Trending or not ? Most of you have heard of the trend of gray interiors. It began about six or seven years ago when people began to reject everything being beige and yearned for a “new neutral.” If you are a history buff, you know that is how all great movements emerge.
Gray is a versatile, neutral color for interior design projects
How could such a color normally associated with bad weather and sober moods be so popular? It is due to the fact that gray is compatible with almost every color and serves as a perfect neutral backdrop allowing for strong or subtle pops of color throughout all of the decor. This allows for small changes to have dramatic effects such as choosing bold colors in the throw pillows, accent rugs or even decorative pieces such as vases. Most magazines confirm that gray is here to stay, and when you start to see it on permanent pieces such as sofas, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, and now flooring, there is definitely a case for longevity. Gray-themed home builder’s models are one indication that gray has gone mainstream. I recently visited a new home development by the Toll Brothers in Porter Ranch called Palisades. They had three different styled models with prime examples of using the gray palette throughout the entire home. Many of the material choices had more warm gray tones combined with natural elements such as wood to warm up the spaces. I was just sharing that concept with a client before I spent a lovely afternoon viewing these properties.
Gray for Bathroom Designs
This bathroom is a great example of warm gray tones in the tiles with using low contrast light gray vanity color to create an overall soft feel to the space. I love that they brought the highly patterned mosaic shower tile out to the main floor. I have seen an increase in the use of patterns in flooring as you will see in another example later.
Gray for Kitchen Designs
In this kitchen, the warm gray floors accent nicely with the beige tones in countertop and backsplash. The dark woods and metals provide a high contrast which always creates more interest. Another way to add to the rich look is having two different countertops such as granite and quartz seen here. The open shelves and freestanding hood have also become increasingly popular in the past few years.
Gray For Living Room Design
This is the great room adjacent to the above kitchen which can be identified by the use of the same flooring. Using a consistent floor choice when having an open floor plan is optimal for creating unity and a larger sense of space. They tied in the dark wood in the ceiling and fireplace features. An architect friend told me many years ago that the ceiling was the new frontier and important in taking the room to a whole new level of design.
Mixing Warm Grays with Metals and Dark Colors
They have so many wonderful design elements to this kitchen I don’t know where to begin. The herringbone pattern flooring is super hot right now. Even though the kitchen is mainly white, the island is a rustic gray wood creating a statement and grounding the dark dining area. I adore the stainless steel/ glass cabinets along the top which provide a literal lightness to draw your eye up rather than just stacking more white cabinets that will die into a white ceiling. The simple elegance yet grandeur of the light fixtures is the perfect icing on the cake.
Gray Flooring Designs
I love that they brought the same flooring into this powder room off the entry to the house. Here is a great example of mixing the warm grays with a cool darker charcoal of the tiles. The floating vanity is also nice in a powder room and allows the full effect of the floor to be exploited.
Cozy Gray Bedroom Designs
This bedroom epitomizes how cozy gray can be. They left no detail out with the treatment of the walls and ceiling. The contrasting wood panels on the wall add such a elevated style to this room. It is typical to see the chair rail height but the small panels close to the ceiling really bring your eye up and accentuate their ceiling medallion and stunning choice of light fixture.
Gray and White Marble in Bathroom Design
Carrara marble has long been the tile of choice for many bathrooms, we are seeing more design patterns to choose from such as scallops, hexagons, penny rounds, and pebbles. The arabesque shape is highly sought after presently and used widely for backsplashes. Gray and white are natural combinations and undoubtedly will be used for quite some time especially in kitchens and bathrooms.
Call Today to Design a Gray Space for your Home
Please contact me at 805.864.2585 to get started creating the perfect glorious gray space in your home.
