Most of us are used to thinking of gray as a color"none". It is not for nothing that they say: a gray mouse, gray everyday life, grayness... However, in fact, gray is not so boring! It has one undeniable advantage - this color is able to shade and make other colors sparkle with bright colors. And gray itself is so rich in shades that in a certain neighborhood of colors it can look white, and black, and even blue or green. It is due to these qualities that gray is actively used in interior design. Exclusively in gray tones, rooms are very rarely decorated: such an interior will not suit everyone's taste. Most often, designers combine gray with other shades. Note that such color combinations have their own nuances. Different combinations fit into different styles and the psychological impact of such combinations is very diverse. How to do this in practice, we will find out.

Interior in gray tones

An exclusively grey interior is enougha rare design solution. In most cases, both the artist and the customer will find such an interior boring and dull. However, lovers of neutral colors will call such a design laconic and elegant. And, by the way, gray is also very often chosen as a base color, in any case, this is welcomed among adherents of modern interior styles. For example, minimalism and ecological minimalism, which are very popular today, make it possible to use gray in the interior as harmoniously as possible. Most often, natural shades of gray are used to decorate a minimalist interior. Natural ones are those that are found in nature. Willow buds, rain clouds, cloudy skies - all this is painted in natural shades of gray, and most often these are shades of the autumn color palette. High-tech, techno and loft styles (also modern interior styles) also imply the widespread use of gray, but only its industrial shades: metallic, chrome, wet asphalt, gray brick, concrete. But no matter how dominant the grey color is in the interior, it is still diluted with some other color. In the same minimalism, these are contrasting white and black, as well as the color of cocoa or coffee with milk, vanilla, nut or caramel.

Traditional combinations of gray

Most often, when it comes to the color gray ininterior, designers mean gray as a basic or dominant color. Usually, the grayness of individual interior elements 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.

Now about the combination of different shades of graycolors for different styles and functional purposes of the room. The combination of gray and white is considered the most win-win and the most traditional. No less traditional is the trio "gray-white-black". Natural shades of gray in combination with natural oak, cream color, blue and yellow pastel shades are used in the design of interiors maintained in classical styles. But bright yellow and orange colors, as well as deep blue, are more suitable for the kitchen interior. Gray and milky blue are a combination for a vintage style. However, the gray color in this case should be either ash, or pearl, or greenish. This shade is known in the design environment as antique. And the texture of vintage gray materials is crushed silk. Gray in the bedroom is best combined with turquoise or with the so-called boudoir palette: muted raspberry, cocoa, burgundy, pastel purple. A great solution for the bedroom would be a combination of gray with rich purple, bright pink and shimmering lilac. However, such a combination is appropriate in glamorous styles. In this case, gray mother-of-pearl is preferable, as well as shiny textures of bright shades of pink and purple. The combination of a rough texture of gray with delicate glamorous shades is a favorite design technique when decorating interiors in industrial styles. The loft style, for example, implies the active use of gray as a background or an addition in the form of brickwork or concrete slabs (real or imitation). But such styles, like similar color combinations, are suitable only for people with a creative outlook on things and traditions. However, such a combination can already be called traditional.

Innovative combination of gray color

Today it has become ultra-fashionable to usenot just bright and deep colors, but even flashy and acidic ones. Naturally, professional designers are not just creative people, but also artistically gifted. Therefore, the most reasonable decision on their part is to combine such colors with neutral gray. Let's consider several examples of such a combination. Most often, this technique is used in the development of kitchen design projects. Gray walls and textiles perfectly muffle the flashy effect of bright orange, yellow, orange and red colors, which are often present in modern kitchen sets. For domestic interior design, modern Western styles have become a kind of innovation. For example, Scandinavian minimalism, which is popular today, is a combination of gray with white and bright green. Moreover, the color ratio 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 floors. Bright orange accents in a gray living room interior are another fashionable trend. Most often, almost the entire interior is kept in a gray range, and furniture, textiles or decorative elements are selected in a rich orange or carrot color. But gray furniture in combination with bright walls and ceilings is a fashionable trend in decorating the interior of dining rooms. In this case, designers prefer warm shades of red or coral, but orange and pistachio colors remain no less popular. And just recently, the innovative combination of gray with cherry or burgundy has already become classic.

Functionality of gray color

Although gray is considered a neutral color, itcan influence not only the general atmosphere of the house, but also our mood. In addition, gray can ennoble the interior and make it cozy or elegant, as well as visually enlarge the room or make it less spacious. A universal solution in the interior of any room will be a combination of gray with white with the addition of bright accents of red, orange or juicy green. In addition, such a combination will be appropriate in the interior of any style and will look relevant with any fashion trends. The combination of different shades of gray will add severity to the room, and will look harmonious in the interior of a home office, bedroom or office. It is the variations with shades of gray that will add depth and volume to the room. For rooms facing south, the solution to the problem of excess sun will be cold shades of gray. But in the interior of northern rooms, it is advisable to use light and warm gray for decoration - silver-pink, gray-beige or gray with an olive tint. To complete the image of such an interior, you need to furnish the room with contrasting dark furniture. However, no matter how simple it may seem to use gray in the interior, you need to be extremely careful with it. Incorrect use of gray can make the room uncomfortable and even untidy. And to avoid this mistake, you need to follow the main rule:

• If you combine gray with other colors in theinterior, it is necessary to select similar shades of colors - either a cold scale, or warm. But additional color accents are just desirable to choose the opposite gamma.

So, there will never be gray color in the interiorlook boring or uncomfortable if you combine it correctly. And it doesn’t matter what exactly will be gray in your interior – furniture or walls, flooring or textiles. It is important to maintain balance and achieve harmony in the combination of different colors. And you already know how to do this.

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