Interesting video on rise of neutral interiors

8 days ago

last modified: 8 days ago

This showed up in my YouTube feed. She talks about the rise of neutral interiors in a historical and sociological context.

The whole thing was about 1/2 hour long. I thought the first two thirds were the most interesting. The last third is devoted to shredding some of the design trends of the past decade, and her targets won't be a surprise to anyone who frequents these boards (e.g. painting everything gray, open shelving in kitchens, and barn doors).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq_uh1r_gXs

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Comments (9)

Jilly
8 days ago
last modified: 7 days ago
I keep trying to play it, but it won’t work … I think it’s my iPad, though, not the video. I’ll keep trying!

I get frustrated posting colors, the mixing of patterns, and/or more traditional suggestions on the decor boards (pillows, rugs, curtains, etc) to OPs asking for such … I’m always outnumbered by posters/pros trying to convince the OP to go lighter, more neutral, generic, modern. Again, even when they clearly don’t want that.

There’s definitely a formula, and we could get bingo daily. Gray and white or black and white, bring in color (lol) with camel leather or solid navy. Only one (subtle) pattern per room and if more, only two, and you must measure the scale of patterns. MCM lights. Clean lines. Romabio the color out of all brick and stone. Everything matchy-matchy. Fig tree. Generic pillows. Generic lamps. Generic art. Generic accent chairs. Generic abstract rug.

The Houzz Hotel Lobby look.

Nothing inherently wrong with any of the above, it’s just baffling to me that, on a site as well-populated and diverse as Houzz, the same advice is given on nearly every thread, no matter what.

(I love neutrals, so not dissing them at all. My own bedroom is very monochromatic and neutral, and I like mixing modern in with my other decor.)
mtnrdredux_gw
8 days ago
That's really very interesting, thanks for posting!

She lost some credibility with "Van Go-eth?" And Lay Corbusier?

I think the bit about the psychological impact of grey is silly. The example they give of a "grey day" in London makes no sense. The colors one would see outside on a grey day are not grey per se.

She makes a good point at the end, that these trends don't really reflect most people's homes.
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mtnrdredux_gw
8 days ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq_uh1r_gXs

I never click on links to videos here; because they are too small. I always look it up on Youtube
Lars
8 days ago
I happen to like the Greige Agenda, and so I will not watch the video. I have an aversion to beige, brown, and excessive use of white however. Gray is one of my favorite four colors, along with turquoise, purple, and black.
mtnrdredux_gw
8 days ago
I think the video is interesting regardless of how one feels about neutrals
cawaps
Original Author
8 days ago
She doesn't bash neutrals, she's just diving into WHY neutrals are dominant, why neutrals are considered classy and colors are considered gauche (currently, and that was a very broad-brush paraphrase on my part).

She isn't kind toward the way neutrals (currently gray) are being implemented in builder basic homes and cheap apartment remodels. But a lot of that was about cheaping out on materials and design choices and not about color.
bpath
7 days ago
Go-eth? I mean, I’m not a stickler for following authentic language pronunciations of names, but ”Go-eth”? as in pride before a fall? unto Egypt? Whither thou, I will go also? I AM a stickler for informed quotations. It kind of made me question her expertise and authority in dicsussing this matter.

Brick versus concrete. I hadn’t thought of that. My great-grandfather came her as a mason, stqrted a construction company, and by the third generation they were still general contractors but with an expertise in concrete work. Did GGF do himself out of a trade?

Marbles. When I visited the Met for the first time a few years ago, my guide docent did show us some ancient painted marbles, only traces of pigment remaining. It’s pretty cool to imagine what they might have looked like way back when.

Neutrals.The other day I pulled out of a parking lot, at that magical hour when it is dusk, lights are on inside, but people haven’t drawn the shades yet. The house across street had two windows facing out, and each window had a lamp with a red shade. Enchanting. As I drove theough the neighborhood, I snooped I mean couldn’t help but notice interiors. Some walls in neutrals, and some in color, so inviting to my eye. (And, I saw a good share of tvs over fireplaces: oh, boy, they sure are visible to everyobdy and their neighbor. )

i think there is always a place for neutrals, but with color layered with it.

Here I sit with BM’s Quiet Moments, Hepplewhite Ivory, Manchester Tan, and a couple of blues and pinks and a yellow. I love color on the walls. And I wondered, especially after seeing those two charming red lamps, if what a room looks like from outside is ever one of thoughts for interior design?
mtnrdredux_gw
7 days ago
While somewhat tangential, this is certainly a reliable source about coloring of Greco-Roman statuary. https://www.npr.org/2022/07/12/1109995973/we-know-greek-statues-werent-white-now-you-can-see-them-in-color
Kswl
6 days ago
I saw that, Mtn, and was appalled at the sheer gaudiness of it all 🤢

Interesting video on rise of neutral interiors

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Jilly

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Interesting video on rise of neutral interiors

Comments (9)

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