Variations of gray or grey include achromatic grayscale shades, which lie exactly between white and black, and nearby colors with low colorfulness.
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is “without color”, because it can be composed of black and white. It is the color of a cloud-covered sky, of ash and of lead.
The first recorded use of grey as a color name in the English language was in 700 CE. Grey is the dominant spelling in European and Commonwealth English, while gray has been the preferred spelling in American English; both spellings are valid in both varieties of English.
In Europe and North America, surveys show that grey is the color most commonly associated with neutrality, conformity, boredom, uncertainty, old age, indifference, and modesty. Only one percent of respondents chose it as their favorite color.
Grey comes from the Middle English grai or grei, from the Old English grǣġ, and is related to the Dutch grauw and German grau. The first recorded use of grey as a color name in the English language was in 800 CE.
In antiquity and the Middle Ages, grey was the color of undyed wool, and thus was the color most commonly worn by peasants and the poor. It was also the color worn by Cistercian monks and friars of the Franciscan and Capuchin orders as a symbol of their vows of humility and poverty. Franciscan friars in England and Scotland were commonly known as the grey friars, and that name is now attached to many places in Great Britain.
During the Renaissance and the Baroque, grey began to play an important role in fashion and art. Black became the most popular color of the nobility, particularly in Italy, France, and Spain, and grey and white were harmonious with it.
Grey was also frequently used for the drawing of oil paintings, a technique called grisaille. The painting would first be composed in grey and white, and then the colors, made with thin transparent glazes, would be added on top. The grisaille beneath would provide the shading, visible through the layers of color. Sometimes, the grisaille was simply left uncovered, giving the appearance of carved stone.
Grey was a particularly good background color for gold and for skin tones. It became the most common background for the portraits of Rembrandt van Rijn and for many of the paintings of El Greco, who used it to highlight the faces and costumes of the central figures. The palette of Rembrandt was composed almost entirely of somber colors. He composed his warm greys out of black pigments made from charcoal or burnt animal bones, mixed with lead white or a white made of lime, which he warmed with a little red lake color from cochineal or madder. In one painting, the portrait of Margaretha de Geer (1661), one part of a grey wall in the background is painted with a layer of dark brown over a layer of orange, red, and yellow earths, mixed with ivory black and some lead white.
In the late 1930s, grey became a symbol of industrialization and war. It was the dominant color of Pablo Picasso’s celebrated painting about the horrors of the Spanish Civil War, Guernica.
After the war, the grey business suit became a metaphor for uniformity of thought, popularized in such books as The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1955), which became a successful film in 1956.
Decorating with grey is enduringly popular and it’s easy to see why.
A neutral, versatile shade with a broad tonal spectrum stretching from cool off whites to deep charcoal, grey can be used to create myriad interior looks for any room from cool, calm and uplifting to dramatic and sophisticated.
Grey looks effective when layered in different tones as part of a monochrome interior yet also makes a timeless backdrop for decorating with colorful furniture, artwork and accessories as part of a more striking scheme which can easily be updated across the years with different accent colors.
As Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene explains, ‘Greys, neutrals and white are a decorating staple, and are combined in both classical and contemporary decoration style to present a backdrop upon which to decorate; but, this is not the end of the story, as the use of stronger neutrals leads us to a more exciting vision.’
Used on walls, grey is a brilliant neutral base for layers color, print as part of a characterful scheme and can be used to create myriad living room looks from cozy and cocooning to chic and dramatic depending on the tone and temperature you choose. However it can also a popular choice for furniture, too.
Whether you’re looking to redesign a room or update your living room ideas with a few key pieces then these grey living room ideas and expert tips are guaranteed to get you inspired.
An easy way to start with grey if you’ve never used it in a living room is to go with a procession of light greys. Start with your most dominant piece in the room, whether the sofa or, as here, the living room bookshelf, and choose the darkest grey you dare to. From there, layer the rest of the room with lighter greys. It’s important that these greys are in the same tones as each other, whether that’s cool or warm.
Albion Nord(opens in new tab) interior design agency is well-known for its use of bold colors. Here, they have used the deepest and darkest of muddy greys in a living room to create an incredibly cozy feel.
‘What I love about this grey living room is the attention to detail in the layering of the grey,’ says Lucy Searle. ‘The trim around the door and the baseboard are in a deeper, darker shade of grey, which makes the space feel both elegant and grown up and leads seamlessly into the grey hallway.
‘This is the type of color scheme you can easily recreate in a room with great natural daylight, or one that you really only use at night, and which will glow invitingly under lamp light.’
This grey room idea obviously has elements of warmth within it: the red sofa shouts heat, and the piles of books create a lovely, lived-in look. However, the rest of the surfaces are pared back, and even the artificial lighting is dramatically pared-back on materials.
So what makes it successful? ‘The cool grey of the walls is the perfect match for the stone flooring and marble central table,’ says Sarah Spiteri, Editorial Director of Homes & Gardens. This single-toned approach acts as a backdrop to and allows for more dramatic elements, such as the sofa and light, within the room. However, its success does to a degree rely on the natural daylight being warm, meaning it is ideal for a south- or west-facing room, but less so for coolly lit north-facing spaces.’
If you are looking for grey sofa ideas for living rooms, pick a plump sofa for lounging. This charcoal grey number adds elegance and interest to a minimal room.
Explore the many depths of a grey color palette by layering tones to create a space that looks cohesive. By using the same color, but in both its palest and deepest incarnations, you can create a rich, contrasting look that is co-ordinated. A glass coffee table and side table add a glamorous note here.
Living room paneling painted in soft gray provides a sophisticated backdrop for this scheme, which artfully balances black and white living room furniture.
Blocks of pattern, in the form of tailored cushions and artwork, add interest and personality to the modern look.
A rich wall color combined with walnut veneers and velvet fabric make this space a cosseting retreat.
Darker tones of charcoal can be used to add drama anywhere in the home. With clever living room lighting ideas you can create a look that is both strong and atmospheric.
These dark greys are also a perfect strong background for accent color ideas such as warm mustard and cobalt blue.
Use the gentlest of greys as a springboard for blush pink, plum and buff tones. In this grey and white living room, Mid century-style furniture rubs shoulders here with contemporary pieces in brilliant hi-gloss white.
The floor-to-ceiling drape adds a lovely touch of dip-dyed pink, while cushions and floral displays channel rich plum tones. Gray and pink is a winning combination, particularly suited to modern living room ideas.
Adding woollen soft furnishings to an understated grey living room will transform it from cold to calming in an instant.
The abundance of texture and pattern in the wool, plus the burst of bright yellow living room accents, prevent this room from looking too gloomy. Everything in the room is very tactile, from the pendant light cover to the footstool. Plus the wall-mounted sculptures add a certain je ne sais quoi.
Dark colors can transform the mundane and ordinary by conjuring theatrical glamour, and gray paint creates the perfect backdrop for standout colors and pattern.
However, if your room is starved of warm daylight, choose a beige grey with a touch of warm brown in it, inspired by beige living room ideas – you’ll get the elegance of a grey room without it feeling too cool. Opt for soft furnishings in your favorite colors – they will really sing out.
Use gray to create a harmonious look that will make a great impression. Whether it’s pale or slight darker, dove gray is a great all-rounder.
You can dress it up with silvers and metallic shades for a luxe look, or keep it simple with natural colors and earthy textures.
If you hold together a fan of grey paint charts, you’ll see how widely the tones vary. The cool end of the spectrum has blue undertones, passing through tints of green and yellow, ending up at warm shades with red bases that give them brown, pink or purple tints.
Just a quick peek at a Farrow & Ball(opens in new tab) paint chart suggests the myriad possibilities of this favorite decorating shade and explains its enduring appeal: from the barely-there neutrals of Dimity and Ammonite, to the mid tones of Lamp Room Gray and Calluna, through the green-edged Mizzle and Pigeon, blue-hued Parma Gray and Lulworth Blue – and out the other side to deep dark Down Pipe, Plummett and Brassica.
Your journey starts with deciding on the ‘temperature’ of color your room needs – cool or warm – then how far you dare to take it. From moody dark grey to light pastel grey, there are endless ways to update your living room with grey.
The first question you need to ask yourself is how much natural light does your room get? Does that light come from the north, south, east or west?
‘The orientation of your space will affect the way a color looks on the walls, and is the reason why exactly the same shade of grey paint can look completely different in different surroundings,’ explains interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth of Mad About The House(opens in new tab).
As a neutral color, grey works well with many shades, making it a versatile choice for decorating with. Many of the best accent colors for gray include other neutrals. ‘Gray balances well with additional neutrals or graphic black and white, as well as brighter pops of color; creating a very different finish easily within the room without having to make radical changes to the four walls,’ says Caroline Milns, head of interior design at Zulufish.
‘When choosing greys, go for something well-balanced like our ‘French Gray’ family. These greys can be paired with other shades with ease, combining well with blues, greens and pinks,’ adds Ruth Mottershead of Little Greene.
‘Grey is enormously versatile. Depending on the underlying tones within it and on the depth of color, it can be partnered with almost any other hue,’ says interior designer Victoria Wormsley of French-Brooks Interiors. ‘I like to use it as a foil for warmer shades, such as reds, pinks and terracotta or burnt orange. It also looks smart set against off-white for panelling and mouldings such as dado rails.
Consider pairing it with contrasting colors, too. Designer Vanessa Arbuthnott believes ‘many yellows, softer pinks, and warm blues’ work well as complementary colors.
Most colors go with grey but some look harsher against the steely tones of grey. If you are decorating with primary colors, for example, grey can jar. Equally, pastel colors are a poor match for grey: the pastels will look muddier and the grey will look out of place. The only exception is a pastel grey that matches your pastels tonally and exactly.
Yes, you can go wrong when decorating with grey. For example, a one-grey scheme will look flat and uninviting, so ensure you introduce other greys, neutrals and warmer shades with accent colors, layering and texture. Equally, decorating with grey and primary colors or pastel colors will look wrong – the best matches are earthy, natural shades that add an element of warmth to your scheme.
source : wikipedia _ wikipedia _ homesandgardens _ homesandgardens
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