When it comes to decorating a living room, a neutral scheme is a canny choice. For anyone wincing at the thought of boring Magnolia, think again – the new neutrals incorporate tactile textures, natural materials and striking design classics that, combined with a restrained palette, come together for a living room design that is sure to last the test of time.
The artful Parisian home of a gallery owner
‘I think he loves this room because there is the fireplace and it is close to his daughter’s room. You feel connected to the activity of the city in the street below,’ says interior designer Francesco Balzano of his client, the gallerist Thibaut Van den Bergh. A painting by Pierre Tal-Coat hangs over the fireplace, which was specially designed for the project and sits in dialogue with contemporary art and furniture, including stools by Francesco Balzano, as well as a sofa, chairs and coffee table by Frédéric Pellenq. The floor lamp is by Robinson Ferreux while the rug is by Codimat.
The London home with Scandinavian influences
Scandi design combines with period architecture in this south London home designed by Holly Canham. ‘I tried to create a contemporary interior that’s also functional within this lovely Victorian framework,’ she says. The living room is grounded by natural materials, including a Peter Page ‘Ellora’ jute rug and curtains made from a Designers Guild linen. The bespoke sofa is covered in subtle Larsen Belgian linen, and dressed with Libeco cushions and an Ethnicraft throw.
An apartment in Madrid that’s an ode to tiles
The Madrid apartment of Mike Leflore and Danny Mitchell, founders of Zia Tile, is both a home and showcase for their work. A floor-to-ceiling fireplace, a bespoke design by Lind + Almond, is the focal point of the living room. ‘Bone’ by Bauwerk on the walls gives the room its warm, neutral base while furniture echoes that of the living room, with the ‘Edo’ sofa by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Arflex, two matching vintage chairs from Anton & K and ‘Bonny‘ wall lights from Porta Romana. The travertine coffee table is from Eichholtz, as is the ‘Trolley Princess’ bar cart. The floor light is from Rue Vintage 74.
A Toronto penthouse with music at its core
The home of music producer Noah ‘40’ Shebib was designed by Trevor Wallace of Toronto firm Reflect. The living area is elevated by an artful mix of materials. On the ceiling, three cork and aluminium ceiling elements – their design inspired by amps and speakers – dampen noise and delineate the respective areas below. Piero Lissoni’s ’Sumo’ sofa for Living Divani faces a pair of ‘Feel Good’ chairs by Antonio Citterio for Flexform across a ‘Slope’ coffee table by Sofie Østerby Atelier. To the side of the sofa is a small ClassiCon ‘Corker No. 2’ side table in natural cork, which echoes the ceiling, while the raw-concrete columns were part of the original structure of the building.
The elegantly neutral home in London
Achieving a balance between cosy and quietly impressive became a guiding thread throughout this London project. The work of studio Covet Noir for a couple with grown up children, the home is elegant and restrained, with a muted colour palette that is accented with rich, deep tones in places. ‘Within more neutral spaces this contrast is essential for adding character and depth,’ notes designer Maria Lindgren.
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The Paris home defined by art
Franco-Israeli interior architect and designer Emmanuelle Simon was called upon by a young art collector to create a contemporary and luxurious interior in a 19thcentury building. The living area is defined by a pair of Emanuelle’s own ‘Nativ’ sofas situated on opposite sides of a Dan Pollock ebonised slab table. ‘This place is really my vision for living. Living with art,’ she says. ‘The vocabulary is truly mine.’
The London home of a fashion founder
The neutral base of this living room is elevated by richer tones, such as the pair of terracotta table lights from McCully & Crane and the beautiful wooden sideboard, designed by Shone-Sanders Studio and made by Alfred Newall. The ‘Camaleonda’ sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia sits across from art deco ‘Halabala’ armchairs, upholstered in Designs of the Time sheepskin; between them both is a bespoke footstool, upholstered in Pierre Frey’s ‘Teddy’ mohair.
A pop of colour in Paris
This beige-on-beige living room is balanced by an unexpected pop of colour in the form of a bolshy patterned rug. ‘Rotazioni’ by Patricia Urquiola for CC-Tapis peeks up from beneath two curvaceous sofas and a pouf by Pierre Augustin Rose. The mostly neutral palette of this Parisian home is tempered by organic shapes, soft materials and cocooning furniture.
Black-and-white take on neutrals
Designer Felix Millory took a black and white approach to neutrals when designing this spacious Parisian triplex. In the living room he juxtaposed a creamy pair of ‘Twins’ sofas from Greenapple with an inky custom-made coffee table, while Lella and Massimo Vignelli’s ‘Saratoga’ armchairs for Poltronova have been upholstered in ‘Moss’ fabric from Sahco. A collection of art pieces, including Julie Bergeron’s ‘Grande Coupe Ernst’ and The Developed Seed sculpture by Loris Cecchini, add interest to the harmonious scheme.
A formal living room in London
‘Neutral’ was the brief for this London home, designed by Charu Gandhi. ‘With tone-on-tone interiors you always have a risk that it can feel a bit washed out, so we relied heavily on texture to bring it to life,’ she says. In the formal living room the seating was key to making the spacious high-ceilinged room feel a little less cavernous: ‘We intentionally went for this large, open curve so it’s not enclosing but does bring the space in.’
A hand-finished home in Amsterdam
‘Clay plaster-finished walls, wood, natural stone, metal, and rough and soft linens add layers of tactility.’ Designer Anita Fraser knew that hand-finished elements would be integral to adding warmth and texture to her restrained Amsterdam home. The living room walls have a clay finish by Studio LoHo and the curtains are bespoke by Amsterdam-based Links & Co using Bruder’s ‘Loulé’ fabric, while De Padova’s ‘Landscape’ sofa and Ligne Roset’s ‘Togo’ armchair in beige bouclé are balanced by the Studio Haos coffee table from Antwerp-based St Vincents.
A sandy palette in Madrid
Given this project is inspired by the desert, sandy tones abound in the home of designer María Teresa García Santiago. A rich, warm palette is reflected in the living room via key furniture pieces such as the ‘Sesann’ sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina (now produced by Tacchini), a solid-oak chair by French designer Alain Gaubert and checkerboard gresite coffee tables designed by María Teresa.
A bamboo-inspired liveable showroom
The ‘liveable showroom’ of Norwegian brand Ask og Eng showcases furniture from their ‘Object’ collection, an ode to the designers’ love of one material: bamboo. The basis of everything they make, even the colour palette of this interior is taken from the natural shades in which it can be stained. The living space is home to the brand’s ‘AE22’ bamboo sofa and ‘A13’ tables, while the ‘A5’ floating shelf holds pieces such as the ‘Curved Wall Wave’ by Klay Copenhagen, Viki Weiland’s ‘Pebble’ wall vase and Ceramicah’s ‘Lime Plaster’ table lamp which echo the natural tones and textures of the scheme.
Tactile neutrals in Copenhagen
This home situated on the outskirts of Copenhagen was formerly a white box new build. Designer Kate Imogen Wood warmed up the home with a neutral colour palette and generous draped linen curtains with the overarching intention of adding maximum texture with minimal objects. ‘The idea was to inject feeling. Everything needed to be tactile – bamboo chairs, a bobbly fabric on the white sofa and lots of ceramics,’ she says.
Minimalist neutrals in London
‘Minimalist, modern, comfortable and feminine’ was the brief for Studio Skey when designing this London garden flat for a client who was downsizing. The creamy palette across the walls, curtains and pendant light (‘Margin’ by John Astbury for New Works) is the ideal backdrop for the deeper hues of the furniture, including Poul Kjærholm’s ‘PK22’ chair for Fritz Hansen and a ‘Billy’ chair from By Lydia.
Lee Broom's serene New York living room
The formal living room in designer Lee Broom’s New York penthouse is an exercise in serenity and calm, with soft tones of cream, ivory and sand highlighted with black and brass finishes. He designed site-specific pieces throughout the apartment, including the exquisite modular ‘White Street’ sofa, which appears to float weightlessly over its ash end tables.
A London home that’s all about the light
‘It’s minimalist but not a sanitised take on minimalism. It’s comfortable, warm and welcoming,’ says designer Jonty Hallett of the home he shares with architect partner Madeleine Ike. The home is full of abundant light and the duo enhanced it in the living room by coating the walls in ‘Kabric’ plaster effect paint in ‘Linen’ by Detale CPH. Unlike flat paint, it offers a subtle texture that captures the movement of light and shade.
Crème caramel tones in a Parisian apartment
This Parisian home designed by Sandra Benhamou is rooted in a rich neutral palette of chocolate, cream and caramel. The living room features a bespoke sofa version of the designer’s ‘Dolly’ armchair upholstered in ‘Teddy’ velvet from Pierre Frey. The coffee table is a hand-carved ebony piece while the pair of vintage straw lounge chairs are by Charlotte Perriand.
Quiet luxury in a Melbourne home
For the owners of this Melbourne home, the living room is their favourite space. Interior designer Simone Haag chose a gold-hued rug from Melbourne brand Loom to inject a hit of muted colour into the calming and neutral scheme. A low-profile Moroso sofa is positioned by one of the home’s many large windows, all of which look out onto the lush garden designed by landscape architect Nathan Burkett. The relaxed elegance of the room reflects the mood through the house which shuns extravagance in favour of effortless, understated luxury.
