Initially you may have thought the title would be referring to the gray skies of winter. Believe sometimes living in Ohio I begin to wonder if gray is here to stay, like forever! Thankfully it’s not (although I did look it up and 67% of winter days are cloudy in Ohio)!
But instead I am referring to the gray color trend that has swept the nation and beyond in the use of home décor accents galore.
Recently my fellow DIY loving friend, Cindy, painted her kitchen cabinets gray.
They look amazing, don’t they!?
After showing them to me, Cindy, confided that she harbored concerns about her choice of color. What if the gray trend dies out soon and if I go to sell a few years down the road the cabinets cause problems for potential buyers?
Her question got me thinking, is the gray surge just a trend or is it here to stay?
The gray trend started about 5 years ago. Initially it began on walls, then in accents of rugs and pillows, then on furniture in upholstered chairs and couches, and in the past couple of years cabinetry and backsplashes have showcased gray beautifully.
Most recently I have seen a trend of painting interior doors gray and I love the examples below!
At the Parade of Homes I went to this past Summer there was even a brick fireplace painted over in gray. This was a new color choice then the normal white but it totally works!
So is gray here to stay? My opinion is that gray is here to stay. I think it will be a popular color in home fashion for at least the next 10 years but I wouldn’t be surprised if it lasts much longer.
Why?
Because gray is a neutral–it goes with everything and is a nice third option to the often employed neutrals of, off-white and beige.
It is a calming color.
It is an excellent cool color to balance the warmth of wood tones and gold accents.
via Martha Stewart
It’s a fabulous backdrop for pops of color or to create a weathered rustic ambience.
Gray is so versatile, too versatile to be going anywhere fast. Gray is here is to stay!
I’ve personally used gray in my home decorating in the boys room makeover with their wall color and DIY upholstered headboards.
It’s also a main color in our media room (man cave) and I recently painted this frumpy brown couch gray!
And it is far from frumpy now! You can check out the awesome results and couch painting tutorial, Here!
What is your take on the gray trend? Love it or hate it? Think it’s here to last???
I completely agree – I’m so loving it. I think it’s one of the better neutral choices because there are so many color & hue variations. Gray isn’t just cool – there are many tones toward the warmer side too. So you really can find THE PERFECT shade to match whatever mood you are after. If my hubs wasn’t so “pro-colors” I would have this entire house in varying shade of gray. It’s just so versatile.
Gray is the new beige. It was popular as an interior neutral in the 80s for walls and carpets, often paired with mauve and teal or sea foam green. Since “everything old is new again”, beige will be back…..probably at the exact moment that I finally get all the beige purged from my own interiors! I do love the new ways of using grays. I’ve always especially liked it for exteriors, and your example above is beautiful.
hmmm, Interesting about the 80’s, JJ. Must have been one of the better trends of the 80’s because there are plenty from that decade I don’t want to see again!:-) ex: big teased out bangs
I think it is here to stay, at least for a while! I am planning my daughter’s big girl room makeover and I plan to use gray. It is finding the perfect shade choice that overwhelms me. There are so many options out there!
Yes, so many good grays. I like all of the grays in the Benjamin Moore Historical Colors collection. You might start there.
I love gray and like it mixed in with other colors. I especially like the greiges that have come on the scene recently. It has given me a whole new look on beige, a color that I never really liked before.
I too was worried gray would be a trend but we made the bold choice and went with a stained warm medium gray for our cabinetry. It is an amazing neutral! Taupe, beige and gray with an accent of copper makes for a fabulous great room that should stand the test of time. I think grey is here to stay.
Your cabinetry sounds amazing, Cheryl!:-)
I do love grey, but am slightly worried it will be overdone. I think greige is such a great blend and will have more staying power over the years. That said, I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to shades of grey, so I’m fan 😉
I think grey will stay as a neutral color and it’s fine : I like it to complement white or some more colourful wall or furniture.
Lisa
I already see it on a downward turn. I think it’s been oversaturated. Sorry.
Yes like every thing ,comes and goes ,so ,, Cabinets look great gray but they’ll be out of style soon so I paint them with natural colors ! THey are to expensive White ,creams ,woods tones! THen have fun with your Island that can always be painted and not costing that much money if you have plenty of money go for it in a couple years you can have them repainted or replaced I say keep it natural ,
Grey can not be oversaturated 🙂 it is the color that does the opposite in the color spectrum it will help you balance saturated colors . Grey is not a trend but a catalyst needed to desaturate and cool down screaming colors. Grey should be regarded like the law /glue needed to keep opposing arguments from fighting together. Hope this help you understand what grey is. Its not really a color, so use it wisely and it might help you cool down your frustrated thoughts towards its true origin and need in the decor world.
I agree. Seems like when something is attractive it soon becomes way overused till I get very weary of the cookie cutter aspect. I personally was super sick of beige as well, but to each his own so I say paint and decorate with whatever you like/love.
In my early 90’s house I painted the master bath gray. Loved it, but it was not in, so changed it to yellow. I have lived with beige my whole life, going to gray this year for the neutral in this house. The exterior is already a greige, came that way back in ’01. So looking forward to the change. The beige just looks old and dark to me now.
My Grandmother’s kitchen in a house built in the 40’s had gray cabinets with glass knobs, LOVED it! Stone-granite, rocks, marble, slate, even the petrified stone I have around my fireplace, all have gray running through it. Gray in tree bark. Gray skies. Gray has been around forever and I think will be for the rest of forever. I am loving all the shades of it being used so much more and will be repainting my living room just as soon as I find the perfect shade myself!
Your Grandmother’s kitchen sounds lovely! Thanks for stopping by today, Vickie!:-)
Been a grey person for years and years! I doubt it is going anywhere anytime soon. Love all the different options in accessories now — paint, pillows, bedding, furniture, etc.
I like the gray. I feel you have infinite ways to decorate with it. I am so sick of beige and tan I could scream.
I love it and will use it in the house we are building. Whether or not it’s popular makes no matter … the different shades are gorgeous!
I have never followed trends in decorating, I’ve always felt that my home should reflect what makes me happy. Of course that has changed many times over the 20yrs we’ve been in our current home. I personally prefer a gray/beige to a true gray because I live in Vancouver, Canada which is already gray enough! Whatever makes you happy!
Can you pair Gray walls with brown leather furniture?
Definitely, Pam! Gray and brown look great paired together! There are quite a number of examples of this pairing in my most recent post. Check it out to see!
Love the gray!! Completely agree with Suzanne B.
Andi
21 years ago I painted my whole house a light grey and put in grey carpeting. I must have been before my time. But back then the grey was paired with Mauve. (bletch) I still love grey and helped my DIL paint their kitchen cabinets grey this summer. I still have a grey kitchen and guest bathroom and am thinking of painting the exterior of our home grey.
Awesome, Vikki!!
Hello! What is the name of the house color in the photo entitled “JB Architecture Group”? Thanks
Hi Cheri! Thanks for your question! If you look under the photo of the home it has a blue link that says Houzz. If you click on it, it will take you to where the builder answers questions about the home. He says it is “Cedar Siding – Cabot Solid Stain – Pewter Grey”. Hope this helps!
I am not a fan of gray at all. I think it is depressing like all of the cloudy days in Ohio. I do not decorate with it in my home and I do not like to wear it either.
I am also not a fan of gray. I cannot wait for this trend to end. I find nothing cozy or warm in a grey interior. In my mind, grey is a color used in commercial and government buildings. I know it can be lovely but it symbolizes coldness and bleakness to me.
Grey is not a trend but a catalyst needed to desaturate and cool down screaming colors. Grey should be regarded like the law needed to keep opposing arguments from fighting together.
And still, three years later, the monochrome grey home decorating fad continues, with more and more people wanting to make sure their house looks like everyone else’s, rather than reflective of their own taste and character. Maybe it’s just that there are so many people with no taste or character of their own, and grey is such a neutral, bland, “safe” color scheme for them.
My grandmother’s house was gray, so I’m always drawn to a gray exterior. Love it! My aunt owns that home now, and guess what…it’s still gray.
I love that! Houses that look like my Grandma’s house (colonial styled) make me happy too!
I love gray for me its soothing, and can be brought out in so many ways. Whether it her to dtsybor not, I will alwwys use it in some form.
I am just entering the world of gray myself! I was never a fan, it looked gloomy and depressing to me. With that said, I have just finished my bedroom with Benjamin Moore color Quiet Moments 1563 and painted my oak looking trim Valspar Cotton Linen and IN LOVE!!!!! My furniture is a light brown which reminds me of sand and I could never find a happy wall color. Gray sky(WALLS) and sand(FURNITURE) makes me think of my HAPPY place, the lake! Wish me luck 🙂
Good luck, Lisa! Quiet Moments sounds lovely!:-)
Come or go we are keeping it grey. I love it!
I did Gray back in the 90s in my former home. I “pickled” my kitchen cabinets Gray and my bathroom was totally renovated and all the fixtures were what was called then “thunder gray”. The sinks and toilet and shower were just beautiful in such a deep color and the tiles were done in pale pink and gray. I loved it. It was one of the highlights of the house. It was a high maintenance color though because soap scrum and toothpaste was very visible! For me it had its time. I much prefer the warmer colors now.
Grey is a useful tool, but it’s hard to do it well as a dominant color.
Unconsciously, we expect both greens and greys to have subtle variations and layers of color and brightness, interesting dimension. So, a natural stone counter is wonderful and timeless. A grey wall with white or light grey trim gives the trim pop. Slate steps and floors look cool and comfortable, and the soft, nearly geometric shapes of the natural stone nearly beg to be touched.
However, when a flat stone grey is used across an entire surface, with no variation, interesting texture or contrast, it looks startlingly flat. We can accidentally get that look of cheap institutional plastic cabinets.
Unfortunately, a little mess on a flat grey may stand out too much, because eyes will be looking for variations. A varied grey can hide some mess or dust, and certainly should hide fingerprints. (One blended with brown or beige might be lower maintenance that way.)
Hello , since today I follow your blog. On Pinterest i noticed this. The question in this blog keeps me busy too for a while. Here in the Netherlands has been the trend for some years also underway. And lately “the gray” is less conformed to sobriety with natural matrialen. This is a trend that is here widening manifests in the low countries. See my pinbord Rustic Living by GJ and sober rural living. Here’s the gray , still far from extinct.
Mauve lasted for almost 20 + years. I think gray will too. Personally I don’t like it, I think it is depressing but it is neutral and can be mixed with bright colors or muted colors well. I am slowly getting use to ti!
Thanks for your input, Becky!:-)
I first painted my walls grey 7 yrs ago, and even though I’ve moved twice since, the color grey has always had me. My bedroom is grey with happy pops of gold and yellow and silver, my daughters have grey and pink featured in their bedroom, and my son has an awesome dark, moody grey for his perfectly boyish Star Wars room. Grey is so versatile and not boring or bland at all.
Your rooms sound lovely, Tiffany!!
Gray makes me sad.
It is drab and yucky ~ I too never saw the draw. Let’s stay cheerful with other colors ?
Does anyone know the name/maker of the exterior color on this house? I thought I might find it in the article, but don’t see it. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi there! If you click on the link underneath the photo of the house it will take you to the builder and where you can ask him questions. Many people have asked about the exterior paint color and he has answered that it is a Solid Cabot Stain in Pewter Gray on cedar siding. Hope this helps!:-)
I’ve found that if you stick with colors that naturally commonly exist in nature, you can go wrong. I think organic is here for the long haul. It’s reflective of an environmental trend. Don’t fret over your cabinets. My island is BM waterfall blue. 🙂 people love it. Paired with white cabinets with gray undertones for the more conservative.
I love the grey as another alternative to the standard beige as neutral color. I don’t really see it in my city so once I start rehabbing I’ll be using this a lot in my rehabs. Thanks for the article
I’m glad you think the gray trend is here to stay because my whole house is covered in it! From a gray couch and griege walls – even my house exterior is gray!!
I like gray a lot however I did note that at our local Homeshow last summer, every single house was decorated in shades of gray. They all started to look the same. I think it’s important to introduce some color or the gray WILL become a bit monotonous and overdone.
Yes, I agree Colleen!:-)
Hello Tamara, Do you know where I can find the plan for the beautiful grey house, thank you
Hi Genevieve, I looked on Houzz where I found the photo and the builder
JB Architecture Group, Inc. says, “Please contact our office at (630)357-8100 to discuss purchasing a plan.” Gorgeous house!! ❤️
I think grey has finally been overdone. When I attend open houses, grey is everywhere–no originality. Don’t get me wrong, I like a neutral base with pops of color or texture for personality. I am tired of grey, perhaps, due to the gloomy, grey winters where I live.
Amen, sister! If you asked anyone if they prefer blue sky and sun or gray clouds, how many would answer gray? A pale shade of gray can be pretty if used sparingly, for example, as a wall color; however, the latest trend toward “greige” (quite possibly the ugliest neutral yet) and taupe (literally translated means mole – the color of an underground rodent). As if the colors (or non-colors) weren’t ugly enough, they now gush over hideous, grainy, cheap, boxy furniture and gray finishes everywhere, which will leave homeowners depressed after constant exposure through flooring, cabinetry and furniture. I absolutely detest the “rustic modern” fad. I’m sorry, but why would anyone deliberately put that ugly rough hewn stool with plain legs at the foot of their bed, Robin? It wouldn’t even make it into my garage. To each his own, but i.m.h.o., yuuuukkkkk! I also don’t wear combat style boots with a cocktail dress. Stop buying into whatever the marketers tell you is “trending” and think for yourselves. Your kids will look back and shake their heads at the extremely bad taste of “rustic modern” just as we do at the trends of the past. Best to avoid “trends”. The emperor has no clothes!!
We have light blue walls in the family room & kitchen since one room opens up to the other. My choice of sofa was grey because we have a dark wood table and bookshelves and thought it went best. We want to paint our kitchen cabinets grey to tie it all in, they are currently a lighter wood than the new table. I love the way grey looks with light blue, turquoise and yellow. There is a way to make it not so depressing and I think paired with light colors, it looks great. It is neutral and I can keep it around for a while. For the last 5 yrs we have had our living room (used as the kid’s study) with a soothing green on the walls, white desks, bookshelves and grey rug. I love how peaceful and soothing that room feels.
I had to smile when reading that grey has been here for a few years now. NOT IN A MAJOR COMMUNITY IN NORTH HOUSTON! We’ve spent an extra long time with Tuscan influence because so many of our designers and builders seem to be stuck in that mode. My designer and I went against local trend when building our new home, using grey throughout. It turned out beautifully, and is the most peaceful, calming house we have ever owned. There are so many accent colors that can be used with grey. I do hope it lasts and is not a trendy color.
Hate, hate, hate gray and it can’t go away fast enough for me. It’s so cold, drab and about as inviting as a battleship. Did I say I hate gray?
I hate grey also! I have always wanted a happy house shades of yellow and white with a hughe apple tree painted in kitchen area for children to sit under
Oh my!! Meeee tooooo!
Gray, as it is being used now, is overdone on EVERYTHING and I think it will be on its way out, used in this over saturated capacity. However, gray has always been a neutral seen in both residential and commercial design, so it will continue to be used, but in combination with other neutrals and color.
I have never been a fan of gray. I find it depressing and uninspiring though when paired with pinks or yellows it can work. I won’t paint any part of the interior of my home in any shade of gray. I do like the exterior in gray and white and in a few years when we have the exterior of our home painted I will probably go with a soft gray-blue. And, I HATE greige. The name even sounds boring. What is the big deal about ‘in fashion’. I decorate my home to be inviting and comfortable to our family. Oh, and I never wear grey – makes most complexions look dead.
Tamara,
We are redoing a home and I stepped out of my box and went grey. The whole house! Repose grey and flannel gray. We have roasted pepper accent walls in 3 rooms with the repose grey and it looks great. I think we just had to watch the undertones of the grey. We are choosing to paint the existing kitchen cabinets a shade of grey (instead of replacing) but I need to be sure to choose a color that won’t be lost in walls. Counter will be whitish with gray and tan specks. This is our first remodel and it’s been fun but challenging. I like the grey and think it’s here to stay because there are undertone colors that can be pulled out as accents to keep it from being boring.
I know that Gray is here to stay as I have looked through the myriad of photos of weathered barn wood and beach photos that people have loved through the decades and continue to use .I love it an reuse a lot of barn wood and have plans to stain my wood floor a weathered gray.
Here to stay & LONG overlooked. I remember my mom wondering why no one was treating gray as a neutral in the 80s. What can I say she was ahead of the curve. LoL
Love it. It’s replaced the taupe or camel colour of 5+ years ago. And made it look dated.
Personally, I like the look of gray, but am already growing tired of seeing it everywhere. I find that the media really takes hold of a trend an starts marketing it in home magazines on tv shows, etc. Then everyone starts implementing the trend Into their lifestyles. I don’t know how many homes I’ve been to recently that all look the same. Gray walls, accents, furniture, etc. It looks fine, and I don’t mean insult anyone loving this trend, but I find it will not behere for as long as some think. One of the keys to good designis innovation. Once something is very overused, it is not novel or cutting edge anymore. It becomes plain and mundane, especially now, with the amount and availability of media trends spread and are consumed much quicker than in say the 90s. I am actually going to stay away from the trend
So sick of grey…. With, let us guess, white subway tile…..and a brand door!! Get some original ideas!!!! HGTV is going downhill
Back in 1991, we had our small bathroom professionally remodeled. Our designer picked white and gray as our color scheme way back then and I still love it. He told us white never goes out of style and gray is a great accent color. So for me, 26 later, I’d say gray is not going away.
I think that ultimately a person has to pick what they love. I don’t love grey so have been bucking the trend for years and still prefer the warmth of sands and creams. It has made it hard to shop for the past few years but I am starting to see that change. My sister loved the combo of whites, blues and greys: for her it was just right but I found it too cold. They way I see it, in your home you have to do what feels right and not worry about the trends. Trends come and go. Some just last a little longer than others
How do I access the floor plans
I think it all depends on the grey you choose. I don’t like Brown Grey’s but I love blue greys! Like anything, it can be over used.
I love blue grays too!!:-)
I loved it 5 years ago when I went through an all gray phase. I’m OVER it.
Gray walls just wouldn’t flow with my current home aesthetic.anyway.
It may be the new neutral these days, but it’s just so dull and uninviting.
Gray in general is basic, boring, predictable, and over-rated now. NEXT!
Anyone who thinks gray is here to stay is fooling themselves, just like people did when yellow and olive appliances were “in.” Was that back in the 60’s? There have been so many trend changes. Trends have to change or no one would think they are fashionable and can afford the latest thing. Because grays are so prominent, they are almost definitely on the way out. I am surprised naivety of this blog. The next trend will change also. I was hoping to discover the next trend here so that I can keep ahead of the game. lol. I love grays but do not want to be redecorating with it at the end of a trend. Also, I would never paint cabinets a trendy color because they are harder and more expensive to change. If you’ve got the money, go ahead, but remember that you might want to sell some day (and that is sometimes right after you redecorate). I would recommend keeping cabinets a wood color or even white if you must. Change wall colors and accents if you want an easy time of adapting to the next trend.
Absolutely hate gray. Ugly, ugly, ugly. I will never decorate or paint with gray.
It is now September 2019 and it seems that every home I see for sale has gray and white color themes. Why does everyone want to have the same interiors? It has become “vanilla” and sheep-like. Since when does living in a home that looks like a medial clinic or retail cosmetic counter considered “Homey”? Gray faux wood-plank porcelain flooring, white baseboards, gray walls, gray or white cabinets, gray or white counter tops, blah. I remember Harvest Gold, Turquoise , Copper, Avocado, white-washed oak, wood paneling, all of them at their time, everyone wanted them in their homes. Unless some cultural icon comes along and breaks the trance, we act like sheep, thinking we are unique when we are just one of the flock. I am sick of gray.