Any interior designer can safely call gray a classic solution in the design of a residential space. This has been proven for many decades. The palette of gray shades as a base is perfectly combined with different styles and can be an excellent embodiment of a design idea.
Living room.
The gray color of the living room and human psychology
Experts believe that such a color palette is preferred by people who are successful in their careers and self-confident. The choice of gray color emphasizes the balance of the emotional sphere, indicates the desire to create an atmosphere conducive to inner peace and tranquility.
A place of peace and quiet.
For the living room, as a place of rest, relaxation after a working day, this color is most suitable, as it promotes relaxation, does not irritate, reduces stress and anxiety. In addition, it provides an ideal backdrop for design finds. The introduction of bright accents into it will not wear a patina of variegation. Gray color is able to soften the perception of excessively bright colors in the interior. It is this ability that explains its popularity as a basic palette.
Appropriate brightness in the interior.
Bright inclusions in the form of upholstery of sofas and armchairs will not disturb the psychological background of calmness and balance of a person. But the wrong approach to choosing the level of illumination in a room can significantly affect the overall psychological state. The lack of natural and artificial lighting can lead to a depressive gloomy state.
A single source of artificial lighting in a gray living room is a design mistake.
An excess of light flow is also not a good solution. He is able to introduce an imbalance into the emotional sphere of a person.
Trends in the color scheme of the living room in gray tones
To think that this color is boring enough, even though it is classified as a classic, is completely wrong. Gray color has a wide palette of tones and shades, giving space to the flight of designer creative thought:
- monochrome gradations based on pure black and white colors;
Monochrome in a gray living room.
- cold spectrum: marengo, anthracite, lead, steel;
Marengo color in the living room.
- warm shades: ashy, pearl gray, mother-of-pearl with a gray tint, smoky.
Pearls with a gray tint in a palette of shades.
The use of each of them is able to create the right mood for the atmosphere of the living room. Variations in the choice of finishes always depend on the size of the room, style and illumination. An interesting texture of the wall surface will create an additional effect.
Wall texture option.
In addition to belonging to fashion trends, gray is resistant to fading and pollution, which means it is practical. If brightness is preferred, then a gray-blue solution will be the best.
Living room.
The feeling of freshness and brightness will be present in the room under any lighting and will not bore the owners. This explains the popularity of such a design technique in the design. Inclusions of yellow color in the interior details will create an excellent accent in any room. But these should not be abused.
Bright accent in the interior.
The upholstery of a cozy armchair, soft sofa cushions in yellow covers, a poster on the wall will emphasize the juiciness of color inclusions. Red and purple accents in the living room of gray tones are rare. This can be blamed on their brightness and aggressiveness, sometimes causing irritation bordering on anger.
The combination with purple is an interesting design find.
But their moderate use can bring a special individuality and sophistication to the interior. The style and uniqueness of the room will always emphasize the combination of several shades of gray. But in this case, it is necessary to take into account the preferences of all family members so that the atmosphere of the living room is comfortable and cozy.
From light to dark in the living room interior.
When choosing any color combination, do not avoid the details of green. This is not only a tribute to the fashion trend for environmental friendliness. The effect of relaxation after a working day, the formation of positive emotions inherent in this color, have been known to designers for a long time. Indoor plants, wall panels, sofa cushions – everything will go into action.
Soothing greenery in the interior.
Rules of the interior of the gray living room
Experienced designers never let them out of their attention when creating design projects:
- The versatility of achromatic gray will be an excellent base for creating an interior of any style.
In neutral tones, both classic and high-tech will look unique.
Hi-tech style in the living room.
Lovers of Mediterranean and Scandinavian styles can use shades of gray of the cold spectrum.
Scandinavian style.
Warm tones will visually bring the owners closer to the rustic style.
Country style.
- If necessary, visually expand a small space, it is necessary to use cold, but light shades of gray.
Some gradation of color saturation will allow you to zone the room into corners with different functional purposes: a recreation area, a workplace, a dining area.
Recreation area.
- The color ratio of the flooring and ceiling should exclude the effect of pressure.
Simply put, the ceiling should be a lighter tone than the floor.
The correct color ratio.
- The gray color will help change the geometry of the room.
A darker shade of the finish of the end wall of the room of an elongated rectangular shape will visually reduce the distance to it.
- An excess of additional colors can destroy the elegance of the living room in gray tones.
But for lovers of collecting paintings, ceramics, posters, gray color will be the most successful choice. Such a background will emphasize the content of the collection without creating disharmony.
Posters on the wall background.
Materials for creating a living room in gray tones
The classic of use is paper wallpaper. They can be of different textures. Loft style welcomes monochrome wallpaper or imitating old newspapers. Drawings of floral ornaments are suitable for the classical style, and the modern style will be satisfied with a geometric pattern. A more expensive option is decorative plaster of various types.
Textured plaster on the wall.
Many designers use horizontal, vertical separation of wall sections with different color saturation in their projects. Such a separation can be made in the form of sockets.
Combined wall decoration.
The flooring material is diverse: laminate, tile, natural stone, carpet. Often the main color of the coating becomes the background for rugs of various colors and geometries located in the room according to the design idea.
The floor covering in the living room is made in a light color.
The type of ceiling does not play a special role, since it is not a defining element of the style. So it is quite suitable just plastered or suspended. The condition can only be its color scheme. This was described above.
Furniture in the gray living room
Choosing the right furniture for the interior in gray tones is not an easy task. Very often this operation causes difficulty. In this case, you cannot do without the advice of experienced designers. The easiest way is to buy gray furniture. But this is far from the case. Of course, upholstered furniture in the same tone looks stylish in a gray living room. It is especially suitable for minimalist interiors. But at the same time there is a certain restraint bordering on monotony. But on the other hand, such furniture upholstery gives room for introducing bright details into the color scheme. This is a muted neutral tone for the entire design.
Gray background for bright details.
Designers advise fans of various color combinations to purchase pieces of furniture in white or black.
A successful combination.
Each of these options will create a completely different kind of living room.
Rigor against the background of pearl.
If you want to create a more juicy, bright interior, experts advise you to purchase furniture of comfortable colors for the owner. A red, yellow or blue sofa will be quite appropriate in a gray living room, which will attract the attention of guests.
Brightness combined with restraint.
The wardrobe, chest of drawers, shelves and dining group are better to choose the same shade. The trends this season for the interior in gray tones are wenge, mint, white, light gray and black.
Stylish accents in a gray interior
Textiles are one of the important elements of decor. When selecting it, in addition to the color, you should pay attention to the material of manufacture. The ecological direction in all styles assumes a natural composition.
Combination of textile color with wall decoration.
In addition to the naturalness of the composition, for example, for curtains, it is important to take into account the resistance to fading. The type of curtains and their length completely depend on the design idea.
Accessories such as photo frames, sofa cushions, bright posters on the wall are also important. A tall vase of dark gray or black color standing in the corner of the room will bring some variety to the color palette of the gray living room.
A vase with fresh flowers will enliven the interior of the living room.
Removable chair covers in a color contrasting with the rest of the furniture will make the interior memorable and stylish.
Lighting in the gray living room
Let’s go back to the question of proper planning of artificial lighting in a gray living room. Experienced designers know that there are at least 6 errors in lighting that can destroy the planned effect of perception of the interior of the room:
- You cannot rely on only one source of artificial light in addition to natural light.
Competently located in the room, various light sources create a pleasant non-irritating effect on human vision. The brightness of the lamp used in this case is not decisive, no matter what successful design it may be. It is recommended to combine several different types of lighting.
Various lighting devices.
- Bright lighting is only harmful.
A constant stream of bright light brings discomfort to the emotional sphere of a person, prevents concentration and accelerates the rate of fatigue and harms vision.
Organization of lighting in the living room.
The use of dimmers to adjust the brightness and lamps with warm light radiation will create the atmosphere necessary for comfort in the room, depending on the situation.
- More powerful does not mean better.
No one wants to live in a room that looks like an operating room in terms of illumination. Immersed in constant semi-darkness, the gray living room also does not suit everyone.
- The ceiling looks like a slice of cheese.
Excessive installation of spotlights creates exactly this impression. The built-in backlight should be used with caution. It is not suitable in all rooms of the apartment, and for older family members it will be very sharp and uncomfortable.
The use of a large number of spotlights is not always justified.
In conclusion, I would like to note that the main characteristics of the gray color that has recently become so popular are elegance bordering on rigor, sophistication and slight understatement.
The symbiosis of simplicity and sophistication.
They are the reason why both specialists and ordinary people appreciate and like to use it in their design projects. The gray color, unobtrusive, noble and at the same time so diverse, makes the living room a festively elegant room for meeting friends, relaxing with family and relaxation after a hard day. At the same time, it becomes an ideal background for focusing attention on important interior details: the TV area, shelves with photos, favorite books, collections or just trinkets dear to the heart.