Even though gray can be known as a dull color, it really doesn’t have to be! Come with us as we go through different, creative ways to enhance your home with gray living room decor.
One of the best things about the color gray is its versatility. Gray can truly go with almost any other color or pairs nicely with itself in different shades.
When choosing a color scheme for gray, it’s really hard to go wrong. Low contrast, high contrast, or varying shades of gray, no matter the pairing, it works effortlessly. All of these combinations will enhance the overall inviting feeling and warmth of your living space.
If you’re looking for great options to decorate your gray living room, look no further than the following. And when you’re done with this blog post, check out our other post on living room style with the color brown!
This blog post is all about gray living room decor.
Cozy Gray Living Room Decor
1. Low contrast gray living room decor
If you’re looking for a more muted, relaxing vibe for your gray color combo, I would choose nice, earthy tones like the blues in the picture above. These low contrast colors (apart from the blue flower arrangement) pair smoothly with the different shades of gray. The subdued blue color of the walls creates a calming and inviting atmosphere, which is exactly what you want in a living room.
At times, rich blues can feel deep and overwhelming, but the combination of the darker blue and different shades of gray create a softness that strikes a really nice balance between them. Overall, this color scheme is a timeless option that works well in almost anyone’s living room. If you’re not really into blues, there are plenty of other low color contrast combinations that you could use as well. These include earthy tones, like soft greens and beiges or other muted neutrals.
2. High contrast gray living room decor
If you’re not into low contrast and prefer a brighter living room, a high contrast color combination may be perfect for you. Although you definitely don’t have to use multiple colors in your own space, the above picture gives great examples of different colors that pair well with gray – pastels including blues, reds, yellows, and oranges. The drastic difference when comparing these colors to gray gives your space a touch of drama, if that’s what you’re looking for. The boldness of the pastel colors combines nicely with the subdued light gray, creating a fun, yet not overwhelming color scheme. As a fun extra, these are perfect colors for spring, which is just around the corner!
3. Different shades of gray
If you’re looking for a little less color and a little more elegance in your living room, then a color scheme consisting of different shades of gray might work perfect for you. As you can see in the photo above, the gray mixed with the white really gives a nice timeless look to your living space. Not only does it make the room feel spacious, but also inviting. Coupling the color combination with the deep-seated couch and large pillows, you have yourself a living room that exudes a classy yet warm atmosphere. Additionally, all the gray accents mesh so well with each other, from the plush carpet to the silver tables and the artwork. A lot of people would assume that a living room consisting of different shades of gray would be overwhelmingly boring, but as you can see in the photo above, that’s clearly not the case!
4. Gray with other neutrals
When decorating your living room, any shade of gray paired with a neutral color is always a great choice. In the photo above, you see a dark gray couch paired with beige pillows and additional neutral colored accents throughout the room. These all blend seamlessly together, creating a very inviting and comfortable space for your living room. The best part about this color scheme is how it clearly elevates any space effortlessly.
As you can see in the photo, the wall is brick painted white, which is not necessarily the most aesthetic wall choice. It doesn’t matter, though, because through the combination of grays and neutrals, it shifts the focus to the better pieces in the room, such as the couch. This color scheme would lend itself perfectly to a loft or maybe an apartment that’s part of an older building, just like the one in the photo looks to be.
5. Gray with wooden accents
There’s something about the combination of grays with wooden accents that gives the best cozy vibes that anyone would want when it comes to their living room space. The wood base of the couch, coupled with the wood table, pairs nicely together, giving a sense of warmth and comfort as well as elevating the overall style of the room. The color of the wood is important as well, as a darker wood would give a completely different vibe to the room. It wouldn’t necessarily be a negative one, but I think a dark wood would actually take away from the warmth of the space.
Let’s not forget about the wooden floor as well. This is almost covered up by a gorgeous silver rug, but you can see how all the wooden accents match nicely throughout the room. Most of the time, when you add more than one wooden accent or decor piece to your room, the color should really stay consistent throughout. Too many different colors would make the room look busy, which would disrupt the relaxing nature that you definitely want to have in your living room.
6. Gray with different patterns
If you really want to go with the gray living room color scheme, but are a little worried about it being boring, just make sure to add some patterns. In the photo above, you can see how they added some patterned pillows to add just a little bit of depth to the space. This is almost the bare minimum when it comes to adding patterns, though. Feel free to get a little crazier with it to add even more dimension to your living space. You don’t have to just stop at the pillows, look into adding some patterned carpets, blankets or even some wallpaper or paint that has some sort of texture to it. Whatever you do, make sure that the decor you choose fits with your style, whatever it is.
7. Shades of gray and white
There is truly not a cleaner color scheme than gray and white. If you are looking for an elegant, elevated style that’s also timeless and classy, then a white and gray color scheme would work perfectly for you. In the photo above, you can see how the dark gray walls pair so nicely with the other shades of gray and white throughout the room. One of the best things about this color scheme is its flexibility with decor. You can really add any kind of decor from modern to rustic, and it will fit seamlessly with the gray and white color palette.
8. Gray living room decor with a pop of color
A gray color scheme doesn’t mean that you have to only use neutrals. Just like the photo above, a pop (or multiple) of color adds an energy to the room, which is perfect for hosting guests. This yellow will brighten a cool space by adding a needed warmth. It’s understandable if the yellow above is a little too much for you and you don’t need to add that much color. And if you do add too much, there are always great ways to tone it down. For example, to tone down the yellow in the above picture, you can easily add some navy accents or decor to balance it out. Regardless, adding colors to a gray color scheme is always a great way to add a touch of boldness to your palette. If yellow is not a favorite color of yours, oranges and reds are also great options to use.
9. Gray with different textures
One of the absolute best ways to ensure that your living room is a perfectly cozy sanctuary is adding textured elements to it. As you can see in the picture above, we have a few different items that we have paired with an overall gray, white, and pink scheme. This low contrast color scheme goes flawlessly with all the added texture in the room. From the rugs to the blankets to the tapestry on the wall, this space takes advantage of adding texture wherever it can.
This example also shows that you don’t need hardwood flooring to have a beautiful living room, and that there’s nothing wrong with adding a carpet on top of another one, especially when there’s varying textures and thickness. The gray and white patterns in the rug pairs well with the two gray and white blankets that are rested gently on the couch. The texture even extends to the pillows on the couch, as you can see with the fluffy and velvet pillows. And to wrap it all up, we have a gently placed string of soft lighting as well as a small candle on the side table. All of these elements make this room the ultimate cozy and warm living space!
Leave a Reply