

Our sustainably sourced water hyacinth baskets are guaranteed to add a chic touch to your space. Organise your knicky knacky noos using our stunning Nordic storage baskets or hide your unsightly piles of laundry in our elegant round water hyacinth baskets. 

Hessian Baskets

Impress your guests with our exquisite, eco-friendly hessian baskets. Bring warmth and style to your space with our antique wash umbrella stand, both practical and beautiful. 

Willow Baskets 

Often viewed as a superior material because of its high quality, willow baskets are ideal for bringing that classy quality to your neutral space. Our white-wash wicker storage baskets are perfect for lighter colour palettes. Or, if you're looking for something slightly different, take a look at our adorable antique wash tea cup basket which will provide a lovely home for your house plant. 

It’s also worth noting that most of our baskets can be painted to your desired colour as long as you prepare them properly beforehand. We’d love to see you get creative with our baskets. Once finished, please send your designs to our social media accounts. 

If you aren’t on social media, send an email to support@northernwillow.co.uk with your images, name and your intended use for your new design, and we may even send you a voucher as a thank you. 

What Is Neutral Home Decor Style? 

This versatile decor style is all about creating tranquil colour palettes that comprise ‘non-colours’ in both cool and warm colours. Think taupes, tans, creams, browns, ivories, greys and sandy hues. Whilst maintaining a sophisticated look throughout your home, using neutral colour schemes allow you to explore trends without committing to bold choices. So, let yourself go and use your neutral decor as a canvas for experimenting with furnishings, textiles and light. Never be afraid to let your unique style shine through. 

How To Make Your Neutral Scheme More Dramatic 

Neutrals can be used for interior design in two ways, either as a soft, natural look or as a background for dramatic accents. Here are some of our top tips for adding more drama to your neutral palette:

• Try layering different hues of the same colour but remember to keep an eye on individual tones to make sure there is enough contrast. 
• If you want to add drama, combine strong contrasting elements (black accessories or different light/dark colours)
• Before committing to your choices, observe the light in your room at different times of the day. Neutral colours, in particular, can look different at certain times during the day.
• Metallics and mirrors bounce light around your room. Furniture can create shadows on the walls and fabrics can absorb the light. All of these can change the colours of your scheme depending on the light variations. 

Top tip - Brighter neutrals will give your room a more open, fresh and breezy look whilst muted or darker neutrals will give your space a cosier appearance. 

How Neutral Home Decor Can Save You Money 

On top of the elegant appearance, decorating with neutrals can also help you save money by minimising the need for frequent updates and replacements, increasing the longevity of your decor. The best thing about neutrals is that they go with absolutely everything. Once you’ve painted your walls a neutral colour, there will be no need to paint them again for many years. 

Home Decor Accessories At Northern Willow

From our gorgeous rattan log baskets to our exquisite water hyacinth storage baskets, we’ve got the perfect accessories to suit all kinds of neutral palettes. At Northern Willow, each of our items is carefully handcrafted from sustainable materials, so you can rest assured that they’ll last for years to come. 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our team via email - we’ll be more than happy to help! Don’t forget, we also offer free shipping on all orders placed through the website.