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A muted colour scheme for interiors offers sophistication and elegance to your home without overwhelming the space with bold or bright colours. A muted colour palette has low saturation and is a great alternative for those who prefer a more understated look.
With such subtle tones, you do not need to do much. Instead, muted colour palette provides a simple canvas for experimenting with multiple choices. This allows the elements to speak for themselves, enhancing your home interiors.
With that background, let’s get started with the tips and tricks to ace the muted colour scheme for interiors. Here are the top 10 ways to invigorate freshness in your interior spaces using muted colours.
Top 10 Ways to Incorporate Muted Colour Palette in Your home
1. Relaxed Vibe for Bedrooms
Muted colour schemes create a relaxing and calming ambience, making them an ideal choice for bedroom decor. Layering shades of dusty pink, olive green, beige, and brown can create a soothing atmosphere. Add minimal accessories, light scented candles, and unwind in a warm and tranquil setting.
Pro Tip: Use soft, muted colours like dusty pink and olive green, and incorporate minimal accessories like scented candles to create a calming and relaxing ambience in your bedroom.
2. The Calmness of the Living Space
Most of your time at home is likely spent in the living room. Whether you are entertaining friends, relaxing with a cup of coffee, or enjoying a gossip session with your family, the living room serves multiple purposes. To create an inviting living room, try painting the walls in muted paint colours like blue or beige, and adding bold or mirrored artwork for an eye-catching touch.
3. Peaceful Working in the Study Nook
Activities like reading and studying require concentration and privacy. A minimal interior design helps you stay focused and reduces distractions. Opt for muted wall colours for a peaceful working ambience in the study nook.
Paint the walls in pastel shades of yellow, brown, or green to maintain a lively environment that boosts focus. Make way for ample natural light, add some plants and voila, your inspiring study area is ready.
4. Timeless Touch in the Kitchen Area
The kitchen requires an interior design that balances timelessness and functionality. Open contemporary kitchens align well with this concept, and a minimal vibe is always a safe choice.
Muted colour combinations help achieve a subtle yet sophisticated interior design. Layer shades from the brown colour family, such as beige and cream, as a base. You can opt for some bold artwork or wooden accents for a striking contrast. Adding a large abstract painting can further enhance the aesthetic, completing your kitchen’s design.
Pro Tip: Incorporate some green elements such as potted plants or a herb garden to add a fresh touch and improve air quality in the kitchen.
5. The Coziness of the Dining Corner
The most engaging family conversations happen around the dining table. Wouldn’t you agree? Well, to foster this warm and inviting atmosphere, your dining corner should be cosy.
Use a muted colour scheme for the interiors of your dining room. Opt for dusty pink, mauve, teal, or subtle shades of orange, yellow, and green to create a welcoming ambience. Combine these hues with light-coloured wooden furnishings or stone elements for added warmth. To complete the warm and welcoming atmosphere, add tiny plants and some gold accents.
6. Modern and Stylish Look of Washrooms
It is essential to design the bathroom space efficiently. Even in a small bathroom, you can experiment with various elements to create an illusion of space.
A sleek design is a must to keep up with the modern trends. Contemporary, stylish washrooms are gaining popularity. A muted colour palette helps achieve this aesthetic. Cool tones such as blue, green, and grey work wonders in bathrooms. Enhance the look with dark-coloured stone accents for a sophisticated, modern look.
Pro Tip: Use a large mirror in your small bathroom to create the illusion of openness and space.
7. Feminine Charm of Walk-In Wardrobes
Walk-in wardrobes are a dream space for most of us. Whether compact or spacious, they make a stunning interior statement.
For a minimalist walk-in wardrobe, opt for a muted colour scheme such as powder pink or dusty rose. Pair these with rose gold handles and wooden furnishings for a touch of elegance. Keep the design simple and clutter-free to create a serene and organised space.
8. Minimalist Foyer with a Touch of Bold
Your home is your comfort zone and the foyer is the window into that space. A warm and welcoming entryway sets the tone for the rest of your home, leaving a lasting impression on guests and fostering a positive ambience. Muted colours can help create a sophisticated and airy entryway.
Shades like taupe, khaki, brown, and turquoise infuse freshness while maintaining elegance. Create a compelling contrast with bold artwork. You can also elevate the design with creative lighting options, such as Victorian lamps. Plus, plants are the best source of positive energy, so don’t miss out on them.
9. Luxurious Feel in the Lounge
The lounge area is synonymous with luxury and style. It is one space where you can experiment with bold choices and create something exquisite.
Experiment with muted colour combinations like grey, blue, green, or purple to create a luxurious and fashionable lounge space. Complement these shades with exquisite chandeliers or pendant lights for added elegance. Leather sofas and glass tables further enhance the refined atmosphere.
10. Warm and Welcoming Drawing room
A muted colour interior design is ideal for shaping a calm and inviting living area. Shades of cream and beige pair beautifully well with wooden accents. You can also adopt a nice contrast of beige and brown for a simple yet elegant look.
Additionally, a toned-down yellow or orange makes a great choice for a featured wall. These hues allow for greater flexibility in décor choices, allowing you to experiment with different interior design elements.
Top 5 Elements to Incorporate in Muted Interior Design
1. Light Coloured Flooring
Light-coloured flooring is the most hassle-free way to incorporate muted colour interior design. Such options work amazingly well with subtle, pastel shades and dark, bold hues.
Light-coloured flooring is available in a myriad of choices, from light-hued wooden flooring to tiles in pastel colours. You have a plethora of colours and textures to choose from. Besides, such floorings make an interior space look more open and spacious.
2. Mirror and Glass Décor
Muted paint colours create a blank canvas for you to experiment with decorative accessories. The classiest decor options that can adorn your interior spaces are the ones with mirrors and glass. The charm of muted hues and the magic of mirror work is the perfect amalgamation. It spruces up the simple walls like nothing else. You can opt for single mirrors or even go with mosaic artwork. Pick whatever works best for your space or curate something personalised.
3. Earthy Furnishings
Earthy furnishings and neutrals are a match made in heaven. Muted colours and earthy tones are somewhat similar to each other. Shades such as khaki, brown, and toned-down yellows are the best earthy tones for muted colours. Incorporate wooden shelves, earthen pots, vases, or coloured planters, with rugs and cushions, to add an earthy touch to your interior design. Wooden furnishings are a popular, complemented by textures such as jute, stone, and green accents.
4. Bold Artworks
If you intend to add some spice to the overall muted wall colours, bold artwork is the way to go. You can incorporate these in the form of abstract paintings or geometric artworks.
Besides paintings, sculptures also help in making a statement. Opt for large ones or some in dark colours to accentuate the décor and to accomplish eccentric and daring interior design with minimal effort.
5. Potted Plants
Greenery can introduce charm, positivity, radiance, calmness, and serenity into any space.
Greenery goes well with any interior décor style. This applies to muted colour palettes too. If you have limited space, potted plants are a perfect solution.
Bring in the goodness of green with planters, opting for metallic finishes to add a touch of elegance. Colours such as white, cream, grey, and black also work wonders.
The Charm-Exuding Muted Colour Schemes….
Now that you are familiar with the magic of a muted colour scheme for interiors, it is time to incorporate it into your spaces. You can experiment in a myriad of ways to see what works best for you. Plus, you can gradually introduce the colours through various elements. Get started today!
Also Read:
15 Ways to Explore the Monochromatic Colour Scheme in Your Interior Spaces
5 Tips For Designing Colour Scheme For Your Home
Muted Colour Schemes FAQ’s
1. What are muted colours?
Muted colours are those that encompass a low saturation. These hues are obtained by blending white, black, or other complementary colours to a base colour.
2. How do muted colours contribute to a space?
Muted colours infuse a soothing, luxurious, and elegant ambience into your interior spaces. They create a feeling of home in an otherwise lifeless space. With the help of these colours, you can create a simple background to let the other elements do the talking.
3. How can you incorporate muted colours in your interior spaces?
Following are how muted colours can be implemented in your interior design.
- Relaxed vibe for bedrooms
- The calmness of the living space
- Peaceful working in the study nook
- Timeless touch in the kitchen area
- The coziness of the Dining Corner
- Modern and Stylish look of Washrooms
- The feminine charm of walk-in wardrobes
- Minimalist foyer with a touch of bold
- Luxurious feel in the lounge
- Warm and welcoming Drawing room
4. What are the top 5 elements that complement muted colour schemes in interior design?
The top 5 elements that complement muted colour schemes in any interior design are:
- Light-coloured flooring
- Mirror and glass decor
- Earthy furnishings
- Bold artworks
- Potted plants
5. What are some examples of muted colours?
Dusty rose, powder blue, turquoise, grey, beige, and earthy tones such as green and brown fall under the muted colour palette.
Author Bio
Saili Sawantt – She is an Architect and Interior Designer by profession. Writing is what she treats as her passion. She has worked as an Architectural Writer, Editor, and Journalist for various design as well as digital portals, both national and international. Formerly she has also worked with Godrej Properties Limited (GPL) Design Studio, Mumbai, due to her keen interested in learning about Sustainability and Green buildings. Apart from this, she runs her blog ‘The Reader’s Express’ and is a practicing Architect & Interior Designer.