Psychologists have noted that many people perceive the color gray as something not very pleasant, but does not cause obvious negative emotions. Therefore, everyone understands the expressions where “gray” is known as a sign of something boring and inconspicuous. This can be explained by the fact that for many it is close to white and is perceived as an almost complete lack of brightness. However, it is not. It has its own advantages and bright accents that will make the interior unique and inimitable.
Proper use of gray allows you to create incredibly beautiful interiors in a variety of styles.
Unique properties of gray
A couple of centuries ago, this basic shade was associated with the color of aristocrats. And for good reason: such tones go with everything, even not very bright accents stand out against a nondescript background. To complement gray, you can use rich, complex shades of red, blue or green. At the same time, no one can say about a person with such an interior that he is tasteless.
The color gray has many shades and each of them has its own character, its own characteristics of use in the interior
Gloomy adds stability to the interior. It also calms, which is important for working people who are tired of the hustle and bustle and constant movement. This psychological impact is enhanced if you combine it with others: white, beige or black.
Basic shades of gray
Basically, many people are not satisfied with the gray color of the walls in the interior. But in reality, they simply do not understand the palette of tones and shades. But the light gray color of the walls in the interior is definitely rich in both. There are several hundred shades and tones in total. And we are talking only about pure gray color, without various inclusions of mouse, foggy, graphite, etc. shades. There is also a version of chromatic shades. For example, if you remove a certain percentage of saturation from the color lilac, sometimes doubts may arise - is it really a lilac color? Because most of all in this case it will look like gray. So it turns out that when the main color ebbs, we often get gray or black.
Ultimately, it is possible to decorate the interior of the room in various variations of gray. The room will not look too monotonous or too bright, even if the design of the gray interior walls is made in the same style. Gray color can often be found in various experiments in interior design. From a professional design point of view, this approach somewhat improves the emotional perception of a person. Sometimes it helps to adjust the visual dimensions.
Gray in a light tone is great for helping you focus on your work. But at the same time, such a choice will not affect your mood in a negative sense. Light gray walls in the interior will charge you with a positive mood.
Thanks to the gray color, the space in the room expands a little. Thus, daylight manages to get into the dark corners of the room when the interior design is decorated in a light gray color. Dark gray walls in the interior are good if the room is large and has fairly good daylight.
Thanks to the gray color, the space in the room expands a little.
Combination of gray with other interior colors
It looks good in a composition with white or light gray. However, in a living space, the interior of such colors will be too “lifeless”. Such combinations are an excellent solution for the office. It is recommended to dilute the design of an apartment in gray tones with natural shades - sand, sea, delicate lavender.
Diluting gray with natural elements or light splashes allows you to get a trendy interior
A monotonous gray interior is almost perfectly diluted with yellow, regardless of the mixing proportions
Enhances the brightness of other, even the most dim, tones. The atmosphere in the room changes depending on what colors are added to the interior in addition to the basic one. Gray with blue is refreshing. They will add elegance, freshness and lightness to an apartment in gray tones. Gray with blue looks much stricter, but does not remove the sense of style from the room. Blue helps to liberate the imagination. It also goes well with pink and purple. In such a union, he looks the warmest. Gray with red or sunny orange will help revitalize the atmosphere and add energy to it. Such combinations fit into retro style or the latest style. Gray and yellow give the interior joy and optimism. Bright yellow looks even more accentuated and attractive against this background.
Combining gray with beige gives a psychologically comfortable interior, ideal for rest and relaxation.
Decorating different rooms in gray tones
Lead is considered neutral, so it is perfect as a background. By painting the walls in light gray shades, you can use furniture and accessories of almost any, even very bright, “accent” colors. At the same time, the interior will retain its zest, will not be “flashy”, will maintain consistency and peace.
The combination of gray walls and white doors in the hallway interior looks noble and rich
If there is an emphasis on details and furniture, then for the main surfaces it is better to take a light grayish tint.
Bedroom
There is no need to worry about lead in the bedroom. This tone gives the bedroom a calmness, which is what this room needs. Thanks to the gray color, the room creates coziness and harmony. A light tone will look good in the room, which goes well with elegant decorative additions: a vase, a figurine, a lamp.
The gray-green combination is pleasing to the eye, calms the nerves and promotes good rest.
Bathroom
In the bathroom it goes well with blue or beige. Gray walls will help give the room peace and relaxation. This color can also be used in the bathroom. But on the floor it will appear “dirty” and be associated with dark sand.
Gray ceramic tiles are less likely to show streaks and splashes of water.
Living room
In the living room, gray gives the effect of chic and luxury, wealth. Light gray tones will look better. The atmosphere of the room will acquire a feeling of lightness. If you use darker shades of gray, for example, wet asphalt or lead, then the room will look strict and conservative. Noble textures and bright accent colors will help make the interior smoother and less harsh. Gray will prevent the room from being too busy. But such a living room is not suitable for a studio apartment.
In a small living room, it is better for gray to play an accent role
Kitchen
Gray is a symbol of purity and innocence. The kitchen is exactly the place where this perception “works to your advantage.” Most often, cleanliness is needed in the kitchen. Monochrome kitchens are popular not only in modern styles, but also in others, even the most elaborate ones. Kitchen furniture can be anything: matte, glossy, interspersed with sparkles or not. She will invariably retain her aristocracy.
The kitchen interior is often decorated in a cozy gray-brown combination.
This color is also chosen for kitchen floors, since dirt is not visible on it. In addition, gray is the tone of natural stone, which is why such tiles are widely popular. In a kitchen with a “non-flashy” color, a person feels especially calm and peaceful, but at the same time he does not have the desire to spend too much time in it. For comfort, the monochrome color must be diluted with bright accents or wood. For example, put laminate on the floor. You can use bright tiles and wallpaper to decorate the walls. Chairs and a table can also be made from wood. Such a room acquires a special “warmth” because it is associated with a person’s natural habitat.
Living room with open kitchen
In such a living room, it is better to avoid dark gray and turn your attention to lighter colors. They look great in natural light and add sophistication to the room. The room seems more spacious.
Gray kitchen-living room in Scandinavian style
Children's room
Gray is not considered good for a children's room. However, if the child is hyperactive, then this color will calm him down. But in combination with bright accents, it will stop being so boring and joyless. It will look good in combination with red or pink.
A worthy solution would be gray wall decoration in combination with light furniture
Cabinet
The design of the office should be compatible with work. Made in gray tones, it gives the room severity and restraint. In addition to gray, you can use brown or black. Blue accents will restore a feeling of energy and relieve fatigue. Green will help you get into a “working mood”.
Ash and steel colors are considered the best shades for creating a business atmosphere
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.
Gray floors and walls
Neutral background walls help tie the rest of the colors of the details and door together. Gray on the walls is an excellent solution for a complete change in the interior, it will help give the room lightness. But to decorate walls in residential areas, it is better to dilute it with blue and pink so that the shade is not so faceless. These colors will definitely appeal to those who like Provence, romantic or classic. When choosing a shade, you must take into account the fact that the room will be transformed under the influence of daylight or artificial light.
Gray walls create a romantic atmosphere, enveloping the room in a mysterious haze
Gray wallpaper looks nothing like paint. They may have stripes, patterns or geometric shapes. If the emphasis is on the wall, then you need to choose wallpaper with a light print.
In a room with gray wallpaper, a floor with a pronounced wooden texture would be appropriate.
Using gray laminate in the interior
This flooring is often used in European classics. This flooring can be easily combined with white, gold or metallic colors. Also, this laminate will fit perfectly into the gray and white design of the apartment. But in order to avoid overload, you need to take into account several nuances when choosing a gray laminate:
- Gray on the floor visually makes the room smaller, so it is not suitable for a small room, a one-room apartment.
- Gray laminate in the interior of an apartment will “calm” the room, make it softer, fresher and more spacious if the interior has a lot of massive furniture. He is considered by many to be very beautiful and sophisticated.
- Grayish-beige, gray-violet laminate will create coziness in the room. This color is perfect for relaxation and creativity, creating unique projects. But for a work area this coating will be a bad solution.
Gray laminate flooring in the living room
Gray laminate in the bedroom
Gray laminate in the kitchen
What design styles use gray?
Some people mistakenly think that gray walls in an apartment are not applicable to various interior design styles. But we will look at the most current styles today, where the gray background dominates:
- Loft. In this style, grayness is something familiar. The popularization of gray walls occurred precisely in this style.
The popularization of gray walls occurred precisely in this style. - Scandinavian style. Thoughtfulness and strict practicality. Sometimes it seems that some interior items were not painted in order to save money. The auxiliary color is white.
Thoughtfulness and strict practicality. - Modern style. Or as it is also called “minimalism”. Here, too, everything is thought out to the smallest detail. There are no unnecessary or unnecessary items. Plain walls and smooth texture.
There are no unnecessary or unnecessary items. - Classic. Back in the days of castles, gray featured in the design of historical royal premises. No contemporaries, just wood and a bunch of textiles. The gray walls will be decorated with portraits.
Back in the days of castles, gray featured in the design of historical royal premises.
Furniture and accessories in gray
Accessories in neutral colors always look great. This is due to the fact that they do not attract too much real attention and easily fit into the interior. They mute other bright accents and bring restraint to the interior. Pale gray colors mute other shades, so a feeling of “prestige” and sleekness is created. Silver floor lamps, lamps, vases also play a role in increasing stateliness.
Gray walls will serve as an excellent backdrop for bright pieces of furniture.
Gray furniture can be used to create beautiful and bold interiors with a fashionable and functional design.
Gray always looks harmonious and natural if you learn how to combine it correctly. It will give the interior a special chic that many strive for.
