“The best way to add interest is with color and pattern, whether it’s wall covering, fabric or interesting accessories that draw the eye.” —Philip Gorrivan, interior designer
“Always add something unexpected. Either an interesting collection of objet, fantastic art or sculptural pieces of furniture. You want the viewer to be grabbed into the room and you can do it while still keeping the color scheme neutral.”—Young Huh, interior designer
“Creating depth and warmth with textures is key—in this formal living room we combined a tailored mohair sofa with carved walnut ottomans and a patterned wool rug.” —Jennifer Jones, interior designer
“If the walls and upholstery are neutral, add interest with art. Then you can pick up on the colors in the art in decorative pillows.”—Bunny Williams, interior designer
“When using a neutral palette, we find it is important to really layer the textures and tones so the space doesn’t feel static and boring. Just varying the materials by mixing woods, glass, metals and different weaves of fabrics can add so much dimension. And if you are feeling really bold and adventurous, you can add a crisp pop of color, either with fun throw pillows or a colorful piece of art. One or two hits of a vibrant hue can totally alter the feeling of the space!” —Alyssa Urban, interior designer
“Oh gosh in many ways… texture, proportion and certainly color to name a few. Here is a room we designed for a showhouse looking out onto the San Francisco Bay. We wanted the room to be serene and interesting all bundled into one. We were fortune to have ceiling heights of nearly 12 feet tall—and so commissioned an artist to create a mural of a moody sky (not unlike the San Francisco sky) that envelops the room. We also created the lux velvet sofas to mirror the curve of the bay window and add this pop of incredible color. This color blue, while striking, does not take away from the calm of the room yet is arresting enough to add interest. And lastly proportion plays prominently in the space as well. The neutral draperies are purposely set high to create drama while completely disappearing into the wall color. The scale of the chandeliers (six feet diameter) are meant to drop the ceiling height to create more intimacy in the room yet sort of hover or float overhead as a sort of sculptural effect.”—Beth Martin, interior designer
“You can create interest in a neutral space by layering the textures and patterns in the room. The controlled differences should complement each other and create an interesting contrast that keeps the eye moving. A touch of red helps also!” —Matthew Patrick Smyth, interior designer
