Neutral decor in your living area should make the space feel bright, calm and inviting. Neutral does not mean dull! In fact, with the right combination of elements, you can achieve serious warmth and homeliness – even with a completely neutral palette.
Hopefully this post will help you to create this beautiful, neutral look in your own home, while being as eco-friendly as possible of course. 🙂
I’ve had the pleasure of putting together a sunroom design scheme for a client who has a great sense of style! They sent me a few images of the look that they were going for – A very neutral palette with some raw wood finishes.
I collated my ideas for the space into a Mood Board, which became the reference point for every design decision – See below.
Apart from knowing the feeling of the space that you are aiming for (calm and inviting in this case); the other driving factor should always be sustainability! Opt for natural and recycled materials as much as possible – Wood, jute, seagrass, linen – to name but a few.
It’s all about Layering!
In order to put together a neutral palette without it feeling cold, dull or clinical (no thanks), it is essential to layer the space with texture, and warm it up with natural elements like wood (yes please). You can bring in texture through rugs, curtains, cushions, blanket throws, soft seating, lighting and accessories!
Arranging several textured pendant ball lights in a playful grouping is what will really give the ‘Wow’ to this double-height room. And who doesn’t love a bit of ‘Wow’, hah?!
See how I translated the Mood Board into actual product selections below:
Shop the Look – Furniture
Shop the Look – Accessories
Shop the Look – Ceiling and Lighting
This particular client is lucky enough to have very high ceilings in this room. This presents us with the perfect opportunity to create a really impressive and unique statement through feature lighting.
Suspending multiple textured light fittings at varying heights will create visual interest and will look absolutely amazing! Carefully selected feature light fittings will lift your interior design scheme from ‘That’s nice’ to ‘WOW’!
I LOVE these atmospheric pendant lights from Lights.ie – They are woven from fine paper so they get my seal of eco approval. Ain’t no plastic up in hurr!
Pair these light fittings with dimmable bulbs to create a softer ambience in the evenings. Dimmers are our friends, k!
Feature Pendant Lights and Natural Table Lamps
Natural WHITe-Wash Effect to the Wooden Ceiling
This client’s existing sunroom has pine wood ceilings which have yellowed over time. I love the idea of keeping the wood grain, but toning it down to a calmer whitewash effect. This can be achieved by sanding back the wood and applying Biofa Glaze Binder mixed with a proportion of natural white paint. Finish off the ceiling surface with a natural Biofa wax product.
(Use the code JADEHAVEN for 10% online discount).
Below are some examples of whitewashed wood ceilings with varying degrees of whitewash applied. I think all three images look beautiful. It just depends on how much of the wood tones you would like to retain.
Shop the Look – Wall Finishes
Natural Eco Paint
Natural eco paint is the best choice for both your health (No nasty chemicals for you to breathe in) and also the environment (They are so pure, they are actually compostable!).
I have recently trialled two natural eco paint brands (Auro and Biofa), and I was thrilled with the results of both. Now that I am aware of the extent of harmful substances in conventional paint, I would only ever use (or recommend) natural paint in future!
The first step would be to order swatch cards – I recommend both Auro Paint (from Ecological Building Systems); and Biofa Ireland.
For this neutral design scheme, choose a shade of white on the warm side of the spectrum. Try out a tester pot or two first to be sure you’re 100% happy with the colour first! Below are my recommendations for this project style – Both are pale ‘almost white’ paints with very subtle warm tones. Use my code JADEHAVEN for a 10% online discount on either brand.
Textured Wallpaper
Add wallpaper with a natural texture to selective areas – the tall alcoves either side of the fireplace in this case. The wallpaper will serve as a lovely backdrop for the reclaimed wood console table and round antique mirror. Keeping it neutral but adding another element of texture!
Consider Adding an Eco-Friendly Biofuel Fire
Adding a fireplace to a room is an excellent way to create a warm and cosy ambience, as well as an attractive focal point. Opting for a biofuel fireplace is one of the most ecological and healthy solutions.
Unlike traditional solid fuel or gas fires, biofuel produces no harmful emissions or smoke. They burn 100% renewable fuel and so have minimal environmental impact. No flue required so they are a hassle-free option that give any room a modern and magical feel!
Always Measure Up Before Purchasing Furniture.
Create a scaled Plan – even just a hand sketch!
Drawing up a scaled plan can be something you do yourself on graph paper, or get a little help from an Interior Designer. Either way, don’t be skipping this critical step. It will save you headaches, believe me 🙂
Above is a plan drawing for this sunroom project, showing how all the key elements will work together, both spatially and texturally.
So are we agreed? Neutral Decor = Delightful!
Enjoy re-creating this bright, warm and tranquil look! x
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