How to Warm Up a Gray Room
Whether you inherited a home with gray walls or floors or maybe chose them during the gray trend, I’m sharing two of the best ways to decorate around them. The remedy is to add some warmth or color, and I can show you how.
The common thing that I see in many homes is gray, upon gray, upon gray. It’s so easy to fall into this ditch. You start with a gray sofa. Then you think, “well I guess we need a rug with gray in it.” So you purchase the rug, the pillows and even sometimes drapes all in gray tones. This can start to really get complicated because there are three undertones in grays - and they don’t often play well together. Also, it can very well leave your room flat and lifeless.
Paint Swatch Undertones: Green Gray, Blue Gray, Violet Gray (left to right)
If you’ve fallen into this trap, there is a way out!
Add Warm Tones
Even though you keep some gray in a room, warm tones through wood frames, pillows, and artwork can really warm up the space. Above, the owners kept their gray rug, chair, and light gray walls. With the warm tones, plant and great lighting added to the palette, it works great together.
The room above blends the gray trend and black/white trend. What keeps it from falling flat? The repeated wood tones, and an injection of color through the artwork.
Unless you just love love love gray, the bedroom above does not look as luxurious and inviting as it could. Notice the gray flooring, gray rug, gray walls, and gray bedding. The accent is black and white. What do you get if you mix black and white? You guessed it - gray. If you are one of the few people who love the minimal look and are ultra-modern, this may work for you. However, you’re probably reading this post because you are tired of this look. Yes, there are some natural wood tones here, but it’s not enough to really bring it to life. That brings me to point number two.
2. Add Color
So many people are afraid of color. We had the brown tuscan trend, then the gray trend, and now the black and white trend. Guess what is returning? Beige. Don’t be afraid! There is no need to suddenly buy in to everything beige when you start seeing it everywhere. If you want to keep your gray now because you would rather spend your money on other things besides flooring and paint, inject color into your space. Stop chasing the trends and choose some color for your rooms.
Raise your hand if you would like to have this gorgeous sunroom in your house. I notice gray flooring that pairs well with the sofa pillows and natural stone on the walls. Look what happened here - they brought in navy, yellow, white, and green accents with a natural fiber rug and rattan chairs. So enchanting!
If you are lucky enough to have cognac chairs or a sofa, this can bring in warm tones easily. Notice how the rug incorporates the red, burgundy and cognac colors. The sofa and walls are still gray, but it looks so pulled together with the additional colors that it doesn’t feel like it was decorated during the gray trend. Oh, and that ceiling is an amazing touch, don’t you think?
Here’s the deal. If you are not ready to change your gray walls and/or your gray flooring, save your money and use it for decorating. Gray can be a wonderful backdrop to your favorite color scheme. Pull away from everything gray by adding warmth and color to your space. If you are afraid of color, I’d be happy to help.
Until next time,
Shana
