Holly Becker's Decor8 is one of the world's best known design blogs - it's been around since 2006 and now boasts 50,000 interiors-loving visitors each day. US-born but now living in Germany, Holly also runs online blogging courses and her second book, Decorate Workshop offers a creative 8 step process for defining and refining your style to transform your home. In this extract, Holly explains how she uses colour at home, and what can be achieved with a neutral palette. Leave a comment here on the blog for your chance to win a copy.

Naturally neutral
Neutral nesting need not be boring. In fact, sometimes less is more if you work with your subdued palette using intuition and a sensitive eye. Neutral rooms can range from the modern grey country cottage with subtle notes of accent colours, such as goldenrod and sage, to a slick city apartment with a mostly cream palette, ebony-stained wooden floors and a supple brown leather Chesterfield sofa for contrast. You can even go a bit dramatic with a more Scandinavian-inspired black-and-white scheme or try an all-white contemporary look in a loft space.



The calm palette in this bedroom is so inviting. For me, the layers of texture in this limited colour palette is what keeps it alive and interesting.

Consider the details – this is especially critical when dealing with neutrals, because they can so easily turn drab or dated. What are some ways to make neutral spaces stand out by being subtle? First, mix your neutrals. This keeps things interesting, so try combining beige and cream, black with grey, beige and white, or even several different tones of white with a hint of black.


This neutral living room works because it has layers of texture to add warmth, a touch of pattern for visual interest and a well-curated display of sentimental object that tell a story.

Finally, don't forget texture. Oh my goodness, this is important! A cowhide rug, wood flooring, metallic leather cushions, rattan chairs, a cable knit throw, silk shantung curtains – all can make a huge difference since they'll add warmth and life, inviting you to sit down and chill in your naturally neutral zen den.


Serene and lovely, this corner nook in Brooklyn uses cool tones of blue and violet with flecks of green to create a zen-like feel.

Mix in some colour
It's easy to assume everyone loves colour and is comfortable using it but we're the oddball who has a tough time with it. Not the case! Colour can be a love/hate relationship for many. On one hand, we love it – it makes us happy, it evokes a certain feeling. On the flipside, we may fear it, lacking confidence and reasoning that since it doesn't come naturally it's best to avoid it and live in a beige world. That's fine if you genuinely connect with neutrals – there are plenty of confident decorators out there who surround themselves with black and white, because they prefer not to use colour.



In the dining room of James Leland Day's apartment, his salon-style art grouping makes for a gorgeous focal point against a deep blue wall. James opted to use a strong ground colour on a single wall to provide a stunning backdrop for the artwork, making it really stand out. While many shy away from using bold, rich colour in small rooms, thinking it makes a room feel smaller, a trick of the trade is to avoid encapsulating colour by simply adding your intense hue to a single wall.


I painted the doors of this 100-year old dresser using Farrow & Ball paint. The colours pull in some green from my mid-century Cherner chair.

In my own home (above), I've added various hues, mostly through accessories. This isn't because colour freaks me out – I like to switch things up frequently so keeping the foundations neutral in white, grey and wood tones gives me the flexibility I need to play with the layers on top and this often includes experimenting with playful hues as the mood strikes.



To win a copy of Decorate Workshop by Holly Becker (published by Murdoch Books), leave a comment here on the blog before 5pm (AEDT) on Wednesday  30 October 2013. You must be a member of Temple & Webster to enter (join here), and you may only enter once. We will choose our  favourite comment, and will notify the winner via their Facebook page or at the email address attached to their Temple & Webster account (if we are able to ascertain it) by Wednesday 6 November 2013. If we are unable to make contact with the winner via either of those methods within 30 days, we'll choose a replacement winner. Good luck! 
Competition closed.

Images and text from Decorate Workshop by Holly Becker, published by Murdoch Books. Order your copy online from Booktopia today.