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Design Dilemma: Neutrals with Sizzle

The design mantra for every decorator comes in one simple word: neutrals. But neutrals used ad nauseum can become a little boring. How can you inject a little life into an over-reliance on neutrals?

1. Use texture and more texture.
The way to bring interest to palettes that are neutral is to bring in surfaces and fabrics that are glossy, nubby, rough, and shiny. Below, a neutral living room gains pizazz with a rough, brick wall.

Above, a big leather ottoman adds a touch of life to a quiet, beige room. And below, purple velvet adds a spark to an otherwise neutral, traditional living room.

Here, a nubby throw and a flokati rug over sisal carpet pack a wallop in texture.

2. Incorporate organic materials, like wood and brick.

Reclaimed wood warms things up:

Below, a neutral living room incorporates brick.

3. Use saturated colors.

Just because a color is neutral doesn’t mean it can be bold. Try using deep grays, browns and dusky greens to add verve to an interior.

Below, deep gray cabinets in a kitchen are modern and unexpected:

And here, a carbon wall adds drama to a sitting room:

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A Rustic Retreat in the Brazilian Countryside

This open-air bedroom suggesting a verandah is a real breath of fresh air!

The setting is a rustic spa retreat in the Serra do Cipo , the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais in Brazil.

The sensuous and close-to-nature spaces were designed by Andrea Schettino | Arquitetura.

The union between the five senses and the architectural style was a priority throughout the project.

Each room is open to the fragrant fields of clover surrounding the spa.

Relaxing music and scents are a part of the sensuous architecture.

A small oasis in the fields of clover provides respite from the hot Brazilian sun.

Its cultural context in South America is fully explored only deep inside.

In the relaxing haven, all of the bedrooms offer views to the majestic landscape of wide open spaces extending to the horizon.

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Next, Vo Trong Nghia Architects Solve Housing for the Poor in Vietnam

From the Vo Trong Nghia Architects: “People in Mekong Delta, with an average income under $100 per month mainly live in cheap temporary houses. Ironically, poor structures result in high maintenance fee.”

Therefore, low-cost but permanent house is an urgent social issue in the region.

The aim was to provide a stable but lightweight, permanent but easy-to-build 30 sq m home within a budget of $4,000 for families in Tân An, Long An Province.

Nipa palms are abundant in the Mekong Delta, and in harmony with the surroundings.

And they are almost free.

Similarly, polycarbonate panels are inexpensive, yet allow some natural light to enter.

Prefabrication and a DIY approach keeps it affordable, while precast concrete frames and foundations guarantee structural integrity.

To cope with harsh weather of the region, the project combines Nipa palm and corrugated cement in a “double roof” that keeps out rain and offers some thermal moderation.

And lastly, because waterways are the dominant transportation in Mekong Delta, light frames were needed for families to transport the parts by boat.

Vo Trong Nghia Architects have created successful mass produceable $4,000 houses for the DIY builder.