Home designers identify 7 best neutral colors

White is generally the default choice for people when looking to go with a neutral color to avoid it clashing with the rest of their interior decorations. However, there are other neutral or neutral adjacent colors that can give your space dimension and serve as the ideal backdrop for any number of color combinations.

While the range of neutral colors available is endless, Architectural Digest spoke to some experts in interior design who shared seven neutral colors that are their go-to choices. Here is what they said.

Home designers identify 7 best neutral colors

Starting at the lighter end of the spectrum, Cochineal Design’s Sarah Mendel says that Ballet White by Benjamin Moore “offers a warm taupe tone, almost like plaster, giving a space a certain light yet moody feeling.” She recommends using a flat finish to get the most out of “the rich contrast between sunlight and shadow.”

Described as a chalky off white by Farrow & Ball, their Slipper Satin “has become one our most beloved colors,” says Jean Liu of Jean Liu Design. Named after the delicate colour of silk used in traditional ballet slippers the slight blue-gray undertones pair “harmoniously” with blue furnishings she said.

Kendall Wilkinson of Kendall Wilkinson Design says that Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore “is a perfect neutral paint with lots of dimension.” He chose it for his own kitchen where it “shifts its hue to a soft blue in the changing light” casting “a lovely pale blue-gray” when the sun fully illuminates the space.

If you are looking to “add a touch of depth with a gray” Farrow & Ball’s Pavilion Gray is “a beautiful option” according to Hamilton Gray Studio’s Kate Gray. “It works well with blues, but doesn’t feel too modern or cold,” she said.

Benjamin Moore says that its Jockey Hollow Gray was “inspired by wooded paths, hiking trails, and forest floors” The griege “has a hint of green that adds richness and depth without being too dark,” says Tamu Green of Luxe Pad Interiors.

Green also recommends Driftscape Tan whose “hints of pink and violet nudge this tan hue towards mauve,” says its maker Benjamin Moore. “You would not typically think of blush as a neutral color, but can work as a beautiful backdrop for almost any color combination,” says the designer.

“If you are feeling daring,” you can go with the complete opposite end of the color palette from white and use Pitch Black by Farrow & Ball. “It is a very rich black full of depth,” says Elle Decor A-List designer Delia Kenza. “I love moody dark spaces… If we want drama, this is my go-to,” she added.