Gray has taken the limelight for far longer than people think.  True, the book Fifty Shades of Gray gave it a Hollywood boost – but it earned its fame fair and square through its own innate beauty.  Hence, it has become known as the “color of the decade.”  In 2017 design trends, gray rises to new heights as many paint companies increase their range of gray shades, and homeowners find new ways to incorporate it into their homes.  Read on to find out about the new era of grays, and how you can make it work with any motif in your custom home.   

Mystery and Intrigue: The Colorless Color

Gray is neither black nor white – yet it is far from boring.  During the Renaissance, gray was considered the perfect background color to highlight golden skin tones and vivid costumes of the subjects.  Hence, its desirability by interior designers.  Its “absence” of color enables other colors to really shine when placed in its vicinity.  It also allows more versatility, as its neutral palette allows homeowners to change furniture without clashing. 

Warms and Cools: So Many Shades

While gray, in its essence, is simply a mixture of black and white, interior designers and innovators have stretched the meaning to include other tones as well – while still classifying them as gray.  They now include hundreds of shades in both cool and warm tones.

If the undertone is blue, purple or green, it is “cool” gray.  Mixed with red, orange or yellow undertones, however, it is a “warm” tone known as “greige.”  The difference between “beige” and “greige” is simply that greige has more black added to it to classify it as a gray.

Some examples of cool grays include Grizzle Gray by Sherwin-Williams or Grey Stone by Ralph Lauren.  Warm Grays include Behr Gravelstone and Haven of Coziness by Clark + Kensington.

How to Choose the Right Gray

Before selecting the right color for a room, it is important to determine whether or not you want warm or cool tones.  Look at the natural light that enters the room.  If it has a cold tone to it, consider a greige to warm up the space (if that is the effect you are going for).  Light-filled rooms are an ideal place to use cooler grays, especially if the room is west or south-facing.

The best way to use gray in your home is to combine it with a variety of textures and colors.  Feel free to try something bold and different.  When it comes to gray, almost anything works!

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