What Colour Goes With Grey?
Gazing at the soft, neutral tones of your grey walls, you admire their timeless elegance and versatility. Grey has always been a favourite, offering a calm and sophisticated backdrop, yet finding the perfect colours to complement it hasn’t always been easy.
But now, with the right colour pairings, the room feels effortlessly balanced; everything from the furnishings to the light switches and sockets enhancing grey’s understated charm.
Discover what colour goes with grey and find out how to create interiors that are both stylish and inviting with Dowsing & Reynolds.
What colour goes with grey?
If your home has a grey scheme, there are plenty of colours you can use that will complement the grey beautifully and add interest and depth to your interiors.
Grey can be a beautifully atmospheric colour if you tend towards the darker, stormy greys that create intriguing shadows. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the lighter, airier, cooler greys that can look a little stark if not paired with comforting textures.
Lyz Igwe, Head of Customer Experience and Colour Expert
Don’t forget that the style of your room and the amount of natural light it gets can have a big impact on how colours appear, so it’s a good idea to sample different colours and shades first to make sure you find the right combination for your space.
Image courtesy of @hamishvincentdesign
Blue
Blue and grey is a gorgeous colour combination, perfect for creating tranquil, calming interiors that are reminiscent of the sea or the sky. Using blue and a light shade of grey will create a scheme that feels light and airy, making this an excellent combination for small rooms that you want to make feel more open.
Use grey as the base colour for the room, then incorporate blue accents across smaller details like accessories and artwork. This will encourage the eye to be drawn to these blue objects and enhance the visual interest of the space. For a timeless look, finish it off with glass furnishings and modern lighting.
Green
Green is another colour that has natural, earthy connotations, which means it pairs beautifully with a neutral like grey. Opt for a dark green with jewel tones for an elegant and opulent look, or choose a lighter shade that reflects light around your space to make it feel bright and airy.
Adding green accents to a grey room can be as simple as adorning the space with houseplants (go with faux plants if you normally forget to water them), or you might choose to go bolder by opting for green upholstery that stands out against the rest of your grey furnishings.
Image courtesy of @claudiagooding
Red
Red and grey is a bold and dramatic combination, perfect for creating interiors that stand out.
With red being such an eye-catching colour, you’ll want to incorporate it very sparingly to create a striking contrast with your grey furnishings. It could be as simple as accessorising with red cushions or placing a vase of red roses on the table, or you might go bolder with a statement red armchair or table lamp.
Pink
Pink is another colour that looks beautiful when paired with grey. Opt for a blush pink and a dusky grey for an elegant and soothing colour palette that’s perfect for relaxing bedrooms.
Incorporate pink through wall art and accessories like cushions for a subtle injection of colour that gives the space depth. Silver accents also complement this colour scheme well, so opt for silver switches and sockets and silver finishes on your lighting.
Yellow
Dark shades of yellow like mustard are great for pairing with darker shades of grey, creating moody interiors. The contrast between these two colours is striking and can make a space feel opulent and high-end when styled right.
Opt for textured grey walls with mustard furnishings for the perfect atmospheric look. Industrial lighting is great for this type of space and antique brass finishes complement the two colours beautifully.
Tips for decorating grey interiors
Grey interiors can be beautiful when decorated correctly, but get it wrong and your home could end up looking drab and lifeless. Here are some tips to help you put together gorgeous grey interiors:
1. Get the balance right
When designing your space, make sure you incorporate your colours in the right proportions. Grey should be the primary colour, which means your accent colour should be used sparingly to add depth and interest to the space. Using your accent colour too much will ruin its impact and can look garish so keep it simple, incorporating your accent colour through smaller details like accessories and hardware.
2. Find the perfect shade
Different shades of colours can look different depending on the style of your room and the amount of natural light it gets. It’s therefore a good idea to experiment with different shades and combinations to find what works best in the specific space you’re styling. In dark rooms, always opt for lighter shades to make the space feel more bright and airy.
3. Play with different textures and patterns
The danger of a primarily grey interior design scheme is that the colour can look dull and boring if not styled properly. In addition to adding a pop of colour, you can also combat this by incorporating different textures and patterns into the space. This will add depth and interest, preventing it from. looking flat and uninviting.
4. Modernise with metallic finishes
It can be easy for grey interiors to look outdated, especially if your home has been around for a long time. To bring grey interiors into the 21st century, introduce metallic accents through your lighting fixtures, switches, and sockets. This could be as simple as replacing your old white switches and sockets with sleek new brass switches and sockets.
Image courtesy of @janeperfectinteriors
Show us your stylish grey interiors
Now that you know what colour goes with grey, we’d love to see how you’ve used these ideas to transform your interiors. Tag us on Instagram @dowsingandreynolds – we can’t wait to see what you’ve come up with!
Featured image courtesy of @oh_my_maison
