Neutral colors or monochromatic color schemes can be extremely inviting and exciting or they can be as blah as a bowl of cold oatmeal. Your outcome depends on the way you approach the project.
The white on white look was popular a few years back and actually a pretty easy effect to pull off. There are so many different shades of white that you can combine these colors with their subtle differences and create an open, large, airy feeling room. Then adding a red satin throw pillow here and there and you've got a really eye catching, crisp room. The problem with white on white is life isn't usually very white. Dirt, dust and all the other little pieces of the day we pick up and carry with us tend to find residence on white furniture and draw attention. That clean white look can be destroyed within minutes if you have pets and seconds if you have children. So I have to say I'm not sorry to see that trend fade away.
But monochromatic schemes are still very popular and they've taken a really exciting twist. As a child of the 70s, I'm a fan of neutral colors, I can't say that harvest gold and avocado green hold any particular fondness, but shades of green and gold do. And today you can decorate an entire room in shades of green and really have a lavish looking comfort zone when finished.
Decorating in one color does require an eye for shading. You need to be able to discern if a slightly brighter shade will detract from your other pieces or if it will provide just the right punch to turn a beloved old recliner into a newly upholstered focal point. But even more important than color in a monochromatic decorating plan is texture, and lots of it.
To really be effective when exploring monochromatic interior decorating you need to explore the way your world feels. When everything looks similar it can get boring and dull and even seem drab to visitors, even if your color scheme features a bright lime green (as mine does). To keep the room interesting you have to give the eye something to slide over, something to rest on, something it bounces over. You have to keep the eyes active without being too distracting and the perfect way to do this is to explore the way the world feels.
If you have carpet then that is one texture in your room, and you've probably got a lot of it so don't repeat this particular quality. Your couch should have a totally different aesthetic, of course you wouldn't have a carpeted couch, but if you get a plush one in the same color as your carpet you've suddenly got a whole lot of the same texture and color and things begin to look boring. Try a leather couch instead, or get crazy and have a satin slipcover made. If you have hardwood floors then the plush couch is perfect.
Look around the room and see what textures you already have and figure out what is missing. Do you have a shag pillow somewhere? They're really attractive and bring a whole new "feel" to a leather couch. How about your lamps? Are they sleek and tall or ornate and squat? Every surface and item in the room has texture and to create a really good feel inside you need to evaluate what textures are missing and what you have too much of and then begin decorating.
