If you haven’t heard, there’s a new décor color trend developing away from beige as a neutral, and toward shades of gray in offices, living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms………let your imagination reign.  Even grays in textured furniture options are getting to be widely available.  Since the trend has serious momentum in that direction, and after some detailed study and analyzing I’m impressed with all I’ve found.  I’ll be covering the primary aspects of what one needs to be aware of, and the essential guidance using gray tones for decorating.  Needless to say, gray tones can

Living in Classic Gray

be dominant and strong, or light and airy depending on the depth and texture of the tones selected and complementary colors used.  In regard to complementary colors, just about any color will work well with gray, since it’s a monochrome of black.  So lets explore a little, and in case you’re planning to lay down some serious indoor wall and ceiling paint, I’ll even introduce you to a new painting tool that can “cut your painting time in half.”   I thought that would get your attention!

The first thing to think about for any color scheme if you’re planning a makeover is to think about what emotions you want to evoke for that master bedroom, home office, or any space you may be planning for a new design.  If it’s for a downtown office building plan you may want to go a little stronger with the darker tones if you’re looking for a powerful, but not overwhelming tone.  Shiny black can be nearly intimidating, but a light monochrome will be much more comforting and easier to work with.  On the other hand if it’s for a smaller bedroom at home, consider using lighter gray tones with brighter accents to help make it look cheery as well as larger.  Your own tastes are what counts, so my main premise is that you can use these tones to achieve a wide range of themes that will fit your lifestyle.  Don’t forget about adding differing textures in the room for added interest, comfort and sophisticated design.  On another tangent, if you have a smaller room you’re working with consider using a dark gray tone at one end of the room and mid tone gray on the rest of the walls.  This will give it a feeling of a larger room, and adds even more interest.

Greenery adds life to sophisticated gray dining area

If you’ve never been introduced to the 60-30-10 color scheme, it’s an important but simple concept.  The difference between a nice room and a stunning living space will be determined largely on the correct use of this concept, so be sure to use it from the start.  The 60 is the percentage of the dominant color you need to use; 30% is the amount of secondary color to use in the room, and the 10% is the percent of accent color to use.  I’m not recommending you use a tape measure and calculator, but if you follow within reason those percentages, you will end up with a balanced aesthetically pleasing room provided you follow a couple more suggestions.

Don’t forget the greenery is my next suggestion.  It always helps to liven up the living space and make it so much more inviting and interesting.  Just look at the beauty the dining area image conveys with the complementary greens.  You can go with live plants, or if you’re short on maintenance time never under rate all of the astonishingly realistic options available today with silk plants and silk flower arrangements.

One of the areas many often forget, or don’t plan for is the lighting effect for the room.  First of all how much light will there be?  How will it look with natural light versus light from fixtures?  Will the lighting scheme also be changing, i.e., new window dressings or mirrors added to reflect the light?  Lighting is not something to be ignored, so match the paint scheme to the different light the room will experience when choosing your colors, and accents.   It’s always a good idea to have several different light sources in a room to fill shadowed areas and help add comfort and warmth.  Of course the more natural light you can provide the lighter and more airy the room will feel.

Natural Materials wall sconce: another growing trend.

When it comes to accents for your space, how much “table space” or “floor space” do you have?  Another trend in decorating that makes a lot of sense is a greater use of wall sconces for decorating or even additional lighting.  There are plenty of options, but one I find pleasing and interesting is the use of natural materials for wall sconces.  You may be able to fashion your own if you’re crafty and have the right materials at hand, or there are some beautiful ones available at reasonable prices.

One last thing is to choose carefully the sheen you want for your paint.  Glossy is easy to clean, but is shiny and on the other end of the scale, egg shell is hard to clean and some brands may be removed when cleaning.  My suggestion is normally to use a matte color, which goes well with natural surroundings and is not that hard to clean.  Glossy may be better in younger children’s rooms “(Mommy, what color of hair do you want for your picture on the wall)?”

I mentioned there would be a tip for cutting your painting time in half, and I confess I haven’t used this new tool yet, but if you plan on any amount of indoor painting I suggest you take a look (no affiliation) at this video to see how it works.  I think you’ll find it intriguing and see how you can cut your interior painting time drastically and professionally.  Here’s the link if you just want to go directly to the web site for Paint Helpers.  If anyone has already used this tool be sure to help the rest of us with a quick review.

My Best, Billy Goldmark   Silky Flower Store