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Grey colour schemes
Grey is a neutral or achromatic colour composed of black and white. You can make varying shades of grey by adjusting the colours between black and white, and even more tints if you add red or blue. This allows grey to match with almost any colour on the colour wheel, provided that you find the correct shade of grey to go with it.
It’s an excellent base and accent colour, able to both blend and stand out if so desired. A natural, almost comforting shade for many people, grey colour palettes are very popular in wallpaper, house exterior, and living room swatches. Furnishings like couches or bedroom walls will often come in shades of grey to offset other brightly coloured fixtures.
Best grey paint colours
These are some of the best shades of grey that you can pick from:
- Light grey
- Woodland grey
- Charcoal grey
- Dark grey
- Shale grey
Why these particular shades of grey? It’s because they’re neutral enough that you can use them as an accent, but not so heavily leaning towards the middle shades (like dirty grey) that they’ll overpower other colours. These shades work well with almost any colour, including other shades of grey. If you’re looking for a good guide to consult about grey colour palettes, try Dulux’s grey colours.
If you want our personal recommendations on what are the colours that go well with grey, here are combinations you can try.
Grey, white, and pink
Grey is a good contrast to the vividness of white and pink, making this combination a good choice for feature walls. Alternatively, it’s also a great palette when designing a girl’s bedroom, since the bright colours contrast nicely with the darker shades.
Dark blue and grey
Dark blue and grey work well because of how they absorb and redirect light. Grey tends to draw the eye to whatever colour is beside it, and dark blue absorbs most of the visible light that hits it. According to colour theory, people will generally prefer a visual structure that consists of a plain, analogous colour (like dark blue) with an accenting complementary colour (like grey) for colour palettes.
Pink and grey
Pink and grey work especially well together since warmer shades of pink contrast with cooler shades of grey, or vice versa. Grey is a good contrast to the exuberance of pure pink, though if viewed under harsh lighting, the shades may start to blend together.
Black, white, and grey
This combination is perfect for interior design. As a colour between black and white, grey is an excellent accent if you want a break between the two. For modern colour palettes that lean heavily on black and white, dark grey walls can signal transition and/or separation between.
Grey and cream
Grey is a modern and sophisticated colour that pairs beautifully with a bright colour like cream. It’s a good gender neutral combination for structures like a grey and white house, since men mostly prefer shady colours like black and grey, while most women like vivid, tinted colours like white and cream.
Fab, not drab
Grey may not be the most vibrant or eye-catching of colours, but it’s still a good shade to incorporate into any colour scheme. All you need to do is find the colours that go with grey, and you’ll find yourself a tasteful undertone to any decoration or outfit you may have.
