Neutralized

Happy New Year! We are back from a journey up north, and I am ready and determined to be here for you all every single day. So get ready. Today, after a few weeks of holidays and parties and sparkle and color, I wanted to post about neutrals. My favorite neutral paint colors. I think that the important thing to remember is that not all neutrals are white or beige. Neutral is defined by matching well with most other colors – and there are a lot of colors that match well that aren’t white or beige. That being said, don’t discount white or beige! Herewith, a few of my favorite (and tested) neutrals.

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl. It is gray, so the list of colors that go with it is endless: white, blue, green, purple, pink … the list goes on.

Benjamin Moore Lavender Secret. Lavender is a sneaky neutral. Think about it with orange, lime green, chocolate brown, turquoise.

Benjamin Moore Horizon. This is even lighter than Gray Owl, but really changes color depending on the light in the room and the time of day. I used this in the living room of my first New York apartment, and it was amazing. Pair this with gold and silver, blue, orange, green, purple – wherever your heart may take you.

Benjamin Moore Gentleman’s Gray. The least obvious of the foursome. I don’t understand why people are so ready to paint a room chocolate brown, but less inclined to paint it navy blue. This is a beautiful, deep color, that also changes colors depending on time of day. And I must say, there is nothing like an evening with dim lights and candles in a navy room. This was the color of WWB’s bedroom in his NYC apartment paired with dark woods and deep reds – very masculine. Then, when I moved in, I paired it with white lacquer and lime green – and the color took on a whole new tone. Navy looks amazing with red, orange, green, gray, brown, tan … really anything. I dare you to try this in a room – you will be surprised how neutral it really is.

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2 Comments

  • Used all three colors in my home, and A.D. ended up photographing it for their Nov 2013 issue! I TOTALLY credit the paint…not my overpaid and snarky designer with “connections”.

    Snaps for our beloved “Gray Owl”…..some days, I wish I could BATHE in it, because it covers every single flaw!

    1. Congrats! Cannot wait to see it. Gray Owl is THE BEST. I recently recommended it to a woman at the paint store – I was eavesdropping and heard she needed a grey! Thank you for following!