Q: I’m a big fan of neutral schemes. How can I give my rooms a fresh twist without moving toward other colors?

A. Even if you’re using the same color in a tone-on-tone fashion throughout a room, as is often the case in predominantly neutral rooms, you can let the finishes pop—the chrome of a modern piece of furniture, for instance, or the grain and finish of wood. Textures, faint patterns, and slight color gradations in fabrics can look really sharp, too, all while maintaining a calm, neutral look.