It might be Spring and the pages of magazines are awash with pastels and colour, flowers are everywhere and the sun gives everything a vibrant hue, but that doesn’t mean that colour is necessarily to everybody’s taste. I myself am not the most colourful person when it comes to interiors, so I do know a thing or two about how to make neutrals work and grey in particular. Grey is a sophisticated and calm colour (even if it isn’t really a colour as such and sits somewhere between black and white) which lends a touch of elegance to a room. It is the perfect background colour as doesn’t draw much attention to itself – unless you decide to paint a whole room in a very dark grey which would make quite an impact.
Grey is a great colour to work your own style around. It doesn’t – like some other colours – set the tone of an interior by itself, it rather steps back and lets you decide how you would like to apply it. You can easily go all industrial, shabby or elegant just by using different tones. Your furniture and accessories are left to do all the “talking” and no matter what your personal preferences are, the overall result won’t look overwhelming or too busy.
It can be tricky to use strong colours in a room. This is where grey is a fantastic solution. If you’re looking to make some boldly coloured features stand out, just keep the rest grey and those features will pop out! It also prevents a room from potentially looking like a play school as grey will tone down the effect of any bright colour you might want to introduce.
If you’re worried about grey looking too cold, then take the same approach as you would with an all white room. Texture is key. Add textured fabrics like wools and velvets, natural materials like wood and soft furnishings that look like you could sink into them. Layer cushions and blankets and instead of having blinds, think of big curtains to soften the look. Adding plants also helps to liven up a grey interior which you might otherwise perceive as too stark.
Keeping large furniture pieces in the same shade of grey as your walls will give you an overall very elegant and restraint look. This could be a light grey paired with floor-to-ceiling book cases or a dark grey wall with a matching chest of drawers in front of it. Even small accessories can be matched. Think of some pretty tassels, a vase, a pretty tray or a small bust. All these will add to the overall calm look.
Grey has another big advantage. Where natural wood can sometimes clash with colours, it is enhanced by grey surroundings. The grain of natural oak looks beautiful against dark or light grey and the warmth of the wood is enhanced by the coolness of grey.
So, I don’t know if I have convinced you of the beauty of grey and it might not quite be what you’re looking for right now, but if you’re looking to give your home a calm and timeless update, then you can’t go wrong with this. You can always start on the lightest of greys to see how you feel about it and slowly go darker…
Carole x
