{"id":10887,"date":"2026-08-03T10:46:05","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T08:46:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/?p=10887"},"modified":"2026-08-03T10:46:08","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T08:46:08","slug":"colour-decourative-surfaces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/expert-advice\/colour-decourative-surfaces\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond\u00a0Neutrality: Colour\u00a0as\u00a0a Design Tool in Decorative\u00a0Surfaces\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Insights from Leonardo Pelagatti, Color Expert\u00a0at\u00a0Viero\u00a0Decoratives\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Decorative surfaces do far more than clad a space. They shape its character, atmosphere, and identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, Leonardo Pelagatti, Color Expert at Viero Decoratives, explores the role of colour in contemporary design, moving beyond the notion of colour as a passing trend to reframe it as a strategic design tool\u2014one that exists in continuous dialogue with light, materiality, and architecture. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Leonardo Pelagatti, colour expert<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Beyond\u00a0Neutrality: Colour\u00a0Is\u00a0Never\u00a0Passive\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Contemporary interior design has increasingly embraced the idea of colour as something to be restrained, softened, or neutralised. Greys, beiges, and desaturated palettes havebecome a shared visual language because they feel timeless, versatile, and reassuring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet neutrality is only an illusion. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When working with decorative surfaces, colour is never simply present\u2014or absent. It is always active. Even within restrained palettes, it continuously responds to light, shifts throughout the day, creates depth, or, conversely, flattens spatial perception. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question, therefore, is not whether to choose neutral or bold colours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The real question is how colour is constructed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Ghibli, matt decorative paint with sandy effect<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Decorative\u00a0Surfaces: Systems\u00a0That\u00a0Transform\u00a0Colour\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As in exterior architecture, where colour can never be considered independently from its surroundings, interior colour is always contextual. It is shaped by natural and artificiallight, materiality, the intended use of the space, and the people who inhabit it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decorative surfaces intensify this relationship. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are not passive finishes but dynamic systems that transform colour itself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A colour applied to a perfectly smooth surface remains relatively stable. Applied to a textured finish, however, it breaks apart, gains density, becomes lighter in certain areas, vibrates, absorbs light, and reveals unexpected nuances. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its visual complexity increases. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the moment when colour ceases to be a selection and becomes an integral part of the design process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Marmorin Hydro, smooth slaked lime marmorino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Colour Trends Versus Design Thinking\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Colour trends undoubtedly influence the way we perceive interiors. They shape the imagery we consume every day, establish familiarity, and guide aesthetic preferences. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is one of the reasons why desaturated palettes have become so widespread: they have evolved into a universally recognised visual reference. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trends, however, operate through simplification. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They reduce complexity to a limited number of easily reproducible codes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Design works in exactly the opposite direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specifying a decorative surface is never simply about selecting a fashionable colour. It is about constructing relationships: between light and material, space and perception, architecture and everyday experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Choosing the color<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Constructing\u00a0Colour\u00a0Through\u00a0Decorative\u00a0Surfaces\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Relying exclusively on greys and beiges often means overlooking part of colour’s expressive potential. Not because these colours are inherently limited, but because, when adoptedas default solutions, they tend to neutralise differences rather than interpret them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The objective is not to abandon neutral palettes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is to stop considering them the only viable option. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even the most restrained colour can be richly articulated. It can evolve through subtle tonal variations, almost imperceptible shifts, and delicate layering that only emerges under changing light conditions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Such surfaces create interiors that are not immediately revealed but gradually unfold over time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Likewise, more saturated colours can be refined and controlled through texture and materiality. Rather than appearing as flat fields of colour, they become surfaces that absorb, reflect, and modulate light. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is precisely what decorative finishes make possible. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They do not simply add colour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They construct it. Designing with color also means anticipating these transformations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Stucco Veneziano made with Mithos Lux<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Interior\u00a0Design\u00a0Begins\u00a0with\u00a0Understanding\u00a0Space\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For this reason, colour trends should always be regarded as a starting point rather than a design solution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They signal cultural shifts, suggest new directions, and inspire experimentation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They cannot replace design because they know nothing about the specific project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They do not account for: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • the\u00a0quality\u00a0of\u00a0natural\u00a0light;\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • the\u00a0orientation\u00a0of the\u00a0space;\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      • the\u00a0daily\u00a0routines\u00a0of\u00a0its\u00a0occupants;\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        • the\u00a0material\u00a0memory\u00a0and\u00a0architectural\u00a0character\u00a0of the place.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          Yet these are precisely the factors that determine how colour will ultimately be perceived. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"
          Marmorin Extra, coarse lime based Marmorino<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Colour\u00a0as\u00a0a Strategic Design\u00a0Instrument\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Repositioning colour at the centre of the design process means restoring its complexity\u2014not as a purely expressive gesture, but as an operational design tool. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Not merely as an aesthetic decision, but as a means of establishing meaningful relationships between architecture, materiality, light, and human experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Moving beyond desaturated monochromes does not necessarily mean introducing more colour. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          It means using colour with greater precision. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          It means recognising that colour can never be entirely controlled because it lives through changing light, the passing of time, and everyday use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Precisely for this reason, when thoughtfully designed, colour becomes one of the most sophisticated and powerful tools available for shaping space, atmosphere, and identity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \"\"
          Erametal, decorative paints, synthetic finishes<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          Discover\u00a0the Viero\u00a0Decoratives\u00a0Colour Collection\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          To\u00a0further\u00a0explore\u00a0the\u00a0relationship\u00a0between\u00a0colour, decorative\u00a0surfaces, and\u00a0interior\u00a0architecture,\u00a0discover\u00a0more\u00a0articles\u00a0by Leonardo Pelagatti on the Viero\u00a0Decoratives\u00a0blog and\u00a0explore\u00a0the\u202fViero\u00a0Decoratives\u00a0Colour Collection<\/strong>,\u00a0where\u00a0chromatic\u00a0research\u00a0and decorative finishes come\u00a0together\u00a0to\u00a0inspire\u00a0new\u00a0architectural\u00a0possibilities.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Why is colour far more than an aesthetic choice? In this article, Leonardo Pelagatti, Color Expert at Viero Decoratives, explores how light, materiality and decorative surfaces transform colour into a strategic design element capable of defining atmosphere, identity and spatial perception in contemporary interior architecture.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":10889,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[345],"tags":[723,689,332,298,691,690,688,258,293,65],"class_list":["post-10887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-expert-advice","tag-color-in-decorative-surfaces","tag-color-inspiration","tag-colours-and-textures","tag-decorative-wall-finishes-for-architects","tag-how-to-choose-a-decorative-finish","tag-how-to-choose-color-for-interiors","tag-interior-color","tag-leonardo-pelagatti","tag-luxury-wall-finishes","tag-viero-decoratives"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10887"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10918,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10887\/revisions\/10918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vierodecoratives.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}