Colors to go with dark grey


10 Creative Gray Color Combinations and Photos

What words come to mind when you think of your design style? If sophisticated and timeless describe your home, gray is your color! Similar to white, gray is a neutral color that offers balance. Gray color schemes also create calming environments to relax in after a long day.

Because a variety of colors pair well with this hue, it’s ideal for walls, accessories and furniture. Light shades of silver and cadet gray evoke a feminine vibe, while darker shades like charcoal and gunmetal exude a more masculine feel.

To find inspiration for your decor, select a gray color scheme to see examples of how you can use these colors in your home. Once you have a color palette in mind, browse our home decor for personalized items like candles, fleece blankets, accent pillows and more.

Angora Grey + Beige

Gray + Beige

Your bedroom is your sweet escape. So why not make it a place where you can relax for hours on end? Fluffy whites combined with lighter shades of gray create a calming atmosphere you’ll never want to leave. You can even bring in earth tones like forest green and beige.

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Stone + Navy

Stone + Navy

Blue is an electric color that brings a room to life. By pairing it with a darker gray, you get a balanced room that isn’t overpowered by blue. You can bring the masculinity of gray and blue down a notch by adding tan and green into the color scheme, making this a vibrant palette for your living room.

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Dark Gray + Electric Blue

Gray + Light Blue

If you feel like adding a bright pop of color to your bedroom, go for it! Keeping your walls white and accessorizing with gray is a refreshing way to pull off adding a bold color like sky blue into a room.

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Gray + Gold

Gray + Gold

Create a modern and contemporary feel with a dark gray color scheme. Similar to black, gray is moody and blends well with all colors. To make a statement, throw in an attention-grabbing accent color no one expects, like gold.

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Charcoal + Dark Green

Gray + Dark Green

Gray doesn't always have to set the tone for your decor. Instead, you can use a shade like silver as an accent color and add fresh plants to invigorate the space. It creates an open and clean environment perfect for bringing in energetic colors like aqua, cobalt blue and lavender.

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Gray + Lime

Gray + Light Green

Simplicity is key when you are going for timeless decor that will stand the test of time. While this may be true, you don’t have to rely on muted colors. Pairing feminine grays with bright pops of color, like neon green, create a sophisticated yet funky vibe.

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Gray + Orange Soda

Gray + Orange

A staple of industrial decor is dark palettes evocative of city life. While shades like charcoal provide a practical element, it’s always fun to mix in more adventurous colors. Peach and orange are two eye-catching tones that bring a creative flair to an otherwise calming palette.

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Dusk + Blush

Gray + Light Pink

Who can resist a little romance? Whether you’re decorating the area surrounding your vanity table or your bathroom, blush and cadet gray are an enchanting color combination. The blue undertones in this gray allow you to pull in green for a refreshing and natural vibe.

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Gray + Cherry Red

Gray + Red

Sometimes, the best color schemes combine more than one shade of gray. The cool tones create a polished look while a fiery color like red brings passion and energy. Complete the look by splashing an earth tone on the walls to bring everything together.

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Light Gray + Yellow

Gray + Yellow

For a living room full of enthusiasm and good cheer, you need a palette that reminds you of sunshine filled days. Choosing a calming shade of gray that blends with a springy yellow and earth tones will transport you to the great outdoors.

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24 Ways to Decorate With Charcoal Gray

By

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons has over 10 years as a color and interior design consultant. She writes about ideas and tips for beautifying your space and incorporating decor trends into your home. She wrote the book "How to Sell Your Home Without Losing Your Zen" and has been featured in the "Huffington Post," "Better Homes & Gardens," and additional publications.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

and

Lacey Ramburger

Lacey Ramburger

Lacey Ramburger is a personality assessment expert based in Kansas City, Missouri, with more than five years of experience. Her areas of expertise include Zodiac, Myers-Briggs, and the Enneagram. She is the author of the book "Being Whole" and dozens of articles on personality assessments and relationships.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 11/28/22

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

Charcoal gray is a sophisticated alternative to black and a dramatic option when compared to lighter neutral hues. It is a great shade to get decorating with, as it is a perfect natural backdrop while still providing a pop of color.

Choosing a color palette to complement charcoal gray is simple: keep with other cool tones and go with blues, purples, whites, and some greens. Or, you could also contrast the cool gray hues with warm colors, such as pink, yellow, or orange.  Whenever you decorate with charcoal gray, incorporate plenty of bright white into the decor, too, and the contrast highlights and brightens up space.

Below, we highlight a few ways to decorate with charcoal gray in your space.

Click Play to Learn How to Decorate With Charcoal Gray Like a Pro

Dark gray color: combination in clothes, interior

Charcoal gray is an intermediate shade between medium gray and black, so you can see echoes of the latter in its value.
Dark gray - the color of a stone, a deep shadow, an impending storm. It can be called a gloomy, transitional shade between the other world and this world. And if most shades of gray are characterized by calmness, regularity, then in the case of a dark undertone, we see a manifestation of black instability. Dark gray, like a silent scream or a lingering rain that has captured melancholy and apathy. This shade is more of a protest against the shackles, but at the same time it is full of elemental energy and bohemian charm.
Dark gray symbolizes search, creativity, temperament, self-confidence, desire for nature and its conquest.

Contents

Shades of dark gray

Dark gray, given that a very limited light range is available to it, has many shades due to various subtones. They can be divided into warm and cold: warm shades include shades with an admixture of yellow, red (green, brown), and cold ones with blue and black.
Pantone colors are shown below.

Sophisticated combination with dark gray

One of the variants of the complex combination of dark gray

- with bluish (2) - soft natural gamma. Due to the lightness of both tones, it seems that the colors pass into each other, thereby enhancing the organicity of the combination.
- with gray wood (3), which deepens the gray palette, adds a light cold-warm and light contrast to it. The grey-wood tone gives the composition stability and a positive direction.

Complete the combination with milk chocolate, cream, marengo.

Combination of dark gray in 9 palettes0025

Rocky beach in the morning
The soft hues of dawn and blue water are contrasted with the grey-black mass of rocks, which evokes a sensation of bright contrast of pastels, pure tones and monochrome. This combination is emotionally rich and aesthetic. The palette includes such shades as white-gray, white-peach, water color, old wood, dark gray, black.

Lantern for late autumn
This range is composed in warm, gray tones, in which you can see how multifaceted this shade is with rich undertones. The composition is built on light contrast, on the one hand dull, but on the other hand beautiful and refined in its silence. It presents colors such as white-gray, light gray khaki, old wood, light gray-green, dark gray, black.

Chipped Continent
Once again, dark gray returns to the theme of stone, in this case a rock – high, powerful, causing feelings of rebelliousness and spontaneity, next to it, yellow and green shades seem naive, further emphasizing the grandiosity of dark gray. From this picture, you can borrow a color scheme from white with a pink sheen, slate, dark yellow, protective, sepia, dark gray.

Ancestral home
Vintage decor with brown, black, gray tones emphasizes the bohemian nature of the described tone. He proudly talks about the wealth of the owner, his amazing taste and desire for a natural range. Consider a combination with medium gray, gray beige, sea black, chocolate glaze, dark gray, black.

Dark gray can be combined with other colors

The combination of pink and dark gray can be both bright and piercing, depending on the shade of the former. Gentle, soft tones, both pure and cloudy, will soften the combination, while bright shades of fuchsia, on the contrary, will add audacity, but do not forget about grace. Combine the main tone with white-pink, sakura, rose ash, magenta, raspberry.

The color combination: dark gray and red retains the priority of a bright spot, but at the same time acquires a classic rigor. In such a combination, red can be both bright and restrained, up to burgundy. In its application, one should not forget about the simultaneous contrast. For example, consider pairings with pomegranate, Chinese red, dark red, ruby, cherry.

Dark gray matches orange like red: orange, as a warm, bright hue, is contrasted with monochrome, standing out significantly against its background, however, its intensity is muted and ennobled. An interesting tandem will be with light peach, coral, carrot, fiery, red-orange.

Dark gray meets yellow – as a softer version of the black and yellow contrast, at the same time expressive, although closer to everyday colors. Muted, golden shades of yellow form a soft, natural pair. For example, take a look at the combination with sand, corn, mustard, yellow gold, bright gold.

Warm green and charcoal gray combine as a calm and stylish pair. Warm gray-green hues intertwine with the main tone creating a soft color, light and cold-warm contrast. This is a natural palette, full of harmony - pacifies. The combination involves the color of avocado, a frog in a swoon, swamp green, khaki, dark green.

Cool green is combined with dark gray to form a stable cold range. For a harmonious color, both gray-green cold shades and bright, expressive tones are suitable. They form a stable, cold, attractive tandem. Example: with light gray-green, wormwood, jade, patina, emerald.

Color combination: dark gray and blue, light blue. Depending on the lightness of the blue color, the nature of the combination changes: light blue tones draw an effective contrast, when darker shades flow into the main tone, deepening it and themselves. The palette is made up of white and blue, the color of water, aqua, Prussian blue, sapphire.

Violet pairs with Charcoal Gray as a delicate, lilac tone or a bright purple hue, giving the pair a feminine charm, introducing an element of mystery and exoticism. This is one of the most successful combinations with the described tone. Rate pairs with pale lilac, lilac, purple, grape, purple.

The combination of dark gray and brown is gloomy on the one hand, but natural, sophisticated and deep on the other. Colors flow into each other, enhancing the feeling of volume, light and shadow, and light browns give a glare effect. Tones of cocoa with milk, coffee with milk, golden brown, golden chestnut, chocolate participate in the tandem.

Neutral combinations with dark grey. Monochromatic hues create a light-shadow palette that can stand on its own or be used as a backdrop for other contrasts. Tones such as: milky, latte, beige, steel, dark black are relatives of dark gray and look good in his company.

Dark gray in clothes

Dark gray color refers to the basic shades: a thing bought in this tone, depending on the pair, can go into different styles. The tone increases the contrast of appearance, slims, gives an expensive charm. It can be strict, gothic, informal, sporty, elegant, urban, etc. This shade is a great match for bright colors: it does not enhance them, but they remain in the spotlight.
Let's look at how dark gray transforms in a wardrobe depending on the color combination.

The combination of dark gray in clothes

Black gives this tone a slight sheen.

To achieve moderate black and white contrast, dark gray is ideal.

Combining different shades of gray, we get a stylish solution. You can always add black or white to it.

Warm, beige for an elegant, feminine touch.

Bright brown tones are soft and natural.

Yellow can be bright or golden mustard, in any case with dark gray it takes on an autumnal look.

Orange, in addition to the main color, will require black as a balance enhancer.

Bright red and dark gray can be strict and eccentric, although the main color muffles the red fire, this is not enough to extinguish it.

Wine tones - for a noble combination.

Hot pink, fuchsia colors give the combination a feminine edge.

Pale pink enhance light contrast, inhale lightness and innocence into the set.

The purple pair looks like a logical continuation of the main color.

Blue, like a sky or water reflection at dusk, tandem requires black.

Sky blue brings lightness, softness.

Cool green transforms dark gray advantageously, especially if gold elements are added to them.

Warm, medium-dark tones of green organically fit into gray scales, black can also be added to them.

Dark gray interior

Dark gray color in the interior as a creative force of individual design.
First of all - this is the lack of a certain style - most often decorated with dark gray rooms are eclectic. The dark background of the walls is emphasized by the saturation of colors, the outlines of forms, thereby emphasizing the expressiveness of accents. White and black colors are constant companions of this direction. Moderate natural light illuminating a room is absorbed by dark surfaces but reflected by light surfaces, so all light elements will "glow" in such an environment. The uniform distribution of such objects will give the necessary balance and distribution of light.
Evening and night lighting is desirable with a warm spectrum, since fire and stone are components that have long been familiar, filled with emotions. For the same reason, wood, iron and all natural fabrics will look good. Decorate such rooms with green or living plants - this gives confidence and tranquility.

SEE COMBINATIONS WITH SIMILAR SHADES (click on color)

90,000 combinations of gray color in clothing

Content

“Gray is also white, only dirty…” (Terry Pratchett)

Our clothing always conveys an informational message to others. It can be encrypted in the cut of a thing, its texture, print or accessories, but people receive the very first and main signal through color. In this sense, gray and its shades are an informationally clean and even faceless color. If red signals pressure and passion, pastel colors about romance, and green about calmness, gray acts only as a background to the person's appearance and personality. The line between a woman in elegant gray and a gray mouse is very thin. And it's not about the color as such: to wear gray, you need to know the rules gray color combinations in clothes and comply with at least three conditions:

- have a well-groomed appearance;

- choose quality items in gray;

- to be a charismatic, bright person.

Gray, like pink, emphasizes the flaws in the appearance and cut of clothes, the cheapness of the fabric and the curvature of the lines. However, if low-quality pink things make the image vulgar, then gray sets the tone of despondency and hopelessness.

A well-groomed appearance and quality of clothing is a completely solvable task, with charisma things are much more complicated and, nevertheless, this does not mean at all that gray is contraindicated for modest young ladies, combinations with other colors can give the missing dynamics and mood to any shade of gray!

But first, about some properties of gray:

1. Gray is an achromatic color that is formed by mixing black and white, so there are far from 50 shades of gray, but a great many!
2. The most neutral or calm for perception ensembles with gray appear when combined with shades of other colors of equal lightness, for example, light gray and light pink, dark gray and dark red, etc.

3 Gray is often called modern black, meaning “gray is much easier to combine with other colors than black,” but the most versatile shades of gray are very light gray and dark gray.

4. Dynamic and even bright outfits with gray are formed when colors of different lightness are present in the ensemble, for example: dark red and light gray, light blue and dark gray.

5. Gray seems to absorb or muffle the saturation and cheerfulness of other colors, so if the outfit seems too bright, add a scarf of a suitable gray shade to it, and the image will immediately stop gushing with rich colors, but will become more restrained.

A mid-light gray scarf toned down the bright yellow jacket.

Gray + red, pink, fuchsia, burgundy

The combination of red and gray looks solemn and noble, especially if gray shades are the soloist in the duet, and red acts as an additional accompaniment: accessories, shoes, red lipstick.

Gray and pink create romantic and delicate ensembles. In such combinations, both colors can appear in equal parts. However, if pink is closer to fuchsia (especially when the fuchsia-colored thing is made of glossy fabric), the proportion of gray in the outfit should be more. In this case, gray will gently muffle the flashy saturation of hot pink, and the image will definitely not seem vulgar.

Options for the ratio of gray and fuchsia in the outfit.

The combination of burgundy and gray in clothes looks elegant. This is a great option for the office, and it is suitable even for a strict dress code. You can take colors in the same proportions, as in the photo on the left, in trousers with a jacket, or you can add an accessory of this shade to a gray suit, as in the image on the right.

Options for the ratio of gray and burgundy in the dress.

Grey+yellow

Shades of yellow carry a positive vibe, even if they are pale, cold tones. Gray with yellow is, at least, not boring and life-affirming! Combinations of cool yellow and gray are more suitable for creating elegant images, while bright yellow and gray will emphasize the eccentricity of the individual. If we talk about the saturation of colors, the brighter and darker the yellow, the more shades of gray can be combined with it, but the pale yellow tones coexist more harmoniously with light gray shades.

Grey+Green

As mentioned above, green symbolizes calmness. It is extremely difficult to combine gray with soothing green and not slide into boredom. Green tones close to the color of the sea wave or shades of young vegetation will help dispel drowsiness. Another way to freshen up the combination of gray and green is to choose green with a metallic sheen.

Gray + blue, turquoise

One of the most spectacular and even luxurious color combinations! Shades of gray are for the most part cool, as are shades of blue (turquoise). It is not surprising that such ensembles look harmonious. Gray and blue can be combined regardless of the saturation of both colors. In any case, the end result will bear the stamp of nobility and restraint. But turquoise with gray is another story. Turquoise can only be a soloist, even in small quantities it brings the mood of the holiday. Gray is a great support for turquoise and is best when assisted in the form of accessories, shoes and handbags. Another spectacular combination is turquoise and metallic gray.

Turquoise combined with gray in different textures - metallic and matte.

Grey+blue

Gray and blue are part of the so-called business or work colours. A similar combination is often used in the creation of uniforms for employees, work clothes, as well as in a business dress code. In addition, some shades of blue, like gray, bear the stamp of mediocrity. And it is not in vain that apt comparisons of “gray mouse” and “blue stocking” are walking among the people. Therefore, when combining gray and blue clothes, in no case let the shades of "blue stocking" and "gray mouse" meet in the same outfit! Let it be not uniform blue, but rich royal, and not dark gray, but pearl, then the ensemble will definitely not give off dullness! Another way to get away from the working mood of gray and blue is to use different textures. Translucent or bouclé fabrics, metallics or embroidered with sequins - there are many options for different textures that will bring freshness and give a different mood to a business gray-blue ensemble.

Dark blue metallic and pearl gray are not a working combination at all.

Grey+violet

The combination of purple and gray is best suited for evening and cocktail dresses, and this is the case when the glossy surface of the material is more of a plus than a minus. For everyday looks, it is better to choose a dark gray suit and a purple blouse or a sheath dress that combines shades of purple and light gray. The lilac tones of purple look very noble with pearl shades of gray.

Gray + grey, black and white

Achromatic colors in combination with each other almost always give harmonious combinations, just think of a pattern consisting of thin white, gray and black stripes or a checkerboard interspersed with gray cells or lines. When creating such combinations, you should pay attention to the ratio of colors in the outfit.

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