When we moved into our home many years ago every single room was either painted cream or wallpapered in cream tones. We then painted everything in white tones. In the last couple of years we have remodeled the Mr. Bath and painted a pale blue with white Carrera marble tile. One of the bedroom is a medium brown with lots of white accents that also pops. We removed walls to expand our kitchen this year and painted the walls SW Mega Greige that I love. Cabinetry is off-white, white carrera marble backsplash and quartz marble looking countertop on the dark wood island. Open to the kitchen is the diningroom which is painted a lighter gray which makes the gold-toned draperies pop. We installed medium-toned wide distressed wood flooring.

so refreshingly neutral

I wouldn't want grey walls because here in Oregon we have grey skies.

I get that. I feel that way about my family home on Lake Erie in the winter, as well.

Love grays! My dilemma is that my rooms don't get much natural light. What grays would be best in that situation?

dalojoe, just because everyone is painting gray, doesn't mean it is right for you or your home. I would choose a color that is not so trendy.

Gray has to work in your space. It is a great alternative to neutrals that we have seen for years, as in beiges and whites, but it does not work for every space in every area. Use what color looks and works best for you.

So many grays, dove, charcoal,pewter, harbor, cape cod, look lovely with crisp white woodwork, and just the right furnishings. However, for me, color affects mood. My neutrals run to shades of green; sea salt, celery, sage, as they blend into the background of the sea and sky accents that soothe my spirit; seafoam, dutch tile, indigo and navy. If I have the pleasure of spending my last days at home, I want to have the outside inside.

Pop is theeeee most over used word in "Designer Land" Eeeeeeeek!!!! I cringe every time it's used. Please, please come up with a better explicative.

We have Benjamin Moore Gray Owl in our kitchen, mudroom pantry and hallways, and LOVE it. I was worried about gray in the northeast, but it hasn't felt cold at all; it seems bright when you want it to be and cosy at night

Has anyone used Stonington Gray in there living room and hallway? I am looking for a gray or gray blue to paint my living room and hallway. Any thoughts both positive and negative would be great! Thank you

Cara hunter, can you post a picture of Stonington gray. Is it more of gray or blue gray?

jack826 - I've used Stonington Gray in 2 bathrooms; I wouldn't say it's a blue gray (it's more neutral) but it's lovely.

Karen, do you think Stonington gray will look lovely in my hallway and living room?

Karen, what is the undertone of gray owl?

Love your bathroom Karen!

Thanks Jack! gray owl is light and very neutral - we love it. It's lighter than Stonington Gray. What colors have you already decorated with in your living room and hallway?

I just painted my clients vanity cabinets, she did not want to spend a lot of money and since she is a sweet hart I donated the back splash. She loves it. So I guess gray is in.

Some deeper grays can be nice (e.g. Comwest's bathroom above), especially when cheered up with white and/or bold colors. Most light grays are way too blah for me.

Hi Karen! We just bought the house. We are in the process of picking colors for the entire house which is lots of fun but overwhelming. It's a red brick row house in Brooklyn, New York. Any advice on colors would be awesome.

I am so tired of seeing grey everywhere! I live in a highrise condo building that was completed in the past few years, which means that everyone bought their units and moved in over the same 2 to 3 years. Most built their color scheme around grey, so it's one grey place after another.

I think wall colors should be a neutral backdrop for your furnishings, art, and how much light comes in to your home, condo, or apartment! I prefer a creamy or off white paint like "cloud white" from Benjamin Moore, it makes any space look a bit bigger and it's not so stark like a "pure white" color due to it's primary tint of yellow & black. I tend to go more monochromatic in my color choices so everything flows from one room to another...my new website called gentrified.net will be completed and up by beginning of 2015, it will have many different looks for everyone's own individual style & comfort. Will be posting on both Houzz and Etsy web sites as well...

Being monochromatic does not mean being neutral...

FYI, I wasn't stating monochromatic is neutral at all as it's a preference for furniture pieces only...I like my wall colors neutral, hope that clarifies what I was conveying?

Love, love grey

haven used it yet, go into paint my kitchen cupboards after Xmas, don't know what colour for the wall, the why the room is layed out I have to paint my dining room to when I do my kitchen ?

It's a color that you can't complain about, nor love in my opinion!

Yes, gray is a great color to use its easy to decorate with and goes well with a lot.

too much grey out my window - winter blahs. I need something warmer. It is not a bad color, I just like others better.

I like all colours, so I like grey on a
whole. In clothes it suits me, too. My husband loves the colour for walls
especially French grey or any luminous yet calming shades of the same palette.

But I cannot say off the bat that I would
use it willy-nilly in the home just because it happens to be trendy. It all
depends on the available light, the mood of the room, the type of grey…in short
all the logical considerations one would go through before committing. I have
no grey walls in my present home but I am going to use a rich charcoal shade of
it for some upholstery soon.

I want to paint my kitchen cabinets grey, but not sure what colour to pait my wall. I would also have to paint my dining room. Also don't know what colour for accessories, like window treatment, cushions for on dining room chairs, and other things?

I have grey walls in my kitchen and used multi colored pattern in napkins to create curtains. I pull out whatever colors I like and keep it simple.

Gray walls are a a great neutral color to paint your walls and it is easy to find accent colors that look good with it to brighten up your room.

Great color! It's so easy to incorporate lots of different colored decor when you have gray walls.

HATE it. cool gray is a rain cloud. warm gray is smog. gray became popular during the recession because it's a depressing color!

LOVE IT. We have a condo with pale gray--it might be a Ralph Lauren shade--and it's beautiful. You can add color and warmth with your art and accessories if you're worried about it seeming too cold.

I have been resisting the gray trend thinking it would look dull or cold but after trying several (lol..much more than I care to admit!) muted colors on my living room wall I decided to try Valspar's Seashell gray (very pale gray with a little warmth..like old sterling silver) and am astounded how lovely, light, and cohesive it looks with our pomegranate/gold/blue persian carpet and how rich the medium dark oak furniture looks against it! I don't want a gray room but as a neutral to use with color I love it!

worked 20 yrs in a dull grey office space. No grey in my house. Makes me depressed

Gray is ok for some people, but many prefer a warmer neutral such as beige. And some people much prefer a warm "blue," such as bluish green. What is distressing is that this gray, cold blue (& yellow) palette has replaced many choices in the beige and aqua palette. I am looking for a comfortable chair in that warm category and every time I find a chair I like, it is in that gray / yellow / cold blue palette. Trends aside, millions of people already have a beige & blue-green home and would like something to fit into it. When trends push other palettes aside, all those people may just give up finding pieces to fit their home. Then furnishings sellers wonder why sales are not as they expected.

Fortunately, that ship has sailed.

YESSSS

I like gray if EVERYTHING in the room is not some shade of black/white/gray. I don't want to live my life in black and white. Add bright colors and it us fine...if you choose a cool gray balance that with a warm color for a nice contrast.

Gray walls photograph really nice. Unfortunately in person the house can look like a prison if you don't have enough bright decor to balance out the drab color. If you live where winters are dark and rainy the rooms will feel depressing. Add some blue or green in the paint to give it some color. A grayish green or a grayish blue is beautiful but true gray can make a house look depressing, cold, bleak and lack that cozy feel to the home.

For our newest model, we used SW Mindful Grey for the kitchen and great room and had a great response from visitors who toured the home. We did balance the grey with dark blues.

I vowed in my new townhome to not have any gray anywhere. Ever. I find it to be the most depressing color on the planet.

To me, gray is a neutral just like whites or beiges, and even some pastels can be neutral. White woodwork and adding pops of bright colors will wake us up. Gray kitchen cabinetry are the latest trend.

I think people are just hopping aboard the gray trend wagon! Like they see all the shows using gray and say: "Wow! Gray is so popular! Everyone likes it! So I should like it too, so I can be just like everyone else!" Well frankly, I am so BORED with gray...and not just because it is so overdone and trendy right now, either. Gray is COLD. Gray reminds me of a cloudy dreary day. Gray has no warmth. Creams and browns, on the other hand, are warm, as well as being classier and cozier...they don't need to look dated if done right. Gray is the color of a zombie....cold and dead...

My walls are grey with honey oak floors. Dislike this combo. It has no warmth and is not calming. Cool colors are not calming. I want some warmth and better overall look and feel. Grey may be trendy, but it does not blend with many furniture pieces either, esp. Mid century modern.

It truly depends on the light in the room. But try Accessible Beige from Sherwin Williams. It's a nice neutral that would compliment oak floors.

I love my gray walls and white baseboards and trim. I realize that it’s not for everybody but having lived with white walls for most of my life this is just enough color and neutral enough that I can use any color I want to with decor.