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Most of us are used to think gray is “boring”. Not for nothing they say: gray mouse, gray routine, gray … But in fact, gray color is not so boring! He has one indisputable advantage – this color is able to shade and make other colors bloom with bright colors. And the gray itself is so rich in shades that in a certain neighborhood of colors it can look white, black, and even blue or green. It is thanks to these qualities that gray color is actively used in interior design.
Exceptionally, in gray tones, the rooms are very rarely decorated: this interior is not to everyone’s liking. Most often, designers combine gray with other shades. Note that such combinations of colors have their own nuances. Different combinations fit into different styles and psychological effects of such combinations are very diverse. How to do it in practice, we will find out.
Interior in gray tones
An exceptionally gray interior is a rather rare design solution. In most cases, both the artist and the customer will find such an interior boring and dull. Nevertheless, lovers of neutral colors will call such a design laconic and elegant. And, by the way, as a base color gray is also very often chosen, at any rate, it is welcomed among adherents of modern interior styles.
So, for example, the very minimal minimalism and ecological minimalism, which is very popular today, makes it possible to use the gray color in the interior as harmoniously as possible. Most often for the decoration of a minimalist interior, natural shades of gray are used. Natural – those that are found in nature. Palm buds, rain clouds, cloudy sky – all this is painted in natural shades of gray, and most often it is the shades of the autumn color palette.
The style of hi-tech, techno and loft (also modern interior styles) also imply the widespread use of gray, but only its industrial shades: metallic, chrome, wet asphalt, gray bricks, concrete. But no matter how dominant the gray color in the interior, it is still diluted with some other color. In the same minimalism, it is contrasting white and black, as well as the color of cocoa or coffee with milk, vanilla, nut or caramel.
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Traditional combinations of gray
Most often, when it comes to the gray color in the interior, the designers mean gray color as the base color or the dominant color. Usually the grayness of individual elements of the interior is compensated by the texture of the materials. Therefore, when using gray in the interior, preference should be given to rough, fluffy and fleecy surfaces, as well as natural shades of gray. Traditional and most popular combinations of gray with other shades can be presented in the form of a list:
- Combination of gray and white colors;
- The combination of gray with the color of natural light oak;
- The combination of gray with blue and blue (pastel shades);
- The combination of gray and yellow or orange;
- The combination of gray and turquoise;
- The combination of gray and purple or pink.
And now about the combination of different shades of gray for different styles and functional purposes of the room. The combination of gray and white colors is considered the most unbeatable and the most traditional. The trio “gray-white-black” looks no less traditionally.
Natural shades of gray in combination with natural oak, cream color, blue and yellow pastel shades are used for decorating interiors in classical styles. But the bright yellow and orange color, as well as the deep blue, are more suitable for the kitchen interior. Gray and milky blue – a combination for a vintage style. However, the gray color in this case should be either ashy, or pearly, or a greenish hue. This shade in the design environment is known as the name of the antique. And the texture of gray vintage materials is crushed silk.
Gray color in the bedroom is best combined with turquoise or with the so-called boudoir palette: muted crimson, cocoa, burgundy, pastel purple. An excellent solution for a bedroom will be a combination of gray with a rich purple, bright pink and shimmering lilac. However, this combination is appropriate in glamor styles. In this case, gray mother-of-pearl is preferred, as well as shiny textures of bright shades of pink and purple.
The combination of coarse texture of gray with gentle glamorous shades is a favorite design technique for decorating interiors in industrial styles. Loft style, for example, implies active use of gray color as a background or additions in the form of brickwork or concrete slabs (real or imitation). But similar styles, like similar combinations of colors, are suitable only for natures with a creative look at things and traditions. However, this combination can already be called traditional.
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Innovative combination of gray color
Today it became trendy to use in interior design not just bright and deep colors, but even screaming and acidic. Naturally, professional designers are not only creative people, but also artistically gifted. Therefore, the most reasonable solution on their part is the combination of such colors with a neutral gray color. Let us consider several examples of such a combination.
Most often this method is used in the design of kitchen design. Gray walls and textiles perfectly muffle the flashy effect of bright orange, yellow, orange and red colors, which is often present in modern kitchen sets.
For domestic interior design, modern have become a kind of innovation. So, for example, the minimalism in the Scandinavian variant, popular today, is a combination of gray with white and bright green. And the ratio of colors in this case can be anything: gray walls as a background and bright furniture or green and white walls in combination with gray furniture and floor.
Bright orange accents in the gray interior of the living room are another fashion trend. Most often, almost the entire interior is aged in the gray scale, and furniture, textiles or decor elements are selected in a rich orange or carrot color. But the gray furniture in combination with bright walls and ceiling – a fashionable trend in decorating dining rooms. In this case, designers prefer warm colors of red or coral, but orange and pistachio colors remain no less popular. But more recently, the innovative combination of gray with cherry or burgundy has already become a classic.
Functionality of gray color
Although gray is considered neutral, it can influence not only the overall atmosphere of the house, but also our mood. In addition, gray color is able to refine the interior and make it cozy or elegant, as well as visually increase the room or make it less spacious.
A universal solution in the interior of any room will be a combination of gray and white with the addition of bright accents of red, orange or juicy green. In addition, a similar combination will be appropriate in the interior of any style and will look relevant for any fashion trends.
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The combination of different shades of gray will add rigor to the room, and will look harmoniously in the interior of the home cabinet, bedroom or office. It is variations with shades of gray that will allow adding depth and volume to the room. For rooms facing the south, the solution to the problem of excess sun will be cold shades of gray. But in the interior of the northern rooms it is advisable to use light and warm gray for the design – silver-pink, gray-beige or gray with an olive shade. To complete the image of this interior, you need to furnish the room with contrasting dark furniture.
However, no matter how simple it would seem to use gray in the interior, it is necessary to handle it with care. Incorrect use of gray color can make the room uncomfortable and even untidy. And to avoid this error, you need to follow the main rule:
When you combine gray with other colors in the interior, you need to select similar colors – either a cold scale, or warm. But additional color accents are just desirable to choose the opposite gamma.
So, the gray color in the interior will never look boring or uncomfortable if it’s properly combined. And it does not matter what exactly in your interior will be gray – furniture or walls, flooring or textiles. It is important to maintain balance and achieve harmony in a combination of different colors. And how to do it, you already know.