Grey is not a dull choice.

Grey is one of my favourite colours for the home; it’s neutral and works well as a base for strong colours as well as giving rooms style and sophistication.

Here are a few tips for using grey in your home:

Get as many grey samples from different manufacturers and put them side by side to see the difference between warm greys and cool greys – a blue-based grey will feel very cool – a grey with a little yellow mixed in will appear warmer and more comfortable to live with.

Use matt paint on walls otherwise it will look like industrial metal— although matt white wall paint is normally avoided because it shows smudges and fingerprints; grey actually hides flaws.

Introduce lots of light sources, like table lamps, floor lamps, etc. Layered lighting keeps the room flattering; avoid casting shadows with an overhead fixture.

Use grey in large or small spaces: the larger the room, the darker the grey should be, however, a rich grey can be used effectively to create intimacy and atmosphere in a small space.

Use varying shades of grey on the walls to create contrast within the space and give the look depth with textured accessories. Add white as a dynamic accent colour or consider using bright, warm shades such as orange, yellow, red and so on.

Team pastel shades with black and white for a more daring scheme and for a modern look use pale grey walls; perfect when teamed with painted white furniture. Albeit, pale grey can look just plain dirty in the wrong light, so go a few shades darker.

Why not say goodbye to the now all too familiar cream scheme and most importantly, have fun with it!

Pictures via elle decor and housetohome.

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