Gray is here to stay in home designs

Beige and white have long been go-to colors for neutral living spaces. But many interior decorators now look to gray as the neutral color of choice.

Design experts advise that gray has a broad range. Gray can include everything from silver to charcoal to a dusty cloud. According to the trendsetters at Glidden Paints, gray coordinates well with other colors. Plus, the neutral appeal of gray boasts a timeless quality.

Gray is not a clear-cut color that’s simply a 50-50 blend of white and black. Gray has subtle nuances that can lean toward blues, greens, taupes, and more depending on the lighting and surrounding furnishings. That means that homeowners who are ready to replace their furniture or accessories need not necessarily repaint if they’ve previously decorated in shades of gray.

Individuals need only replace small items to produce a big effect in rooms where gray is dominant. Because gray is so neutral, it works with soft, calming colors in various pastels, but equally as well with bright reds, yellow and oranges, according to Scott Bodenner, a Brooklyn-based textile designer.

Gray also is a predominant color in natural stones used throughout homes in entryways, bathrooms and kitchens. It can make design sense to maintain continuity throughout by dabbling in gray elsewhere.

Designers have shown how gray does not have to be cold, industrial or gloomy. It can be sophisticated in just about any room of the house. More designers are now leaning toward warmer variations of gray, such as taupe and blends dubbed “greige,” that are beautiful but not as stark as pure gray.