A Neutral Palette

I'm a big fan of color. Especially when it comes to home decor. Case in pont: The first sofa I ever bought with my first paycheck out of college was a celery green velvet. The first townhome my husband and I purchased had a huge wall that spanned the living room and dining room. This wall, by the way, was two stories tall due to the vaulted ceiling design of the townhome. I fearlessly painted that wall a deep red. Yeah, I know. RED. Thank goodness it actually looked okay. Good, even. I could come up with other examples. The point is, I have always embraced color.

Lately, however, I think I may be undergoing a slight change of heart. Neutral palettes have been striking my fancy... Light gray walls, white marble, muted taupes, clear glass fixtures, shiny chromes and bright white cabinetry. I'm attracted to it all. Strange considering I used to think that white or color-bare rooms were too stark, clinical and austere. But now I'm not so sure that's the case at all. In fact, I can definitely appreciate the sophistication and overall chic-ness of a neutral-paletted design scheme. I think the photo above from http://www.sletvoll.com/ is a great example of how a perfectly white room can be both modern and inviting.

Below are more photos of white/neutral rooms I like:

My favorite part about this dining room is the ceiling. Creative molding can make any white ceiling interesting.

I love the beadboard walls of this dining room. The espresso finish of the dining table and chairs really help warm up the room.

Love the tobacco-colored floors and the use of glass and silver. I also love how they used patterned rugs to add contrast and interest. Let's call this photo Favorite #2.

This room shows quite a bit of texture with the ornate chair upholstery and chair legs; the contrasting steel, stone and wood finishes; and the dark walls. It's not really a room that I'd have for my home but I decided to include it because the chandelier and mirrored cabinet are such cool pieces.

Who says gold and silver tones don't belong together? I think this living room challenges that notion beautifully.