Flower Love
How would you describe gray? What does it remind you of Gray color ideas are mostly associated with solid decors, neutral and free-standing environments.
It’s not uncommon for gray to be underestimated: for many people it’s just the “compromising hue” of the transition from white to black.
A shadow, not even a color! What people don’t know, however, is how bold gray interior colors can be: they are the key to a calm ambience and the best solution for modern homes. Also, decorating with gray is a good idea for any room.
Image source: Intexure Architects
Gray fans don’t need much to choose an interior design with gray walls, but before doing so, it is good to know how gray goes with different decor solutions. While this is a difficult game, it is not impossible. Let our tips help you:
Decide
Image source: Patricia Gray | Interior design Vancouver
What are you looking for. Is it a rustic, neutral room or a modern room with sharp edges? This is what you should know before implementing any design solution. This means that you should have a clear idea to follow and focus on.
Modern environments look fabulous with dark grays or even blacks. For more subtle and antique solutions, on the other hand, light grays and neutral colors are required. In addition, we’re not just referring to walls: every accent matters!
Neutral rooms deal amazingly with gray antiques and wash wood lines, while dark pop-art interiors deserve bold and shiny grays as approving colors. So have you made up your mind
The wall project
Image source: Green couch interior design
Gray is great for painting walls, especially because of its neutrality. It can be a feature, a wall, or all walls. Gray provides depth in either direction, provided you’ve kept it light on the wall and bold on the accents.
The thing about gray is that there is a huge gap between hues, and these can lead to dramatic mood swings. Before you begin, consider the following:
- There are three undertones of gray (green, blue, and purple). Paint swatches of color with each of them and see how they look under the influence of different daylight.
- Glossy colors do well with modern settings, while flat colors are much better suited for a subtle look.
- The mood depends on the shade. The lighter, the softer, which is why people use gray in their bedrooms and kindergartens. The strong, motivating effect of edgy grays is better for libraries and spacious rooms.
- Gray can imitate stainless steel as long as it is pale and shiny. This is an affordable solution for sophisticated looks that are especially welcome in kitchens and dining rooms.
The foyer project
Image source: Cameo Homes Inc.
When designing your home, don’t forget about the foyer – it reflects the style of the other rooms, but it’s also a welcoming area that needs to be warm and comfortable.
Gray is a good choice for foyers as it keeps them calm and cozy without necessarily making them the focus of attention.
Combine with gray
Image source: Martha O’Hara Interiors
If you want to mix gray, mix it with a warm color. You wouldn’t believe what a balanced solution this is! Gray goes perfectly with red, orange, or yellow, largely due to the playful tone these colors add to the neutral scheme.
Still, you don’t always have to go that far: gray goes better with colder ivory, taupe, and chocolate brown, provided you want to keep things “calm”.
Combine some shades of gray
Image source: FiSHER iD
Why does it have to be a solemn gray foundation? The color has a lot of shades and combining it can never be a mistake.
Remember, multiple hues are just as powerful as a good texture, so you are not at risk for boring and shy rooms. More than a single gray also stands for character and personal style.
Your kitchen and gray
Image source: Silver leaf construction & renovation
Gray is a must have in modern kitchens because it looks clean, organized, and elegant. As mentioned earlier, pale and shiny gray resembles polished chrome / steel, which makes it perfect for islands and countertops.
As you can see, kitchens are probably the best place to start some bold gray experiments.
Gray furniture
Image source: Green couch interior design
The speed with which Grau took over large furniture selections is just amazing. Long sofas and dining tables used to be available in white, beige, brown or even blue, but they have never been as “gray” as they are now. Reasons? Looks timeless!
Keep the following tips in mind:
- If you want both sofas and chairs to be gray, choose different textures and materials to keep the space alive.
- If your walls are gray too, choose a shade that contrasts them (dark and glossy walls look amazing with a light gray sofa).
- You can add depth to your space by throwing carpets of different shades of gray.
The texture project
Image source: Studio 33 Interiors, LLC
Here comes another “gray trick” that can help a room tenfold: gray textures! Gray is probably the only color that can handle multiple textures without creating a complete mess in the room.
Of course, you should choose shades and textures that suit your overall style and try to stay on the “safe side” for as long as possible (too many shades of gray / textures will still look overdone and cluttered).
Again, neutral textures / patterns go well with a rustic setting, while darker ones are better suited for modern and angular spaces.
Gray in small spaces
Image source: Chantel Elshout design consultancy
You can paint small rooms with gray, even darker shades. However, it is necessary to keep at least one wall (or the ceiling) a shade or two lighter than the others.
A good solution for rooms with already light gray walls is to paint the molding a slightly darker shade. Both solutions look elegant and beautiful.
Attractive gray accessories
Image source: Moda Interiors
Accessories are important, especially for those of you who value details. We encourage you to explore the fun side of gray and the variety of textures available to “entertain” your home.
- A pillow fan? Order stacks of them, all of different colors, textures, and sizes, and toss them around. What could be more unique than that?
- Buy table lamps with silver stands, fine candle holders, silver photo frames, etc.
- Thanks to the fact that you used gray, you can make “weird” color choices to add to the space: why not choose orange, yellow or blue accessories? They are all fun!
The detailed project
Image source: in3interieur
The devil is in the details and interior design is no exception. The cool thing about gray details is that you can add, remove, change, re-use … and it will always be a success!
Black and white schemes, bold artwork, letters, floral designs … they all work! With a shade as neutral as gray, the decorating options are endless.
For this reason, we recommend it to creative and artistic souls such as photographers, musicians, sports lovers, designers, etc. Whatever your job, gray can help you realize the passion and make it “about yourself”. Cool isn’t it?
The outside project
Image source: Creative architects
Gray is a smart choice of facade as it never loses its simplicity and good looks. Especially consider it for houses that are surrounded by greenery as the views of the two can be truly amazing.