Grey is the new beige!

Long gone were the days where white or beige walls seemed to be the only wall colours that go well with almost everything. Lately, grey walls are seen everywhere especially in home decor magazines, furniture catalogues and design blogs.

 

Decorating with grey is an easy and popular choice because of its versatility and it provides a more dramatic colour compared to other neutrals. Grey works in all room settings from traditional spaces with dark wood furniture to the ultra modern spaces with sleek stainless steel furniture.

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ABOVE: A combination of cool grey wall with a warm grey sofa accented with shades of yellow, as on picture frames, stool, throw pillow, an area rug and other similar coloured small accessories, ties the room together while creating a casual and contemporary living room.

BELOW: Warm greys dominate this living room and splashes or bright yellow and aqua blue add uplifting colour.

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ABOVE: To achieve a bohemian look, use the same grey walls, retain the basic furniture, change out the previous accessories and adding splashes of yellow, orange, pink, blue and purple accessories and accent furniture to pull the room together.

ABOVE: To achieve a simple, classic and timeless look for your living space, retain the basic furniture and keep the colour scheme to a minimal in shades of browns, greys and whites for accent furniture and accessories for a cohesive and uncluttered setting.

Neither boring nor drab, grey is perfect for creating a chic new look in your home. Grey is the ultimate neutral. It looks good with almost any colour and ranges from cool to warm. Grey also adds subtle sophistication to any space. Use it as a neutral to let a bright colour shine or do a whole room in grey for a contemporary retreat. Grey is a more elegant neutral that gives depth to subtle colours and makes bold tones pop (rather than shout). However, getting the right shade of grey is essential to whether a space feels warm or cool, as the various hues and shades of grey can evoke very different feelings and have an enormous impact on the mood of a room.

Choosing the right grey
Grey can be warm or it can be cool. Deciding on the grey you like depends on what feel you want in your home. Choosing a grey from the blue side of the colour wheel will give you a cool, refreshing shade of grey that is ideal for a north-facing room. Choosing a grey from the red side of the colour wheel will provide a feeling of warmth to a south-facing room.

ABOVE: Cool grey and spa blue, with a splash of yellow and green, give this room country fresh appeal.

COOL GREYS

WARM GREYS

 

BELOW: The bedroom on the left is decorated in cool grey hues, while the room on the right in warm grey hues.

I love bold colour, but I think grey can be so soothing and calm, especially in a bedroom. You can make grey really work when you use lovely textures and patterns and use different shades of grey throughout the space. It's really interesting how warm or cool a room can be, depending upon the shade of grey used.

ABOVE: Featured in a recent edition of Veranda magazine, J Lo's living room is decorated with warm grey fabric on the upholstered furniture and a cool grey on the walls, chairs and throw cushions.

ABOVE: Grey concrete walls and warm grey furniture and upholstered furniture provide a home office working space that is calm and clean. Grey has the effect of making even a cluttered space seem more ordered.

If you feel that grey may be too impersonal for a particular space, don't forget that grey works well with almost any other colour on the colour wheel.

ABOVE: A grey home office takes on colour with a yellow leather chair and yellow desk blotter.

Even small amounts of colour pop when used with grey.

ABOVE: In a sunny, north-facing dining room, choose greys with a green undertone for a room that is refreshingly cool and welcoming.

BELOW: The light grey walls have a yellow undertone that warms up the room. Gray doesn’t have to be a cool color. There are both warm and cool grays.

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