anything organic, leaves,pine & wheat straw, cardboard & newspaper. But you said "My NEIGHBOR uses redwood chips".
So you want something that looks good in the front flower beds.
Shredded bark that is died red,blk or brown, will last a long time & look good. But they cost.

I did not realize that they sold dyed bark. I wonder if I can get the bark and dye them myself. Has anyone here done that? I have some concrete dye that I have left over from concrete projects - since they are mineral oxide based I'm assuming them will not be toxic to plants.

Mulches serve several purposes. 1) mulches can aid in "
weed" control, 2) Mulches can aid in soil moisture control, 3) Mulches can aid in soil temperature control, and 4) Mulches can help provide some of the organic matter soils need.
Mulches should "decay" and be added to the soil as organic matter and mulches should be inobtrusive, fade into the background. Mulches should not be the focal point or distract in any way from the plants the mulches are helping grow.

I agree with kimmsr. Mulch should degrade and feed the soil. I get the really large cheap bark pieces so they do last all growing season. I have to buy more because the mulch is thicker to cover but I think it is worth it when I work my nice soft soil or pull weeds.

Also a word of warning. The shredded wood mulches catch fire very easily. So if your bed is near the street where a careless hand might throw out a cigarette don't use the shredded wood mulch there. Or near a parking area since sparks from the catalatic converter can be a problem.

I also agree with Kimmr. In fact, I want it to break down relatively quickly so I can access the soil easily in the fall. By midsummer, my flowers are bright enough that I don't need the dark mulch to look attractive; but, in the areas where I do like it darkish, I sprinkle UCG. I know it sounds crazy, but trust me, it looks great.
I've even wondered if I could just use UCG for mulch. Getting enough wouldn't be a problem for me; my garden at the beach is small.

I'm okay with the decaying mulch - in fact as mentioned I also understood that mulch should decay. I'm just puzzled about why the mulch I have been using is changing color. I'm wondering if in fact the mulch had been dyed and as the dyed layer decays you see the "real" color of the original bark.

So maybe I should locate some bark that is naturally an attractive color.

What's UCG?

Used Coffee Grounds.
Maybe the dye fades (and most I've seen is dyed wood chips) but even the mulch a friend gave us from some cut down trees changed over time. Entropy.
My sister said there is dye free, "better for the ecology" mulch, but it costs big time. And since I'm the anti-green...

Cyprus Bark mulch will out last most other bark mulches.
You can put down newspaper or a 2-3 inch layer of shredded leaf matter before you put down the Cyprus bark. The first layer will rot, and cover the ground like a primer coat for the bark. The reason your bark or any untreated wood product changes color is like rust on steel. It is the first step in braking down the wood product.

I have never used dyed wood chips as mulch but my wood chips can and do "change color" as the sun beats on them, as moisture levels change, and as the soil bacteria work on them. Dyed mulches will change even more so as the sum bleaches them. I've not yet seen a dyed mulch that was not about the ugliest thing in the garden.

I've not yet seen a dyed mulch that was not about the ugliest thing in the garden.

Yes!! And even more so with a colored dyed mulch......why anyone thinks a red, blue or green mulch is the slightest bit attractive is beyond me!

Wood based mulches change color when exposed to the elements - it is just a fact of life of wood. They bleach with the sun, they fade when they lose their natural moisture content and they change color with the beginning stages of decomp. In wetter climates, they may also take on the coloring of algae or mosses that often grow on undisturbed mulch.

Raking or disturbing the mulch, bringing up the lower particles and covering the upper layers, can temporarily refresh the appearance of the mulch but eventually any organic mulch will lose color, even redwood mulch.