Blog>Ideas>25 stunning neutral living room ideas
Last updated: 12 October 2023
25 stunning neutral living room ideas
These neutral living room ideas exude effortless sophistication. Whether your style is modern, traditional, or country, there's a neutral scheme for you. Sometimes simple is best.
Our selection of neutral living room ideas will leave you bursting with inspiration.
A neutral living room is timeless, relaxing, and versatile. And they are anything but boring.
A neutral colour palette is broader than you might think, encompassing everything from white and ivory to beige, sand, soft greys, anthracite, and even black.
While some people like to include an accent colour in their neutral living room scheme, others rely on texture, pattern, and a varied neutral palette to create an interesting and soothing space.
We have 25 beautiful neutral living room ideas to share with you, alongside plenty of tips and advice to help create your desired look.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
Living room ideas - grey schemes
Grey, or greige, has become one of the most popular shades with homeowners looking to create a serene neutral palette in their homes. Here, we'll look at a selection of ideas to inspire your grey living room decor.
1. Pair grey with warm tones
The great thing about grey living rooms is their versatility. You can keep it serene with other cool tones such as white, blue, and other shades of grey, or warm things up by pairing it with terracotta and rust-coloured tones.
2. Grey and white living room ideas
A designer trick to add visual interest to a grey and white living room is to add decorative objects with interesting shapes and textures. It helps a neutral room to feel more personal and less stark.
3. Grey sofa living room ideas
A grey sofa is incredibly versatile and practical. It goes with everything and is fairly hardy when it comes to marks and stains.
4. Grey carpet living room ideas
Grey carpet - or a large rug - are popular in living rooms to zone spaces, making them feel more homely.
This homeowner has lifted the grey scheme with the addition of some botanical elements, textural wood, and complementary green/grey wall paint.
5. Grey wallpaper for added interest
The geometric pattern of this grey wallpaper creates a stylish and interesting backdrop for the other design elements in this chic living room.
With a range of wallpapers available, you can mimic more expensive finishes such as concrete and marble, with stone-effect wallpaper.
6. Mid-century grey living room inspiration
Grey living room walls are super versatile. Here, they provide the perfect backdrop for the crisp lines of the classic mid-century furniture and structural plants.
7. Scandi-inspired grey living rooms
Scandinavian design combines elegance, practicality, and comfort. They are masters of creating simple yet cosy and stylish interiors.
With subtle touches of texture across a range of different materials, this Scandi-inspired grey decor is hard to resist.
Introducing colour in a neutral living room
One of the best things about a neutral living room is its ability to be a versatile blank canvas for your chosen accent colour.
Whether you like to refresh your scheme regularly by changing the cushions and throws, or you're a seasonal decorator, adding pops of fresh green for spring and burnt orange for autumn, a neutral living room will suit you down to the ground.
If you're keen to explore colour ideas for a living room in a neutral scheme, these are some of the best pairings:
8. Blush pink
Pastel shades such as blush pink work effortlessly in a neutral living room. Elegant yet warm and cosy - what did we do before the wonderous blush pink?
9. Brown
Earthy browns are warm and grounding neutrals that can be incorporated in a number of ways in a neutral living room.
A mellow brown feature wall pairs beautifully against cream and rattan furniture to create a boho feel.
Check out this post for more ideas on brown living room trends.
10. Green
Forest green, sage green, or teal; there's a shade of green for all tastes and styles.
Inspired by nature, a green accent in a neutral living room is soothing, relaxing, and bang-on trend.
11. Grey/green
With a neutral palette across the rest of this living room, the green/grey wall blends eclectic accessories with a marine vibe.
12. Contrast with black accents
Black accents in a neutral living room provide depth, definition, and contrast.
Adding subtle touches of black - for example within photo frames and decorative accessories - is a clever trick to elevate a living room from bland to stylish.
Not sure if neutral living room ideas are your thing? Check out our post on living room decorating ideas for further inspiration.
13. Liven it up with florals and foliage
A neutral backdrop is the perfect setting for floral touches with soft furnishings, artwork, or real foliage. Pretty and delicate or bold and clashing - you decide.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
White living room ideas
If you have children or pets, the idea of a white living room might bring you out in a cold sweat. However, there are plenty of ways to make this scheme work. Let's take a look.
14. White and grey living room ideas
To keep your white and grey living room interesting, add plenty of texture.
Dark photo frames, wire lampshades, wood furniture, plush throws, cosy cushions, soft rugs, ceramics, and foliage marry together effortlessly across this neutral spectrum.
15. White with warm neutrals in a living room
Colours inspired by the natural environment are known for their soothing qualities when used in the home.
The tones in stone, sand, and clay work beautifully alongside white in a living room.
16. White and blue living room ideas
When paired with white, blue accents create a cosy charming cottage-style living room. Notice the array of different patterns, made cohesive by their shared colour palette.
17. White and gold living room ideas
Metallic accents work particularly well in a white living room - brushed gold being a popular choice to add a touch of luxury, even on a budget.
18. Black and white living room ideas
Black and white would be a harsh pairing without the addition of warm wood, soft furnishings, decorative accessories, and foliage.
19. Coastal-inspired white living rooms
Combine natural materials and colours inspired by the coast - pebble grey, chalk white, and hints of blue - to create this relaxing oasis.
Natural materials such as glass and ceramics come into their own in this style of decor.
20. Tactile furnishings for a white living room
The soft sofa, velvet cushions, plush rug, and wood shelving add warmth and interest to this cool scheme. This can also be achieved with a leather armchair, wooden furniture, or a linen sofa. The key to adding warmth and interest is texture.
21. Choosing furniture for a white living room
The shape of your furniture is also important in a white living room. A curved sofa or statement armchair is another clever way to build visual interest.
22. Natural wood in a white living room
Natural wood adds warmth and helps to ground a white living room creating a soothing and relaxing lounge area.
23. The best rugs for a white living room
In a white living room, it's important to layer texture and pattern. An effective way to do this is to incorporate a neutral (but patterned and/or textured) rug into the scheme.
24. Lighting ideas for a white living room
In a white living room, lighting plays a key role in preventing the space from looking stark.
The right living room lighting will create a cosy and inviting space by blending a combination of ambient and task lighting.
25. Pops of green in a white living room
Plants bring life and interest to a white living room. With such a variety of colours, shades, textures, and sizes available, it's easy to select houseplants that will complement your decor.
For more inspiration, check out our post on cosy living room ideas.
Find an interior designer to help create your neutral living room
Simply add your postcode to the search box below to find the interior designers who come highly rated in your area.
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job
See the tradespeople we've checked and recommend for your job