Why Grey is the Hot New ‘In’ Colour for Your Home

Topping the list of hot interior paint colours for 2014 is grey. Despite being an arguable debate that grey is not an actual colour, this hot neutral shade has become the sleek and sophisticated option for many homes. Classified as the little black dress for your home’s interior, the warm tones of grey have become the perfect (and essential) chameleon to effectively complement every room, style, setting and mood.

So what makes it the must have colour for your house? Adding enhancement to almost any room, walls that are painted grey act as a boundless backdrop for any style of décor. It’s a little edgy – whilst still remaining timeless and classic, but its mysterious beauty doesn’t just stop there.

50 Shades of Grey

The trend of grey is increasing dramatically and spreading from a ‘touch of it here and there’ to a healthy dose throughout the bathroom, kitchen and living areas. It can make a statement, whether you want to hide behind it or be valiant enough to stand in front and let it shine.

Home owners tend to associate grey with a cold, industrial look but grey isn’t merely grey – give it the opportunity to shine and it can be so much more than just ‘grey’. If it’s too cool however, then it can come across as harsh and appear institutional or ‘office-like’ but exploring some narrowed down favourite shades of grey shows its strong foundation and ability to mix well with a range of colours.

Shades of grey stretch the palette from almost black to almost white so regardless of how bold and eclectic you are, or if you’re the reserved minimalist, there’s a shade of grey that is still perfect for you – that’s the beauty of it.

A Split Personality 

Grey is such a dignified colour that has been able to enhance the appearance of even the most modest interior furnishings. It’s not just about the wall colour though, but its elaborating interior in other ways from floor coverings to the grey wash in wood furniture and trendy stand-alone features.

Grey has the ability to trick the eye and often relies on the surrounding colours and lighting to reflect its tint so it’s crucial you buy samples to get the true effect. Like black and white, grey plays well with others – there’s not many colours that don’t work with grey.

With its split personality, it can be a challenge though – especially when everyone sees the colour very differently. It’s on the cusp of blending into other colour families so to some people; it can appear more green, blue or brown until you take another look. If you live in an area where there isn’t a lot of sunshine, it can look very gloomy so you need to find a way to liven it up with bright and playful colours to give it personality.  Be careful you don’t overdose on grey though, too much of it can look boring so fusing it wisely with colourful shades will add life to the space.

How Grey Are You Feeling? 

Making the colour work for you depends on how courageous you dare to be, but even for the colour shy homeowner there is a shade of grey that can work. Because there are so many unique flavours of the colour, it allows you to still have a little eccentricity and be set apart from the rest of the crowd. Despite the hot trend growing into something that ‘everyone is doing’ it still allows the freedom to express your own individuality, depending on how grey you’re feeling.

What Look Do You Want to Create? 

With any effective interior designing, you need to ask yourself first what look you’re trying to create. What mood do you want to evoke? What tone is going to work for your environment and style? If you’re looking for a warm and homey feel then muddy greys tend to create this best. Shades of grey that are icier can be cool and contemporary for those after a more sophisticated, classic look. Regardless, it’s ideal to be aware of the tone and how it resonates with the rest of your house and interior décor. Most furniture styles will work with grey – combined with a colourful mix of pinks, purples, blues and citrus that pair beautifully with this neutral shade. Heavier tints will build a more masculine effect that can appear more dramatic, whilst lighter tints of grey create a softer, feminine atmosphere and work perfectly in the bedroom or family room.

If texture appeals more to you, consider pairing several shades of grey together to achieve a complex, layered effect. For the kitchen or office, a pale grey dosed in gloss will form an edgier, stainless steel look.

If you’re not up for a total redo just yet, you can step into the grey world more cautiously by adding some grey touches to the room. This can include printed tablecloths, fabrics, towels, rugs, valances, pillow covers or throws – but, it’s more fun to be adventurous isn’t it!?

Light Up Your Greyness 

With any paint job the beauty comes alive with light, so lighting up your greyness is no different. The multidimensional shades of grey consist of natural and stunning undertones that come to life with the right lighting effects.  If the room you’re giving a refresh too has an adequate amount of natural light, take advantage of this resource to accent the tones. It will also give the space some developed character as they change with the sunlight throughout the day.

Keeping your lighting amplified with at least two sources placed consciously to illuminate the room. All shades of grey benefit significantly from being well lit so keep this in mind when you’re deciding on the tone and mood you want to introduce.

Author Bio
This article is written by Jayde Ferguson.