Is Gray on its Way Out?

Mark & Day Gray has had its share of popularity for more than a moment now – more than a decade to be precise – and we prepared this article to go over whether it is still climbing the hill or if it has started to roll downwards. Do note, however, there is not a definite answer to this question as it varies in respect to areas and personal desires. Its harmony with almost every tone is what has kept this color as the reigning king of home design sector.  

As some may argue otherwise, the demand for gray may be on a decline; however, this does not make this color a no-no in home design. The real question is: Is it disappearing or is it changing form to become the new ‘’beige’’? Some colors are classics and root to become available options for everyone and every style at all times. Colors like cream, beige, black or white make this list. Now with gray becoming more of a neutral choice rather than a complete gamechanger, we can say this versatile color is also a part of this list. Gray will always be a part of our home decoration but may not be the hottest trend of the year anymore.  

Sherwin-Williams, paint and coating manufacturing company, has declared navy blue to be the company’s 2020 color of the year. There is a certain level of tranquility that comes with coastal themed navy tone. It is no surprise that navy is highly used in home decoration, given our homes are our private zones where we crave calmness the most. In relative to our headline, navy tones are great adaptors to gray. Their blessed harmony offers its user a heartwarming scene.  

 Creator of Kate Marker Interiors, Kate Marker has taken a different path on her favs of this year, stating; "Grays and a limited neutral palette. We are so excited to see the beloved ‘neutral palette’ expand to include warmer, richer browns, camels, and cognacs. These warmer neutrals play so nicely with grays and whites, so various shades of all the above will be our go-to colors in the year ahead! Warmer tones also help imbue a home with a timeless, enduring ambience."                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Contradicting ideas all serve the common ground of personal taste and a wide, objective analysis so it would be unwise to say that a single thought can outweigh all other ideas. There is no right or wrong when it comes to embellishing your personal spaces. There are only guiding tools that pave the road to your personal desires.                                                                                                                                                                                       

Director of Sherwin-Williams, Sue Wadden says:                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

'I think gray will always be an important neutral and a popular color for DIYers and designers alike, just like white has always been. However, over the past few years we’ve noticed people craving color in their homes, which I think is a direct response to how pervasive Scandinavian minimalism was in the previous decade. This doesn’t mean we’re eschewing gray, more so that we’re looking for different versions of it.'

 If you are fully committed to this long loved, functional color and don’t want to hear more about how gray might be on thin ice this year, you will want to know which colors go perfectly with gray.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Here are this year’s thoughts on gray’s best buddies in home decoration so far.                                                                                                                                    

According to Lick Home's color specialist Tash, 'Gray plays as a beautiful neutral to an earthy scheme. So, it's perfectly paired with dusky pinks and rich greens. Gray is also the perfect backdrop for stronger colors, like rich yellow and blues, helping to balance the scheme.'                                                                                                                                                    

So, there we go. You can now rest easy if you have grays here and there in your home and were scared that you’d be left behind with this year’s trends. Gray will always be a part of our lives. What is happening here is that new colors are being brought to the table. Gray has not become any less sleek but is rather shifting to a new character or place in home design.