How To Use Accented Neutral Color Scheme in Your Interior Design

Whether you’re a seasoned pro, or you’re still learning the ins and outs of decorating, using an accented neutral color scheme for interior design is a easy way to create a cohesive look and enjoy color in your interior space. In today’s post I’ll walk you through what is an accented neutral color scheme and how to use it in your house. Plus I’ll cover the pitfalls to avoid when decorating with neutrals plus an accent color.

Above you can see how our bedroom uses a base of a neutral color scheme with the addition of blue and peach.

What is Accented Neutral in Interior Design?

An accented neutral color scheme in interior design is a neutral color scheme with one accent color. In an accented neutral scheme, the accent color adds pops of color to make the space more interesting and personalized. You can even use an accented neutral scheme with two accent colors.

an accented neutral color scheme with gold by Haven Design

An accented neutral scheme with warm neutrals and gold by Haven Design.

An accented neutral color scheme can include the accent color on the walls or in smaller amounts in accessories and art. Commonly the paint color is a neutral like Muslin by Benjamin Moore or BM Collingwood with the furniture or textiles in colorful hues like yellow or green.

A living room with an accented neutral color scheme with aqua blue. Source

Why Use Accented Neutral Scheme for Your Home?

There are two reasons accented neutrals remain a popular way to decorate (and one I recommend to my Color Consulting clients.)

Flexibility: Using mostly neutrals and adding an accent color gives you the ability to change your decor every few years very inexpensively. If you get sick of color, then swapping it out is no problem! Keeping the neutrals on the expensive items (like a sofa and paint colors) allows you to add personality and colors in ways that are easier to swap out, like a colorful lampshade, brightly colored pillows, throw blankets and even area rugs.
It’s Easy: If you know what pitfalls to avoid (more on that below) decorating in this way is the simplest way to add a bit of color to your life without needing to dive deep into color theory or hire a decorator!

How To Create an Accented Neutral Color Scheme

Start with your neutrals

To pick out an accented neutral scheme, first start with your neutral. But you can’t mix them all together and hope for the best. You’ll need to decide which neutral colors you want to use in your space. Choose either:

White (and black)
Cream, Beige and other warm tones (plus black and white)
Gray (plus black and white)

Decide on which family of neutrals you want to use in your interior, depending on how you want to feel in the room, how much light it gets and what your fixed elements are or what you already own. From there, you can pick out your neutral paint colors, fabrics, furniture, area rugs etc using the following guidelines:

Work with your fixed elements: Sometimes your neutrals are predetermined by the finishes in your space. A common example is a brown granite countertop. This is an element that would be costly to replace. Instead of replacing it, use it as your starting place to choose your neutrals.
Work with What You Have: Sometimes you are not starting completely from scratch. An example of this is if you already have a great area rug with beige and browns. If this is the case, use it as your starting place to build your color scheme. Choose additional neutrals in the same warm earth tone family, varying the value from lighter to darker. Beiges and creams look great with browns.
Create A Vibe: If you are doing a new build or are starting from scratch, you can choose your neutrals based on the feeling you want to have when you’re in the space. If you want to feel warm and cozy, stick with khaki or tan, but if you want to feel light and airy, go with white or creams.
Mix Values: It is key to mix your shades of your chosen neutral from light to dark to create contrast in your space. Using all the same mid-tone shade of beige will lack dimension and contrast.
Go Warm: If you’re not sure which neutral family to go with, I would suggest choosing warmer neutral tones. Not sure what a warm color is? Read our guide to warm colors vs cool. In general, my clients are choosing warm neturals these days. In picking paint colors, most folks are going with taupe, tan, griege and beige along with complex creams and browns. And of course there’s always black and white!

Pick An Accent Color (or Two)

Now the fun part! Choose your accent color based on your preferences. If you are just starting out, I suggest going with one accent color. For example, in my accented neutral living room below, I used blue as my accent color and I varied the tones and shades of the blue in the textiles and accessories.

If you’re comfortable with mixing colors you can add a second accent color to your neutrals. If you do choose more than one accent color, make sure they are in the same color chroma. If you’re not sure what this means, read my primer on clean colors vs dirty colors to decide which type of color you like.

It is key to repeat the color in several areas of the room to make it look right. Some easy places to add an accent color is in a painting and other artwork, a vase or other accent item, throw pillows or smaller furniture items. I’ve painted wooden furniture as an easy weekend project to add an accent color to a space.

accented neutral dining room with boho vibes

In the above dining area, from Inc Architecture and Design NYC, the neutral backdrop is the perfect canvas for these colorful chairs and artwork. Notice the orange tones from the fabric are repeated in the painting!

Mistakes To Avoid

While decorating with an Accented Neutral Color Scheme is great for beginners there are a couple important pitfalls to avoid:

Pay Attention To Undertones: Keep the undertones in your neutrals the same. Beige, gray and even whites have subtle undertones that clash when all piled together. If you are not sure, compare them to one another side by side.
Don’t mix neutral families: Adding gray to a mostly warm color scheme can make the gray seem like all the color was leeched out of it by comparison. Unless you find textiles or an area rug that incorporates both grays and beiges, it is best to go with either gray or beige, not both! Pro Tip: if you are stuck with gray flooring, but prefer warm neutrals, find a rug and fabrics with both gray and warm tones to make it work.
Add contrast: Don’t forget to vary the values in your neutrals. It is key to use light tones and dark to add depth and dimension to your interior design color scheme. One thing I learned from my days styling for photography like to make sure there are deep shades of chocolate brown or black in a few places in every room. This helps the eye calibrate itself.
Add repetition: It is essential to repeat your accent color throughout the space and to use it in multiple formats. Repeating colors moves the eye around the space and creates balance. If you only have the accent color in one or two places it will seem like it is out of place- but if you have many pops of your accent color in three or more spots in the room it will seem intentional and cohesive.

Is Accented Neutral Right For Your Interior Design?

Accented neutral color schemes offer a balanced and flexible approach to interior design, allowing you to enjoy the sophistication of neutrals while incorporating color in a thoughtful way. By starting with a well-chosen neutral base—whether warm tones like beige and taupe or cooler grays—you create a foundation that can evolve over time. The key is to maintain consistency in undertones, mix values for contrast, and work with existing elements to ensure harmony. Adding an accent color (or two) enhances the space without overwhelming it, providing personality and vibrancy in a controlled manner.

When executed well, an accented neutral scheme makes decorating easier and more adaptable. It allows you to refresh your space affordably by simply changing accessories like pillows, rugs, or artwork rather than investing in costly renovations. However, avoiding common pitfalls—such as mixing clashing neutral families, neglecting contrast, or failing to repeat your accent color—ensures a cohesive, polished look. Whether you’re new to decorating or refining your style, this approach provides a timeless and versatile way to create a home that feels both stylish and inviting.

Make sure to check out how to create a home color scheme, and join our email list. When you do, I’ll send you a free color palette for Edgecomb Gray!