Anton Pechyony
head of the design studio If anyone still thought that gray color is boring and inexpressive, then we will argue with this and show that in fact it is universal, fashionable and wonderful! One and the same object in the interior can either dissolve, become invisible, or vice versa - attract all attention to itself and become the center of the entire composition. So, we show a gray sofa in the interior of different rooms. See how this stylish piece of furniture can show itself in a living room, kitchen-studio and even a nursery.
In this light, stylish interior, gray acted as an accent color. See how the gray pieces complement each other harmoniously and tie the whole design together.
Considering the size of the room, we decided that one beautiful gray sofa was clearly not enough! 
Please note: a gray sofa in the living room interior is especially appropriate in this shade. Modern style tends to combine gray, white and beige colors.
Gray and white colors work wonderfully with other shades. But with such bright accents the effect was simply stunning!
A stylish sofa and armchairs are from different collections, but they look great together and fit very well into the idea of this classic interior.
Furniture with a simple, clear shape is a hallmark of modern style. It does not clutter up the space and looks light and elegant.
A cozy sofa and a fireplace are two partners that balance this slightly cool, youthful version of a Scandinavian-style living room.
This gray sofa in the living room interior looks almost ascetic. As, indeed, is all the furniture in this calm project in a modern style.
Gray color looks decent in any interior style. As an example, this small living room in a classic style.
Here the sofa “balances” the bright contrasting colors. Cool turquoise and warm yellow add nobility to this bright modern interior.
White walls and very light upholstered furniture visually leave the space free and do not clutter it up - a very important aspect for small living rooms.
To make gray a bright and accent color in your interior, you can combine it with yellow. These shades complement each other very well!
In such a masculine loft interior, a soft gray sofa in the living room interior looks especially cozy!
According to the designer's idea, in this contrasting interior the sofa is almost invisible due to the light shade.
A light pearl gray sofa is designed to soften this beautiful, but too contrasting black and white interior. What a great job he did!
Very laconic in form, the gray sofa has become an accent - so to speak, the logical center of this kitchen-living room.
In this attic kitchen-living room, the emphasis was placed on the living room, so the sofa became the center of the composition. It attracts all attention, and bright elements only emphasize this effect.
Please note: if not for the gray sofa, the kitchen-living room would look too bright. For balance, the kitchen facades protrude to support the sofa.
And again, an example of how a beautiful gray sofa in the interior - photos from different angles successfully demonstrate this - becomes the main accent of the entire project.
White, gray, beige are the basic colors of modern design. And notice how just a few bright objects enlivened this entire bright interior.
As in the previous interior, a comfortable sofa in a calm gray shade separates the living room area from the dining room and kitchen.
Gray and white are the main colors of this interior. The accent olive green tone harmoniously combines with the basic shades and emphasizes the nobility of the entire interior.
A soft sofa with classic stitching looks even more comfortable against the backdrop of the laconic walls of this modern interior.
The kitchen area in this project is almost invisible, but the sofa, on the contrary, attracts the eye.
An excellent example of beautiful modern design with proper zoning. The hero of our selection – a gray sofa – fits very well into this bright interior.
And in this interesting project, both the walls and the furniture are completely light and do not attract attention. All the glory went to the bright accents.
A gray sofa like a little black dress from Coco Chanel is always in place. Even in such a tiny forge-living room!
Another interesting combination: a light gray sofa, graphite walls and turquoise accents. Very good!
Gray sofa in the interior - excellent photo! The living area in this small kitchen-studio turned out to be extremely inviting and cozy.
Psychology of gray
Gray color is preferred by balanced and calm people who do not try to prove anything to others. These are business and ambitious individuals with healthy self-esteem, they love order and clearly set plans for the future.
The color gray can affect the psyche in different ways. It is no coincidence that routine, boring days are called “gray days” - they drag a person down and cause stress and nervousness. The reason for this is the lack of bright colors and interesting moments in life. The same can be said about the gray room. If there is too much of this color, it will have a depressing effect on the psyche, suppressing and lowering your mood. For overly sensitive and melancholic people, a gray environment can even cause depression and nervous disorders.
Therefore, when decorating the interior in gray, you need to be very careful in choosing the color palette. To make the atmosphere livelier and more fun, you should definitely dilute it with bright multi-colored accents.
If gray is used correctly, it will have a beneficial effect on the owner. This is expressed in relaxation and calm, and in the bedroom, a gray environment will help you fall asleep better and drive away restless thoughts.
All variations are gray
Gray does not have 50 shades, as is commonly believed due to the title of the book “50 Shades of Gray,” but much more. Colorists count about 256 variations of this color, and each of them even has its own name. The most common:
- Gainsborough;
- light gray;
- silver;
- dark grey;
- platinum;
- dull gray;
- gray;
- marengo;
- cadet gray;
- nickel;
- gun metal;
- steel.
Such a rich palette, which has any colors in its arsenal, ranging from very light to almost black, allows you to use gray in any interior. It goes with every color scheme, and its calmness and inexpressiveness make gray color appropriate in all styles.
Gray color can give the interior a special atmosphere, which depends on the shade of gray. Tones such as river mother-of-pearl, granite and pearl gray look soft and delicate, and therefore create an appropriately romantic atmosphere.
If you want to emphasize the rigor and solidity of the interior, use dark shades: granite, graphite, iron gray. You can add contrast and sharpness to the interior by using a combination of light and dark tones in combination with bright decor and furniture. The use of several shades of gray at once helps to avoid the “flatness” of the interior - this technique adds volume and depth to the room.
Shades
Gray color is much more multifaceted than it might seem at first glance. Its tones range from muted white to the color of wet asphalt, almost black. The most popular are: Gainsborough (close to the color of silver), platinum, granite, lead, mother-of-pearl (with a purple or blue tint), smoky, nickel, charcoal, marengo and wet asphalt colors.
Light gray shades help calm the nervous system and relax, help you find harmony and feel more emotionally stable. They can be combined with any, even bright colors. Dark ones are also universal, but you need to take into account that if the combination is chosen incorrectly and there is insufficient lighting, they can visually burden the atmosphere.
Depending on the finish, gray can give the impression of luxury and elegance, especially if it is a gray sofa or other furniture made from expensive materials, and also dynamic when combined with colors of opposite colors. It will look soft when combined with white or other pastel colors, and sharper when close to black.
Advantages of a gray sofa
Gray sofas are one of the most popular. This is primarily explained by the fact that few people decide on bold and eye-catching interiors, so they prefer “stable” and ordinary colors. And this is a rational approach: you will never get tired of a gray sofa, because it seems to “dissolve” in the interior without attracting attention to itself. This model will remain relevant for many more decades, and if it is still made of high-quality materials, you can safely forget about replacing the sofa.
The gray upholstery is practical. Unlike white fabrics, stains are less visible on dark gray colors. Of course, light shades of gray cannot boast of this ability, but they give the atmosphere lightness and airiness. Sofas of similar colors can be used even in a children's room without worrying that the interior will be too dull.
Gray is a wonderful companion to any other color. If the room turns out to be too bright and you want to dim it, gray will help in this matter. An interior in which he is not the dominant one, but only the leader, turns out to be balanced and complete.
Selection of curtains and furniture for gray wallpaper
It is not difficult to choose the color of curtains for gray wallpaper, since gray goes with many colors and any fabric. Which curtains are suitable for gray wallpaper depends on the task at hand:
- If you need to create lightness in combination with light and delicate shades, then tulles and curtains made of organza or other similar material in beige, lilac, white, milky colors are suitable.
- If you need to highlight a window, then drapes and curtains in bright, rich colors from any material are suitable.
- If the walls are dark, then the curtains should be made of thick fabric.
- Curtains in deep colors are only suitable for spacious rooms with 3 or more windows and a good lighting system.
Black curtains of any shape (thread, roller, Roman and classic) are suitable for gray wallpaper.
It is recommended to choose furniture for gray walls either to match the tone of the finish, or light or white (dark brown color is appropriate for formal rooms and large rooms). When choosing the color of furniture, it is better to give preference to light wood species.
Upholstered furniture is chosen according to the same principle, but the upholstery can be either bright or delicate in color, which depends on the overall style of the room.
Combinations of a gray sofa with other colors
Many people, when forming the concept of a future interior, want to add their favorite color to it. But sometimes choosing a beautiful combination is problematic, so adding gray to the color palette will be the best solution. It copes both with the role of one of the leading colors and with the role of an additional, background color.
- Light interiors, made in beige and white tones, require dilution with other colors. Otherwise, the room will resemble a hospital ward. But if you want to maintain a peaceful and airy atmosphere, you can introduce shades of gray. This combination is especially popular in the Scandinavian style.
- In an interior with blue color, gray can perform two functions: either add even more cold notes, or, on the contrary, soften the atmosphere, if we talk about light shades.
- Gray color is often used by designers to highlight bright interior items. Against a neutral background, they acquire expressiveness and clear outlines. For example, orange and red objects can serve as such accents. But don’t overdo it with their quantity: a lot of red makes the room aggressive. If you want to make red one of the main ones, it is better to give preference to pastel colors.
- Green and gray look very harmonious together, because this combination is inspired by nature itself. Brown will fit perfectly here, which will give the overall picture more natural motifs.
- A pair of gray and purple will give the room sophistication and comfort. Purple is considered one of the expensive and luxurious shades. It looks good against a gray background, which emphasizes its nobility.
- It seems that cheerful yellow and dull gray are two opposites. But this is what makes the combination interesting and unusual. Completely different colors create contrast, complementing each other perfectly.
When choosing a color scheme, you need to pay attention to several factors. Firstly, if the interior is created in dark gray tones, the room should not lack natural light, otherwise it will be dark and uncomfortable in the daytime. It is worth taking care of good artificial lighting.
It is also not recommended to use a dark palette for small rooms - such colors “eat up” the space, especially if they are dominant. It is best to decorate rooms of modest size in light colors, which create a feeling of spaciousness and freedom.
How blue color affects the atmosphere in a room
From a medical point of view, shades of blue affect human psychology and physiology. This color can relax, relieve headaches, anger, irritability, short temper and aggression.
The presence of blue in the rest room will create an atmosphere of peace and quiet, a desire for harmony with the outside world.
But if you allow the oversaturation of heavenly color in the design of the living room, then it will provoke sadness, melancholy, dissatisfaction, intolerance towards others, smoothly turning into melancholy.
Gray sofa in modern style
The main trend in the development of modern style has been the exclusion of unnecessary items from the interior. First of all, furniture should be functional and comfortable, so appearance takes a back seat. As a rule, the interior is simple and concise. In addition to the sofa, coffee tables and open shelving are purchased.
Gray sofa in Scandinavian style
In the Scandinavian style, gray is one of the most important. This cool style is also characterized by white, black and brown. The sofa is often decorated with pillows with simple geometric patterns or fluffy covers, emphasizing the northern origins of the style.
Gray sofa in loft style
A popular style, one of the important features of which is brickwork. It can be found very often in modern interiors, but not all of them really look like a loft. In addition to brick, this style should have a relaxed atmosphere - even paintings, mirrors and a TV can simply sit on the floor. Furniture in neutral colors, which includes gray, helps to create such an environment.
Arranging a gray living room - examples of interior design, or how to be inspired by other people's ideas?
You love black and white living room , but would you like to add something... yourself? Are you looking for ideas on how to create the perfect space? Think about what you like most about the photos you can find on the Internet - take a look and translate it to suit your needs. Choose what you like best - it's all a matter of personal preference - and customize it. In interior design there are design rules, but there is also a certain freedom to combine and break styles. This means you can be original, but not too original. Remember that too much can be counterproductive and turn your beautiful dream living room into kitsch.
Gray sofa in Provence style
The interior in the Provence style should resemble the decor of a country house. For Provence, wooden furniture is chosen, and gray color can be used in its upholstery. A floral pattern on the fabric would also be useful, giving the room a natural touch. The final touch is a cozy homemade blanket.
Gray art deco sofa
This style is associated with wealth and prosperity. Art Deco is believed to have evolved from modernism. Its features are expressed in several principles, the main ones being luxury and rigor. The lighting is bright, and the color palette is rich and contrasting. The interior should not be gray and monochrome; it must be diluted with black, white and gold.
What could be the gray-blue color?
Gray-blue includes two colors, so it looks quite self-sufficient in a monochrome design and does not require the use of additional colors. But if you want to dilute the interior with another color, you need to consider what undertones of gray and blue are used.
Diversity is determined by the extensive palette of blues. It can be heavenly, turquoise, aquamarine - either more pastel or rich dark. Gray usually has a beige undertone and is close to white, or has the color of asphalt or graphite. It all depends on the volume of white and black.
Thanks to variations in combinations, gray-blue can look either gentle and romantic or strict and elegant.
Gray sofa size
Finding a suitable gray sofa will not be difficult, because, as we have already said, this is one of the most popular color schemes. Of course, its size depends on the area of the room. But it is worth remembering that gray must be handled carefully. If you don’t want to make it an accent, it’s better to purchase oversized sofas in light colors. This is especially true for small rooms.
But in spacious rooms, such a sofa can get lost in the general background, creating a feeling of emptiness and incompleteness. In this case, you need to make the wallpaper darker, or choose another, more expressive model of the sofa.
For large private homes, long multi-seat sofas, usually made to order, are ideal. Their use will help to rationally use the space without leaving empty spaces.
Choosing a gray wallpaper design
The most common design options:
- Gray striped wallpaper visually expands the room. A wide gray stripe “pushes” the walls apart; this technique is suitable for a small room. Frequent vertical stripes raise the ceiling; this finish is also suitable for low rooms or attics.
- Gray brick wallpaper will be an excellent option for creating an accent wall in a loft-style bedroom against a background of white or peach walls. Imitation brick is also suitable for the hallway and the wall by the fireplace in the living room.
- Wallpaper with a pattern is suitable for a bedroom and living room in a classic style, and gray wallpaper with a pattern of bright colors will decorate a nursery. The color and size of the pattern depends on the companion color and the size of the room. Geometric and abstract patterns are suitable for medium and large rooms, small simple patterns for small ones.
- Wallpaper with flowers is suitable for a bedroom in a classic and modern style. The color of the pattern can be gold, white, to match the curtains or furniture.
Gray sofa fabric
If a regular plain gray sofa seems too simple for you, pay attention to models with patterns. The interior looks original in which the sofa upholstery fabric and curtains have the same print. This allows you to combine interior items, making them one. The most popular design options are:
- Monograms. These are stylish patterns, especially in demand in simple modern interiors.
- Flower drawings. Not a single Provence style interior can do without them. If it is used in a different direction, you should choose laconic prints and not too bright colors so that the sofa does not look tasteless.
- Checkered fabric. The cage has already become a classic, so it can easily fit into many interiors. A simple cage can diversify a boring interior without making it flashy.
- Strip. A simplified version of the cell. This basic print is the best alternative to complex designs. In addition to its decorative function, stripes can adjust the size of a room: vertical stripes on the walls raise the ceilings, and horizontal stripes make the room longer. Therefore, if there is such a pattern on the walls, a striped sofa will be more appropriate than ever.
- Abstraction. Unusual designs will make even a gray sofa the highlight of the room and are guaranteed to attract the attention of guests. Such a sofa should be decorated with plain pillows without prints so that it does not look ridiculous.
Selection by type of room
The second important factor when choosing a sofa is the type of room. Here again you need to focus on psychology: is the room intended for rest and sleep or for communication and leisure? Is the color “suitable” for the residents of an apartment, house or specific room?
Kitchen
The main thing to consider when choosing a sofa for the kitchen is its size. Plain white or beige sofas are better suited for small kitchens: they visually expand the space. Bright upholstery may look inharmonious: like a bright spot that will be difficult to beat.
In large kitchens and especially in layouts where the cooking area is combined with a dining room or even a living room, bright sofas, on the contrary, look great: they zone the space and visually expand it.
Note! When choosing a sofa for your kitchen, make sure that the upholstery is easy to remove stains. A great option is leather sofas.
An example of harmonious zoning of space in the kitchen
Living room
In living rooms, the sofa becomes the center around which the whole family and guests gather. Because of this, it is better to implement bold and unusual ideas in the living room: bright sofas and colors with patterns look appropriate and harmonious here. You can choose calmer options: in this regard, the living room is the most versatile room.
A successful and unusual combination of orange, lavender and white colors
When choosing a sofa for the living room, take into account the interior of the room, the amount of light in it (rooms facing the non-sunny side are best “brightened” with white furniture) and the size of the room.
A beige sofa brightens the living room
Bedroom
For the bedroom, choose sofas in neutral and soft soothing shades: beige, light brown, light gray. Often, especially if you choose a folding sofa for sleeping, darker upholstery in natural tones looks organic.
Remember that the bedroom should first of all be calm and comfortable. Brightness can be added with lighter elements than the sofa: with tulle and curtains, wall panels or paintings.
Kumo sofa bed is a great model for the bedroom
Children's
When choosing a sofa for a nursery, also consider whether the child will sleep on it. If so, it is better, as in the bedroom, not to buy sofas in flashy colors: they can interfere with relaxation.
In general, in recent years the trend of colorfully decorating children's bedrooms has been weakening. Practical considerations play an important role: too “childish” an interior will become uncomfortable for a teenager, and he will have to make repairs again and buy new furniture.
Sofa bed in a girl's bedroom
Here we have selected trending colors for 2022.
Gray sofa decor
An empty sofa without pillows can look unfinished. In addition, their presence makes the resting place cozier and more comfortable. In stores you can find pillows for every taste and for any interior. A sofa in a minimalist style looks great with plain, plain pillows; in Provence, you can use pillows to introduce a floral pattern. Bright pillows with photo prints will diversify the interior of the living room, and pillows in the shape of toys will make the children's room more magical.
If space allows, place a sofa in the dining room. It is better to choose leather upholstery for it - an accidentally spilled drink or a stain from fallen food can be easily wiped off with a wet cloth. And to increase your appetite, decorate the sofa with food-shaped pillows.
A blanket will be an interesting addition to the interior. It can be a decorative element and always be on the sofa. Blankets and soft blankets are often used to add contrasting pops of color to a room's decor.
Gray sofas in the hands of an experienced designer turn into a stylish piece of furniture, emphasizing the elegance and good taste of the owner.
Color schemes when decorating a room
Color schemes are ready-made options that describe the principle of combining shades in a room. The names of color schemes are similar to the names of shade palettes, it is important not to confuse them!
Monochrome design
The simplest principle of combination is monochrome. In this case, the entire room is decorated in the same color scheme, but using several different shades and usually white, black or gray “for dilution.”
In a monochrome design, the sofa is often, but not always, the element of the richest tone.
Monochrome living room in white
Neutral design
Neutral design is the most comfortable option. All furniture and decor are chosen in soft colors that are comfortable to the eye, often a combination of black, gray and white or white and brown in different tones.
With a neutral design, depth and completeness are achieved not so much by combining colors, but by combining different textures.
Living room in beige tones
Bright sofa and neutral background
By choosing a sofa that will become an accent in the neutral design of the room, you can make the room more interesting and complete. In addition, this is a great way of zoning.
There are no elements in the room of the same color as the sofa, but the interior looks harmonious
Neutral sofa in a room with a bright design
In this case, the sofa and all the furniture act as elements that balance the bright walls, thereby achieving balance. The shades of sofas for this purpose are chosen to be basic, but not too harsh, for example, not pure white or black, but ivory or dark gray.
Dark gray sofa in a bright living room
Bright sofa and bright decor
A bold solution for living rooms is a combination of several bright colors in one room. Usually, in order for the composition to look harmonious, the walls are made white or white with a catchy pattern, and the furniture is chosen in different colors, but approximately the same saturation.
You can also play up the deep tones of the upholstery: for example, choose bright wallpaper and elements for a purple sofa.
Purple sofa in a bright living room
