Many people consider the use of gray in the interior to be unjustifiably gloomy, faded and uninteresting.
However, this universal shade can look restrained, elegant and stylish, just a competent selection of textures and adjacent tones. How to adequately implement an interior in gray tones?
Monochrome interior of a spacious living room.
Dining room decor.
The influence of gray color on the psyche
One of the common practices for personality research in psychology is the Luscher color test. According to him, gray color is chosen by people exhausted by stress and emotional tension due to life circumstances. This shade represents peace and tranquility - this is what residents of the “concrete jungle” often crave when they return home after a hard day at work. Gray color in the interior will help them relax their tense mind and restore moral strength.
A neutral tone is suitable for people who are tired of the everyday hustle and bustle - those who have direct contact with people, and those who “work with their heads.” A gray color palette in the interior will help you immerse yourself in a kind of prostration, temporarily detaching yourself from external stimuli and difficulties.
What colors go with gray in the interior? Yes, almost everything! Therefore, if you are afraid of the monochrome and “boringness” of the implemented idea, or if you are simply in the mood, it is easy to add a few bright notes in decorations and textiles to such a design - the space will instantly be transformed.
Velvety pearl shades promote relaxation.
Graphite and anthracite shades are very risky.
Rooms in gray tones
Subtleties of color decoration of premises.
Kitchen
A kitchen space with a predominance of gray tones promotes concentration on the process of cooking. This design is associated with a production area in an upscale restaurant, complete with steel furnishings. A home kitchen equipped with wooden furniture or stone countertops becomes more practical and looks stylish thanks to this color scheme.
The photo shows gray color in the interior of a kitchen made in neoclassical style.
Living room
In a small living room, an excellent solution would be to decorate it in warm colors, while for a spacious hall, cool shades are suitable. A monochrome palette will add some complexity to the atmosphere. The interior can be complemented with bright accents in the form of curtains, a sofa with pillows, armchairs and more.
The photo shows a small guest room in gray and white colors.
Bedroom
Light gray colors with a matte or light and silky texture are especially appropriate for decorating a bedroom. White or pink accessories will add even more tenderness to the room, and beige or brown elements will fill it with warmth.
Bathroom
This color scheme is a fairly practical option for the bathroom, since dirt and stains are less visible on gray surfaces. When choosing a tint solution, pay attention to the dimensions of the room. In a room with a small area, it is better to use light tiles, paint and other finishes, as well as use glossy and mirror surfaces.
Hallway and corridor
This hallway interior looks noble and elegant. Due to the cladding and decor in pearl grey, aluminum or silver tones, it is possible to expand the corridor space and add light to it.
Children's room
Gray wall decoration in combination with light furniture, a white ceiling plane and rich inclusions will be a worthy solution for a stylish nursery design.
The photo shows a children's room with walls painted gray.
Toilet
The interior of a gray toilet will look much more original with the help of additional contrasting accents, such as colorful mosaics, bright paintings or other decor. You can decorate one wall in the room with graphite and anthracite shades. In this way, it will be possible to achieve the correct distribution of light and shadow in the space, making it more comfortable and organic.
Cabinet
Smoky and steel colors that create a business atmosphere are considered indispensable in the design of a work office. The gray-brown combination will give the room some solemnity.
Balcony
Light or warm gray as the main background will harmoniously complement rich accents in lemon, red or orange colors. This palette is not subject to fading and exposure to ultraviolet radiation, so it is considered an ideal option for a loggia.
Combination with other colors
What does gray color go with in the interior? Being a neutral tone, it easily adapts to almost any “neighbor”.
Combination with beige
Perhaps this is the only combination in which this shade looks somewhat inorganic. The point is the different “temperature” of the shades. However, choosing a suitable color combination is not that difficult. For example, playing with contrast, sand furniture looks fresh against the background of an asphalt-colored finish.
Gray-beige color in the interior of a sophisticated bedroom.
Combination with blue and blue
The combination of gray and blue in the interior evokes thoughts of a palette of heavenly shades - from heavy leaden clouds to light cirrus haze, from a clear azure sky to pre-dawn twilight. This design promotes a relaxed atmosphere, and therefore would look most appropriate in rooms of the appropriate purpose.
Gray-blue color in the interior of the living room.
Asphalt color with blue accents in the living room.
IMPORTANT: the gray-blue color in the interior creates a feeling of coolness, which is comfortable in the summer, but brings discomfort in the winter. If you have a “northern” room, introduce warm shades into the design or completely abandon blue.
Combination with brown
The combination of gray in the interior with brown gives a noble and stylish, but sometimes, if you combine the shades incorrectly, a somewhat inorganic combination. Brown belongs to the warm spectrum, and gray belongs to the cold spectrum, which causes color dissonance. However, a competent color combination will make the interior of any of your rooms the embodiment of grace and style.
Combination of gray and brown in the interior of the house.
Brown furniture against a background of stone trim.
Combination with white
Seeming unprepossessing at first, such a combination can turn a small room into a bastion of cleanliness, filled with light and air. However, northern rooms should be careful - cold shades can make them not so much stylish as detached and unwelcoming. Use a warm, light palette of both shades.
Dark wall panels among white trim.
Monochrome colors in the bedroom.
Combination with other colors
Gray-pink is a logical choice for romantic natures. Playful floral shades seem to bloom against a monochrome background. Exactly like green - the brightness of fresh greenery ideally complements and enlivens the neutral palette. An equally suitable companion to a gray interior is yellow. This sunny palette suits the naturally moody shade perfectly. Bright red creates an amazing feeling of a colored spot on a monochrome photograph - against a neutral background this active color stands out noticeably brighter.
A color combination for true romantics.
Sunny shades in a loft space.
Bright accents against a neutral background in the living room.
Bedroom with shades of gray
Wall decoration in various shades of gray is the optimal solution for use in this room. Wallpaper is still the most popular option for decorating walls in a bedroom. Although many people prefer coloring compositions to them, they are perceived as warmer and more comfortable. Gray color works well on textured surfaces. It is preferable to choose the lightest colors that will look aesthetically pleasing and not as gloomy as dark ones. In addition, light walls will help make a small bedroom visually larger. If plain walls seem dull to you, you can diversify the decor by using glossy patterns on one of them. A steel ornament on a matte gray finish will look unusual and stylish. Thanks to its neutrality, gray will be an excellent backdrop for your favorite bright colors and will help shade them and make them more saturated. Taking this feature into account, you can skillfully complement the overall picture with interesting geometric or floral designs.
Keeping in mind the possible
negative effects of gray when consumed in excess, consider pairing it with blue, green, yellow, pink or purple. These options are better than others for a room where you need to fully relax. White, black and dark brown furniture will look good against the background of calm walls Even bulky and bulky items will seem smaller, so you can safely afford a massive bed or a good-quality chest of drawers.
In order not to spoil the feeling of inner freedom that gray walls will give, you need to choose curtains that match them. Then the boundaries of the room will be completely blurred. The fabric should be light, slightly transparent and plain. In a word, curtains should not draw attention to themselves. The design of the window opening itself is also important You are lucky if the window is large, or you can combine the loggia with the bedroom and glaze from the floor itself. It is advisable to highlight the outline of the window by decorating the slopes in white. This will become the central element in such a laconic room. The doorway should be designed in the same way.
If the window is of the most ordinary size and there is nothing special to highlight, consider the second option for decorating a gray bedroom. In this case, additional colors are used more actively . For example, if your room is very hot, use a combination of gray and blue. The wall under which the bed will be located must be painted a pale blue shade, and the rest - light gray. This room will immediately become cooler. support the idea with the help of white furniture and textiles with white and blue patterns. If the room, on the contrary, is cold, use warm shades of yellow and dark brown furniture. This way you will balance the atmosphere and skillfully combine the desired tones. The floors in both cases can have a gray or light shade.
Popular interior styles
The colors of concrete, asphalt and iron are most often used in modern interiors, but classic motifs are not alien to them.
Loft
The industrial style of the urban jungle consists almost entirely of gray concrete blocks, metal structures and chrome ventilation systems. A gray interior in this style will be complemented by wide panoramic windows.
In a loft there is no place without metal and brick.
Industrial concrete finish in grunge style.
High tech
Steel shine, polished plastic, tempered glass and the latest technology – these are the pillars on which high-tech is based and where the gray palette looks as organic as possible.
Graphite high-tech kitchen.
Light walls in a high-tech kitchen.
Classic style
A classic interior in gray tones is rarely implemented, but it does exist. Matte solid colors are suitable for this, both for decoration and for furniture and decorations. A calm and relaxing environment during this implementation is guaranteed to you.
Gray floor in the interior of a classic living room.
Scandinavian style
In the northern concept, it is common to use a light palette of steel shades, which are invariably accompanied by snow-white color and wooden texture - also in light shades. An excellent solution for small rooms where home comfort and a calm atmosphere are needed.
Scandinavian room design.
Cozy Scandinavian bedroom with mountain views.
Provence
Rustic styles are characterized by natural gray tones - faded wood, light stone, limestone, etc. Cold and harsh concrete and steel colors have no place here.
Light shade of the walls in the kitchen-dining room in Provence style.
Bright bedroom in Provence style.
Retro
Retro style is also not alien to the gray palette, but it must be used wisely and only with pastel colors. Gray walls in the interior will become a worthy backdrop for “old-school” furnishings.
Living room with retro shades.
Spacious kitchen in retro style.
Room decoration
The gray color in the interior is selected according to the function and configuration of the space.
Kitchen
A gray kitchen interior will help you concentrate entirely on cooking - a classic gray facade, countertop or finish will concentrate your attention. And the room in a modern style will resemble restaurant kitchens, where everything is clear, concise and made of metal.
A standout tile backsplash in an all-white kitchen.
Living room
As a rule, the size of the living room allows you to implement shades as close to black as you like. Play with a light palette of gray colors in the interior in order to make the room as neutral as possible from an emotional point of view, or play on contrasts by painting a separate wall, or all of it, in graphite color, and select furniture in pearl shades. Add a couple of bright touches and the necessary amount of lighting, and neither you nor your guests will remain indifferent to the interior.
Light gray walls in the living room interior.
Bedroom
The bedroom is the place where relaxation after a hard day reaches its maximum. That is why you should opt for soft, calm shades of gray instead of alarming dark ones. You can add a little color in textiles or make everything monochrome - your right.
Silver wall in the bedroom.
Purple is a companion color in a velvet bedroom.
Children's
The psychological characteristics of this color allow it to be used in the rooms of overly restless children - gray will slightly straighten out their emotional background. However, do not overdo it - to avoid getting a boring design, dilute the design with bright, cheerful colors - red, yellow, green, pink or blue.
Introduce gray into the nursery with caution.
Bathroom
The choice of gray color in the bathroom interior directly depends on the area of the space: the smaller the square footage, the lighter the tone of the materials. It is advisable to use mirror surfaces and white splashes to diversify the design. This color is very practical - minor stains are hardly noticeable on it.
Natural stone in bathroom finishing.
Cabinet
Concentration is what a person needs at work. And the presence of gray in the interior of this room will be the best way to promote mental activity. The businesslike, and even slightly office-like, atmosphere will put you in the right mood. And the minimalist style will eliminate the possibility of being distracted by foreign objects.
Workspace in soft colors.
Accessories
The implementation of gray color in the interior involves playing with both shades and texture: stonework, fur throws on furniture, dry bleached wood as an accessory or iron beams under the ceiling
Bright accents
When choosing a combination of bright colors and gray in the interior, do not be afraid of mistakes - any “live” and rich color will enliven the space without dissonating with the basic tone.
But try not to overdo it with color - red, for example, being an extremely active shade, in large quantities can begin to bother and “harm” the eye. Make a choice in favor of burgundy, wine or brick shades if they are expected to significantly predominate in the interior. Panels, vases, floor lamps, textiles and even living plants - everything will be used.
A bright sofa and a standout painting on a gray background.
A couple of “juicy” spots diversify the interior.
Textile
Gray textiles in the interior will soften the brightness of the background colors and add nobility to the atmosphere as a whole. Heavy velvet curtains, silk bed linen or fluffy carpet pile - these little things add up to the comfort and overall emotional background of the entire room.
Graphite curtains stand out against the white trim.
Lighting
Gray a priori belongs to the “dark side” even in its brightest manifestation. Therefore, any gray interior requires light accompaniment - natural in the daytime (this requires wide, preferably not curtained, windows), and artificial in the evening (lamps, chandeliers, LEDs, etc.). Mirror surfaces and gloss will help expand the walls and illuminate the space.
Dark colors require decent lighting design.
Furniture
Gray furniture in the interior always looks expensive and elegant, regardless of the design style. Even against the backdrop of bright, flashy tones, the furniture looks dignified and “grown-up”, softening the boldness of the surrounding colors with its neutrality.
Luxurious dark sofa in a studio room.
Furniture in elegant ethnic style.
Noble gray color in the living room interior
It is in this room that all friendly gatherings and celebrations of all kinds of holidays take place in the family circle or circle of acquaintances. Every person who comes to visit you for the first time will form an impression of your home and of you based on the interior of the living room. If you want to emphasize the impeccable taste, nobility and restraint of your nature, but at the same time show elegance and style, you should pay attention to darker shades of gray and complementary colors. A combination with green or red is perfect for the living room Among them, we advise you to choose the most interesting tones, namely emerald, burgundy or wine. This combination will not leave anyone indifferent and will cause sincere delight and surprise. furniture made in these colors against the background of gray walls will look very impressive
It is not necessary to paint all the walls dark; one distinctive wall along with the light gray ones is enough.
A few white or black details will create additional volume. Crystal chandeliers look gorgeous in rooms decorated in this way. Unfortunately, this option is reasonable to use only for spacious rooms. Small living rooms require more light colors. However, one dark wall and furniture in muted multi-colored tones can be safely used. This technique will even expand the space a little, but at the same time it will create an effect of intimacy and comfort. Exactly what this room needs. Finding such furniture can often be very difficult, but this is not a reason to abandon such a wonderful idea. In this case, the walls should be decorated in light colors, and the furniture should be chosen in dark gray tones. Place colored pillows against its background and choose curtains to match. A small coffee table or rug can also be a distinctive color The floors must be decorated with darker colors or, conversely, to match the color of the walls.
Dark gray wide skirting boards will help delimit the space Shades of other colors, such as yellow, blue or brown, look no less harmonious in living rooms. With the help of the latter, you can create a real classic interior using wooden furniture and wooden flooring. In such a room it is appropriate to use a glass surface for a coffee table. Shades of yellow will “warm” the room and fill it with the missing sunlight, while blue shades, on the contrary, will bring freshness and coolness.
look impressive and need to be supported by a small number of decorative items. This could be several small vases or a lampshade. In less daring interiors, gray is present only as small accents. For example, against the background of light upholstery, pillows with gray pillowcases are used. Or a gray chair is placed against a bright wall . This technique helps to slightly soften the impact of saturated colors and calm them down. Any option to use shades of gray in the living room will give the desired calm and nobility to its interior.
Finishing walls, floors and ceilings
Gray color in the interior is most often used as a base, or background, color.
Walls and wallpaper
The combination of gray walls in the interior with bright accents looks more than organic. Its neutral tones serve as a mediator and link between all decorative elements. Paint or concrete panels create the desired atmosphere of industrial loft, minimalism and grunge styles. For adherents of the classics and French romanticism, halftones are preferred: gray-blue, gray-pink, etc. – they look best in residential areas. It is necessary to make sure that there is sufficient lighting for gray walls in the interior - it makes sense to use dark shades only in rooms with a large area and wide windows.
Another design option is gray wallpaper in the interior. Light gray, with small patterns or stripes - they will serve as a worthy backdrop for furnishings in the room.
Photo of a combination of gray wallpaper in a bedroom interior with plain textiles.
Floor
The gray floor in the interior can echo the chosen style of the interior or be completely original. This option is especially good for the bath and kitchen - it is not so easily soiled. The main thing is that the texture of the floor covering
Gray floor in the kitchen interior.
was as flat as possible for ease of cleaning. It is necessary to remember some properties of gray flooring:
- The lighter the shade, the more spacious the room will seem;
- The depressing impression of an overabundance of massive furniture will be corrected by a light floor;
- By choosing an original shade of gray floor in the interior, you can create a non-trivial, stylish and luxurious design.
If the floor is made white, light light beige or light gray
If we talk about flooring, there are laminate, vinyl tiles, parquet, which are called bleached oak, beech, Norwegian pine and other similar names. In fact, they are not pure white - there are shades of gray, beige, and brownish. But the general impression is that it is an almost white floor. It creates a feeling of cleanliness and spaciousness. If there is a slight gloss, it also visually increases the space.
With a neutral light floor, you can choose any decor
You can also find plain white, but this is not so interesting, although, if played correctly, it will also be very good. Paint the plank floor with a very light paint, and you will get exactly what the floor coverings imitate. How to choose the color of the floor if you don’t know what the decor will be? Choose something from very light shades. You can't go wrong, as it goes with almost everything, it can be in any style.
Paint the walls white
If you make a white floor and white walls, you will get a calm interior. The good thing about it is that by changing textiles and accessories, you change the style. You can easily change your mood. For some, such an interior may be boring, but it can be enlivened with bright fragments. White floors and walls are a great backdrop for any color.
Almost white floors and white walls provide an excellent backdrop for furniture and accessories
Several color accents enliven the interior
Brown and black complement white floors and white walls
Just a couple of colored details and the black and white interior is not so strict and cold
Rich wine-colored armchairs set the mood
White glossy floor and white walls with dark cabinet furniture
In a combination of white floors and white walls, the furniture can be light or darker. There are any accents - black, red, blue, green, yellow, lilac, purple, etc. Any other colors you want in your home. But don't forget the three-color rule: you shouldn't add more than 3 colors. They can be in shades, but there should be no more than three “groups” of colors.
Combined with light colored walls
Add a little color to a white floor by painting the walls or using colored or plain wallpaper in light shades. Now it’s fashionable to make accent walls, so this technique fits well with this option: white floor and light walls, and the accent wall is either the same color, but saturated, or contrasting.
The warm color of doors and furniture makes blue not so cold
For the kitchen, a white floor and blue walls in combination with white furniture - it looks very “easy”
The warm brownish-gray color of the walls and wooden furniture details look good against the background of a light beige, almost white floor.
Interesting combination for the bedroom
In a romantic style
Only one wall can be bright
Warm floor the color of baked milk and delicate green on the walls
If you don’t know how to choose the color of the floor in a small apartment, try this option. You can create very diverse interiors and use different styles.
If you add dark paint
Dark walls with a white floor - this technique must be used carefully. It's too easy to create an uncomfortable interior. Dark walls are grey, black, brown in rich shades.
White or light floor and dark walls - a specific option
In some cases it looks stylish, but requires experience
Another option is to make one wall dark.
Gray floor and brown walls. If you don’t know how to choose the color of the floor to make the interior look solid, try this option
Such interiors turn out to be interesting, but living in them is “hard”. The option is acceptable only in very bright rooms with high ceilings. This technique should not be used in standard apartments. So the light floor-dark walls option is suitable for houses with high ceilings. And then, in order for the interior not to be too heavy, the doors and furniture should be light.
Colored bright wallpaper or paint
If you combine bright colors on the walls with a white floor, you get a bright and cheerful room. Colorful walls are blue, green, red, pink and any other you want. The degree of “brightness” is again at will and/or according to the purpose of the room. Ideal for children's rooms, good for living rooms if you like this option. May occur in the kitchen and bathroom.
Fragments of lilac are fascinating, but it’s too “cold” for well-being
Red is too aggressive even when surrounded by white
Ideal for relaxation
This shade of green is good only in combination with cream shades
To avoid it being too colorful, don’t mix too many colors and keep the furniture and textiles in subdued tones. Accessories can be bright, but in small quantities. Add more neutral or “blurred” pastel shades of the same color. It is important not to overdo it with flowers.
