Throughout our design career, one thing has remained true: you can’t go wrong with a beautiful neutral-toned room. With our lives becoming more hectic, we often seek the solitude of a calm, serene space, and a neutral palette can achieve just that. The main trick, though, to making a neutral room anything but boring is to play with tone, texture and pattern.

Illustration by Lindsay Agnew.

How to work with neutral colours
One of the ways to add textural interest is to use different types of fabric – pair smooth silk drapes with a soft, diamond-tufted microfibre sofa and woven linen sidechairs. To make a neutral room feel fresh, layer the lighting and include reflective materials, such as mirror, metal or glass, to bounce light around the space. Robert Kuo carved ice cube lamp
Forms enhanced with unique finishes like the ones in this lamp are key to creating a more interesting space. McGuire, $4,090.

Laundered linen and trinity silk taffeta fabric
Combine different textures ranging from smooth to rough to plush to liven up the room. Threadcount Textile & Design, $120 per yard and in Trinity White, $116 per yard

Pompeii coffee table
Use materials like glass, for their reflective quality. Powell & Bonnell, from $3,600.

Marcel Wanders for Graham & Brown Alice and Henry wallpaper
Incorporate patterns – whether subtle or dramatic – to increase visual appeal in your neutral-toned rooms. Crown Wallpaper & Fabrics, $70 per roll.
S&C 7000 Churchill sofa
Details like tufting, to make pieces stand out, make a big difference in otherwise monotone spaces. Decor-Rest Furniture, from $1,900.