Netflix’s documentary on America’s Next Top Model, has put reality show host, Tyra Banks in the spotlight lately. While she’s currently residing in Sydney, we take a look at her former Beverley Hills home – a Spanish Colonial mansion, which combines natural wood, white-washed walls, and a subtle ombre palette, bringing a beautiful tonality to the multi-level living space.
For plenty of expert advice on how to create a tonal scheme like Tyra Banks’ living room, read on – we go into why it’s important to choose clear color thread and how to ensure it feels intentional. I’ve also rounded up a selection of pieces to shop, from furniture (like the Wayfair Laguna sofa), to art (see Pottery Barn’s Dusk framed print), so you can get the look of her Beverly Hills living room.
Shop Tyra Banks’ Tonal Living Room Look
Choosing a dominant piece of furniture, such as this soft gray sofa, in your mid-tone is key to this look as you will build up the layers of light and dark around the edges with decorative additions.
A tonal scheme doesn’t have to be devoid of pattern. This printed pillow adds depth and interest in a different way to texture, whilst staying true to the base palette. Plus at under $4 you can invest in a few.
A soft throw blanket can not only add to your tonal palette but bring an element of texture too, which is an important part of a tonal color scheme. Mix softest cotton with velvet pillows and a mohair sofa for example.
Whilst an area rug should be feature your palette’s mid-tone as its dominant shade, it can also bring in flecks of darker and lighter tones as well as interest with texture and pattern, like this flatwoven wool piece.
Hellinger Round End Table
Choose smaller pieces of furniture in the darker end of your palette to help punctuate your space. This pretty side table has a similar look to the one in Tyra Banks’ living room and adds an extra layer to a tonal scheme.
Distant Dusk Framed Wall Art Prints
The ombre look of this abstract skyscape picks out the full range of tones on Tyra Banks’ gray palette making it the perfect complementary piece for a living room inspired by this look.
Tyra Banks’ living room features a subtle, yet intentional palette of softest gray through to deep charcoal. The secret to achieving this tonal look, explains Jorge Fontan, Architect and Owner of New York-based design studio, Fontan Architecture, is all in the balance. ‘Creating a tonal palette in a living room is about establishing tone and hierarchy with restraint, and material continuity,’ says Jorge.
‘Ultimately, a successful tonal room feels cohesive and intentional. The eye moves through gradations rather than jumping between statements. It’s a more architectural way of thinking about interiors – where color supports spatial clarity rather than competing with it.’
We see this ombre effect exemplified in the arrangement of the throw pillows, which span all shades of the palette, from the lightest hue to the deepest, as well as in the abstract art (Pottery Barn’s dusk print achieves a similarly graduated look). It’s one of the easiest and most sophisticated ideas for how to use gray in 2026.
Kristina Lawrence, Owner of Kristina Lawrence Interior Design, goes deeper into how to achieve that perfect balance: ‘When creating rooms using a tonal palette, we have two basic rules: The first is to let mid-tones dominate, reserve darker notes for grounding moments, and use the lightest shades to lift and soften.’
‘The second rule is to echo each value at least twice to create cohesion and avoid a flat, one-note palette,’ says Kristina. ‘Repetition is the key. To do this, we start very intentionally with an anchor piece, such as a rug or a primary upholstery piece, in the mid-tone and then layer lighter and deeper iterations of the same hue using pillows, throws, and art.’
In Tyra Banks’ living room, the soft gray of the sofas and rug (try Joss & Main’s Highpoint rug) are the dominant shades, whilst darker hues are picked out in throw pillows (like this charcoal velvet throw pillow from 2Modern), lighting, and accent pieces of furniture like darker side tables. The touches of white, from the flowers to the lampshades, work to lift and elevate the scheme.
Kristina adds: ‘Soft gray shifting to charcoal feels like a quiet ombre, where each piece is a subtle step in color value, with the darkest color becoming the punctuation.’ This makes for a truly sophisticated and calming aesthetic that will pair beautifully with the existing architectural elements of your home, such as natural beams or wooden flooring, and it really couldn’t be easier to recreate.
For a tonal space like Tyra Banks’ living room, considering the importance of balance is crucial, and there’s no need to stick to a gray palette – experiment with other hues, like oatmeal to ochre, for example.
If you enjoy our celebrity news and interior design advice, why not sign up to our newsletter so you never miss the latest features.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.homesandgardens.com ’
