Is Gray paint going out of style?

Gray paint is where a lot of people start when it comes to redecorating a room. It has been a popular neutral color for decades.

Pantone chose the pale Ultimate Gray as one of its 2021 colors of the Year; its second color, the bold yellow Illuminating, is as far from gray as you can get. Color-trend palettes were full of warm white, saffron, terracotta, and other bolder colors in 2021.

But are those colors replacing gray? Personally, gray isn’t becoming any less stylish; it’s just sifting from its very classic, very natural, very clean, classic look.

Gray is a magnificent blank slate for homeowners to put their personal touches to a space with décor and artwork.

Now more than ever, homeowners are thinking about ways to make their spaces more versatile. For example, a living room may also have to serve as a home office and kids’ playroom, and using gray paint as a backdrop can allow space to serve a variety of purposes.

Presumptions are that gray will always be a popular color and an important neutral for DIY-s and designers – just like white.  People nowadays crave more color in their homes, which could be a direct response to how pervasive Scandinavian minimalism was in the previous decade. We are looking forward to different versions of gray meaning we’re not eschewing gray.

Like white, gray will always have a place in interior decoration – especially at the paler end of the palette where it appears as a neutral.

What shades of paint should you be using in 2022?

What types of grays should you be going for this year if you want to go painting every wall in your home?

More soft, warmer grays are in, and quite flat mid grays that are very cool-toned are out. The latter kinds of gray are perfect for any room, of any size that gets any amount of natural light.

Contrast slubby and relaxed greys with a very bright white – perhaps on the woodwork and the ceiling – and add darker colors like charcoal and black through soft furnishings. Over the recent years, gray has been our go-to for all rooms, whether that’s a gray accessory, gray accent wall, or gray flooring – there’s no escaping the popularity of the cool hue. We expect that gray will not be going anywhere anytime soon; however, more recently, we’re seeing an uplift in sales of warmer gray shades, referred to as “greige” colors.’

Alongside these warmer grays, there’s also a trend to go bolder with our neutrals, switching out the barely-there light grays for braver, more dramatic charcoal shades. ‘Light shades of gray have always been popular because they feel light and airy, but they have begun to shift from cool to warm shades,’ explains Sue Kim, Color Marketing Manager for Valspar. ‘Consumers are becoming more daring with neutral colors, introducing deep and dark shades that feel very comfortable – with those deep shades of charcoal are being embraced to create a cozy retreat.’

It is such a versatile color it can be paired with almost every color, before deciding to look at the undertones. Gray plays as a beautiful neutral to an earthy scheme. It serves as a perfect backdrop for stronger colors, like rich blues and yellows.