Welcome to 2018, where there is no colour that is trendier than grey. Once spurned for being sad and boring, it exploded in popularity a couple of years back and is now embraced more than ever before. In interior design, you see it appear in anything from paint colours to furnishings. When used in the right way, it evokes style and sophistication. But before you venture and adopt this colour trend into your home, learn how to make it work for you with these tips.
1. Use different shades
If you think a single shade of grey might be too dull for you, break up the monotony by using two different shades.
This study room uses a mix of dark grey and light. Instead of using a conventional line to separate the two shades, a fissure line design was chosen for more interest.
Design: Distinctidentity
2. Daylight matters
What shade of grey you use should depend on whether you have natural light coming into your room. For instance, opt for a warm (yellow based) grey if you don’t have much daylight coming in as it will add a warmth to your space so that it doesn’t look like it’s stuck in the middle of winter. Go for cooler greys (blue based) if you have plenty of natural light – it will create a refreshing atmosphere to your room.
Grey paint was used to create the illusion of daylight streaming in.
Design: Studio Wills + Architects
3. Channelling nostalgia or going avant-garde?
Consider the theme of your home. If you’re going for a modern, contemporary look, you will want a cooler grey. Dark greys like slate, ash or blue greys are also great calls. But if you’re thinking of opting for a more traditional theme or one that is more rustic and casual, a warm, light grey tone like greige would work well. We love softer hues in bedrooms, where warmth is often welcomed.
Black accents stand out against the modern grey palette in this living room.
Design: Third Avenue Studio
4. Keep to trimmings and feature walls
Not keen to take the plunge with a full wall of grey? Just keep the grey to trimmings and feature walls. Keep the rest of your palette in neutral colours like white or even wood.
The grey accents help to define the different zones in this HDB flat. A patch of grey marks out the dining area, while a grey outline defines where the living room is.
Design: The 80’s Studio
Hidden behind the white cupboards and shelves, the grey wall doesn’t appear jarring but can still serve as a focal point for this study area.
Design: Collective Designs
5. Focus on furnishings
Rather than paint, use furnishings to include grey in your home. Choose from smaller accessories like rugs and lampshades or even bigger furniture like your sofa. Go for more than one grey accessory or furniture per room, in order to create a more cohesive look.
Spot the generous use of grey furniture in this living room.
Design: Architology Interiors
A grey pendant light hangs over this dining zone that is furnished with grey dining chairs and a bench that features different shades of grey cushions.
Design: Eightytwo
7. Say hello to yellow + get enamoured with blush pink
Loving this trendy hue doesn’t mean you need to stick with using neutrals in your home. Know what colours work with grey. Our favourites are yellow and blush. Yellow adds a bright pop to any grey space, while combining grey with the dusky pink hue creates a romantic and serene environment and is especially sophisticated.
The tease of pink in this walk-in wardrobe lends an ultra-feminine vibe in this space, the main domain of the missus, while the bright yellow chair adds plenty of cheer.
Design: Third Avenue Studio
A bold yellow band runs across the grey hallway of this apartment.
Design: Distinctidentity
Pink and grey may conjure up different moods individually. But used together, the result is magical.
Design: Third Avenue Studio
8. Play with patterns
Because grey is often a colour that can fade into a background, consider adding motifs to spruce things up.
This bathroom feature wall features grey hexagon tiles, some of which feature floral motifs on them.
Design: The 80’s Studio
Grey Spanish tiles on one part of the wall and flooring create visual interest in this all-grey bathroom.
Design: The Scientist
9. Invoke the rawness of cement screed
Using cement screed surfaces is another way to use grey in your space. The uneven tones of this stone material is a great for adding visual texture to a space. Perfect for industrial environments, but won’t feel out of place in a modern setting.
Brushed with cement screed, the TV wall adds character to this otherwise modern space.
Design: Eightytwo
A crisp and clean bedroom is given an edginess with a ribbon of cement screed on the structural beams framing the window.
Design: 0932 Design Consultants
10. Hide your appliances
We like the addition of dark grey trimming against a lighter grey back in these kitchen cabinets. But we love how the hood and fittings are completely absorbed into this grey colour scheme.
Design: The 80’s Studio
Blending right in: Rather than stand out like sore thumbs, the appliances in this kitchen fade into background thanks to the use of dark grey cabinets.
Design: Zidane Design Associates
Grey hues can be functional just as they are pretty. Use grey cabinet fronts to camouflage your appliances in the kitchen.
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