new room and inspiration

For quite awhile I was a vocal degrader of neutral colors. I saw white, beige, tan, taupe and all the rest as bland colors more or less the same, utilized by people who had either A) no creativity  B) a marked interest for what magazines told them was always in style or C) a completely uncomprehensible love of the modern. But, I have come to see that white and other neutrals form a lovely palette for displaying choice objects, splashes of color that are actually noticeable, wood, natural decor, and, perhaps especially, the play between light and shadow. They allow other elements, besides color, to take the foreground, such as texture, grain, and geometric design.

What converted me to an appreciation for light neutral colors? Mostly a steady diet of beautiful pictures from The Style Files, which were fed to me  by the very creative, AB, who has an eye for all things beautiful.
I'm still not a fan of overly modern or "cold" looking rooms. But often, the rooms featured on The Style Files are warm and personable. It was pictures like these that won my heart:

It doesn't hurt the case for neutral that many of these pictures are taken in warm climates surrounded by interesting history, hospitable culture, and delicious food.

All of this post is to say, it's pictures like those above that inspired how I decorated the room I'm in now. It's still my own style, but I've definitely been influenced by the Style Files. 

First set of pics all from www.style-files.com, last set all taken by my sister