This Is HGTV Star Alison Victoria's Go-To Neutral Color

If there's one thing everyone knows about HGTV's Alison Victoria, it's that her modern French design style always sees neutral colors ... with good reason. Neutral shades in your home are a timeless, easy way to dress up any aesthetic with their countless undertones and base shades. When it comes to Victoria's go-to neutral choice, she always picks the Pale Oak OC-20 shade by Benjamin Moore.

According to Victoria, the shade has a "soothing spa-like feel" that adapts to natural light as the day goes on. Neutral shades are a popular choice among homeowners that provide an ease of stimulation. Whereas bold colors can make you feel lively and fired up, neutral colors have the opposite effect. They provide a calming, airy room that makes you feel at peace since they don't demand so much attention. Plus, neutral shades are easy to layer with artwork and decor. These shades work well for providing a base color for your room to complement large furniture pieces, like the bed in your bedroom, or sofa and coffee table in the living room.

Neutral shades are soft and calming, and so when applied to walls, they will often be lighter in color. Because of this, your neutral room needs a contrast to keep the area visually balanced. The first step in accentuating a neutral color palette is selecting your big pieces of furniture, since these are the room's centerpieces. For walls that are a light beige or cream color, beds or sofas with a darker hue are the perfect contrast. Darker shades of neutral need to be paired with lighter shades of furniture to achieve balance.

Accent pillows are another fabulous choice for adding decorative flair and contrast to a neutral room. Since neutral hues are so calming, having a pop of color or pattern on your pillows breaks up the monotony for a spark. Neutral shades are easy to pair with bolder colors since they are so light. If there's a red, blue, or green color you're thinking of throwing in, do so on an accent pillow, and tie it in further with a blanket of the same shade or other accents of the same color.