Should You Team Grey With Salmon Pink?
Looking for a new colour to team with grey? Try one of salmon's many shades as the perfect accompaniment
Susannah Hutchison
16 August 2017
Houzz Contributor
One of grey’s appealing traits is the fact that, in colour terms, it’s so easy to get along with. Grey with yellow, grey with blue, grey with pink – all these partnerships have a proven track record. But if you’re hankering after a new companion to team with grey, how about salmon? From rusty umber to pale peach, salmon comes in many forms. Take a look at the living rooms below to see which hue is for you.
Double up shades
If you’ve got a lot of wall space to fill, rather than plumping for one paint colour, two complementary salmon tones can work very well together to break up the expanse, as seen here. The soft shades imbue a subtle warmth to this modernist-style room, with its grey concrete floor and large picture window, while a pale grey rug and a woollen blankets add an easy-to-achieve layer of texture.
If you’ve got a lot of wall space to fill, rather than plumping for one paint colour, two complementary salmon tones can work very well together to break up the expanse, as seen here. The soft shades imbue a subtle warmth to this modernist-style room, with its grey concrete floor and large picture window, while a pale grey rug and a woollen blankets add an easy-to-achieve layer of texture.
Pair with dark walls
Love the idea of dark-grey statement walls, but not sure what colour furniture to choose to go with them? This plush-velvet, salmon-hued sofa is an inspired choice as the depth of colour is perfectly balanced against the walls, pulling off the trick of making the grey look sophisticated but not sombre.
Love the idea of dark-grey statement walls, but not sure what colour furniture to choose to go with them? This plush-velvet, salmon-hued sofa is an inspired choice as the depth of colour is perfectly balanced against the walls, pulling off the trick of making the grey look sophisticated but not sombre.
Introduce with pattern
Use accessories for an easy way to add shades of salmon to an existing scheme. It’s ideal if you don’t want to paint (or can’t, if you are renting your home). Here, cushions and a rug with dark, rusty salmon accents provide an instant pep to plain furniture. This shade works well with the dark wood often found on modernist or 1960s-style furniture, such as these armchairs, sofa and coffee table.
Use accessories for an easy way to add shades of salmon to an existing scheme. It’s ideal if you don’t want to paint (or can’t, if you are renting your home). Here, cushions and a rug with dark, rusty salmon accents provide an instant pep to plain furniture. This shade works well with the dark wood often found on modernist or 1960s-style furniture, such as these armchairs, sofa and coffee table.
Dive in deep
Salmon shades come in many guises, from deep orange to pale peach, and if you’re tempted towards the darker spectrum, team with pale-grey furnishings, as seen here, to stop the colour overwhelming the room.
Check out these other living room colour ideas
Salmon shades come in many guises, from deep orange to pale peach, and if you’re tempted towards the darker spectrum, team with pale-grey furnishings, as seen here, to stop the colour overwhelming the room.
Check out these other living room colour ideas
Lay a coloured rug
Rugs are often used as a finishing touch to tie a look together, but this bold, one-colour salmon number was the starting point for this whole scheme. It’s easy to overlook the floor when decorating, but a vivid choice like this allows the rest of a room to be kept ultra simple, like here with the plain grey walls and a modern modular sofa.
Find more rug inspiration in the Houzz shop
Rugs are often used as a finishing touch to tie a look together, but this bold, one-colour salmon number was the starting point for this whole scheme. It’s easy to overlook the floor when decorating, but a vivid choice like this allows the rest of a room to be kept ultra simple, like here with the plain grey walls and a modern modular sofa.
Find more rug inspiration in the Houzz shop
Opt for pink tones
Salmon can be subtle, as this very gentle evocation of the shade proves. Soft textures and faded tones work together, with the delicate detail of the rug adding a hint of pattern to the otherwise plain scheme. The grey walls have a greenish tinge, which provides a good backdrop to the pinky tones of the love seat.
Salmon can be subtle, as this very gentle evocation of the shade proves. Soft textures and faded tones work together, with the delicate detail of the rug adding a hint of pattern to the otherwise plain scheme. The grey walls have a greenish tinge, which provides a good backdrop to the pinky tones of the love seat.
Paint the woodwork
Who says woodwork has to be painted white? No one, actually, and these muted bookshelves show how well a softer shade than white can work with grey tones. Another interesting design idea here is the patterned wallpaper – the overall effect is grey, but with added interest.
Who says woodwork has to be painted white? No one, actually, and these muted bookshelves show how well a softer shade than white can work with grey tones. Another interesting design idea here is the patterned wallpaper – the overall effect is grey, but with added interest.
Make a match
If you’re using accessories to create a colour scheme, double up the impact with a matching pair, especially if there are other competing decorative objects in the room. Here, a plain grey wall plays host to a bold selection of multi-coloured pictures, but the pair of dark-salmon lamps draws the eye outwards, making the whole room look wider. The vivid shade of the bases ensures they stand out among all the other features.
If you’re using accessories to create a colour scheme, double up the impact with a matching pair, especially if there are other competing decorative objects in the room. Here, a plain grey wall plays host to a bold selection of multi-coloured pictures, but the pair of dark-salmon lamps draws the eye outwards, making the whole room look wider. The vivid shade of the bases ensures they stand out among all the other features.
Widen horizons
When decorating a narrow room, it’s easy to fall back on the safe option of all white, but a pale salmon shade on one wall can add interest, depth and warmth to a neutral space. Here, the grey element is provided by the sofa, which is pale like the wall behind it to keep the overall look light.
When decorating a narrow room, it’s easy to fall back on the safe option of all white, but a pale salmon shade on one wall can add interest, depth and warmth to a neutral space. Here, the grey element is provided by the sofa, which is pale like the wall behind it to keep the overall look light.
Charm with chairs
In a modern flat with lots of floor-to-ceiling glass, the scope for adding colour to the walls can be limited. Take inspiration from this stylish new build, where carefully chosen armchairs in a delicate pale salmon shade look elegant and stylish in front of the windows, rather than blocking the view like a bulky sofa would. A grey rug and throw help to cosy up the space, while pale grey walls and flooring complement the window frames.
What do you think of salmon and grey as a colour combination? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
In a modern flat with lots of floor-to-ceiling glass, the scope for adding colour to the walls can be limited. Take inspiration from this stylish new build, where carefully chosen armchairs in a delicate pale salmon shade look elegant and stylish in front of the windows, rather than blocking the view like a bulky sofa would. A grey rug and throw help to cosy up the space, while pale grey walls and flooring complement the window frames.
What do you think of salmon and grey as a colour combination? Share your thoughts in the Comments section.
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I think it works best with blue tones - navy and blue shades of grey. And I have found that it tones well with mint.
Cassandra - I'm with alyper :D Although I agree with Jane that image two is amazing, but then that sofa is not 'salmon' as I know it...However I do like the sound of your artwork very much, and I think that on a dark grey background it could look sensational :)
It will all pull together nicely, Gerry. Would love to get started tomorrow but first have to get an electrical socket moved which will be blocked by my as yet unbought bookcase! (Another consideration when planning where furniture can go). It's all time and money... but I'm loving the (slow but steady) progress!