If I were to walk into the home of Jonathan Adler, chances are I would get lost in the throws of color, texture and chic grandeur. While this experience can be quite euphoric, like the first few minutes of arriving at a carnival, after a while I am going to want to sit and sojourn over a cup of tea. But if yours and my attention is continually distracted by the assortment of bold accents and groovy graphics how can we carry on a meaningful conversation with the sole intent of focusing on each other?

Hence, minimalism; sometimes no color is the best color of all. By sticking to a more neutral palate, the results can be quite glamorous where the people are the main attraction instead of things. True neutrals are stark and sophisticated. In the absence of color, a neutral canvas depends on pattern, texture, and finish for visual interest. Sarah, at Modern Roost led me to a great post at Decor8 that suggests a more naturalist trend is emerging in the area of decor for 2007.

While the term natural is primarily used to describe a trend that focuses on "once living things lovingly preserved", the term neutral tends to evoke a feeling of ordinary, plainness, or typical. Quite the contrary; Holly, at Decor8 explains that even though this trend is casual it is nonetheless beautiful…

"Remember, this trend isn’t about sparkle or
saturated colors, it’s faded, somewhat neutral, very focused on
collections well placed, and lots of natural textures and patterns."

The true neutrals - Black, White and Gray - do play an essential role in decorating in that they provide visual relief in patterns with color. Just as true neutrals calm a colorful design, colors also enliven a neutral scheme, and by embracing neutrality in decor we save ourselves from the limitations of fading "trends" and open ourselves up to a timeless story with many chapters.