The world of interiors, I so often say, is intricately linked to the world of fashion. Since 2007, grey has been the new black on the fashion runways around the world, and an absolute, must have, wardrobe essential. Grey has replaced black as the colour to wear for that essentially stylish dress or quirky top. Jennifer Aniston has long been a grey ambassador, regularly seen in grey t-shirts over faded blue jeans, or warm grey evening dresses. I consider grey to be a timeless, classic colour and one that designers have always subtly used in their schemes, but it is now in huge demand by designers worldwide and both paint companies and fabric manufacturers alike are seeing a massive growth in sales of all shades of grey.
Grey is personally my favourite colour. If I'm using a neutral base colour to which I add accent colours, I generally always select a warm grey such as Dusted Moss 2 or Shale White. Think of what I describe as Gap grey - that grey t-shirt from Gap seen in every Gap jeans advert! It's a wonderfully warm grey colour. The beauty of using this grey as your base colour is that it really does compliment every other colour. Grey rooms can look great with yellow accents, while blue, pink and red also look stunning teamed with all shades of grey. Even terracotta looks fab with grey, and that's a colour I rarely like!
Let's delve into the science of grey and the shades available. Dulux greys range from greys that have hints of blue, to greys that offer hints of green and yellow. For the Irish home, I generally select greys with a yellow or green hue as they are warmer and easier to live with. If your property is located in the South of France with glorious sunshine streaming into the room then the blue greys would work beautifully, but in green but rainy Ireland, the blue greys are to be avoided unless a professional designer is involved.
Another grey tip - the darker the shade of grey you select, the more rewarding your results will be. Generally, the richer the colour is, the warmer it is. Team your grey walls with artwork on large white canvas, or place a cream sofa against the dark wall, and wow - instant designer looks. Fill that cream sofa with whatever colour cushions take your fancy and you'll be amazed how well it all looks.
Painted furniture pieces in shades of white and cream also looks stunning and very scandanavian when placed against grey backdrops. Many of us have pieces of pine furniture that wouldn't take long to paint, and which would be totally transformed with a new, painted colour. Take a look at one of our grey mood images that show a "Gap" grey wall with a painted blue and white sign, which looks so effortlessly stylish. This would make for a stunning colour scheme for a kitchen. Another classic grey colour scheme is that of tan, off-white and grey shades. Think of painted floor boards in Jasmine White, a deep, woolen rug in a strong linen colour, cream sofas and grey cashmere throws, all in a room painted in Bleached Linen 2...How classically beautiful and elegant.
So go on, be brave! Forget any misgivings you had about dull grey - it's far from drab and will stay with you forever once you've discovered it's warmth and beauty.
