3 Ways To Incorporate Greige: Decorating With A Safe, Yet Satisfying Color Palette

In the interior decorating world, greige is a word used to define any and all combinations of gray and beige. Dubbed one of the most prized color palettes of 2014 by a popular home remodeling blog, greige colors are bright enough to meet the modern-day detest of bland, sterile-looking neutrals, but neutral enough to offer long-lasting, timeless appeal. Do you want to join the droves of interior designers and do-it-yourselfers enjoying this palette as their go-to color scheme? Read on for 3 ways you can incorporate the safe, yet sophisticated color scheme into your home design.

Understanding Greige

Greige is an extremely versatile color palette; it takes on a cool tone or a warm tone depending on the balance of gray and beige used when mixing it. When choosing a paint color, you'll want a dark shade of gray with light beige undertones mixed into it to achieve a cool color, and a light shade of gray with darker beige undertones mixed in if you want a cool color.

Don't confuse greige with taupe -- it's a common mistake. Their difference lies in the colors of their undertones. A warm greige is created by adding yellow undertones to gray paint while warm taupe is created by adding red undertones to gray paint. Cool greige is created with the addition of blue undertones to the color gray, while cool taupe is created with the addition of green undertones to the color gray. 

If all of this confuses you, just ask your hardware store clerk to verify that your chosen color is a mixture of gray and yellow or blue as opposed to a mixture of gray and red or green.

1.  Use Greige In The Bedroom To Accent Light Tones

When paired with light colors, the natural tones present in greige create a lovely, soft, romantic look that's perfect for a bedroom. Keep it warm by choosing a wall color that's a light shade of red, orange, or yellow, and then choose a shade of greige that has warm (yellow) undertones for your accents. Some easy greige accent solutions include wood blinds, vases of polished pebbles, rough-pine nightstands, and earth-toned bedding.

Bring the look together by painting a single accent wall in a matching warm greige color (think of the color of sand or chocolate). 

2.  Use Greige In Your Kitchen Or Living Room To Contrast Dark Colors

Do you have a family room or kitchen that you want to liven up? Are you sticking to bland neutral colors because you're afraid a dark color will be overkill? Go ahead and go bold; greige is great at calming dark colors down.

Pick whatever dark, bold color your heart desires, and then dull the loudness of that color by painting an accent wall in a shade of greige with cool undertones (think of the color of chrome, limestone, or dolphins). Match the accent wall color to a few couch or chair cushions and knickknacks and you've got yourself a room that pops -- but not too loudly! 

3.  Use Greige To Highlight Any Focal Point In Your Home

Do you have a piece of artwork or interior design detail that you absolutely love? Use the color greige to draw attention to it, without stealing any attention from it! Placing your prized pieces of decor against an overly-neutral background can make them stand out too much. Dark colors, though, tend to make artwork and fine details almost unnoticeable. Greige is the perfect combination of color to draw attention to a piece without making it seem like it's the only bit of color on a big, boring wall-canvas.

There's a reason why greige is trending among both professional and amateur home designers. If you've got the interior design doldrums, liven things up with one of the many safe, yet satisfying shades of greige.