Grey is everywhere, fashion, interiors, cars, dogs, hair – it’s sophisticated and the perfect neutral backdrop for spot colours which pop against it like magic. When I shot this beautiful house where we stayed for easter I was enchanted by the shades of grey in the living room with my mini Schnauzer laid centre-stage soaking up the sun. Having already posted about growing my silver strands out in Grey Gal I thought I should follow up with a selection of interiors to inspire grown-up decorating.
What is a grown-up decorating? Well it’s the kind that you see in glossy magazines, the ones you aspire to when everything is freshly painted, tidy and co-ordinated, the kind where you can just sit back, relax and not spot anything that needs your attention. It’s a dream really – so don’t beat yourself up about it if you still have coca-cola splashes up the walls. The perfect finish of the house we were staying in is beyond most of us (even empty-nesters) so my grey selection has been chosen with ‘real’ homes in mind.
Bedroom
Both of these bedrooms ooze style and calm, one uses rich and dark tones, the other a mix of paler neutrals. They’ve both got those all-important colour pops with pink florals in one room and bright yellow in the other. It’s a simple and easy look to copy – but the walls must be matt!
Bathroom
Kitchen
Personally I think kitchens need to be light and airy and I love the pale dove greys in this space. Grey is an incredibly versatile palette with a colour spectrum which ranges from cool blue, through neutral and into warm putty tones. This would be quite a different room in clinical white, but the softest of greys on the walls combined with the limestone floor creates a misty, early morning freshness with echoes of beach and driftwood.
Living Room
Dining Room
I put this picture in because it has the kind of shabby eclectic mix that I think make for ‘real’ interiors. It also shows how good grey is at covering up a multitude of sins. It makes easy work of blending in this less than perfect brick wall.
Outdoors
I wanted to include an image of planting against grey and this one is perfect – the subtle shades of slate, granite and stained wood form a wonderful neutral canvas for structural plants. Of course it really just echoes nature’s overcast skies and rocky outcrops but re-created as a contemporary garden it is simply stunning.
Thanks to houzz.com for images, click on any photo for more details.