All I can see for miles of homewares is neutral, dull furniture. Without meaning to sound frivolous, I wonder if the pandemic has also had an impact in going neutral to get through all of this. Even Dior is making tracksuits – Lagerfeld said, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants.” Perhaps, going neutral is a way of controlling what is going on. We have gone in to the Neutral Zone! What is interesting is that in Feng Shui, this is the Earth element and is about grounding and being safe.
Personally, I am envisaging decorating our downstairs more casual living room. I realised that I have a lot of beige or cafe latté as I prefer to call it and love the shades as a base element to start with. With that, I gave myself a talking to and we are adding French navy, that lovely bright shade that evokes the sea and is chic and timeless. White will be the backdrop and I am hoping for a laidback 1950s rattan, Tommy Bahama look. This means wood, white and some fun decor. We immediately bought a 50s ceramic elephant lamp and a navy shade will be added.
You Have Gone Neutral
It is a sobering look so get out the colour charts and ask what do you need. For a sense of energy add red, green or yellow and you have a zing already. For a chic vibe, add bright navy or black and lots of gold or silver against a backdrop of white or cream. If this is a bit scary, go for the usual cushions, throws and candles that don’t cost the earth and you can change. For those of you with more courage and perhaps, money – paint. We are going to paid a cupboard bright navy and paint the top white. The elephant lamp will go there and I am on the hunt for blue and white pieces that can be grouped to make a statement.
But I Love Beige
Fine but apologies in advance, ask yourself why. Is it safe and calming? Add texture in ivory wool cushions, throws and rugs. Bring out wood as an element. In Feng Shui, beige is about the Earth element so perhaps you are grounding yourself which is understandable. Adding wood is about growth, think of a tree that needs the earth to develop and look for wooden picture frames, bowls and coffee tables. One day, you may add some colour for a different energy but at this time stay calm and collected.
