12 Nicely Neutral Rooms without White Walls

I’ve mentioned a few times before that I’m drawn to neutrals over bold colors in my home. It’s nothing against colorful rooms. I’m easily overstimulated by my environment if it’s too messy, too sterile, or too colorful so I find it way easier to build a room with neutral walls, furniture and plants and then add interesting objects and artwork that incorporate color (which I can add to and subtract from).

While I love a good bright-and-light room, a white-walled space can get boring quickly. There are so many neutral wall options that can find a good balance between interest and subtlety if you’re like me and prefer to keep the color to rugs, blankets and pillows more than on the wall. Neutral doesn’t have to mean “safe” either: onyx or deep evergreen walls can make a sophisticated impact without overpowering a room with color. These 12 neutral rooms from past Sneak Peeks show us how to keep the color palette minimal without defaulting to white walls. –Lauren