OK, I admit it. I have a love affair with gray, having kept it a secret for many years. After all, what would my interior design colleagues say about my choice of such a dull, drab color? So for years I was a closet gray.

A benefit of a dark room is that it looks larger. The corners of the room seem to recede so the boundaries disappear. Contrary to logical thinking, dark rooms actually enhance mood. There’s a peaceful quietness that permeates the space.

For me, there’s nothing more inspiring than the darkest gray sky illuminated by spectacular bolts of lighting that tear across the sky, sometimes three or four at a time, putting the grandest fireworks display to shame. On the other hand, nothing enriches the color and enhances the delicacy of a flower than when it’s set against a background of a gray sky or textured tree trunk darkened by the rain.