All shades of grey for wall decoration

Gray color burst to the top of the popularity rating in the world of interior design, and shone with a new star. The expert designers managed to reveal all the incredible possibilities of the grey scale, to find the secret power of this unusual color. He is able to fully reveal the charm of pastel tones and, at the same time, to muffle too bright, saturated colors. This is an ideal background on which you can create a unique interior design that fully reflects the character and tastes of the owners.

Grey color has many advantages, but there are also disadvantages.

In this article we will discuss the nuances of choosing for gray shades:

• types of materials for wall decoration;
• preferred directions in interior design;
• in combination with what shades and colors the interior will look most advantageous.

How to properly decorate the walls, which shades of grey to use – experts will tell you.

Psychology and history of grey in interior design

Grey is a magnificent chameleon that is suitable for any mood. It is able to look both expensive and democratic, looks organically in most interior styles. With its help, you can design rooms with any functionality – from a study and a nursery to a studio apartment with its single universal space.

What psychologists and professional designers say about grey shades:

• Until the beginning of the XIX century, grey was associated with restrained, noble luxury. It was the color of the highest aristocracy. Later it was forgotten, pushed aside in favor of more catchy colors. Grey shades became the prerogative of industrial enterprises, with their concrete walls and floors, hospitals, public institutions, where bare functionality was put at the head, without excessive decor.
• Thanks to the talent of experienced designers, the advantages of grey were rediscovered. However, due to historically established traditions and the frenzied pace of life, the perception of this color has changed markedly. It causes conflicting emotions.
• On the one hand – reliability, peace, harmony. On the other – tedious monotony, melancholy, despondency. To emphasize the advantages of grey, and to muffle its shortcomings, it is necessary to correctly combine it with other shades, creating the right mood. In this respect, grey has no competitors: against its background, you can “paint” any picture, from the cheerful avant-garde to the pacifying classics.
• Grey is ideal for active, purposeful people whose lives are painted by the minute. It is also recommended for those who are engaged in solving complex production tasks, working on global projects in the field of economics and finance.
• This shade has amazing properties: it calms down slightly, slowing down the nervous system, but at the same time it sharpens mental abilities. It helps to reject emotions, look at the problem with a clear head, consider it from different points of view. The result is the choice of the most promising, right path. It is not for nothing that in recent decades all shades of grey have been used to decorate the offices of large companies.
• This color is perfect for decorating bedrooms, recreation and relaxation areas, yoga classes. It promotes internal concentration without irritating the visual receptors. It gives the brain the opportunity to adjust from work to home mode, relieves stress and anxiety.
• Grey is difficult to love, but it also does not cause rejection. Even in this, he retains his habitual, steady neutrality. Rational and pragmatic people feel great surrounded by a grey scale. But individuals who are prone to depressive, depressed states should avoid it in order to avoid relapses.

Shades of grey are by no means a trivial combination of white and black. Bluish, greenish, yellowish and other subtones can be traced in them. Depending on the lighting and additional colors and accents, grey looks completely different. That is why it is very important to take care of good natural lighting and carefully consider artificial. In dim, insufficient light, grey design, as a rule, looks expressionless, depressing.

What shades are combined with grey walls

The use of grey color in the interior allows you to emphasize individual details of the decoration. Grey is expressionless if playing “solo”. But in the “choir” with other colors, he is great! It is ambiguous and slightly mysterious. So, which of its variations are the most advantageous?

What colors can they be combined with:

• Light grey tones express the desire for independence, reflect a sublime psycho-emotional state. They calm down, bring the body and mind into harmony with themselves.
• Dark grey contribute to pacification, noticeably reduce nervous excitement.
• Ash shades are perfectly combined with rich red drawings, furniture and decor elements. Such an interior is full of hidden energy. It raises the tone, gives strength to move on to new achievements.

• Orange undertones look great with white facades of a kitchen set or hallway. A neutral background softens bright colors, combining the composition into a single whole.
• Grey combined with blue or turquoise shades will emphasize the charm of romantic Provence, Mediterranean or marine styles. Perfect for bedrooms and living rooms.

• Lilac and grey tones are great for a children’s room or an adult bedroom. The neutral background softens the spring brightness of lilac, not allowing to disturb the atmosphere of peace and bliss.
• Together with bright purple, grey shades give a truly magical combination, full of secrets. The room has a calm, peaceful atmosphere, richly flavored with notes of a blooming summer meadow.
• Dark and light grey shades look great with rich blue. You can dilute the composition with silver, white, gold and yellow inclusions. This combination is ideal for rooms facing south, where the sun reigns throughout the day, and there is not enough coolness. As a rule, it is used in interior design in Scandinavian, Mediterranean and Marine styles.
• By adding bright pink tones, you can design an original nursery for a girl or a marital bedroom, adding gentle romance to a restrained modern or minimalist style. This combination is also suitable for the living room, if you choose paintings, upholstered furniture, carpet on the floor, curtains as accents.
• The combination with green gives tired eyes and mind a long-awaited rest and peace. Light, unsaturated shades are perfect for the bedroom. They are appropriate in the kitchen, as the main background for a brighter kitchen set. Rich emerald green undertones look great in the living room in a classic or eco-style.
• Sunny, lemon yellow adds energy and warmth to the grey interior. Floral or fruit pattern, the sun on the background of clouds or bright furniture on the background of pearl-gray walls create an amazing atmosphere of a bright, kind holiday. This design is suitable for the nursery and kitchen. Often used in living rooms. For bedrooms, this solution is not recommended, since the yellow color acts excitingly, prevents a restful sleep.

• Grey is perfectly combined with all shades of brown, starting with light, pale golden, and ending with dark stained oak and bitter chocolate. This is a classic palette for a solid, stylish living room or bedroom.
• Surprisingly, grey shades enliven beige, which is considered neutral. They reveal all the richness of the warm beige palette, allow it to stand out. This color scheme is great for classic living rooms and bedrooms.
• The grey-white range looks strict, cold. White accents and stripes, light furniture facades and sofa upholstery add volume and height to the rooms, make the interior more light and elegant. Usually this combination is used in modern interiors, in a minimalist style.
• Silvery undertones are associated with fantasy, cosmic expanses. They are relevant for modern styles – hi-tech, minimalism, as well as the design of themed children’s rooms.

• Thick purple and blue shades are best used in a minimal amount, as a few textile accents – sofa pillows, blankets, curtains, patterns on carpets. Their abundance makes the interior heavier, makes it difficult to perceive.
• Light grey shades perfectly fit into any interior directions. They visually expand the space in the rooms, fill it with lightness and light.
• Dark undertones are best used for large, spacious rooms, where they create a more intimate atmosphere. Or highlight only one accent wall with an ashy, dark grey color.

Each new color combination with a basic grey background has its own effect on the psyche and mood of a person. Creating your own, individual, interior, you should listen to your feelings, and use only those tones that do not cause antipathy, contribute to well-being.

Experts warn: on a neutral grey background, any color looks expressive, therefore, has a stronger effect. If the homeowner has a negative attitude to saturated yellow or red, you should not use them even in accents. It is better to replace it with softer pink or beige tones.

Finishing materials

What materials should I choose for finishing the walls of the room in grey tones?

Modern manufacturers offer the widest selection of finishing materials from various raw materials. The variety of colors and designs allows you to choose models that are ideally suited to specific requirements. How not to get confused in the mass of offers, and not regret the money and time spent? Let’s ask the experts for advice.

Wall decoration with grey wallpaper

One of the simplest and most affordable wall decoration options. The main task when decorating the walls is to choose the right pattern and make the right measurements.

There are wallpapers:

• thin paper;
• washable vinyl;
• dense, durable non-woven;
• liquid wallpaper and glass wallpaper for painting.

By design, the wallpaper is divided into several types:

• monophonic, from snow-white to bottomless black;
• with contrasting, clear drawings: stripes, peas, images of fauna, plant motifs, cartoon characters, fairy tales and legends, images of technology and human achievements;
• patterned: with classic medallions, national and floral ornaments;
• multicolored, with large abstract figures, transitions from one color to another through intermediate shades;
• interspersed with gold and silver threads, shiny crumbs and dusting;
• with relief monochrome and color images.

Wallpaper does not require special skill when pasting, the presence of special tools. They can be glued even by people who have picked up scissors, paper and glue for the first time. In addition, with such a finish, it is not necessary to perfectly align the walls. Even if there are small cracks and irregularities, the wallpaper will hide these defects wonderfully. And with the help of glass wallpaper, you can align quite significant differences horizontally and vertically.

Photo-wallpaper in grey tones

In a separate category of finishing materials, experts distinguish photo wallpapers. These are products with artistic images and photographs applied to the base with the help of photo printing.

Any flowers, life scenes, objects, urban and industrial landscapes can be painted or photographed in grey. Art paintings depicting nature at dusk and at night are popular. A stunning effect is given by 3D drawings that open a window into a foggy forest or a night steppe.

Wall decoration with grey brickwork

Natural brickwork is an easily recognizable element of an industrial loft. To achieve a grey color, brick walls are either painted with the appropriate color, or they are initially made of grey bricks. Usually, one accent wall, or even part of it, is decorated in this style, harmoniously combining with white or colored wallpaper, paint, panels.

If the walls in the house are already plastered, and you really want to create an original interior, ordinary plaster or gypsum mixture and a stencil made of thick plastic “brickwork” come to the rescue.

With the help of a spatula and a level, a full-fledged illusion of brickwork of the right sizes and shapes is created in a couple of days. After drying, the surface is primed and painted. You can also use wallpaper with a suitable pattern.

Painting the walls in grey

Finishing the walls by painting them is very popular.

The method has a number of advantages:

• It does not require a lot of experience and knowledge, both a teenager and an elderly person can paint the prepared surface.
• There is no need to hire specialists, all operations are carried out on their own.
• You can choose the most environmentally friendly, safe for health, compositions – water emulsion, acrylic and silicone, latex and eco-paint.
• The consumer is not limited in the choice of colors. You can mix grey color of any saturation, with the addition of the necessary shades.
• Painted walls are very easy to renovate, make cosmetic repairs to the affected area from careless movement, actions of children or pets.
• Decor of various types looks great on a monochrome background: paintings and framed photos, mirrors, wall clocks and original sconces, planters with climbing plants and shelves, mosaics and wall paintings.
• At any time, the walls can be repainted again by taking a different color.

The only drawback is that a perfectly smooth plaster surface is required for painting. Any cracks, chips, bumps and even hairs from the brush on the painted surface will be very noticeable.

Grey tile on the walls

Reliable and durable material is used for lining walls and floors in areas of intensive use and high humidity. This is a kitchen, an entrance hall and a corridor, a bathroom, a toilet, a boiler room. If water or electric underfloor heating is installed before laying floor tiles, comfort for the legs and the whole body as a whole is provided.

As a rule, the walls are covered with tiles for half, 2/3 or the entire height, depending on tastes and practical necessity. Such a coating is very difficult to scratch or break, it is not afraid of water and caustic household chemicals.

For interiors in grey, monochrome glossy models are often chosen, from soft, pearl-gray shades to saturated dark tones. Gloss expands the space, allows the room to look more luxurious. Especially when the tile reflects the lights and the shine of chrome-plated metal, brass, polished copper or bronze. However, it is quite possible to have a classic monochrome or gilded vignettes, mosaics, friezes or full-fledged drawings.

Grey laminate for wall decoration

High-quality laminate in its characteristics is not inferior to an array of wood. And, in terms of its ability to resist mechanical influences, it leaves wood far behind. If you choose a waterproof grade, then such a coating can be used even in the kitchen and bathroom.

Modern designers use laminate not only as a floor covering. This is a great option for wall cladding. It provides excellent heat and noise insulation. The original wood pattern and slightly glossy surface give the room an unusual look.

Grey decorative plaster on the walls

For the final finishing of the walls, a special decorative plaster is used. It perfectly evens the surface, does not absorb foreign odors, so it can be used even in the kitchen.

The surface is resistant to physical influences and abrasion. In addition, the repair of a small section of the wall does not present any difficulties: it is enough to cover up a scratch or chip with the same composition.

The original, patterned-textured surface of Venetian plaster creates a magnificent illusion of natural marble or other grey stone. It is usually used in the design of premises in such interior directions as minimalism, high-tech, art deco. But, it is quite possible to plaster a part of the wall, framing it with elegant stucco, or organically combine classic wallpaper and a decorative mixture.

Natural stone of gray tones for wall decoration

Wall decoration with natural stone is quite expensive, requiring considerable experience and skill. In order not to spoil valuable material, and not to regret the money invested in the project later, it is better to entrust the matter to professional masons.

Ordinary rocks are grey, there are ornamental and semi-precious varieties of minerals.

One of the most valuable can be called:

• agate, jasper;
• rutile quartz, topaz;
• hematite.

Such stones are usually used to create not too voluminous panels, mosaics, they decorate the perimeter areas.

The most affordable and widespread are sedimentary rocks:

• limestone and sandstone;
• shell rock and dolomite;
• calcareous tuff, slate;
• grey or grayish-blue marble.

Marble polished to a glossy sheen looks especially chic. The walls of such panels are worthy of a royal palace.

Let’s summarize the results

The walls, decorated in all shades of grey, are appropriate in any room in the house. Being neutral, this color perfectly combines with any other colors and shades, favorably highlighting them. Due to its versatility, grey is used in all interior styles.

Photo gallery of interiors with grey wall decoration for inspiration