As summer light floods our homes, it’s the perfect moment to reconsider neutrals – not as a safe default, but as a considered, layered palette. Here, Camilla Clarke, Founder and Director of Albion Nord and Interior Designer Laura Stephens talk to Rosalind Sack about how to get it right, in every season
DESIGNER LAURA STEPHENS PLAYS WITH TONE, TEXTURE AND AGE IN THIS ELEGANT KITCHEN IN LONDON. IMAGE: BOZ GAGOVSKI
A well-considered neutral colour scheme can bring a sense of stillness to a room – a quality that feels especially welcome right now. As the world outside can feel loud and unpredictable, more of us are looking to our homes to slow things down and absorb the noise. A neutral palette, done properly, does exactly that.
In summer, a well-built neutral palette creates a lightness, as walls and surfaces catch the longer days and bounce them softly back into a room, rather than competing with the blazing sun pouring through the windows. Those same tones that feel airy in July can take on a more enveloping character when the evenings draw in and fires are lit.
The trouble is that ‘neutral’ has become shorthand for the sterile grey that dominated a decade of new-builds, the sharp, clinical white of a rental flat, and the flat, chalky – and entirely unforgettable – magnolia of the eighties and nineties.
Today’s most successful neutrals are earthier, warmer and far more layered. Think clay, oat and aged limewash, which have weight and shift depending on the light. Crucially, they’re built from multiple related tones working together, not one flat colour repeated across every surface.
As Camilla Clarke, Founder and Director of Albion Nord, explains, getting this right starts long before you pick up a paint chart. “When starting any colour scheme, there are always a number of factors to consider. The aspect and size of the room, the amount of natural light, the architectural style and any period features all have a bearing on where we go with the neutrals and which direction we nudge the palette.” It’s a reminder that a neutral scheme is as considered a decision as any bold colour choice, and it needs to respond to the specifics of the room it’s in.
THIS MUTED PALETTE ALLOWS THE BEAUTIFUL PROPORTIONS AND PERIOD FEATURES OF THIS HOME IN LONDON’S HOLLAND PARK TAKE CENTRE STAGE. DESIGNED BY ALBION NORD
Interior designer Laura Stephens takes a similar view when it comes to avoiding the flatness so many people associate with neutral rooms. “People often think of neutrals as a single colour, but for me they’re much more nuanced than that. The most successful neutral schemes are built from layers of tone rather than relying on one shade throughout.
“For our SW18 project, we worked with varying depths of the same colour family, using Paint & Paper Library’s Leather I on the walls, Leather II on the cabinetry and Leather III inside the pantry. Those subtle shifts create depth and interest without compromising the calm feel of the room.”
Pantone’s Colour of the Year 2026, Cloud Dancer – a soft, alabaster white – chimed with exactly this shift when it was announced back in December. Far from a stark white, Cloud Dancer has warmth folded into it, reflecting our declining appetite for a harder-edged neutral.
Texture is what separates a neutral scheme that feels rich from one that feels bare, says Camilla. “It’s all about playing with texture and materials to make a space feel visually rich rather than flat. We often layer light-reflecting velvets against dense, cosy wools and pair them with warmer natural materials such as knotty timbers and antique brass. The way light reflects, diffuses and absorbs across different surfaces is a wonderful way to bring warmth and depth to a neutral scheme.” That interplay of surfaces – matte against shine, soft against hard – gives dimension to a muted room.
Certain rooms lend themselves particularly well to this approach. “I think neutrals work beautifully in spaces where you want to foster a sense of calm and comfort, particularly kitchens, dining rooms and family living spaces,” says Laura.
“We’re spending more time at home than ever before and many clients are looking to create interiors that feel restorative and grounding in contrast to an increasingly busy and unpredictable world. A neutral palette also provides incredible longevity. It allows architecture, antiques, artwork and collected objects to take centre stage, rather than competing for attention.” In period properties especially, she notes, this restraint lets original features do the talking.
Contrast, too, doesn’t need to mean colour, adds Laura. “Some of the most interesting schemes are created entirely within a neutral palette by playing with tone, texture and age. I love juxtaposing antique pieces against newer elements, whether that’s vintage lighting, inherited furniture or collected artwork… In our SW18 kitchen, the oak cook’s table-island grounds the room beautifully and adds a layer of warmth and authenticity that a painted island simply wouldn’t have achieved.”
Camilla agrees that age and patina do much of the heavy lifting. “I particularly love the interplay between warm neutrals, antique brass that patinates over time and indoor planting that brings life, vitality and nature’s own colour into a room. When combined with sculptural furniture, statement lighting and antiques with their own storied history, the result is a scheme that feels layered, enduring and full of character.” As she puts it, “the most successful neutral schemes are rarely about one colour. They are about the relationship between tones, textures, materials and objects.”
Get that relationship right, and a neutral scheme stops being a safe, forgettable backdrop and becomes one that can carry a room through every season and every mood.
albion-nord.com | laurastephens.co.uk
LAURA STEPHENS’ SW18 PROJECT IN LONDON PLAYS WITH VARYING DEPTHS OF THE SAME COLOUR FAMILY. IMAGES: BOZ GAGOVSKI
DESIGNER LAURA STEPHENS CREATES BOTH A SENSE OF PERIOD GRANDEUR AND COMFORTABLE INTIMACY IN THIS CLEVERLY CONCEIVED DINING AREA. IMAGE: BOZ GAGOVSKI
THIS NORTH LONDON TOWNHOUSE DESIGNED BY STUDIO RAYMOND CREATES SCULPTURAL FEATURES AND PLAYFUL ACCENTS TO BALANCE THE NEUTRAL COLOUR SCHEME. IMAGES: BOZ GAGOVSKI
THE LUXURIOUS LIVING ROOM IN DESIGNER SUZANNE RHEINSTEIN’S HOME, AS FEATURED IN LIVING WELL BY DESIGN BY MELISSA PENFOLD, VENDOME PRESS. IMAGE: LAURA RESEN
TEXTURE AND INTEREST IS CREATED WITH A BLEND OF SHINE AND MATTE, SOFT AND HARD AND OLD AND NEW IN THESE NEUTRAL SCHEMES DESIGNED BY HUTLEY & HUMM
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