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Decorating a grey living room


30 inspiring ways to use this versatile shade |

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(Image credit: Interior by Tracy Morris / photograph by Greg Powers)

Grey living room ideas are timeless and versatile, so it’s no wonder they’re also hugely popular. 

Used on walls, grey is a brilliant neutral base for layers color, print as part of a characterful scheme and can be used to create myriad living room looks from cozy and cocooning to chic and dramatic depending on the tone and temperature you choose. However it can also a popular choice for furniture, too. 

Whether you’re looking to redesign a room or update your living room ideas with a few key pieces then these grey living room ideas and expert tips are guaranteed to get you inspired. 

Grey living room ideas – 27 inspiring ways to use this versatile shade

When it comes to decorating a grey living room, choosing the warmth and the depth of grey is the best place to start – you can use the color wheel to achieve this effortlessly.

Shades of grey can range enormously, from cooler tones to warmer 'greige' hues – a mix of beige and grey – to those with yellow and red undertones. While cool greys dominated for some time, warmer greys are securing their place as the new neutral for those thinking of decorating with grey, explains Ruth Mottershead, creative director of Little Greene .

'Grey has universal appeal, serving as a timeless and elegant backdrop upon which to build character, however we are seeing a move towards warmer stone toned greys, which offer a sense of comfort. Dolphin, Serpentine, Grey Moss are becoming the go-to colors for creating a sense of cosiness in living rooms whilst still delivering the sophistication and elegance that grey offers.'

There's nothing more timeless than living room color scheme in this neutral shade. Here, we show you how to use grey in all its guises.

1. Go for a layered grey living room scheme

(Image credit: Cotswold Company)

An easy way to start with grey if you've never used it in a living room is to go with a procession of light greys. Start with your most dominant piece in the room, whether the sofa or, as here, the living room bookshelf, and choose the darkest grey you dare to. 

From there, layer the rest of the room with lighter greys. It's important that these greys are in the same tones as each other, whether that's cool or warm.

2. Opt for a dark brown grey for drama

(Image credit: Albion Nord)

Albion Nord interior design agency is well-known for its use of bold colors. Here, they have used the deepest and darkest of muddy greys in a living room to create an incredibly cozy feel.

'What I love about this grey living room is the attention to detail in the layering of the grey,' says Lucy Searle. 'The trim around the door and the baseboard are in a deeper, darker shade of grey, which makes the space feel both elegant and grown up and leads seamlessly into the grey hallway. 

'This is the type of color scheme you can easily recreate in a room with great natural daylight, or one that you really only use at night, and which will glow invitingly under lamp light. '

3. Pick a cool grey for a warmly-lit room

(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford)

This grey room idea obviously has elements of warmth within it: the red sofa shouts heat, and the piles of books create a lovely, lived-in look. However, the rest of the surfaces are pared back, and even the artificial lighting is dramatically pared-back on materials.

So what makes it successful? 'The cool grey of the walls is the perfect match for the stone flooring and marble central table,' says Sarah Spiteri, Editorial Director of Homes & Gardens. This single-toned approach acts as a backdrop to and allows for more dramatic elements, such as the sofa and light, within the room. However, its success does to a degree rely on the natural daylight being warm, meaning it is ideal for a south- or west-facing room, but less so for coolly lit north-facing spaces.'

4. Create depth with greys in different tones

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside)

If you are looking for grey sofa ideas for living rooms, pick a plump sofa for lounging. This charcoal grey number adds elegance and interest to a minimal room. 

Explore the many depths of a grey color palette by layering tones to create a space that looks cohesive. By using the same color, but in both its palest and deepest incarnations, you can create a rich, contrasting look that is co-ordinated. A glass coffee table and side table add a glamorous note here.

5. Combine grays with black and white for a smart finish

(Image credit: Future / Michael Sinclair )

Living room paneling painted in soft gray provides a sophisticated backdrop for this scheme, which artfully balances black and white living room furniture. 

Blocks of pattern, in the form of tailored cushions and artwork, add interest and personality to the modern look.

6. Decorate with dark gray for a dramatic feel

(Image credit: Future / Richard Powers)

A rich wall color combined with walnut veneers and velvet fabric make this space a cosseting retreat.

Darker tones of charcoal can be used to add drama anywhere in the home. With clever living room lighting ideas you can create a look that is both strong and atmospheric. 

These dark greys are also a perfect strong background for accent color ideas such as warm mustard and cobalt blue.

7. Pick pink for a warm, on-trend contrast

(Image credit: Future / Emma Lee)

Use the gentlest of greys as a springboard for blush pink, plum and buff tones. In this grey and white living room, Mid century-style furniture rubs shoulders here with contemporary pieces in brilliant hi-gloss white. 

The floor-to-ceiling drape adds a lovely touch of dip-dyed pink, while cushions and floral displays channel rich plum tones. Gray and pink is a winning combination, particularly suited to modern living room ideas.

8. Introduce warmth with touchable textures

(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford)

Adding woollen soft furnishings to an understated grey living room will transform it from cold to calming in an instant.  

The abundance of texture and pattern in the wool, plus the burst of bright yellow living room accents, prevent this room from looking too gloomy. Everything in the room is very tactile, from the pendant light cover to the footstool. Plus the wall-mounted sculptures add a certain je ne sais quoi.

9. Add warmth to a north-facing room with greige

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

Dark colors can transform the mundane and ordinary by conjuring theatrical glamour, and gray paint creates the perfect backdrop for standout colors and pattern.

However, if your room is starved of warm daylight, choose a beige grey with a touch of warm brown in it, inspired by beige living room ideas – you'll get the elegance of a grey room without it feeling too cool. Opt for soft furnishings in your favorite colors – they will really sing out.

10. Go for glamor in with metallics

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

Use gray to create a harmonious look that will make a great impression. Whether it's pale or slight darker, dove gray is a great all-rounder.

You can dress it up with silvers and metallic shades for a luxe look, or keep it simple with natural colors and earthy textures.

11. Contrast dark gray with hot neons for a contemporary feel

(Image credit: Future / Alicia Taylor)

Grey walls are the perfect canvas for a variety of bright, bold colors. A deep, dark grey will really make strong colors sing out. Think about decorating with art, electric pink fabric and patterned rugs.

12. Complement grays with blue for a serene scene

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

Grey is one of those wonderfully versatile shades that works with just about any color. And what better color to mix it with than blue living room accents?

Blue is scientifically proven to be a subconsciously calming and, when paired with grey, it will make you relax without you even realizing it.

13. Use gray walls as the perfect backdrop

(Image credit: Future / Jonathan Gooch)

Jane Rockett, co-founder of the uber-trendy online interiors store Rockett St George is a huge fan of grey paint ideas.

‘Grey paint creates the perfect backdrop for treasures that fill a home, as items really "pop" against a dark background, creating great definition,’ Jane says.

14. Paint your walls a deeper shade of gray

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

There is something quite delightfully decadent about a dark, deep grey. It is cold yet warm at the same, and can be used a backdrop for wall decor ideas as well as a carefully-curated selection of wonderful curios and artwork. 

What's more, dark grey is perfect color choice if you have children, as it will hide any unsightly fingermarks on the walls. It is a win-win if you ask us.

15. Decorate with gray in a small space

(Image credit: Future / Richard Powers)

When planning decor for small living rooms, create a focal point – one area or feature that will draw the eye, so there’s less emphasis on the layout of the room 

In this cozy living room, the L-shape sofa, upholstered in a blue-grey color, is the star of the space.

16. Opt for a monochromatic color scheme

(Image credit: Future / Lisa Cohen)

A monochrome color platte doesn't have to mean black-and-white. Add some sunshine to your living room with splashes of yellow. 

This uplifting living room color combination has positive vibes that can pull of grandeur or contemporary as well as cozy, farmhouse chic.

17. Use the same color in a variety of hues

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside)

A monochromatic color scheme, using different tones of the same color, will help to make the furniture and other features recede and appear to take up less space. 

Soften the palette by adding warm blue furniture and accessories rather than harsh white or black living room accents.

18. Highlight a standout feature with gray

(Image credit: Future / Richard Powers)

If the rest of your room is a little on the pale side, use a deeper shade of grey to highlight your favorite feature.  

In this mid-century inspired apartment living room, a smokey yet pale gray can be seen on the built-in cabinet doors, which enhances rather than detracts from the interesting architectural detail.

19. Accessorize with gray

(Image credit: Future / Davide Lovatti)

An unusual and less obvious way to add grey into your space, a tarnished gray living room mirror will instantly draw the eye upwards, making it the ideal addition to small apartment living room ideas. 

This mirror will reflect both natural and artificial light to make a room brighter during the day, and night it will bounce light deep into the room, making it appear larger.

20. Choose a warm tone of gray for a cozy snug

(Image credit: Future / Paul Raeside / Claudia Bryant)

Decorating with grey has a multitude of opportunities to select a shade of grey appropriate to your space and light. Cooler, paler shades may work well in a south facing room or a light and airy bedroom or kitchen.  

But for cozy living room ideas or a snug, a warmer putty shade of taupe grey will help to make the room feel warm and welcoming. It offers the perfect backdrop for an array of wonderfully colored and patterned upholstery, such as the stripes and geometrics here. This tone would work well in a traditional living room or contemporary space. 

21. Create a striking living room corner

(Image credit: Future / Michael Sinclair / Claudia Bryant)

A soft pale powdery grey wall offers a subtle backdrop for a gallery wall of monochrome framed prints. 

More interesting than white, pale grey feels like a chic choice for a quiet, understated scheme, allowing the furniture, lighting and artwork to stand out and take center stage. 

22. Pale grey and cool blues are a heavenly pairing 

(Image credit: Future)

A soft pale grey is a chic choice for a formal living room with a modern classic feel. Here it has been paired to great effect with a set of monochrome map prints and a metal and glass coffee table.  

The upholstery and rug underfoot in a mix of pale grays and soft blues all combine to create a cohesive feeling scheme. 

23. Use pale gray walls as a quiet backdrop for more colorful pieces

(Image credit: Future)

A pale dove grey is a great choice with wall paneling, for a modern classic look. It sets a calm tone in a living space.

As with most neutral living room ideas, pale grey allows other key players in the space to take center stage, as is the case here with the large framed map print and the vibrant blue velvet sofa with its contrasting yellow cushions. 

24. Go dark for a rich and dramatic look 

(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford / Sally Denning)

Navy, grey and red is a harmonious color combination. Dark living room ideas, such as the deep, almost blue-black charcoal walls here, create an intimate environment for lounging. This dark rich tone also works brilliantly as a canvas against which to allow statement pieces to sing out.  

Here the sculptural white hanging pendant light stands out against the dark background. And the vibrant pops of red from the coffee table, rug and cushions are made all the more vivid when seen in contrast to the dark, dense walls. 

25. Add texture for soft gray walls

(Image credit: Future / Polly Wreford / Sally Denning)

Sometimes grey can feel like a flat or cold choice to use in the home, but textural wallpaper ideas offer the perfect solution by allowing this chic, neutral shade to do its job, but with the added softness and warmth from a textural grass-cloth like finish. 

It works really well here, in combination with the geometric lines of the wood sideboard, and the vibrant pop of apple green and dusty pink from the table lamp. 

26. Pair gray with blue for modern coastal look

(Image credit: Interior by Tracy Morris / photograph Greg Powers / walls in Benjamin Moore’s Revere Pewter)

Think of coastal decor and the idea of decorating with blue and white usually comes to mind. However, if you’re after a chic, contemporary take on the nautical look you may want to consider switching the white for grey. In this scheme interior designer Tracy Morris wanted to use a palette of watery hues to allude to the coastal hometown of owners, so chose a warm grey as a base to set them off.

‘Our clients were moving from a coastal location. I knew we were going to use many tones of blue in the house, so I needed a clean backdrop that would bring out the blue tones – Benjamin Moore ’s Revere Pewter was the perfect complement! This warm paint balanced the cool tones in the fabrics and rugs creating the perfect backdrop for this home.'

27. Use gray to create spaces to grow with

(Image credit: Zulu Fish)

If the way you use your living room is going to change over time then grey offers a versatile base on which to build – simply change up the accessories and you can create myriad new looks.

‘Grey is an ideal choice for creating a calming atmosphere in a living room and allowing for personality and detail to shine through with the choice of accessories, furniture and artwork,' says Caroline Milns, head of interior design at Zulufish .

'It’s a clever color choice for a space that may need to evolve and deliver multiple functions over time, for example, a living room snug that in turn could become a teenager’s den idea or a home office because it is very versatile and can be combined with a multitude of other colors.'

28. Highlight architectural features 

(Image credit: Fowlkes Studio)

If you have a large room with beautiful architectural details, then a grey and white palette is a wonderful way to highlight the beauty of a the space, however, consider a warm grey says Catherine Fowlkes of the DC-based architecture firm Fowlkes Studio .

'I like using warm greys to give depth to walls without dictating the room's furniture palette – light greys add a layer of softness while rich greys add depth,' says Fowlkes. 'Coating the windows, doors and trim in the same grey wall color further unifies the backdrop to a living room and can give the illusion of a higher ceiling when painted in a contrasting color.  I gravitate towards greys with less blue and more brown in them.'

29. Liven-up gray rooms with plenty of pattern

(Image credit: Vanessa Arbuthnott)

If you love to decorate with patterned fabrics then a neutral grey living room is the ideal place to do so. Whether it's over sofas, chairs and ottomans, or curtains and cushions, there's plenty of opportunity to experiment with different combinations.

When decorating with printed fabrics, be sure to use an array of designs, playing with scale and tone, to avoid the scheme looking too matchy-matchy.

With its warm undertones, this French Grey shade from Little Greene is ideal for period properties and cottage living rooms such as this which have an abundance timber and rustic features.

30. Warm-up gray with natural materials

(Image credit: Ti Archive)

If you have a dark living room which is north facing the space can run the risk of feeling cold, however, using a warm, pale grey on walls combined with plenty of textural natural materials will make the room feel comforting and cosy.

In this grey living room, furniture in rich tan leather and timber bring life and warmth, while a woollen, deep-pile living room rug adds softness and texture to the gray flooring.

What grey paint should I use?

If you hold together a fan of grey paint charts, you’ll see how widely the tones vary. The cool end of the spectrum has blue undertones, passing through tints of green and yellow, ending up at warm shades with red bases that give them brown, pink or purple tints.

Just a quick peek at a Farrow & Ball paint chart suggests the myriad possibilities of this favorite decorating shade and explains its enduring appeal: from the barely-there neutrals of Dimity and Ammonite, to the mid tones of Lamp Room Gray and Calluna, through the green-edged Mizzle and Pigeon, blue-hued Parma Gray and Lulworth Blue – and out the other side to deep dark Down Pipe, Plummett and Brassica.

How can I make my grey living room look warm?

Your journey starts with deciding on the ‘temperature’ of color your room needs – cool or warm – then how far you dare to take it. From moody dark grey to light pastel grey, there are endless ways to update your living room with grey.

The first question you need to ask yourself is how much natural light does your room get? Does that light come from the north, south, east or west? 

'The orientation of your space will affect the way a color looks on the walls, and is the reason why exactly the same shade of grey paint can look completely different in different surroundings,' explains interiors expert Kate Watson-Smyth of Mad About The House .

What's the best color to go with grey?

As a neutral color, grey works well with many shades, making it a versatile choice for decorating with. Many of the best accent colors for gray include other neutrals. ‘Gray balances well with additional neutrals or graphic black and white, as well as brighter pops of color; creating a very different finish easily within the room without having to make radical changes to the four walls,' says Caroline Milns, head of interior design at Zulufish.

'When choosing greys, go for something well-balanced like our ‘French Gray’ family. These greys can be paired with other shades with ease, combining well with blues, greens and pinks,' adds Ruth Mottershead of Little Greene.

Jennifer is the Digital Editor at Homes & Gardens. Having worked in the interiors industry for a number of years, spanning many publications, she now hones her digital prowess on the 'best interiors website' in the world. Multi-skilled, Jennifer has worked in PR and marketing, and the occasional dabble in the social media, commercial and e-commerce space. Over the years, she has written about every area of the home, from compiling design houses from some of the best interior designers in the world to sourcing celebrity homes, reviewing appliances and even the odd news story or two.

40 Grey Living Rooms That Help Your Lounge Look Effortlessly Stylish and Understated

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Need to revamp your living room, but not sure where to start? Pick grey to colour it. No longer associated with dungeons, dull office blocks or unpainted walls, grey is a hue perfectly understated, making your furniture look contemporary sans large risks in design. Cut Lego-style stairs into a shaft concrete wall, amidst relaxed L-chairs in the hue. Go fifty shades darker, with charcoal leather couches, LED-lit bookcases and a roaring fire all in tone. Brighten it up with light grey walls, framed monochrome prints and a cornered Corinthian column. Effortlessly achieve a cool, up-to-date edge with our forty grey living rooms as your inspiration.

Combine grey and green together for a look that’s fresh. The tropical leaves and pineapples in this grey and white interior make a splash upon an exposed brick wall, two grey ottomans and two Scandinavian nesting coffee tables built to match.

Grey living rooms take on many styles. This light grey number simulates Scandinavia with its six monochrome prints, two square leather chairs and structured, rectangular furniture. A Greek column fireplace in the corner adds a touch more character. Check out our 50 Inspirational Scandinavian-Style Living Rooms post for more interiors in this theme.

Prefer dark Scandinavian interior design? Paint a wall almost black, colour your floors in dark slate and pop a cat on its frontage, like this bold interior. A lighter grey couch, industrial light and a range of potted cacti provide items of interest.

Go simple yet functional with a lounge in grey. The slick concrete feature wall of this black-and-grey interior is peppered with an artsy staircase, grey L-seater and abstract oval coffee tables.

Grey creates space for dominant features. Mis-matching wooden floors, grey couches and muted accessories make way for a large facial abstract on an exposed brick wall. Red-lined shelving and a miniature yacht help tie the artwork in.

Grey’s a great base for a modern living room. This decor employs dangling lights to illuminate a grey couch, floor and ottoman with a matching kitchen bench and sprinkles of red and blue. A Turkish rug and floral print add pattern to form.

Grey walls need not be dark. This light and bright lounge is backgrounded by almost-white tiles, a snug suede L-seater, and pops of pastel in a pink seat and beige print. A multi-jointed lamp to the side stretches beside a paint-splashed table leg.

Use many shades of grey. This room combines fingerprint artwork, a grey-tiled floor, corrugated iron wall and marble fireplace to make grey with green creepers look effortlessly sophisticated.

Decorating a small space? Grey and white can make it look larger. This attic-roofed interior coats a wall and a half in mid-grey and a floor in splotches, amidst framed prints, photographs and square suede cushions. A potted tree in the corner speaks nature. The television rests almost fully camouflaged amongst the living room wall decor.

Grey works fabulously as a minimalist shade. This smooth painted wall provides shelving behind a suede L-seater and simple grey rug. A swing arm lamp illuminates a scramble of white cushions and accessories.

Go dark for the ultimate in living room class. An inset modern fireplace, LED-lit shelving and charcoal leather couches frame a black velvet rug and acrylic coffee table. Lighter, textured wallpaper in the centre focuses the eye as windowed light streams in.

Make your bookcase a feature. The stencilled lines of this lounge’s black shelving hold a multitude of reads, tribal statuettes and vases, as a soft block couch and ball light enhance their enjoyment. A concrete wall and polished grey floor form a slick backing canvas.

Grey works with pops of colour. Paired with many different patterns and shades in pink, the shade covers the base wall, pendant and shelving niche to avoid cluttering.

Use grey and a shape as your design staples. With grey colouring an exposed brick wall, rug, walls and couches, rectangles come to the party in an inset fireplace, ceiling LEDs and one of the longest L-seaters known to man.

Grey allows your living room to host more patterns and textures. This lounge spices it up with a wooden slat wall (next to the floating tv stand), quilted rug, smooth book cabinet and painterly canvases. A sprig of orchids to the side adds polish.

Let texture be your focal point. Showcasing an abstract artwork at its centre, this lounge’s grainy wall tiles, suede seating and woollen rug keep more than a hint of the cosy in a room wide and spacious. Check out our living room wall textures post for more focused inspiration. The living room table lamp and the statue on the console bring in traditional elements to the composition.

Accent grey furniture with wooden features. This structured living room seats its almost-futon sofas on a wooden floor, its ornaments on wooden shelves and a zigzagging floor lamp against wall-to-ceiling wooden panelling.

Draw the eye in with pops of dark grey. This mostly-wooden clad room paints a TV frame, coats an ottoman and offers a seat in charcoal colouring. Bursts of white in a matching quilted seat and foot stool match the foreground coffee table.

Grey can work with warmer colouring. This autumnal living room creates heat with an olive green feature wall and terracotta cushioning, as grey softens the scene with an L-seater couch, woolen rug and TV panel. The retro colors and mid century modern coffee table capture the charm of a bygone era. A roaring fire, wood stack and two Chinese lanterns make it feel like home.

Create a contemporary tribal look using white, green and grey. Mid-grey walls pair with a circular charcoal art piece, grey-wooden table and stretching hover lamp. A volcanic ash vase holds sprigs of bamboo, as lush green fernery hides behind the sofa.

Bring the outside in. This concrete living room uses large wall panels and a grey-tiled floor to make noise between two rows of creepers. A simple wooden coffee table boasting a stone corner mingles with grey armchairs and pot plants in this 21st Century scene.

Use grey to accentuate your lounge’s sense of the unusual. Ceiling-height olive trees stand tall in this two-level design, as brown leather couches catch their fall afront a stencil bookshelf. Grey colours the rug, floor, walls and chairs, creating coolness with a contemporary twist.

Grey lets brighter colours shine. This lounge’s orange accent chairs strikes a pose alongside hints of dusty pink and a rug, marble plinth, walls, blinds and sofa in grey.

After living rooms with large wall art? This darker grey room is a lesson in using shades, as its walls stretch seamlessly across light and dark panelling. The painterly canvas finds friends in two bright orange cushions and a stencil coffee table. The bowl and vase adds some shine to the mix.

Monochrome prints are perfect for grey lounges. A full-length photographic decal meets our gaze beside a simple grey couch, differently-shaded cushions and a mottled rug. Black elements in a series of pipe lighting, a standing camera light and marble splashback make its contrasts seem natural.

Like your lounge clean and spacious? Keep it tidy with grey inset shelving, a woollen rug and leather L-seater beside exposed brick. A yellow and grey abstract adds creative edge.

Create contemporary drama with a living room in grey. The bold contrasts between the almost-black side wall and pendants, the light grey couch and kitchen appears almost monochrome in this design. A deep berry chair and resonating artwork avoid a clash in themes.

A yellow accent living room nicely twists grey. Homer peeps from a cushion on a couch in the hue, as grey stretches behind and below the sofa. Relaxed wooden furniture holds pieces in white, allowing room for a sunny yellow panel.

Keep it light, bright and shiny. This almost-white living room introduces grey in a comfy corner seater, greyscale photography and zebra-striped cushions. An artistically-lined rug and black square fruit bowl tie the pieces in.

Grey is perfect for the minimalist living room. This space designs with angles only, bathing a block L-couch and exposed brick wall in grey. Stark monochrome finds in a TV, artwork and chair add drama to form.

Grey and metallics are the best of friends. Lit up with firework living room chandeliers and a designer table lamp, here the luxurious Atollo lamp, this room screams luxury with mid-century modern pieces. Grey and gold wallpaper, a partly-living wall and a pea green armchair bring the antique to modern day.

Grey can make double-height living rooms majestic. A dangling cluster of pendant lights make the most of high ceilings, amongst charcoal curtains and a many-tiled wall. A stacked stone fireplace and fluffy mushroom rug make the space warmer.

Pair grey with yellow for a personal touch. This lounge screams through a trio of buttercup pendants, a Greco-Roman bust, printed canvas of a rapper and modern wooden platform. Grey ensures it’s not busy with muted Roman blinds and a sofa half in colour.

Create a French boudoir feel with a contemporary twist. Accessorized with a small standing bust, white-bulb chandelier and swing arm wall lamp, French panelling gets moody aside simple grey furniture and white-bordered walls.

Grey can lend room to more dominant features. The glass bauble chandelier, zigzagging floors and turquoise couch of this aesthetic living room are afforded coolness with light grey paint and wallpaper.

Going industrial? Grey is the perfect colour scheme. The rough wooden rafters and cabinetry of this lounge-come-kitchen are made modern with a soft grey L-seater, fluffy rug and floors. Walls and ceilings come to the party in full-scale concrete.

Prefer the look of the artist’s retreat? With a ceiling and feature wall in shiny stone, grey wooden floors and slumped couches join to chill. An electric guitar and potted twisted cane hint at greater creativity.

Create a rustic living room in black and grey. Centred around a trio of tree trunk coffee tables, this grey winding sofa and ceiling-height bookcase are beautifully lit up by a train station window.

Let yellow and wood add interior pizzazz. Set upon textured grey, wood forms into ceiling rafters, Scandinavian shelving and a rustic coffee table. Yellow bandages grey seats with striking lines of colours, as a metal TV cabinet and iron chandelier cement this industrial-style living room design.

Grey acts inspirational in this industrial loft. As wood streamlines the space in rafters, couch frames and a winding staircase, grey adds polish in slick concrete, distressed walls and a darkened, piping-feature glass panel. A bouquet of lightbulbs completes the look.


Continuing with grey throughout the home? Do check out:

42 Gorgeous Grey Bedrooms
40 Gorgeous Grey Kitchens

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34013 interior photos, tips on design, decoration, selection of furniture, gray living room style in combination with white, brown, pink

In fact, this is not at all the case: the whole secret lies in the correct selection of the right shades. Only then the living room in gray tones will turn into a fashionable and stylish room, comfortable for relaxing and meeting guests.

Pros and cons of gray

The popularity of this shade among designers is primarily due to its versatility and practicality. Also, gray color combines different details and other tones into a single whole. Other highlights include:

Design: Olga Chernenko

Basic rules for the use of gray

In order for the gray color to show its maximum advantages, certain rules must be observed when using it. This will help you create a truly cozy interior.

  1. Using this shade as a foundation, choose only light shades for small spaces.
  2. In a monochromatic interior, dilute the background with pastel colors: beige, peach or cream.
  3. In a small living room, make the ceiling as light as possible, and the protruding walls and niches dark. This will visually increase the volume of the room.
  4. Feel free to use the monochrome design option for large rooms. The union of gray with pearl, graphite or anthracite tones looks good.
  5. If the room is narrow and small, use warm shades: gray-green or natural ebony. Cold tones are suitable for spacious living rooms: ice, silver, steel.
  6. When buying furniture, keep in mind that it should not have exactly the same shade as the walls: otherwise, the products will simply be lost in the overall environment. Cabinets and sofas, armchairs, shelves will be clearly visible against the main background if their tone is lighter than the walls. But there is an exception that applies to excessively small rooms: it is allowed to put furniture in the same shades as the walls. Thus, the bulkiness of products will be reduced.
  7. The use of bright decorative details for the living room in gray tones is a must. These can be classic figurines, paintings in original frames, posters, green houseplants, landscape photos or posters (for the loft style).

Design: Zhenya Zhdanova

Bright accent elements in the interior

The hall is a place where the family gathers, guests come here; so this room should attract attention and please everyone. Bright colors can help with this, enlivening the living room in gray tones. The role of accents can be played by accessories or furniture that have brown, yellow, red or green colors.

Blue is also suitable - it adds some severity and coldness to the interior, which suits business people who are used to getting relaxation in public places: clubs, restaurants. Feel free to use sofa cushions, vases, lamps, rugs as "revitalizing" elements. Sometimes they even glue wallpaper with bright inserts of small sizes. The main thing here is not to overdo it.

Wall decoration in gray tone

First you need to decide on the choice of shade, for which you need to assess the level of illumination of the room. In a fairly bright room, use darker shades and vice versa. When choosing a color for floor and ceiling finishing materials, apply the following rules:

Lightened ceiling gives more volume to the living room in gray tones. The same can be said about the walls. If their finishing material is light enough, then the room visually increases. There is a small nuance: in an overly elongated hall, decorate the end walls using dark shades - this will visually make the living room wide and short.

Don't make the mistake of making the floor too light. In this case, there is a feeling of lack of support. In turn, the dark ceiling, as it were, brings the walls closer, causing a feeling of tightness. The use of gray material for wall decoration is most appropriate in styles:

When decorating a living room in gray tones, wallpaper is most often preferred. Manufacturers offer a fairly wide range of them: you can choose material with different textures and shades.

Combination of gray and white

These are two similar monochrome colors, so together they look very harmonious. Gray and white shades are actively used to create modern, art deco interiors, less often classics. Many people replace pure white with its shades: creamy, dark milky, etc. Interesting combinations are also created if different textures are used - for example, wallpaper or plaster. All this helps to create a cozy and comfortable interior.

Design: Jean-Louis Deniot

Gray and brown

Most designers associate this living room design with the rustic style common in the UK. Brown in alliance with gray soothes: the neighborhood of these tones seems elegant, soft. At the same time, this combination does not distract from the decor elements. Decorating a room with gray and brown can be done in several ways:

Design: Yana Molodykh

Combination with pink

This combination looks fresh and gentle, it never irritates and promotes good relaxation. After all, it is because of him that the family spends time in the living room. If you use a bright shade of pink, you get an original accent, typical for styles such as hi-tech or loft.

Design: Elena Lazareva

Let's add green

In this case, the interior is natural. This is due to the fact that green is a natural color. Here you can use indoor plants with wide leaves or curtains, a rug of the same tones. It is important to remember that you do not need too much green. From shades choose olive, malachite, light green, etc.

Design: Marina Zhukova

Gray and red

A very interesting combination. But you need to remember that the red color is quite provocative and therefore there cannot be too much of it. In a gray living room, it is enough for curtains or chairs to have a red tint, plus a few decorating elements.

Design: Olga Kulikovskaya-Ashby, Interior Box

Dilute with blue

The combination of these tones gives the hall peace and tranquility. Blue color is characterized by saturation, depth. When choosing its shades, try to make the furniture lighter than the walls. Also, golden and silver tones can be considered a good addition, in which accessories are painted: for example, curtains or sofa cushions.

Design: Nikolai Nikitin

Gray with blue

This combination is used when the blue color seems too saturated. The presence of blue gives airiness to the room, making it fresh and airy. Based on this combination, you can decorate the hall in a Mediterranean style. When using a combination, make the walls gray and the furniture blue (or vice versa).

Design: Marina Pilipenko and Ekaterina Fedorova

A variety of shades in the living room: from dark to silver

Tones range from almost white to almost black. Such variability allows you to choose the most suitable design option in accordance with your taste. It is worth noting that the described tone is achromatic, that is, it does not contain other color pigments. Warm and rich color gives the hall nobility and some luxury. But cool tones, reminiscent of steel, are associated with a “factory” interior. It is necessary to work with such shades carefully, even in such pseudo-industrial styles as hi-tech or loft. Manufacturers of finishing materials know the above features and most often offer the following shades:

Of the cool tones, white lead and tin are the most popular.

Design: Alexander Akimenkov Studio

Furniture in a gray living room

If you visit a furniture store, you can see that this color is used quite often. Usually it is upholstery that looks very elegant. The most popular are metallic shades, as well as concrete or wet asphalt. The latter gives upholstered furniture an expensive and luxurious look: natural leather can play the role of upholstery, in some cases - tapestry.

Keep not only sofas and armchairs in the colors described: a dark milky coffee table will look elegant in combination with milky chairs. That is, it is not at all necessary to buy exclusively all pieces of furniture in gray.

For example, the natural brown tone of wood looks interesting in combination with a concrete-colored leather sofa. Outside the recreation area, the described shade is appropriate for hanging shelves, cabinets. Gray color gives elegance and at the same time unloads the interior without cluttering it.

Design: Marion Studio

Gray textiles and additional elements

Many people forget that one of the main components of the interior is elements that are invisible at first sight. But it is they who often form the character of the design. If your furniture and surfaces are light, then buy decor details in darker colors. Curtains in the color of wet asphalt look exceptionally stylish. The silvery shades of the lamps will bring elegance to the interior, and the sofa cushions that draw attention to themselves and pull to lie down to rest.

Style directions

According to most designers, the described color is appropriate in modern interior design. This is a loft, minimalism, hi-tech, as well as modern or underground. It is the gray color that helps to reveal the specifics of these style directions, the palette of which allows you to focus on vintage decor elements.

These shades can also be used in classical styles: baroque, empire, classic. But here it is recommended to use halftones that provide retro styling. As mentioned above, the use of a combination of blue and gray with the addition of pearl tones gives a good effect - in fact, this is a finished design of the Mediterranean style. But here it is necessary to provide full-fledged natural light (it is desirable that the windows face south).

The interior of the living room in shades of gray is quite elegant and able to satisfy the most demanding design fans. To a large extent, this is facilitated by a wide selection of shades of this popular color. On the site you can choose the most suitable design option for your living room.

Design: Elena Lenskikh

Recommendations from designer Victoria Tarasova

Design: Yana Molodykh

Design: Nikolai Nikitin

Design: Alexander Akimenkov Studio

Design: Kameleono Studio, Pavel Lichik and Anastasia Ivanova

Living room options in gray tones

55 real photos, design ideas

Gray color features

A few characteristic features:

Gray shades

The gray range has a fairly wide color range, which starts from almost whitened shades and ends with dark almost black tones. Thanks to this variability, it is possible to choose the right solution for any design.

The hall in warm gray tones looks truly luxurious and noble, and the living room decorated in cool steel colors can evoke associations with a factory room.

Despite the monotony, gray colors, due to properly selected textures, create a picturesque and deep design, rather than a boring and empty one.

The photo shows a light gray living room interior in a Scandinavian style.

Will bring light and air into a small room, as well as visually enlarge the space - light gray colors. Saturated dark gray shades will help to mask planning flaws and small irregularities of different planes.

The photo shows the design of a small dark gray living room with a fireplace.

Combination with other colors

Due to the numerous shades, gray can be perfectly combined with other tones.

Living room in gray and white

Similar monochrome colors form a very harmonious duet, giving the atmosphere a special charm. For a comfortable and cozy interior, snow-white tones can be replaced with milky or creamy ones. The gray and white combination is perfect for those who do not accept overly bright design. This tandem with the addition of black will look interesting.

The photo shows the Nordic interior of the hall in gray and white.

Gray-blue interior

Cool blue color fills the living room with pleasant freshness and attracts attention. Silver or smoky colors will look good in combination with a delicate cornflower blue and blue tint.

Pictured is a spacious gray guest room with blue accent walls.

Grey-beige living room

Beige makes gray more warm and cozy. A good solution would be an alliance with sand or powdery flowers. Neutral and noble tones combine to form an elegant and sober design that fits perfectly into the living room.

The photo shows a gray-white-beige interior of a small guest room.

Grey-pink interior of the hall

Regardless of the chosen shade of pink, the atmosphere becomes either discreet and feminine, or pompous and glamorous. Hot pink is best used as accent spots. For example, a gray sofa in the living room can be complemented with stylish fuchsia decorative pillows, and colorful posters or paintings can be placed on monochrome walls. Graceful vases with pale pink peonies or roses look very beautiful in a gray living room.

The photo shows the interior of the hall in light gray colors with pastel pink upholstered furniture.

Design of a gray living room with bright accents

The gray interior of the living room will be perfectly diluted with sunny and cheerful yellow blotches. Canary-colored sofa upholstery, golden-colored curtains, a lamp with a mustard-colored lampshade, paintings or mirrors in bright lemon frames will add positive notes to the monotonous atmosphere.

Pictured is a gray guest room with splashes of turquoise.

Green allows you to fill the gray living room with harmony and peace. Cold emerald or jade colors evoke a feeling of relaxation, while warm pistachio, herbal or light green tones create an invigorating atmosphere.

Gray design with lilac accents becomes truly elegant and mysterious, turquoise colors deserve special attention, which give the living room a royal look.

Living room decoration

Certain finishing materials can create both business and austere design, as well as homely and cozy living room design.

The photo shows brickwork and wooden flooring in a gray and white living room.

If the surrounding cladding gets boring, thanks to the universal gray design, there is no need to resort to a major overhaul. You can radically change the interior with the help of accent decor, textiles or furniture elements.

Which furniture is suitable?

Gray furniture items will not overload the living room and at the same time make it elegant. Perfectly fit into the design of white or black furniture. As a stylish accessory, a monochrome room can also be supplemented with a red armchair or other bright element.

Gray wooden furniture looks great. Bedside tables, cabinets, racks and tables of a light gray shade, when the light flux falls at a certain angle, seem to look like marble or stone products.

The photo shows the interior of a gray room with contrasting red furniture.

In the living room, you can install a sofa with exquisite upholstery in a metallic shade or wet asphalt color. Genuine leather, leatherette or luxurious tapestry are chosen as sheathing material.

Decor and lighting

For a laconic gray design, fixtures in the form of spotlights or a rich wrought chandelier with crystal elements are suitable. Thanks to soft lighting, it will be possible to add new colors and beautiful shimmer to the room.

Lamps with colorful shades or colored lighting will also be appropriate here, which can become an incredible rich accent of the living room and completely transform the interior.

The photo shows ceiling lighting in the design of a small white and gray room.

To complete the design of the hall and deprive it of excessive severity and dullness, various decorative items will help. On a light gray background, silver, gold, glass and crystal elements will look sophisticated and elegant. You can modify the interior perception with the help of a variety of figurines, vases, wall mirrors or paintings.

For the most calm design, decor in muted colors is used, and for a contrasting and emotional environment, accessories in bright colors are used.

Furniture in a gray living room is complemented with fur capes and decorate the room with live potted plants, vases with fresh cut flowers or tubs with mini trees.

The photo shows a gray living room with bright wall posters in black frames.

Which curtains to choose?

For a more classic setting, choose sand, cream, beige, baby blue or pink peach curtains. Yellow or orange curtains harmonize well with the smoky interior palette, giving the hall a certain emotionality.

You can match patterned textiles with elegant stripes, floral prints or abstraction to a plain wall covering.

The photo shows a room in gray colors with orange roller blinds on the window.

Decorating the hall in various styles

Quartz, charcoal, anthracite, granite and other gray colors best reveal the specifics of various style solutions.

Modern style in a gray living room

For example, for the hi-tech direction, a silver and steel palette is especially often used, which is combined with white, black, red color, metal and gloss elements.

Authentic Scandinavian homes feature pearl grays, while French interiors feature warm and soft grays.

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