GRAY IS HERE TO STAY

Gray is heretostayin HOME DESIGNS

Decorating ahome in neutral tones has long been recommended as away to sell ahome quickly.But the color gray also provides ablank canvasfor homeowners who have no intention of putting their homes on the market anytime soon. Beige and whitehavelong been go-tocolors forneutral living spaces.But manyinterior decorators nowlook to gray as the neutral color of choice. Design experts advise that gray has abroad range.Graycan include everything from silver to charcoal to adusty cloud.According to the trendsetters at Glidden Paints,graycoordinates well with other colors.Plus,the neutral appeal of gray boasts atimeless quality. Gray is not aclear-cut color that’ssimply a5050 blend of whiteand black. Gray has subtle nuances that can lean toward blues,greens, taupes,and moredepending on the lighting and surrounding furnishings.That means that homeowners who areready to replace their furnitureoraccessories need not necessarily repaint if they’ve previously decorated in shades of gray. Individuals need only replace small items to produce abig effect in rooms wheregrayis dominant. Because gray is so neutral, it works with soft, calming colors in various pastels, but equally as well with bright reds,yellow and oranges,according to Scott Bodenner,a Brooklyn-based textile designer. Gray also is apredominant color in natural stones used throughout homes in entryways, bathrooms and kitchens.Itcan makedesign sense to maintain continuity throughout by dabbling in gray elsewhere. Designers have shown howgraydoes not have to be cold, industrial or gloomy. It can be sophisticated in just about anyroom of the house.Moredesigners arenow leaning toward warmer variations of gray,suchastaupes and blends dubbed “greige,” that arebeautiful but not as stark as puregray