Black or light natural oak looks pretty with gray

Unless you really really love battleship gray on all your walls, I wouldn't start to decorate around it. Gray was in for 15 years, but has now been out for a couple of years, so take a moment to think if you really want to decorate around it.

That space needs some wood tones.

Would something like this work better?

Or this

Both of these are very busy looking before you even start decorating them. I would get a solid piece or something more sculptural like the previous example from sci

This area is very busy looking without anything in it - white lines of the chair rail, white lines of the railing, white lines of the crown molding and white lines of the baseboards, contrasting grey walls, black spindles, glances into multiple hallways, rooms, and cut outs for entryways and the staircase.

It seems to me you are not looking for a functional piece of furniture to storage but more of a visual space holder piece of furniture. Am I correct? If you don't need it to serve a function, consider a bench and piece of artwork. Or if you do need a place to drop keys and mail, I'd look for a clear glass or acrylic console so it disappears.

Correct! Just need a visual space holder. Would a mirror make it too busy if I do a simple bench?

Here’s a color palette suggestion should you decide to repaint a warmer color. These are from Benjamin Moore.

Before you decide on a hall piece, I suggest you do something with the stairs. Love the black spindles, but, unfortunately the railing and newel post is inexpensive builder's grade. Paint it black.

The glue on (I bet), chair rail on the stair case doesn't work...it really doesn't work. It can be removed, but it that is something you can't do right now, paint it the wall color.

When you find a piece, (do a dark wood) measure carefully. Don't have one go higher than the chair rail.

Im so sorry but I am so new to this as a first time homeowner…what is a chair rail? Is that the white trim going up the stairs? And where the console table is, I should not have one higher than that trim behind it? They have theirs above and covering it correct?

Yes that white moulding about three feet up. Was traditionally used in dining rooms to protect the walls from chairs being pushed against them. In the 90’s builders decided to add them to every room so they could advertise ‘upgraded trim package’. To me they look inappropriate in any room other than dining rooms and just chop up the wall. I remove them every chance I get!