Grey color in the interior can evoke different emotions: some consider it calm and neutral, others - practical and comfortable, and still others - gloomy and dull. Properly selected finishing materials and furniture will make the atmosphere in gray tones cozy and peaceful, while the right decor and good lighting will emphasize the individual character of the room.
Gray Advantage
The main advantage of gray in the interior is its perfect neutrality. Against such a background, both muted tones and bright accents look beautiful. Dark gray color is in perfect harmony with large, heavy objects, and light - with thin, translucent fabrics, metal decor and accessories, openwork patterns. Regardless of the chosen style, the gray scale will always be appropriate and will organically fit into the decor of any room. This color has a rather strong psychological effect: it relaxes, helps to concentrate and does not distract from important matters.
Greyscale
The gray palette is surprisingly diverse. Before going to the storefinishing materials, you should carefully study the options for tones, as the right option will improve the perception of the interior, and the wrong choice will make the room cold, boring and uncomfortable. There are such shades of gray:
- steel;
- silver;
- pearl;
- gray blue;
- grey-green;
- taupe;
- graphite;
- smoky;
- coal;
- French;
- gainsborough;
- zircon.
A wide range of shades of gray allows you to create classic and trendy interiors. This color is able to take on and reflect other tones, forming an optical illusion: a clear gray appears dove or dusty pink when a matching pair is in the neighborhood.
To create volume and depth, you need to use several shades at the same time. The combination of dark and light tones gives a sense of integrity, as if the details of the interior interact with each other, gently flowing into one another. Thanks to contrasting combinations, for example, steel and pearl, small architectural defects can be corrected. A narrow room will appear visually more spacious if the short walls are covered with dark paint, and the long ones are lighter. In addition to the main purpose, a graphite-colored wall will be a great backdrop for light-colored furniture sets.
Grey background for bright accents
Bright color combinations and rich tones can bring disharmony and make the interior overly colorful. However, juicy strawberry red, raspberry, light green, burgundy, orange, royal blue and other bold shades will look beautiful on the right background. The combination of gray allows you to highlight the desired element, for example, the one that you like the most. A neutral palette for walls, flooring, carpets and textiles will soften the assertive range of bright tones. Shades of gray neutralize the flashy saturation of rich tones, balance them, do not allow them to stand out aggressively.
"Male" interior
If stereotypes are to be believed, classic male home design is based on dark and understated hues. Modern fashion is not so categorical, and many bachelors choose a more cheerful and varied environment. However, the gray color is still relevant, it emphasizes rigor, resilience and independence. Men choose gray to decorate their home offices, bedrooms and living rooms, dilute it with elements of blue, brown, and burgundy.
Combination with pastel colors
Light shades are more adaptive than dark ones, they can blend harmoniously with pastel colors. As a result, the situation acquires depth. In the bedroom, combinations with blue, lilac, peach, cream are appropriate, in the living room - with pale yellow, gray or mint. Combinations of gray with pastels look elegant and calm, contribute to a relaxed conversation. In the kitchen, light gray is bestcombined with white, creamy, light green, apricot.
Gray combined with wood
Grey color belongs to the cold spectrum, so in the interior it is necessary to combine it with natural warm shades. The natural colors of the wood, both light and dark, perfectly complement and enliven the monochrome environment. Even if the floor-to-ceiling room is decorated in ashy colors, it will not look boring and gloomy in the company of beautiful wooden furniture. At least one natural wood element should be added to each functional area of the room: place a cabinet made of beech, aspen, walnut or oak along the gray wall, put a wooden table in the kitchen, and place a coffee table between the chairs in the living room. You can complement the interior with indoor plants to emphasize and enhance the natural motif. The interior, decorated in this way, will instantly change, and the atmosphere will become warmer.
Interior decoration in different styles
When choosing an interior style, one should take into account not only the color scheme, but also the architecture of the room. In a spacious room, you can use darker colors and bright accents, and a room with modest dimensions will look better if dressed in light undertones. Massive or catchy pieces of furniture are recommended to be combined with a calm finish of the rest of the interior. If the room has large windows and the amount of daylight is above average, you can use morethe number of dark colors, but it is important to ensure sufficient lighting during the twilight hours.
In an eclectic interior, vintage furniture and high-tech devices will be appropriate, and bright colors are in perfect harmony with pastels. For example, a sofa upholstered in patterned fabric will look beautiful against the background of gray walls with classic moldings. For fans of the classics in its purest form, a calm, neutral range, without protruding motives, is more suitable. In this case, the walls and furniture can be gray-blue, and the floor should be lined with natural wood. For the upholstery of sofas, you should choose light halftones, and cabinets, chests of drawers, tables, consoles can be as dark as possible.
Creative atmosphere with elements of pathos and pretentiousness will help to embody the chic Art Deco style. Gray shades in this case can be used on any surfaces and materials, but must certainly be complemented by bright accents and shiny metallic decor. A more practical, democratic and restrained style is contemporary. The palette is dominated by neutral colors, against which bright details stand out. For the floor, window and door openings, it is recommended to use a slate gray shade, and make the furniture lighter: pearl, smoky, gray-brown.
Minimalism style and gray color seem to be created by each other. Here the main role is played by simplicity, functionality and practicality, so the gray scale of all shades will be absolutely appropriate. Gray can be any surface and furniture.
Grey color in the interior of the living room
Solidgray in the living room looks dull and can only be used in spacious rooms with abundant lighting. In small rooms, it is necessary to use several shades of this range and be sure to dilute the atmosphere with light, dark and bright contrasts. To choose the right tone for the walls, floor and ceiling, you need to honestly evaluate the room: in a bright living room you can limit yourself to only gray, in a room with small windows and poor lighting, you should use a few additional pastel colors.
The basic rules are simple: walls should be lighter than the floor and darker than the ceiling, gray furniture should be chosen a darker shade than the walls, but lighter than the floor. Deviations from the rules are allowed, but this should be done carefully, in which case it is advisable to consult a professional designer.
It is advisable to immediately abandon the light gray floor, as this coating causes a feeling of emptiness underfoot, and in a fog-colored room this feeling will become especially strong. The dark gray ceiling makes the room cramped. Bright, colored accessories play an important role, but they must be well-lit. A noble and calm gray background will favorably set off art objects and creative furniture.
Grey bedroom
In the interior of the bedroom, gray is rarely used, and this is an unfortunate omission. The ash range of shades is the most calm and neutral base, against which absolutely any colors look harmonious. Monochrome room looksstatic, it seems flat and frozen, so gray should be complemented with other colors. Accents of blue and green will give the interior freshness and lightness. To get a warmer and more cheerful atmosphere, gray must be combined with blue and coral. A mix of gray and black looks elegant and noble, but in this case, several shades should be used, for example, ash, pearl, silver and steel. In such an interior, light gray curtains will look harmonious. Also perfectly combined gray with brown, blue, burgundy, violet. Such ensembles are great for the bedroom.
Kitchen interior in gray tones
Kitchen in gray - the choice of practical owners. Such furniture does not bother, easily adapts to the mood of the owners and can be transformed in just a minute: colored curtains, tablecloths and dishes make the interior almost unrecognizable and new every time. If you have chosen gray facades, wood or its imitation is suitable for finishing the floor: this way the atmosphere will become warmer. Combinations with white are typical for classic stylistic trends; such an interior looks very elegant, noble and solid.
In its purest form, gray belongs to the cold scale, and only a gray-beige shade can be considered warm. A kitchen in gray is perceived as cold, so the interior needs additional halftones from a warm palette or high-quality soft yellow lighting. It will help correct the situation.if you suddenly chose a too dark color for the facades.
Proper lighting
Quality light is a must for an interior in gray. In this case, it is impossible to limit yourself to just a ceiling chandelier, you need to install several additional light sources: floor lamps, sconces, table lamps, decorative lamps, spotlights. Artificial lighting in a gray room should be quite intense, and the light itself should have a warm, yellow undertone.
At first glance, the gray color seems unremarkable and boring, but upon closer examination it demonstrates many faces: nobility and sophistication combined with practicality. This color is fraught with an incomprehensible mystery and looks completely new, being next to different shades. This chameleon color will be an excellent background for your favorite accessories and will make the interior of the room stylish, calm, balanced.
