A shade of grey: The do’s and don’ts of decorating with grey

Grey, we simply can’t get enough of it! This ultra-trendy colour can be seen in bars, restaurants, bedrooms, kitchens and even front doors. Yes, it’s safe to say that grey is a firm favourite of 21st century décor.

Though despite the widespread appeal of grey in its various guises, it is possible to get grey ‘wrong’. Take a look at the following do’s and don’ts of decorating with grey.

Do: Use matted grey instead of gloss on walls

It might be tempting to use a high gloss grey on walls but by doing so you run the risk of the walls looking like industrial metal. While there can be places where this high-gloss industrial look is desired, painting walls with a matt paint will create a ‘safer’ finish.

Don’t: Forget to consider the lighting in the room

If you are painting a room with grey, it’s important to consider the lighting the room will be exposed to, as this should influence which shade of grey you opt for.
If the room has plenty of sunshine filtering into it, a strong grey is likely to look most effective. By contrast, if the room is north facing with less daylight, a subtler shade of grey might be suitable to prevent the space looking drab or too dark.

Do: Use different shades of grey

You may be inclined to use the same shade of grey in a kitchen, living room or whichever room you are decorating. Combining lighter and darker shades of grey is an effective way to bring added depth to a room and ensure it doesn’t look too monotonous.

Don’t: Be afraid to use grey with other colours

By the same token, going overboard on the grey can run the risk of an interior looking too dreary or monotonous. Being an inherently dark colour – depending on which shade you opt for – grey can rooms can look fantastic when they are spruced up with other colours.

What’s particularly great about grey is that is complements a whole host of other colours. From baby pink to deep red, vintage cream to bright yellow, don’t be afraid to use other colours within a grey interior to craft a striking and stylish colour scheme in the room.

Do: Have fun with grey

Another great component of the colour grey is that it is super versatile. Have fun when decorating with grey by painting furniture, skirting boards, kitchen cupboards, wooden flooring, or even the ceiling in grey!

Inject colour into your colour scheme by hanging vibrant artwork on the walls and introducing fabrics into the interior.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with an ultra-stylish grey interior to bring the wow factor into your living space.