It’s a standard piece of advice to home owners, one you’ve no doubt heard time and time again: Paint the walls with neutral colors!

And like a lot of similarly time-tested adages, this sage wisdom is still around for a reason. It’s true. Fact is, decorating with neutral colors is a smart investment now and for the future. Not only does a neutral color scheme adapt well to a variety of decorating styles, but it also creates a soothing, natural environment to come home to.

To elaborate, here are five reasons you should consider decorating with neutral colors:

• Versatility: Paint your walls a soothing ivory or cream, and you can change your furniture and accessories whenever you like! Anything goes with these shades, so you have a perfect backdrop for a wide range of options.
• Soothing, quiet, pleasing: Believe it or not, colors can affect our moods and even the level of stress we experience. Just like including fresh plants and choosing clean scents can relax our minds, so can decorating with neutral colors.
• Timeless style: Unlike trendy (and every-changing) popular styles, neutral colors are always in. Anyone who’s seen a home with orange shag carpeting or bright pink walls can attest to the temporality of bold choices.
• Better for resale: Think about it: when builders show new homes, what colors do they usually paint the walls? Neutrals. And for good reason. Because selling a home means appealing to the largest number of buyers, neutral colors make the most sense.

Tips for making it work:

• When picking a color, evaluate different shades. To help notice the differences in hues, try placing swatches on white paper.
• Mix different shades/tones to break up monotony, as well as different textures.
• Choose colorful accents. Remember the accent pieces—be they pillows or blankets or pictures on the wall—can be changed easily. Use these to show your style!