# Why are shades of grey the "in" colours?



## swimmer_spe (Nov 6, 2017)

I have seen a few new model homes in my area. They all seem to be painted in various grey tones. I am ex-navy, so grey tones make me think off a ship.

Why is that what is popular these days?


----------



## slownsteady (Nov 6, 2017)

Neutral colors are big b/c everyone has been taught to think of their homes in terms of resale. White is too stark and overused, so grey is the new white.


----------



## swimmer_spe (Nov 6, 2017)

slownsteady said:


> Neutral colors are big b/c everyone has been taught to think of their homes in terms of resale. White is too stark and overused, so grey is the new white.



The people I bought this house from must not have thought that way. One room was Pink. and one room was Blue. Now, we are not talking light colours. Deep colours.

I get your reason, but I know the first thing I would have to do, is paint. Grey is so dreary.


----------



## nealtw (Nov 7, 2017)

You have to have a new colour so last years colour is out dated. The gray is better than the sand of a few years ago.


----------



## Flyover (Nov 7, 2017)

We've got a few gray rooms in our house. I don't mind them, and it's easy to find art to hang on the walls that doesn't clash. (When you've got lots of art on the wall you won't think "battleship" so much.)

Some of our gray rooms don't get much natural light, which means the gray makes it a bit dreary and I'd prefer a lighter or more vivid color in those rooms. It also means the actual way the rooms look depends on the color of the light bulbs--some are more yellow, some are closer to white.

I assumed the OP was talking about the exterior. (The exterior of my house is gray too, come to think of it. A light gray.)


----------



## swimmer_spe (Nov 7, 2017)

Flyover said:


> We've got a few gray rooms in our house. I don't mind them, and it's easy to find art to hang on the walls that doesn't clash. (When you've got lots of art on the wall you won't think "battleship" so much.)
> 
> Some of our gray rooms don't get much natural light, which means the gray makes it a bit dreary and I'd prefer a lighter or more vivid color in those rooms. It also means the actual way the rooms look depends on the color of the light bulbs--some are more yellow, some are closer to white.
> 
> I assumed the OP was talking about the exterior. (The exterior of my house is gray too, come to think of it. A light gray.)




OP here, nope, I meant the interiors. You stated the exact thought. Itt looks dreary.


----------



## slownsteady (Nov 8, 2017)

There are a thousand shades of gray. if you think about it in terms of blending black and white, white being 0% and black being 100%.....battleship gray is probably about 50%. Try a 25% gray.


----------



## nealtw (Nov 8, 2017)

Oh sure another black and white issue.


----------



## swimmer_spe (Nov 8, 2017)

slownsteady said:


> There are a thousand shades of gray. if you think about it in terms of blending black and white, white being 0% and black being 100%.....battleship gray is probably about 50%. Try a 25% gray.



This isn't some poorly written novel on rape and torture.... and my home should not look like that either.


----------



## nealtw (Nov 8, 2017)

I think picking colours for houses is a kinda  gray area.


----------



## swimmer_spe (Nov 9, 2017)

nealtw said:


> I think picking colours for houses is a kinda  gray area.



... well, so long as the end result is colours and not a greyscale.


----------



## nealtw (Nov 9, 2017)

You didn't have to be in the army to dislike drab green.


----------



## zepper (Nov 9, 2017)

swimmer_spe said:


> I have seen a few new model homes in my area. They all seem to be painted in various grey tones. I am ex-navy, so grey tones make me think off a ship...



LOL, that's goodyou're immune to that particular fad then.


----------



## bud16415 (Nov 9, 2017)

slownsteady said:


> There are a thousand shades of gray. if you think about it in terms of blending black and white, white being 0% and black being 100%.....battleship gray is probably about 50%. Try a 25% gray.



Actually I think white is 100% and black 0% in terms of reflecting the spectrum of light. When it comes to paint mixing and the pigments used to make gray or rather neutral gray if you mix lamp black the common black pigment with a white base titanium dioxide and view it under sun light that has a color temperature that is 6500 Kelvin, the resulting gray will have a very slight blue push. You will need to add in just a smidgen of raw umber to produce a neutral gray. 

There are a infinite number of shades of neutral gray alone ranging between white and black. The beauty of a neutral gray is just like white it reflects the full spectrum of visible light unchanged except in intensity. 

Most people dont find neutral gray to be an attractive color and there are really very few neutral grays available to select from paint cards. Almost all grays we see painted in homes has a color tint.


----------



## slownsteady (Nov 9, 2017)

Well, okay then............................


----------



## Elizabeth Lynn (May 31, 2018)

Grey is a neutral color. Some other colors such as yellow or green can be too bold for a home and are hard to pair with other aspects of your space. Grey brings a cozy and stylish look to your space. Also, it can easily be matched with most other colors.


----------



## Gary (May 31, 2018)

We painted our foyer gray. In some light it looks gray in others almost white. Painted the bedroom an even lighter shade of gray and it does the same thing, only more.


----------



## swimmer_spe (May 31, 2018)

Elizabeth Lynn said:


> Grey is a neutral color. Some other colors such as yellow or green can be too bold for a home and are hard to pair with other aspects of your space. Grey brings a cozy and stylish look to your space. Also, it can easily be matched with most other colors.



I was in the navy for 8 years. The ships are painted in various shades of grey. Not one of them feels "cozy".


----------



## Elizabeth Lynn (Jun 1, 2018)

swimmer_spe said:


> I was in the navy for 8 years. The ships are painted in various shades of grey. Not one of them feels "cozy".


Well that's because it's a different circumstance. It's hard to relate the navy to a room color for a home. Grey for a bedroom can make the room feel warm since it's a neutral color. As it says in this article from Better Homes & Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/paint/cozy-colors/ charcoal, a darker grey, can bring warmth to a room.


----------



## swimmer_spe (Jun 1, 2018)

Elizabeth Lynn said:


> Well that's because it's a different circumstance. It's hard to relate the navy to a room color for a home. Grey for a bedroom can make the room feel warm since it's a neutral color. As it says in this article from Better Homes & Gardens: https://www.bhg.com/decorating/color/paint/cozy-colors/ charcoal, a darker grey, can bring warmth to a room.



Yes, that is what they say. Any homes I have been to that have been painted in various greys makes me feel like I am back on a ship.


----------



## slownsteady (Jun 2, 2018)

But seriously, just like white walls were "in" back in the 80's. A neutral background allows you to decorate with colors that don't get overbearing. Pittsburgh seems to be inundated in purple...or yellow... bathrooms. When you walk into these rooms you get blasted with color.


----------

