Unbound by tradition. Soft, with an edge. Subtle, but strong. The next generation of neutrals has arrived, and Le Creuset’s newest color, Shallot, leads them all. A whisper of color that hovers between pink and purple, a lavender with a touch of gray—Shallot is too beautifully complex to be typically classified. The chameleon-like color demonstrates the changing definition of “neutral.”
Neutral was once understood to mean beige, tan or gray, but the boundaries have gradually widened to include all manner of colors, each with their own undertones, saturation and temperature. As a result, the neutrals of today are more nuanced, more interesting and more beloved than ever.
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Out with the Old, In with the New
In the past, neutral colors could be considered the easy way out, the “safe” choice. Today, the rapidly-growing category of neutrals is too sophisticated and varied to ever write off as merely the default option. Nonetheless, the dizzying array of neutral choices hasn’t hindered their ascendance. In fact, Andrea Magno, a color expert at Benjamin Moore, confirms that many of today’s most popular colors fall into this “new neutral” category. So what explains their powerful appeal? For starters, we’ve gained a new understanding of the relationship between color and light. “Neutrals have become a very sophisticated choice that is often enhanced by the lighting in a room as it changes through the day. This is true for the lightest neutrals that give a hint of color to the walls to the deepest hues, where direct light cast on a surface will reveal a subtle touch of color,” explains Magno.
Neutrals have also grown in popularity because they make a perfect background for expressing individuality and personality. The contents of a home—and a kitchen—are all helping to tell the story of a person’s life. An appealing neutral color allows these individual elements to truly stand out. By the same token, the desire for unique self-expression has brought new, nontraditional colors into the “neutral” category, from deep chocolate brown to pale ballet pink. These are neutrals with something to say. They may be subtle, but their impact—in the background and in dialogue with other colors—is undeniable.
“The sophistication and complexity of the new neutrals have wide appeal for something fresh and different — a true antidote to the expected. These colors look flawless, while accentuating their subtleties in various lighting conditions. The result is understated while revealing color know-how.”
Andrea Magno
Director of Color Marketing & Development
Benjamin Moore Paints
Subtleties and Sophistication
Shallot, Le Creuset’s latest color, proves just how versatile and appealing these next-generation neutrals can be in a wide range of homes and palettes. With its nuanced undertones, Shallot can make a powerful design impact in almost any room, from the kitchen to the bedroom to the dining room. The fun of working with a varied neutral like Shallot is playing with color pairings to bring out different undertones and subtleties, changing the whole effect.
Eager to experiment with the new neutrals in your own home or kitchen design? We asked the Benjamin Moore team to create several striking kitchen and dining room paint ideas to try at home. They used Porcelain, a close match to Shallot, as the central inspiration in each combination.
Andrea notes that “the delicate, tranquil quality of Shallot is captivating yet versatile, making an array of color pairings possible. Starting with a color combination that balances an earthy and airy feel, Mountain Moss 2142-30 has a perfect depth that contrasts with the crispness of Chantilly Lace OC-65. The addition of Shallot adds an appealing, botanical softness. Another option that plays up contrast is Raccoon Fur 2126-20 and White Heron OC-57. This high contrast look is balanced by Shallot in that it doesn’t compete visually, yet it adds freshness to the color scheme. A classic red such as Dinner Party AF-300 paired with the ever-so-slightly off-white Steam AF-15 delivers energetic style, with accents in Shallot providing a modern twist.”
Complex and affirming, the next generation of neutrals offer the reassurance of a flexible foundation that can be tweaked to stay relevant as styles change. It’s easy to change a home’s look by simply adding new textiles and accents in color pairings that pick up different undertones or showcase new subtleties of the color. Try adding Shallot to your existing Le Creuset palette and see what new world of undertones and complements opens up to you.
