Understanding the different neutral colour palettes
Neutrals have come a long way since the magnolia mania of the early 2000s. Today, a neutrally decorated home is as much an expression of personal style as painting it floor to ceiling in bright colours. It speaks of calm, serenity, and balance. Be it on-trend 'new' neutrals, naturalistic Japandi style to paired-back minimalist homes; Lick is here to help you understand the different neutral colour palettes and help turn your home into your sanctuary.
So, what classifies as a neutral colour palette? It can be anything from light neutrals, such as warm creams and whites (like the colours in our warm neutral paint colours sample box), to darker shades, such as charcoal (like our charcoal grey paint Grey 08) and black. Essentially, it's a colour that acts as a subtle background hue, easily layered with stronger colours to make a cohesive colour palette. Not to mention, a neutral backdrop makes a great blank canvas and gives artwork and architectural features a chance to stand out.
Understanding undertones: warming vs cooling
All of Lick's neutral paint colours have undertones. They are the difference between a warm or cool neutral and what looks good in a north or south-facing room. If you're decorating a dark, north-facing room or a room that doesn't get much natural light, you're going to want to go for warming tones. Lick's Grey 02 and Grey 03 (or if you're looking for a bit more oomph, Grey 06) all have gorgeous lilac and lavender undertones, whilst White 03, Beige 01, and Green 01 have yellow undertones (have a peek at our warm white paint sample box). Similarly, White 06 warms a bare wall with rich red undertones and Pink 04 stops just ahead of being 'too girly' by mixing grey with warming pinks.
Check out our colours for north facing rooms.
If you've got a light-filled, south-facing room, first of all, lucky you. Secondly, you can opt for just about any colour you like. This is the spot to play around with cooler colours as they balance out the sun's natural warming light. Lick's White 01 and White 04 are both very understated, whilst light Pink 01, Beige 02 and Green 09 add a little pop of colour while maintaining a neutral palette. All have gorgeous grey undertones. Alternatively, our light grey Grey 01 has calm and cooling blue undertones, as does Green 02 if you're looking for a more dramatic effect.
Not sure which direction your room is facing? Read our guide on how to tell if your room is north, east, south or west-facing here.
Need some more inspiration?
Running into a creative block? We've got some ready-made neutral colour palettes that work every time. If you're looking for a slightly more natural feel, we love the cosiness of Scandi and Japandi neutral palettes:
Japandi style neutral colour palette:
Japandi: a blend of Scandi minimalism and Japanese design. Read more about the Japandi style interior trend and how to make your home feel and look more Japandi.
Beige 03, Beige 02, Greige 01, White 02
Explore these Japandi-style neutrals
Scandi style neutral colour palette:
Learn about the Scandi interior style and incorporate this style into your home with the right paint colours. These look especially elegant in a kitchen. Just read our Scandi style kitchen ideas to see for yourself.
White 01, White 03, Blue 01, Greige 01
New neutrals colour palette:
Or, if you're looking for an on-trend neutral look, our 'New neutrals' colour scheme is the antidote to overused beige schemes. It incorporates light pinks and greens and has tonnes of character. Read our guide on how to style new neutral paint colours in your home and check out everything you need to know about grey beige paint.
Greige 01, Greige 02, Beige 01, Beige 02, light Pink 01, White 06, Green 01
Achromatic neutral colour palette:
The all-time classic neutral colour scheme? That would have to be the achromatic colour scheme. Meaning 'without colour', this can be any palette without any overt colour tones or, in other words, neutral. These can be anything from whites and blacks to greys and beiges.
Achromatic colour scheme is one without any strong hues and is also referred to as unsaturated or neutral. These colour schemes include, black, white and grey. Check out our range of grey paint colours.
light Grey 01, Grey 03, Grey 06, Black 01
Neutral Achromatic colour palette:
It's not unusual for a neutral achromatic interior to have splashes of colour added. As long as the accent colour is in small doses it can still be classified as a neutral.
White 01, White 04, Greige 02, Beige 02
So if you're not one to cover your house in bold colours, why not try one of these neutral colour schemes. Or, if you want to crank up the saturation, take a look at a few alternatives. From monochromatic colour schemes to analogous colour schemes to complementary colours involving colours that are complementary on the colour wheel). Get to grips with the colour wheel and plan your next decorating project.