Modern Gray Paint Ideas for a Room

Minimalist Monochromatic

• A minimalist design is very modern, clean and sleek, with strong lines and an absence of clutter, fuss and frill. Shades of gray can lend to the serene atmosphere of a minimalist room. Mix pale gray walls, a charcoal rug and steel gray furnishings with chrome accents for a look that is very restful to the eye. Introduce interest by use of texture contrast rather than color contrast. For example, the juxtaposition of satin sheets with chenille pillows makes a visual and tactile impact, even if they are all gray.

Complementing Black and White

• Black and white are complete contrasts that create a strong, sophisticated punch to a room when they're combined. Sometimes, it can be too harsh a punch, so tone it down just a touch by throwing in some gray accents. Gray won't take away from black and white, but it does soften them. Consider light gray walls for a black-and-white living or dining room that features a collection of black-and-white framed photos. The gray wall lets the contrast in the photos pop. Another way to utilize gray is to use slate gray carpet and throw pillows on a black leather sofa pitted against a crisp white wall. Gray breaks up the sharp contrast.

Color Pops on a Gray Backdrop

• A formula for success is to use mostly gray with a few additions of a strong color. The neutral gray makes the perfect canvas for a color to pop. Get a medium gray sheet of paper, and hold it behind different-colored items: fire-engine red, cobalt blue, hot pink, soft lavender, lime green, burnt orange or mustard yellow. Anything you hold it against will practically sparkle on the neutral gray backdrop, so choose your favorite, and splash it around a predominately gray room. Add black or white as a second accent color to help keep the contrast. White keeps a more cool and casual atmosphere to the room, while black makes the combination seem more formal and dramatic. Bold color choices are one way to give a more feminine touch to the very masculine gray.

Shades of Gray

• Gray is not just black and white. It can have hints of different colors in it. Blue-gray or gray-green are cool shades of gray that combine well with white and subdued jewel tones. They bring a relaxing mood into a room. Muddy grays with hints of yellows and reds go well with earth tones and wood furnishings. They lend a warm, rich and rejuvenating feel to a room. Bring in a contrast of subtle textures and patterns, and introduce refined, elegant shapes to give the room a modern flair.