How to Avoid the 'Sad Beige' Trend When Styling With Neutrals

10 neutral living room ideas that are anything but boring.

You may have scrolled through Instagram or Pinterest and come across those superbly designed neutral living rooms with their delightful boucle sofas and perfectly positioned ceramics. When well-executed, a dialled down colour palette looks chic, has plenty of design interest, and is a calming space to relax and unwind. But you might be concerned that by sticking to a neutral palette for your own living room design that it will look lacklustre.

In 2021, Hayley DeRoche went viral for her comedic takes on the monochromatic style that was taking over fashion and homewares, coining the phrase ‘sad beige’. Since then, creators regularly weigh in on whether a tonal scheme is chic or drab. In our opinion, it’s all about balance. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with preferring a uniform look, but a few styling techniques can go a long way to make a space warm, inviting and dynamic.

Boosting a living room's appeal when the colour palette is intentionally dialled down is all about using varying shades of neutrals to create contrast and depth and adding plenty of different textures and patterns. If you're wanting to design your space to be in keeping with what's trending but also timeless, turn to jute, linen, boucle, timer, and rattan.

We've rounded up a selection of soothing and stylish neutral living rooms to help inspire your next home update. They might be heavy on the beige, but these beautiful spaces couldn't be further from sad. Going sans colour never looked so good!

1. Muted, timeless tones

In the same vein as her artworks, Caroline Wall's affinity for muted, earthy tones permeates the living room scheme in her Melbourne terrace home. Here, a jute rug creates a textural foundation for the timber furniture and beige sofa. The overall aesthetic is contemporary and timeless.

2. Light, bright, and practical

Sarah Pickersgill-Brown's family home boasts a spacious and serene open-plan dining and living room fitted with blush and neutral shades which complement the rays of sunshine beaming through floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains. Her interior style is bright and light yet practical enough for her young family to comfortably enjoy. It's a home that exudes warmth and tranquility.

3. Heritage meets modern

Hannah Sindorf's New Mexico rental is injected with plenty of meaning and love. It houses countless sculptures fashioned by her late father, cherished photos of family members, and vintage furniture originally purchased by her grandparents in the 1950s. The various timbers in the living room add charm, warmth, and a natural element that looks beautiful.

4. Luxe neutrals, layered textures

This open-planning kitchen and living space is the epitome of neutral luxe. There are an array of textures and materials that have been used in this space from the curved boucle sofa to the rattan bar chairs and patterned cushions.

5. Midcentury elegance reimagined

A midcentury modern aesthetic was the design inspiration behind Olive Cooke's home, with plenty of natural materials – dark timber, pale marble tiles, and soft furnishings in shades of mustard and clotted cream. Curved furniture adds to the calming look of the space.

6. Lean on serene shades

From the flooring to the walls, everything in makeup artist Nam Vo's glowy New York home is swathed in warm neutral shades. The dialled down palette combined with curvaceous furniture and décor creates a look that's utterly soothing and acts as a calming retreat and workspace. "My mind is very busy, and I’m a shopaholic so I wanted it to be clean," she says.

7. Embrace natural calm

Interior designer Lynda Gardener built a luxurious barn home in country Victoria that she decorated with neutral tones. Dotted with indoor plants that help breathe life into the space, the open-plan living area is light, bright, and calm to the eyes thanks to natural materials, subdued hues, and expansive windows. “It’s a lounge-y space to just relax, read, talk, laze about or just be,” she says.

8. Character-filled cosiness

This toasty haven sits within Emma Lane's Spanish-Inspired Homestead in the Byron Bay Hinterland. Positioned to take advantage of the spectacular view, the conversation pit sits in front of a stone fireplace and is the cosiest of spots to hang. Natural materials, and a warm, neutral colour palette prevail in the homestead and play into the home's Spanish vibe.

9. Showcase soft shapes

The interior design of Josh and Jenna Densten's family home features muted colours, earth tones, and rounded shapes, throughout, producing a soft and inviting environment where harmony prevails. "For me, a calming interior is all about a neutral colour palette where I feel most at ease," says Jenna.

10. Bright whites and coastal charm

The light-filled home of editor Justine Cullen radiates a similarly pared back and refined aesthetic as her fashion choices. Wile the interior colour palette may be led by neutrals, the home is filled with plenty of character with its shiplap panelling, exposed rafters, and coastal-style finishes.