Color Psychology: Decorating With Grey
Welcome back friends! It is time again for my weekly series “Decorating with Color” where I explore decorating with a specific color each week. If you missed any post in the series, here is a quick recap: decorating with Black, Green, Violet, Blue, Orange, Yellow, Brown, Pink, and Red. Today I will be exploring decorating with Grey.
Side note: Some of you might think that I misspelled the word Grey. I wondered about that after I came across several web pages who spelled it G-R-A-Y, but many more spelled it exactly like I did. So, which one is the correct spelling? I found a webpage that addressed that exact question and according to them, GREY is how it is spelled in England while GRAY is how it is spelled in America. So, they are both correct spellings. It makes sense to me now…….the English I learned during my school years in Jordan was British. That’s my excuse, and I am sticking with it! 
What is Grey?
Known as the color of wisdom (think grey hairs and old age), grey can be made by mixing black and white. Colorful shades of grey can be made by mixing the primary colors; red, blue, and yellow.
I have always felt that grey was a cold color, but then I learned that it can feel warm with the right undertone. Grey has 3 undertones {depending on the ratio of the primary colors involved in the mixing}; blue greys, purple greys, and green greys. The more yellow in the grey, the warmer it feels. For more on warm and cool Greys click here.
Psychology of Grey
Conservative
Serious
Sophisticated
Depressing
Boring
Calming but Draining of energy
For a comprehensive analysis on the psychology of Grey, click here
Harmonious color schemes with Grey?
Grey is the new neutral so it combines beautifully with other colors.
Lighter shades of grey mixed with lighter shades of other colors lead to an elegant, and calm feel.
Brighter and darker shades of grey mixed with darker and brighter colors lead to a dramatic, and energetic feel.
Here are more examples of harmonious color schemes with Grey
The key to successful decorating with Grey is coordinating the undertone of grey with the room’s color scheme. In the example below, the grey with green undertone on the kitchen cabinets complements the yellow and orange accessories in the room.
For more about decorating with Grey, Color expert Karen Haller shares great tips on using Grey in Interiors .
Would you decorate your home with Grey? Which grey undertone would you use? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
