The use of neutral palettes in decoration is increasingly popular to create spaces that bring a simple and calm atmosphere. It can be said that this was one of the impacts of the pandemic on interior design : the need to create spaces that, in addition to being beautiful, are cozy and offer a space of tranquility for the residents. The movement follows the same wave as minimalism and Japandi . The idea is to bring a mix of styles and textures to create harmonious compositions. But even a neutral environment can be surprising: to prove this, we invited Mariana Pesca, Mariana Maisonnave and Gabriel Bordin to give tips on how to use neutral palettes in decoration. "A neutral base gives you the chance to be bold with other things that are easier to change later if the resident gets tired of them. The secret is to identify where to 'explode' the colors, where to place a strong and striking element", says Mariana Pesca, who designed the Cosmopolitan Loft at CASACOR Santa Catarina 2021. Especially in interior design, very striking colors can tire the resident, and the cost of transforming the space ends up being higher. This is unlikely to happen in an environment that has neutral palettes, as it is something more timeless. For Mariana Maisonnave , who heads the Respiro gourmet living room on display at CASACOR SC 2021 , creating an environment that uses neutral palettes is more complex than one might imagine. This is because it is necessary to have harmony, but to balance it well so as not to become dull and boring: "to make it work, you need to mix textures and materials, bring in some focal points of contrast, and elements that warm up and enhance the environment," she says. When creating the "Respiro" space, Maisonnave taught us how to mix elements and create a surprising neutral environment. "The chosen base was a very light off-white tone, but which complements shades of gray, natural wood, white and touches of black," explains the architect.

Why invest in neutral palettes in decoration?

Bringing lightness to the space and making all rooms cozy is one of the great advantages of adopting sober colors in decoration. "A neutral base gives prominence to elements of the composition such as textures, shapes, rhythms, repetitions, objects, views and the interaction of natural or artificial light with the space", explains Gabriel Bordin , who is leading the Casa Yugen DECA project at CASACOR Santa Catarina this year. For Bordin, monochromatic is not a negative or "boring" aspect in decoration. Quite the opposite, he believes that "pieces together form homogeneous volumes and, therefore, interesting", he states. Another advantage is that the neutral palette offers a lot of visual comfort. A person can stay longer and feel at ease in an environment with simple colors, rather than in a more striking one, which can even make them tired quickly. According to Mariana Pesca, "[the palette] makes things timeless, less tiring, and offers real comfort."

Combining neutral colors isn't that difficult, but creating a striking environment can be a challenge for decorators. To that end, our team has brought you some surefire tips on how they combine them without making mistakes! According to Bordin, the first step is to study the client's profile and understand their style and needs. From there, you can choose between earthy tones, fendi, off-white or the classic black and white to kick off a neutral and balanced composition. It is also possible to work with a monochromatic environment in different ways. One tip that Bordin gives us is to make sure that "the neutral and natural tones remain, but that they are intercepted by a piece, contrast or point of color that stands out, as a statement of the identity of the environment". Mariana Pesca compares architecture to cooking, "knowing how to balance and season everything works out." One possible combination that the architect uses as an example is off-white with beige and earthy tones, and whites with gray that darkens to black. "This is not a rule, but it can work well," she explains. Another clever idea that Mariana Pesca gives us is the mix of different textures, which, according to her, is preferable to bet on similar tones and innovate with a beautiful texture.

A sensory experience behind the use of neutral palettes

More sober colors help create a cozy atmosphere, and that is a fact, but it goes much further. According to CASACOR experts, it is possible to create a sensory experience that communicates with residents through a neutral look. Mariana Maisonnave strongly believes in this ideal and states that, just as some vibrant colors (like red, for example) can bring a feeling of excitement and joy, other more neutral colors tend to convey a feeling of tranquility. "Within this universe of neutral colors, we can create an environment that conveys sobriety and formality, or we can create one that makes us feel embraced and comfortable. It all depends on the shapes, textures and materials chosen," she explains. Textures are essential to create sensations in the environment. According to Gabriel Bordin, "the rigidity or fluidity of the shapes also becomes more evident, this helps to create the sensory experience where an environment can be more welcoming or serious when its lines - whether straight, curved or organic - are protagonists and communicative". For Mariana Pesca, who agrees with her colleagues, it is possible to mix shapes, formats and textures and bring an element of surprise. This is the secret to creating a neutral environment that excites and enchants those who live there and those who visit.