Colour: 10 Easy Ways to Refresh a Grey Palette for Spring
Energise your favourite grey shades with these simple springtime pick-me-ups
Lara Sargent
31 March 2015
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience writing for national magazines, newspapers and websites.
Houzz UK contributor. Freelance interiors journalist with over 20 years' experience... More
Grey has proved to be one of our collective favourite colour picks for the home in recent years. We’ve been strutting our grey stuff for a few seasons now and the trend shows no signs of tailing off any time soon. But with spring sunshine in the air, it’s definitely time to uplift our beloved palette of charcoal, pebble and dove with a few dashes of colour and print. Be inspired by these 10 grey refreshes, guaranteed to put a spring in your step…
Sprinkle on some sunshine
Grey and yellow have long been a clever colour combination for fashion and our homes. This sunshine shade is a really simple way to pep up a palette of grey and white in the spring months, reminding us of daffodils, primroses and sunny days to come.
Choose any hue from the yellow spectrum – from citrus lemon to earthy mustard – for an instant interiors lift that’s sure to put a smile on your home and your face.
Grey and yellow have long been a clever colour combination for fashion and our homes. This sunshine shade is a really simple way to pep up a palette of grey and white in the spring months, reminding us of daffodils, primroses and sunny days to come.
Choose any hue from the yellow spectrum – from citrus lemon to earthy mustard – for an instant interiors lift that’s sure to put a smile on your home and your face.
Add a bolt of crimson
It’s fair to say that grey can be a triumph in every single room of the home, and it’s a winner in the kitchen. These Shaker-style, rich grey units anchor the bottom half of this cook space beautifully, letting the white upper level max out on light and airiness.
What makes it, though, is the bold blast of crimson in the form of a curvaceous fridge-freezer. If that’s too much of a commitment, try a scarlet splashback, an artwork or even just a kettle or tea towel.
Browse more ways to work a grey kitchen scheme
It’s fair to say that grey can be a triumph in every single room of the home, and it’s a winner in the kitchen. These Shaker-style, rich grey units anchor the bottom half of this cook space beautifully, letting the white upper level max out on light and airiness.
What makes it, though, is the bold blast of crimson in the form of a curvaceous fridge-freezer. If that’s too much of a commitment, try a scarlet splashback, an artwork or even just a kettle or tea towel.
Browse more ways to work a grey kitchen scheme
Prettify with pastels
Pale, barely there grey is the ideal backdrop for an open-plan living zone where lots of different functions need to blend harmoniously into one space.
This room is freshened, though, with a smattering of pretty pinks and lilacs on rugs, cushions and artworks, the pastel palette offering a taste of springtime sweetness.
Pale, barely there grey is the ideal backdrop for an open-plan living zone where lots of different functions need to blend harmoniously into one space.
This room is freshened, though, with a smattering of pretty pinks and lilacs on rugs, cushions and artworks, the pastel palette offering a taste of springtime sweetness.
Flip out on florals
One of the simplest and most effective ways to lift a grey palette for spring is with a pile of floral-inspired cushions or throws to bring a taste of the blooming outside world into your interior.
This foolproof design trick – which can be sprinkled around the bedroom, living room and dining area – allows you to let loose on wild colours and flamboyant prints, as the grey will temper the overall vibe.
One of the simplest and most effective ways to lift a grey palette for spring is with a pile of floral-inspired cushions or throws to bring a taste of the blooming outside world into your interior.
This foolproof design trick – which can be sprinkled around the bedroom, living room and dining area – allows you to let loose on wild colours and flamboyant prints, as the grey will temper the overall vibe.
Soften with vintage
Grey might be associated with urban grit, but it can also conjure up a certain sense of faded grandeur with very little effort. I love the earthy grey tone of this bathroom, which hits just the right vintage note against the classic pedestal basin, tongue and groove panelling and antique mirror. For spring, lighten up the look even further with some striped cotton hammam towels and a billowing sheer at the window.
Be inspired by these classic touches for the bathroom
Grey might be associated with urban grit, but it can also conjure up a certain sense of faded grandeur with very little effort. I love the earthy grey tone of this bathroom, which hits just the right vintage note against the classic pedestal basin, tongue and groove panelling and antique mirror. For spring, lighten up the look even further with some striped cotton hammam towels and a billowing sheer at the window.
Be inspired by these classic touches for the bathroom
Pick a patterned floor
Break up blocks of grey with eye-catching patterns and prints. This leaf design nods to the emerging spring greenery outside, and turns the ‘plain floors, patterned walls’ concept on its head with great style and masses of confidence. It also shows how all things grey tone in beautifully with a mix of weathered woods and silvery timbers.
Break up blocks of grey with eye-catching patterns and prints. This leaf design nods to the emerging spring greenery outside, and turns the ‘plain floors, patterned walls’ concept on its head with great style and masses of confidence. It also shows how all things grey tone in beautifully with a mix of weathered woods and silvery timbers.
Be more blue
If you want to be totally ahead of the game, design-wise, this is definitely the kitchen for you. Mixing up two of the hottest colours on the interiors calendar this season, it teams pale grey wall units with a rich indigo blue island. The flash of copper in the pendant lights adds warmth to the scheme, too, giving it a sunny mood.
If you want to be totally ahead of the game, design-wise, this is definitely the kitchen for you. Mixing up two of the hottest colours on the interiors calendar this season, it teams pale grey wall units with a rich indigo blue island. The flash of copper in the pendant lights adds warmth to the scheme, too, giving it a sunny mood.
Mix in metallics
Pewter and silver are the perfect way to harness the glamorous side of grey. The glint and gleam of these grey-toned metallics is spot-on for the bathroom, where mirrored mosaics, pearlised furniture and silvery accessories create a magical, Moroccan vibe that’s hard to beat. If you feel like warming the grey further, introduce brass fittings.
Pewter and silver are the perfect way to harness the glamorous side of grey. The glint and gleam of these grey-toned metallics is spot-on for the bathroom, where mirrored mosaics, pearlised furniture and silvery accessories create a magical, Moroccan vibe that’s hard to beat. If you feel like warming the grey further, introduce brass fittings.
Brave a pattern clash
Have fun with grey, as it’s such a flexible neutral colour with which to decorate. This pebble and charcoal leaf wallpaper offers a soothing backdrop for the bedroom, while the geometric print chair adds energising colour and pattern. The patterns clash, but work together thanks to the leaf green colour against the leafy motif.
Have fun with grey, as it’s such a flexible neutral colour with which to decorate. This pebble and charcoal leaf wallpaper offers a soothing backdrop for the bedroom, while the geometric print chair adds energising colour and pattern. The patterns clash, but work together thanks to the leaf green colour against the leafy motif.
Accent with white
Dark, saturated grey is my current colour crush and it looks especially elegant, striking and modern when used from top-to-toe on skirting boards, walls and doors.
For spring, highlight the moody tones with a few lighter pieces of furniture, sticking to a monochrome theme for simplicity at its very best.
TELL US…
Have you glorified your grey palette for spring? Please share your ideas and inspiration in the Comments below.
Dark, saturated grey is my current colour crush and it looks especially elegant, striking and modern when used from top-to-toe on skirting boards, walls and doors.
For spring, highlight the moody tones with a few lighter pieces of furniture, sticking to a monochrome theme for simplicity at its very best.
TELL US…
Have you glorified your grey palette for spring? Please share your ideas and inspiration in the Comments below.
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We Love grey - its a fantastic colour for designing and fitting kitchens it can look amazing with the right contrasting colours La Medida Kitchen Ideas has a great selection to look at