How to Decorate With the Color Gray

Paint the walls in a shade of gray that goes well with your existing furniture or paneling. If the living room has cream or classic white furniture, a pastel gray shade on all four walls will help to maintain the light color theme. A room with black armchairs or end tables will appear especially modern if you paint a thick medium or charcoal gray stripe in the center of the walls.

Add a few large throw pillows to the floor, sofas or chairs in eye-catching hues that will liven up the gray. For instance, if most of the room has pewter-colored paneling or furniture, throw pillows in a refreshing shade of Kelly green or canary yellow make for an attractive pop of color. A room with a deep gray bed or chaise will look even more elegant with throw pillows on the bed in jewel tones like ruby or hunter green, and smaller matching pillows in these shades for the chaise.

Grace the center of the room with an area rug in a lighter or darker shade of gray than the walls or main furniture pieces to break up the gray color scheme. For instance, a near-white shade of gray on the walls is complemented well with a steel gray area rug; silver-like gray walls and a charcoal gray area rug go well together as well.

Add gray curtains in an aesthetically pleasing material to complement the windows and walls. Medium gray curtains in satin are a sophisticated and elegant addition to a living room where most of the furniture is light gray or white; dark gray rayon drapes add contrast to gray walls that are almost white.

Select curtain ties in a vivid hue to offset the modest gray tones. Aubergine looks great with nickel gray or near-black gray curtains in a room that is accented with rich color, while shades of peach or cobalt blue make cadet or ash gray stand out a little more.

Add gray throw blankets to the sofa or armchairs to further emphasize the decor scheme. A rosy shade of gray as a throw blanket on a pewter-colored sofa adds a bit of warmth to the space, while a blanket in slate gray makes a platinum-hued chair a little more modest.

Finish the look in the gray room with an ottoman that is lighter or darker than the furniture for an attractive monochromatic look. For instance, place a large ottoman in taupe gray in front of a charcoal gray armchair or love seat, or select a Feldgrau ottoman to position next to a bed and add just a hint of green to the room.