Do you have gray walls or a plan to paint your walls gray? Are you wondering what bedding goes with gray walls? There are many color possibilities to make your sleeping space beautiful.
Introduction: Decorating with Gray
Gray is an excellent color choice for a bedroom. It has several properties that lend themselves well to a desirable bedroom atmosphere. This article will explore the wide range of bedding that goes with gray walls. If you’re planning on painting your bedroom gray or moving into a new place with gray walls and want to work with what you have, consider our advice.
For this article, we looked at interior decorating trends around the internet and took a deep dive into the fascinating topic of color theory. Gray is a neutral color, so it can pair with any color quite nicely, but some grays go better with some colors than others.
When building this list, we had to consider the unique place that bedrooms hold in the home. People tend to make different choices for their bedroom than for other rooms. The bedroom is a more personalized space instead of a strictly practical one. Lots of emotion and creativity fuel the decorating process for the bedroom.
Our goal is to offer a list that doesn’t tell you what to do, but instead gives you inspiration and ideas that would be a starting point for where your heart might take you. Ideally, you can take and adjust our suggestions based on your personal aesthetic to create a space that’s just right for you.
More Info: The Beauty of Gray
If the shelves at your local home decor store are any indicator, gray is a popular color choice for interior fashions. Once considered a plain, dull, or even depressing color, gray has come into favor as one of the top go-to colors used to create a posh, calm, and relaxing scheme.
What’s so alluring about gray? Whenever we evaluate a color, we need to look at the feelings it evokes. Gray has a unique vibe that is different from the other neutral colors that have been popular over the years. Here are some key points concerning the emotions and mental associations with the color gray
- Balance: It is a mix of light and darkness that homeowners can manipulate and accessorize to fit any mood and harmonize with various colors. First and foremost, gray is a balanced color. The two “non-colors” on the spectrum — white and black — combine to create gray.
- Intellect: Gray represents logic and intelligence, making it a good choice for a home library or a reading nook in a bedroom.
- Calm: Gray — specifically mid- to light-gray — is a calming color that brings a sense of ease and well-being. Its tranquil nature is due to its evenness of light and dark. White can be overly bright and harsh, while people often perceive black as a sad or menacing color. Gray is practical and “quiet.”
- Luxury: Gray can be a luxurious color. Many high-end, modern homes and hotels use gray as their neutral base color. Gray is a good background color for displaying sparkling jewels, silver, and gold. The associated richness is why jewelers often use gray for the backdrop in their cases and boxes.
- Urban Innovation: Most cities are full of the color gray. Bridges, skyscrapers, and subways are all some form of gray, as are many pieces of factory and office equipment. For that reason, gray can project a sophisticated and practical urban lifestyle.
What We’ll Cover
Get ready to take an in-depth look at eight colors that go well with gray walls. Here’s a quick overview for those who want to skip ahead:
Moving Forward
As you can see, gray is a versatile color that you can use in combination with others to evoke various feelings and styles. Understanding the different types of gray can help you make the most of your color palettes and choose the best bedding for gray walls.
The Many Faces of Gray
Like any color, gray comes in many different shades and undertones. Homeowners should take them into consideration when deciding on which colors to put together with gray. Not all grays look best with all the colors on this list. The risk of combining some colors is that your room will look uninviting.
Cool grays are tones of gray that have a bluish or purplish undertone, while warm grays have a slightly yellow or pink undertone. See the photo below for an example.
Basic color theory says that colors opposite each other on the color wheel complement each other. For example, if your walls are a blue-based gray, you’ll find that orange (or orange-leaning colors) make your sleeping space look balanced and “right.”
Neutral grays are simply a mix of black and white with no specific undertone. These shades of gray can be lighter or darker depending on the balance of black vs. white. You can pair neutral gray with any hue.
You’ll also want to brush up on color theory, which describes how designers can combine colors to great effect.
Gray and Red
Red and gray are a classic combination. The juxtaposition of a subdued color like gray with a bright, bold shade like red is a strong choice with a masculine air.
This color combo is frequently used in both school sports teams and military uniforms because it brings to mind the balance of discipline and passion needed for successful competition. Graphic artists also use it in logo design for banks, investment firms, and other high-end businesses. If you’re using gray and red in your bedroom, you can create a sense of luxury and sensuality.
Homeowners can use red boldly or subtly, depending on the look they’re trying to achieve. Whether on its own or in striped or geometric patterns, a bright crimson red stands out brightly against a classic gray for a sleek, contemporary style.
More of a traditional type? You may want to opt for a darker or muted red, like maroon or cranberry in a plaid or floral pattern that also features gray. The greenish tones of “greige” colors go well with these muted reds and lend themselves well to cozy, traditional looks.
Gray and Blue
Designers love blue and gray combinations. The colors flow naturally together and allow for many different varieties. The first things that a blue and gray pairing calls to mind are the elements of water and sky, which is why people use these shades so often in nautical decorating schemes.
Blue is one of the best colors that go with gray walls. This is especially true of deeper blues that mimic the blues of sunset. Blue and gray are a natural choice for a bedroom because many consider blue a tranquil, relaxing hue.
One of the loveliest ways to match up blue with gray is to use a dark, cool gray (like gunmetal) with a light-sky blue. Conversely, you can use a soft pearl-gray wall with a dark navy blue for another nice contrast.
Mixing several blues with one base gray is also an aesthetic effect. Designers often utilize white because it seems to belong in this scheme, whether it’s meant to represent the clouds or the white caps of waves. The great part about the color white is its ability to act as a base for other colors.
Gray and Orange
Oranges are among the most energetic colors on the color wheel. People associate orange with passion, heat, appetite, joy, fun, and enthusiasm. It is a color steeped in symbolism. The mix of orange with gray is an eye-catching one that individuals often use in modern interior decorating schemes, particularly when going for an industrial look. That’s not to say you have to stick with that style when using gray and orange together.
You have many options in how you want to mix your orange color with gray walls. Keep in mind that blue and orange are complementary colors. So, if your walls are a blue-based gray, they will probably look nice with orange bedding. Whether you want to go for a bright orange, a muted peachy tone or a deeper rust tone is totally up to you.
Gray and Yellow
Yellow and gray are another color combo that blends a joyful sunny hue with one that exudes calm composure. This combination can bring to mind bright yellow raincoats or happy daffodils on the backdrop of a cloudy spring sky. You can attain so many looks when using yellow with gray walls.
Bright, primary yellow bedding can look impressive with standard gray or violet-based gray walls. If you feel like a solid yellow creates too much energy for a sleeping space, you can use a print that features small amounts of yellow or add yellow accent pillows instead.
There are other ways to create a relaxed look with yellow. If your walls are more taupe-gray, you can accessorize with pale buttery yellows for an understated, almost monochromatic look.
Gray and Green
Green is a color associated with peace, fertility, prosperity, and nature. When we see green, we think of trees, plants, and grass, which puts us in the relaxed mindset of being in the great outdoors. This seems like a perfect color for bedding that goes with gray walls because it creates a haven of tranquility and rest.
Gray and green look fabulous together in rooms with many hanging plants or rooms with a country house vibe.
Unfortunately, many people feel like green and gray don’t blend well together visually, but when done correctly, they absolutely can. Since you mostly see it in living rooms, it’s not a typical color combo for bedrooms. With proper creativity and accessories, you can make the combination work.
When choosing green bedding that goes with gray walls, undertones are critical. If your walls are a standard gray or have a bluish undertone, you’ll want to stick with blue-based greens like teal or aqua.
Homeowners can use bright greens with classic pearl gray walls, but a gray with a slightly pink undertone can make that emerald or kelly green pop! For taupe or tan-gray walls, go for muted greens like forest green, olive, or loden.
Gray and More Gray
Let’s talk monochrome. Monochromatic color schemes take some of the guesswork out of decorating, but you still have to make crucial decisions about combining various shades and tones of the same hue.
When working with a gray color palette, one accessory of the wrong shade or undertone can throw the room’s entire look off-balance. However, a few basic guidelines can help lead you to the perfect bedding scheme.
In general, it’s best to choose a gray with the same undertone and decorate using various shades in that color family. If your walls are pearl gray, you might do well with heather gray bedding and some medium-neutral gray accessories. These recommendations may seem tedious, but a monochromatic gray room can look luxurious and striking.
Adding texture to your decorating plan can help keep your monochromatic color scheme from looking bland. Gray bedding that goes with gray walls comes in a wide variety of styles. You can add accessories, tasseled bed skirts, knitted or chenille pillows, or lace trim to break up the visual monotony that can sometimes happen when using a single color.
Also, feel free to use small amounts of color that aren’t gray. Usually, in a gray monochromatic color scheme, the safest way to add visual diversity while still technically staying monochrome is to add hints of black and white. Black or white borders or piping on bedding and pillows can strategically break up the sea of gray while still incorporating the colors of gray.
Gray and Pink
Gray and pink are a sweet, innocent combination with an element of class. This feminine combination looks lovely in a glam room with a Hollywood bed and vintage vanity.
Do you have a cottage-style room? Gray and pink can shine there with a cozy floral comforter and plush pillows. Gray and pink is also an adorable scheme for a little girl’s room. Pink stripes, polka dots, or even solid pink fuzzy blankets and pillowcases can create a space fit for a princess.
Most shades of pink can pair with gray. Dusty pink or pearl pink shines next to walls with a blue-based gray. If you have taupe-gray walls, a shell or coral pink can create the warm glow of a luxurious tropical resort.
Neutral gray can handle just about any shade of pink, but some people prefer to go bold and use a bright, intense magenta pink with it. Mixing various pinks with various grays can be a lot of fun too.
Gray and Purple
Want to create a low-key, chill environment for your bedroom? Then gray and purple might be the color scheme for you. These two colors seem to go together so naturally that you barely have to think about it.
Many people associate the color purple with royalty and creativity, so it’s perfect for someone who wants to rise to the top of their creative field. If you have your office in your bedroom, your gray and purple color palette might help you stay calm and inspired as you work.
Color theory tells us that taupe grays generally look better with red-heavy purples like plum, while neutral and blue-grays pair nicely with cooler blue-based purples. However, it’s not uncommon to see rather eclectic mixes of purples and grays that work beautifully. With so much room to play and invent, purple is one of the best colors that go with gray walls.
A Word About Silver
It’s crucial to remember that silver is also a form of gray. It’s gray in metallic form, and it complements plain gray nicely. You can use silver elements in just about any color palette for bedding that goes with gray walls.
Touches of silver in a gray wallpaper can make a wall pop. Shimmery silver rhinestone pillows or throws with silvery threads are also gorgeous additions to your bedding. The best part is because silver is gray, you can use it in combination with any of the color palettes mentioned above to add sparkle and pizzazz.
Closing Thoughts
Did you find the information in this article helpful? Hopefully, the suggestions inspired you and you’re ready to decorate your bedroom with colors that go with your gray walls. In addition to the handful of photos found in this piece, it’s a good idea to look up color pairings on your own and visit a paint store for color swatches you can take home.
