If you’ve been paying attention to interior design trend reports, you know that Gray is the next white…or black…or both. The point is that it is trending right now. It was predicted by style experts at the likes of House Beautiful and Houzz, and it works well with both modern and traditional design motifs.
Contrary to popular believe, gray is not drab when it’s used well in interior home designs.
5 Reasons to Paint Your Walls (or a single wall) Gray
Here are 5 reasons you may want to consider painting your walls – or at least one of your walls – in a stylish shade of gray.
- It’s trending right now. As we mentioned, gray is trending right now. You can take or leave trends for the most part, but this one is worth considering – especially if you plan to sell your home in the near future. Firstly, it’s a classic, neutral color and it works well with a range of styles, colors and patterns. Also, I think gray is a little more interesting than the typical creams and tan shades that comprise the background of most “neutral” color palettes. If you are planning to put your home on the market, your gray wells will appeal to homebuyers that have been perusing design websites because gray is fresh in their minds. Your home will feel more relevant and contemporary.
- It’s a trick color. When House Beautiful cited Frarrow & Ball’s “Parma Gray 27” as one of 2016’s most trendy colors, designer Marcy Materson said, “I love the fact that they call this gray. It’s really quite an extraordinary shade of blue, with a great deal of lavender in it. You could use it anywhere, with black or white accents to set it off. It’s such a serene, sophisticated color.” That quote says it all. Gray is more than just gray. In the world of color science, gray is rarely made by mixing black and white. The combination of black and white creates a very basic, neutral gray. However, most paint companies make their variations on gray by mixing complementary colors – those that sit exactly opposite one another on the color wheel – and adding a little white. In this way, they can create “warm” grays, which include yellows, or “cool” grays that include blues.This is why I say that gray can be a “trick” color – it’s really hiding a range of shades – and you can use this to your advantage by working carefully with a designer and/or a color wheel to choose the shade of gray that best suits the existing colors in your interior colors and patterns.
- Gray is soothing. Again, gray has an impression of being somber, moody, or drab. I would argue that a neutral gray – mixed from black and white – is the culprit here. I always advise choosing a matte or flat paint finish, rather than a glossy one, if you want to avoid an industrial look.When you begin exploring the range of warm and cool grays – “colorful” grays – entirely new moods can appear. There is certainly an air of modernity in most rooms that use gray – although I have also created elegant, traditional and transitional designs that successfully used gray on the walls and furnishings. In any case, gray always seems to invoke a sense of retreat – and gives visitors a sense that they are hidden away, somewhere safe and calm – a desirable sensation in our busy, fast-paced world.
- It softens bold color accents. Have you always wanted to go bold, but lacked the courage to do so? With gray walls, your “bold” colors will stand out, but they won’t scream the way they do against a white background. Gray creates a visual cushion between starker color contrasts. The gray walls in the living room of this Cool Craftsman are a perfect home for the vibrant work or art, which might have been a bit “too much” if the walls were plain white.
- It’s a perfect backdrop for metallic or shiny finishes. Similarly, gray is an ideal backdrop for designs that incorporate mirrored, metallic or shinier features and finishes. Just as bold colors are softened by gray’s absorptive properties, so too is the brashness of reflective materials. From ornate mirrors and metallic backsplashes, to mirrored furniture and silver or copper accents, gold will showcase them nicely without letting them take over the room.