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Hi, it's Lindsay Diane from dandor.com.
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In this video, let's talk about how to
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use neutrals without making your home
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look bland. Now, neutrals are the
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cornerstone of timeless design. But they
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often get a bad reputation for looking
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boring or flat. But when used
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thoughtfully, neutrals can create a home
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that feels warm, layered, and
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intentionally styled rather than cookie
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cutter. So, let's jump in to how you can
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use neutrals in your home without making
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it seem bland. In this video, we're
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going to break down what the neutral
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colors are, why they're so popular in
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interior design, and four proven ways to
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use neutrals in a way that is not bland
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or boring. Let's get started. So, what
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is a neutral color? A neutral color is
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typically defined as a shade that does
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not strongly lean toward any particular
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hue on the color wheel.
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Common neutrals include white, ivory,
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beige, taupe, gray, gray, brown, and
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sometimes black. Many neutrals have
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subtle undertones like warm, cool, pink,
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green, or yellow. And these dramatically
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affect how they appear in a space. For
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example, a warm beige with yellow
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undertones will feel cozy and inviting,
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while a cool gray with blue undertones
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can feel crisp and modern. Understanding
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these undertones is essential when
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decorating with neutrals, especially if
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you want your home to feel cohesive
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rather than mismatched.
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It's also worth noting that some colors
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traditionally considered non-neutral,
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like muted blues, soft sages, or dusty
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blush tones, can act as neutrals when
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they're desaturated enough. So, why are
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neutrals so popular in interior design?
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Neutrals have remained popular interior
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design for decades because they're
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timeless, adaptable, and approachable.
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One of the biggest reasons homeowners
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gravitate towards neutrals is their
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While bold colors can feel exciting at
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first, they often feel dated faster.
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Neutrals, on the other hand, evolve
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effortlessly with trends. Another reason
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why neutrals are so commonly used is
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their ability to create a calm, visually
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restful environment. In a world where
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we're constantly overstimulated,
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neutral interiors feel grounding. They
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allow the eye to move easily throughout
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a space, which is especially important
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in open concept homes or smaller rooms
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where visual clutter can feel
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Neutrals also photograph beautifully,
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which is why they dominate magazines,
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Pinterest, and Instagram. If you're
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someone who enjoys styling and restyling
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your home, particularly from season to
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season, or you like to dabble in trends,
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neutrals are the perfect backdrop for
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that. Neutrals are also incredibly
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forgiving. They allow you to mix
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finishes, furniture styles, and even
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eras without things clashing. Whether
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you're decorating on a budget or slowly
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upgrading your space over time, neutral
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design gives you the flexibility to
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build a home that feels cohesive,
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layered, and personal. Now, let's jump
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into four ways that you can use neutrals
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in your home without making it feel
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bland. Number one is to use high
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contrast neutrals. One of the most
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effective ways to make neutrals feel
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dynamic is by using contrast. Instead of
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decorating with shades that are too
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close in tone, mix light and dark
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neutrals intentionally. Think of crisp
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white walls paired with deep charcoal
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accents or soft beige upholstery against
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black or dark wood furniture. High
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contrast adds visual structure and
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prevents neutral spaces from blending
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into one indistinguishable shade. It
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also helps highlight architectural
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details like trim, doorways, and
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built-ins. For example, painting
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interior doors and window frames a
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darker neutral can instantly elevate a
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room without introducing color. Contrast
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can also be achieved through finishes.
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Matte walls paired with glossy tile,
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dark metal hardware against light
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cabinetry, or black framed mirrors in a
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cream tone bathroom all add interest
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while staying within that neutral
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palette. If you enjoy a clean but
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impactful look, go for high contrast
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neutrals in your entryways, your dining
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room, and your living spaces. They give
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the room definition while still
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maintaining the timeless appeal that
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neutral lovers crave. Number two is
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incorporating a variety of textures.
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Texture is essential when decorating
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with neutrals. Without it, even the most
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thoughtfully chosen color palette can
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fall flat. Since neutrals rely less on
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color variation, texture does the heavy
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lifting in creating depth and interest.
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Start by layering different materials.
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Linen, wool, wood, leather, stone,
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ceramic, and metal all bring their own
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visual weight to a space. A neutral sofa
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feels far more inviting when styled with
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a mix of chunky knit throws, soft cotton
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pillows, and maybe a subtle woven
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pattern to its upholstery as opposed to
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just a smooth flat kind of on one note
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finish. Natural textures are especially
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effective in neutral homes. So wood
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beams, raton chairs, jute rugs, and
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ceramic accessories add warmth and
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prevent neutrals from feeling too
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sterile. Texture also plays a big role
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in seasonal transitions. So if you have
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some light gauzy blankets or maybe some
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waffle knit blankets in the summer, when
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it comes to the fall, think about
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swapping those out to something a little
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bit heavier like a sherpa or a fleece.
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This is an easy way to refresh your home
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with textures rather than a color
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palette. Number three is neutral bases
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and colorful layers. If you love
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neutrals but worry about them looking
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boring, think of them as the foundation
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rather than the whole story. So keep
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your foundation neutral. So your walls,
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your floors, your large pieces of
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furniture. And then layer in some
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flexible items like decorative
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accessories, pillows, throw blankets,
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artwork. These are things that are
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easily changeable and use those as the
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method by which you bring color into
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your space. This approach is ideal if
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you enjoy changing your home with the
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seasons or trends. So, a neutral sofa
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can look completely different depending
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upon whether it's styled with soft blues
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for the summer, warm rust for fall, or
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rich greens for winter. The neutrals
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keep everything grounded while the
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colorful layers add personality. Artwork
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is another excellent way to introduce
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color without overwhelming a neutral
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space. Even one statement piece can
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bring life and energy to a room
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dominated by beige, white, or gray
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tones. Using neutrals as a base also
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makes decorating more cost effective.
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Instead of replacing large furniture
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items, you can refresh your space with
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Number four is to use animal prints.
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Animal prints are an often overlooked
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way to add interest into neutral
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interiors, and that's because they do
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tend to be tricky to decorate with
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tastefully. If you want ideas on how to
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decorate your home tastefully with
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animal prints, I have a video all about
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that. I will leave it in the description
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box below. But animal prints on their
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own work well with neutrals because they
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often have neutral tones in them. So
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leopard, zebra, cowhide, and snakes skin
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patterns work beautifully with neutrals
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because they're typically made up of
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browns, blacks, creams, or tan colors.
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The key to using animal prints with
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neutrals is moderation. A leopard print
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pillow, a cowhide rug, or a framed
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animal print can add just enough
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interest and pattern to a space to keep
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it from feeling bland without having to
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pile on multiple layers of these things.
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These prints bring organic movement and
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a slightly unexpected edge to an
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otherwise calm interior. Animal prints
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pair especially well with traditional
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and transitional spaces, but they can
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also soften modern rooms by adding
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warmth and character. When layered with
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other neutrals, they read as
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sophisticated rather than bold. If
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you're hesitant, start small. One
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accessory is enough to create contrast
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and visual interest without overpowering
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a room. So, think of animal prints as a
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patternbased neutral. They are timeless
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and versatile and if done right can add
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a lot of beautiful interest and texture
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to your space. That's it for this video.
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I hope you found it helpful. If you
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liked it, please give it a like and
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consider subscribing to my channel. And
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don't forget to visit me at diancor.com.
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I post all about home decorating ideas
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over there. And thank you so much for
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watching and I'll see you in the next
