Photo courtesy of Brianne Penney
A little layering can go a long way in a neutral space. Case in point: the nursery that home and lifestyle influencer Brianne Penney (aka @boneill_athome) designed for her son, that’s layered with a chic assortment of earth-toned décor accents, textiles, and window treatments, including Vanilla Blackout Roller Shades and Belgian Flax Linen Drapes in Natural.
Curious how you can score a similarly layered look in a neutral room at home? We asked Penney to share her advice for layering everything from pillows to drapes and roller shades, and here’s what she had to say.
Photo via @boneill_athome
1. Layer lots of natural textures in the room.
If you aren’t mixing and matching natural-hued textiles and décor elements—think houseplants, jute rugs, faux fur throws, and solid wood furniture—in a neutral room, Penney says you’re doing it wrong. “I would describe my home and interior style as neutral boho,” she explains. “I love to add in lots of texture throughout my home with warm colored décor items. Layered rugs, pillows, and plants are some of my favorite decor pieces to work with.”
Photo courtesy of Brianne Penney
2. Stick with a neutral color palette and add small pops of color.
Looking for a goofproof way to play with color in a room without going overboard? Penney suggests sticking to a neutral palette and infusing small but colorful décor accents throughout the space. “Since it takes time to decide what bright colors you actually like, I recommend adding in small items, in fun hues, like pillows and vases,” she says. “Things you can easily switch out when you want a change!”
Photo courtesy of Brianne Penney
3. Try tone on tone window treatment combos.
To create a luxe, layered look in any room of your home, Penney says to use a combination of tone-on-tone roller shades and drapes as window treatments. “For my son’s nursery, we needed a blackout blind, but the window space was so bare I also needed to warm up the space a little,” she says. “By keeping my blind a light color like vanilla, I was able to style it with a little darker shade in drapes creating a bit of contrast for the room.”
Photo courtesy of Brianne Penney
4. Complete the look with versatile accent items.
Once you’ve created a layered, neutral backdrop for a room, Penney suggests sprinkling a few interesting but versatile accent items, like matte black Flint Satin Finish drapery rods, throughout the space to complete the look. “I like to make sure when I invest in pieces that I can use them in other areas of my home,” she explains. “Picking out pieces that will work in other rooms of your home helps create consistency—and will save you money in the long run.”
