Why Gray Interiors Are Still Going Strong

Don’t repaint your gray interior until you read this post.  Let’s talk about the question everyone seems to have lately… are gray interiors going out of style?

Is Gray Here to Stay?

Despite its persistent labeling as a trend, gray interiors are definitely here to stay.

Unlike some of the more flash in the pan colors of the year like classic blue, ultraviolet, and living coral; gray has consistently been throughout the past 15 years.

This means that it is by no means a trend. Gray is here to stay.

About the Color Gray

Gray is neutral in tone and emotion. It is a sophisticated, refined, and versatile background color for any interior. For commercial and residential applications alike, gray can be used to soothe, calm, and invite.

Gray has long been considered a go-to neutral color choice for the walls of your home. It is most often paired with white trim.

Or, it can be deep end up with matte black accents like faucets, cabinet hardware, and light fixtures.

Bedding Selection

Moreover, the use of gray doesn’t stop at the walls.  Some of the most popular patterned chairs are gray and white.  These are very popular in contemporary home decor style applications.

Another popular home accessory in this color is bedding.   Dark gray bed sheets with a light gray design imprint of some type can be found at any linens retailer.

These pair especially well when layered in with solid light gray or white bedding. 

Mixing Gray With

Both warm and cool tone metals work well with gray as well.

This makes it easy to design things like kitchens, bathrooms, and other interior spaces.  Whether you like cool-toned metal like polished chrome, or prefer warmer metals like rose gold or oil rubbed bronze; gray works beautifully as a backdrop for them all.

This includes backsplashes, cabinet color, wall color, countertops, and floors.

The Reason Gray Interiors Work So Well

There is one simple reason for the unrelenting popularity of a gray interior.  That’s its neutrality.

To say that gray is a neutral color is an understatement at the least.

It’s not only neutral in terms of the color spectrum, but it is neutral in emotion and avails itself to all home decor styles. 

This makes it appealing to many people. Most of us want a calm, clean, interior in which to live.

We also want something that has the ability to grow with us over time. This is because our homes are often our largest investments.

We not only seek to make our house a home in the present, but we hope to make it something more in the future.

Whether it be that we plan to downsize in retirement and cashout or wish to pass it on to the next generation; we want our homes to evolve with us through all of these transitions.

Even if that transition means handing it from one person to another.

Transitional Gray Interiors

A gray neutral interior is something that will help you achieve your goal of longevity.  Your gray backdrop will stand strong through all of life’s stages as you and your family grow and evolve in your home.

For instance, in 2010 you may have been all about your white cabinets.  I know I sure was!

In 2020, you may want a nice royal blue statement cabinet. And in 2030, green may be all the rage.

But no matter what the color change is in the foreground, gray walls will work with all of those changes.

That being said, I will offer one exception to the rule.  That is gray or whitewashed wood flooring.  I think this is a trend that will fade.  But, that’s just my opinion.

But I digress.

Using Gray For Kid’s Rooms

Let’s consider for a moment another room in your home that will go through several changes in decor.  That’s your kid’s room.

Your baby nursery would be beautiful with a charcoal gray and baby blue or charcoal grey and light pink color combo. Or you could go gender-neutral with gray and white and black.

Do you see where I’m going with this… neutrality is ever-present when talking about the color gray for your home.

Now let’s think about what happens when that child grows up and they are no longer a baby in the nursery.

Instead, they’re designing their first big girl room.  And the little floating elephants change the alphabets and fairies, or the little blue teddy bears change to pirate ships and race cars.

No matter what you do to change the accents in that room, the gray walls stand firm.

They stand firm through the teen years and into adulthood when those rooms transition from kids’ rooms into home offices, home gyms, craft rooms, and guest rooms.

You’ll never need to change the color of your walls if you had the forethought to paint them gray. 

Seasonal Decorating With Gray

Let’s look at another benefit of using a gray interior.  There are color combinations including gray for all seasons. In the springtime, you may see combos like gray and peach, gray and lilac, gray and green, or gray and pink.

In the summer, popular color schemes include gray and blue and gray or gray and yellow.

When fall comes around, gray is often paired with brown tones or cream colors. And finally, in the winter we see a lot of gray and white pairings.

So, choose a neutral gray base and your home will be easy to decorate for the changing seasons.

More about seasonal decorating in the post, “The Easy Eight Method For Seasonal Decorating“.

Conclusion

In conclusion, gray is a fantastic choice for an interior.  Especially if you wish for it to grow with you and to remain neutral throughout the seasons.

The popularity of this color is not a passing trend and you can expect your gray walls to be in style for many years to come.

I’m curious to know what you think about gray interiors.  Are you tired of seeing them?  Or do you agree that they work as a wonderful, timeless backdrop?  Please let me know in the comments below.

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Thanks for reading.