HOME DECOR IDEAS

For many of us, the hours spent at home have risen sharply in recent weeks as we adjust to life during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With our homes now acting as a place of work, play and everything in between, it’s more important than ever to create a sense of calm and ease through our surroundings.
And doing this can be easier than we might think, with one solution being art, which can make us feel calmer, as well as more hopeful and inspired.
While there are a huge variety of tiles on the market, when building or renovating, most of us end up playing it safe with basic white.

A Clever Use of White in the Space

Don’t assume that a darker design plan means a black or grey canvas. By keeping the shell of the ground floor white, the team could then get more adventurous with darker flooring, window frames and cabinetry colors.
One look at the kitchen in this home is enough to make you realize that it’s well and truly time to move beyond white shaker door profiles. The black cabinetry not only allows the appliances to fade into the background, but it creates such a striking contrast between it and the walnut shelving and veined stone splash back.
The result of this considered color palette is a ground floor entertainer’s paradise that feels warm and welcoming, while seamlessly blending the indoor and outdoor spaces. The grey tiles also go a long way in making the internal and external zones read as one, and the stunning bi-fold doors don’t hurt either.
Notice there’s not a lot of shimmer and shine here: many of the materials are matte finish, which keeps it sophisticated without the blingy feel.
It’s such a misconception to think that dark neutral interior design in a home means gloomy, or small, or heavy. The photos from this stunning show home – situation in Sorrento, Queensland – prove that embracing a moodier palette results in a scheme that’s anything but dingy.
The expansive ground floor of this show home is absolute dark neutral goals. It’s designed for entertainment and a laidback lifestyle, with an expansive open plan kitchen, including butler’s pantry and wet bar. It overlooks the large dining room and alfresco area, making the entire zone the undisputed hub of the home. What’s so good about these rooms is how open they feel despite how many darker elements there are throughout them.
This didn’t happen by accident, of course, but rather through a clever balancing of colors and materials. Black, charcoal, white and brown tones all play together wonderfully here, but you’ll notice white doesn’t completely dominate. The lush greenery you can see beyond the windows provides a subtle hint of color as well; keeping the vibe earthy and organic.

Warm Decorative Elements

Sometimes when people choose to embrace a dark neutral interior design scheme, the spaces lack warmth. Often the rookie error people make is having a lot of black and then accenting it with white and metallic like chrome. This can make the room read as quite cold, especially in zones with tiles or stone.
What the team at Metricon has done in this home though is introduce a lot of warm colors and materials to balance out those colder tiles and marble. You’ll notice this in the choice of dining table and chairs, as well as the wallpaper, window treatments and accessories in the living room.
Just that little pop of mustard in the velvet cushion on the sofa above is enough to add some warmth to the space.
Even in the upstairs bedroom you’ll notice how warm and inviting it feels, even though there are so many dark colors at play. I really admire the choice of wallpaper in this zone as well. It’s one of the elements that take your property from house to home. It’s also nice to see sheer curtains that veer away from white, don’t you think?

Wet Zones are Equally Impressive

The dark neutral interior design ideas just keep coming, and span well beyond the living space. The bathrooms in this property adopt that same sense of balance, with gorgeous cool white marble contrasting beautifully with warm timbers and moody charcoal floor tiles. Gold accents in the decorative accessories introduce a warmth and luxury in small moments too.
Even the laundry keeps this darker vibe as well, which is such a welcome change from all the light and bright laundries we’ve seen in homes the last few decades. I hope this is a trend that catches on because it’s a really successful approach.