Features of the gray color
Several characteristic features:
- Fits into any style solution.
- Is an ideal base color that can be complemented with color or graphic accents.
- Many designers consider this color to be universal and practical.
- Gray in large quantities creates a relaxing atmosphere.
Gray shades
The gray range has a fairly wide color range, which starts from almost whitened shades and ends with dark, almost black tones. Thanks to such variability, it is possible to choose a suitable solution for any design.
A hall in warm gray tones looks truly luxurious and noble, and a living room decorated in cool steel colors can evoke associations with a factory premises.
Despite the monotony, gray colors, due to the correctly selected textures, create a picturesque and deep design, rather than a boring and empty one.
The photo shows a light gray living room interior in Scandinavian style.
Light gray colors will bring light and air into a small room and visually enlarge the space. Saturated dark gray shades will help to disguise planning flaws and small irregularities of different planes.
The photo shows the design of a small dark gray living room with a fireplace.
Combination with other colors
Due to the numerous shades, gray is ideally combined with other tones.
Living room in gray and white tones
Similar monochrome colors form a very harmonious duet, giving the environment a special charm. For a comfortable and cozy interior, snow-white tones can be replaced with milky or creamy. The gray and white combination is perfect for those who do not accept overly bright design. This tandem will look interesting with the addition of black.
The photo shows a Nordic interior of a hall in gray and white tones.
Gray-blue interior
Cool blue color fills the living room with pleasant freshness and attracts attention. Silver or smoky colors will look good in combination with delicate cornflower and light blue shades.
The photo shows a spacious gray guest room with accent walls of blue color.
Living room in gray and beige tones
Beige gives gray more warmth and coziness. A successful solution would be an alliance with sand or powder colors. Neutral and noble tones in combination form an elegant and restrained design that fits perfectly into the living room.
The photo shows a gray-white-beige interior of a small guest room.
Gray-pink interior of the hall
Regardless of the chosen shade of pink, the decor acquires either a restrained and feminine, or a pompous and glamorous look. Bright pink is best used as an accent spot. For example, a gray sofa in the living room can be complemented with stylish decorative pillows in fuchsia, and colorful posters or paintings can be placed on monochrome walls. In a gray living room, elegant vases with soft pink peonies or roses look very beautiful.
The photo shows the interior of the hall in light gray colors with pastel pink upholstered furniture.
Gray living room design with bright accents
The gray interior of the living room will be perfectly diluted with sunny and cheerful yellow splashes. Canary-colored sofa upholstery, curtains in golden tones, a lamp with a mustard-colored lampshade, paintings or mirrors in bright lemon frames will add positive notes to the monotonous environment.
The photo shows a gray guest room with splashes of turquoise.
Green allows you to fill a gray living room with harmony and peace. Cool emerald or jade colors evoke a feeling of relaxation, and warm pistachio, herbal or light green tones create an invigorating atmosphere.
A gray design with lilac accents becomes truly elegant and mysterious, turquoise colors deserve special attention, which give the living room a royal look.
Living room decoration
Certain finishing materials can create both a businesslike and strict, and a homely and cozy living room design.
- Walls. Textured wallpaper or decorative plaster will give the room a decent entourage. A modern interior solution would be to create a darker accent plane against the background of light gray painted or plain wallpapered walls.
- Floor. Graphite colors harmonize perfectly with beige, brown or white shades, which can be reflected in wooden flooring. A living room with a floor finished with gray laminate, parquet or linoleum looks no less stylish.
- Ceiling. For the ceiling plane, you can choose a pearl, pastel gray or silver design. In this case, it is not recommended to choose complex multi-level ceilings, as they will create unnecessary shadows.
The photo shows wall brickwork and wooden parquet flooring in the design of a gray and white living room.
If the surrounding cladding becomes boring, thanks to the universal gray design, there is no need to resort to major repairs. You can radically change the interior with the help of accent decor, textiles or furniture elements.
What furniture is suitable?
Gray furniture will not overload the living room and at the same time make it elegant. White or black furniture will fit perfectly into the design. As a stylish accessory, a monochrome room can also be complemented with a red armchair or another bright element.
Wooden furniture in gray color looks ideal. Bedside tables, cabinets, shelves and tables of a light gray shade, when the light flux falls at a certain angle, seem similar to marble or stone products.
The photo shows the interior of a gray hall with contrasting red furniture.
In the living room, you can install a sofa with exquisite upholstery in a metallic shade or the color of wet asphalt. Natural leather, leatherette or luxurious tapestry are chosen as upholstery material.
Decor and lighting
For a laconic gray design, fixtures in the form of spotlights or a rich forged chandelier with crystal elements are suitable. Soft lighting will add new colors and a beautiful shimmer to the room.
Here, lamps with colorful shades or colored lighting will also be appropriate, which can become an incredible rich accent of the living room and completely transform the interior.
The photo shows ceiling lighting in the design of a small white and gray hall.
Various decorative items will help to complete the design of the hall and deprive it of excessive severity and dullness. Silver, gold, glass and crystal elements will look refined and elegant against a light gray background. You can change the perception of the interior with the help of various figurines, vases, wall mirrors or paintings.
For the most calm design, decor in muted colors is used, and for a contrasting and emotional atmosphere – accessories in bright colors.
Furniture in the gray living room is complemented with fur capes and the room is decorated with live potted plants, vases with freshly cut flowers or tubs with mini trees.
The photo shows a gray guest room with bright wall posters in black frames.
Which curtains to choose?
To create a more classic setting, choose sand, cream, beige, soft blue or pink-peach curtains. Yellow or orange curtains harmonize well with a smoky interior palette, giving the room a certain emotionality.
You can choose patterned textiles with elegant stripes, floral prints or abstraction for a plain wall covering.
The photo shows a hall in gray colors with orange roller blinds on the window.
Hall decoration in various styles
Quartz, coal, anthracite, granite and other gray colors best reveal the specifics of various style solutions.
Modern style in the interior of a gray living room
For example, for the high-tech direction, silver and steel palettes are especially often used, which are combined with white, black, red colors, metal and gloss elements.
Authentic Scandinavian houses suggest a pearl-gray range, and the French interior is distinguished by a warm and soft gray color scheme.
The photo shows the interior of a gray kitchen-living room, made in an industrial loft style.
Monochrome colors are an almost integral part of laconic minimalism. The interior is sometimes diluted with a bright accent in the form of a wall painting, sofa cushions or one armchair.
Gray is no less popular in the industrial loft style. Concrete, brick or plastered surfaces combine favorably with light gray curtains and a sofa with mouse-colored upholstery.
Classic style in the living room
Light gray shades of Gainsborough or zircon blend into the classic design and are ideally combined with snow-white stucco decor and wooden furniture objects with carving or forging.
Neoclassicism suggests the use of elegant gray-beige colors. To create a truly aristocratic atmosphere, the living room is decorated with bronze decor, crystal lamps and furniture with golden or silver patination.
The photo shows a hall in neoclassical style, decorated in light gray colors.