Grey living room ideas: gorgeous ways to use grey

Grey living room ideas: gorgeous ways to use grey

On the hunt for some gorgeous grey living room ideas? Well, you are in the

On the hunt for some gorgeous grey living room ideas? Well, you are in the right place because grey just happens to be our fave colour to decorate our homes with, as well as everyone else’s it seems.

Whether you are a lover of cool-toned greys that work amazingly in minimal Scandi-style interiors or you are embracing the dark side with a deep charcoal grey to create an enveloping cosy living room, we’ve covered all the different shades and how to style them…

Looking for more living room ideas? Don’t miss our hub page. 

1. Layer up different grey tones

Modern rustic grey living room from John Lewis

Living room by John Lewis

(Image credit: John Lewis)

Use just one shade of grey and your room can feel flat and dull so it’s important to layer the shades, one on top of the other. Start with a base layer, a grey that really inspires you, and add different shades through furniture, soft furnishings and accessories. 

This John Lewis Croft sofa is deep and dark and works well against the backdrop of dark wall and cooler grey living room flooring. The grey throws and grey cushions in add texture too.

2. Get the lighting right in a grey living room 

Neptune grey living room

(Image credit: Neptune )

Grey is one of those colours that can completely change under different lights, so picking the perfect lighting for your space is important. As a general rule, the cooler the tone you choose, the warmer the lighting should be – think about the room at night, you’ll still want it to feel cosy and welcoming despite the cool grey colour scheme. Pick out lamp shades that give of a yellowish glow and always go for warm/soft white bulbs. 

Pick out different sources of light too. As with any living room, you’ll want to think about having a few different sources that all do different jobs. Typically you’ll want to cover ambient lighting (soft lighting usually from a pendant or wall lights), task lighting (stronger, focused lights) and accent lighting (soft, but still focused lights that highlight certain areas of your room). 

For more tips on living room lighting, head to our guide. 

3. Choose grey living room furniture 

Grey living room storage

Bookcase from Cuckcooland, find similar stools at Maison du Monde

(Image credit: Cuckooland)

Don’t limit your love affair with grey to just wall colour, if you love this hue consider new furniture pieces in this shade to add a modern edge to your living room. Storage units are a great way to add in grey, and particularly good when you don’t want wood or white melamine. 

This bookcase from Cuckcooland also has a fold down desk making it perfect for a small home office in your living room. 

Check out more living room storage ideas. 

Pink and grey living room with metallic accessories

(Image credit: lustliving.co.uk)

There’s nothing so glamorous as some beautiful gold accessories which, of course, pair well with a base palette of greys. Use different grey shades layered throughout the living room for your neutral backdrop, retaining the focus on the metallics and any other colour you choose to introduce. Keep it soft or add bold, bright accents; just ensure they don’t detract from the shine and sparkle of your metals. 

Olivia, Blogger at Lust Living, has the most stunning living room pairing Cloud Burst from Crown Paints on the walls with some beautiful gold metallics. Gold coffee table is West Elm.

5. Create the perfect backdrop with grey living room walls

Grey living room with grey walls, grey cushions and grey throw

(Image credit: Urban Avenue)

With its charm and appeal lying in the ability to offer the best neutral base for interior décor, grey is the ideal shade with which to decorate your living room walls. Using a grey wallpaper or paint won’t intrude on the brighter accent colours if you use them; darker greys give them depth; paler greys help them to pop. 

Check out more of our favourite paint colour schemes for living rooms if you are still in need of inspiration. 

6. Warm things up with greige 

Grey living room by Cult furniture

(Image credit: Cult furniture )

We will confess, we have previously mocked greige and what we liked to think of as its blandness, but alas, we have grown to love this neither grey nor brown nor beige colour and think we owe it an apology. So, sorry greige. 

It’s actually a perfect warm toned colour that was made for living rooms! We love how it’s been styled in this living room with splashes of sage green and pale mustard yellow. So what is the perfect greige shade? Well we recommend Farrow and Ball Stony Ground.  

7. Try a monochrome colour scheme in a living room

Monochrome living room

(Image credit: Cult Furniture)

Black and white doesn’t have to be a boring combination – when teamed with different layers of grey, it can look exceptionally striking. Use a deep grey on your living room walls, and then mix in plenty of  black and white accessories to get the full impact of this dramatic scheme. 

8. Choose a simple (but chic) grey sofa

Grey living room with rug by Designers Guild and sofa by Sweet Pea and Willow

(Image credit: Sweet Pea and Willow)

We all love on-trend colourful sofas but sometimes we want to keep it simple and uncomplicated. That’s where a grey sofa really comes into its own. It suits all styles of living room, from country cottage to industrial to contemporary, and anything in between. Give it some life and add a few strong accent colours or simply layer your greys for a more monotone feel. 

Need some help finding your perfect sofa, grey or otherwise? We’ve put together the ultimate guide to choosing a sofa. 

9. Add drama with a dark grey living room 

Orange sofa in black living room by Vanessa Arbuthnott

(Image credit: Vanessa Arbuthnott)

If you’re not one to shy away from being bold and daring, then go for a dark grey scheme in your living room. Painted on the walls and even the ceiling too it can act as a striking basis for bright colours and rock and roll décor. You’ll need to get your living room lighting right to make the space useable at night, but these darker charcoals make a room feel exceptionally moody and atmospheric. 

Love this look? Check our more of these dark and atmospheric decorating ideas. 

10. Counteract cool tones with mustard

Soft light grey in a living room with alcoves and glam touches

(Image credit: Kimberly Duran)

Greens and botanical prints work effortlessly with grey tones as shown here in this bright, light, grey and yellow living room. The homeowner has paired a subtle shade of grey with golds and greens allowing the features to shine, with a bold print that doesn’t impinge on the lighter feel of the space. 

Kimberly, from blog Swoon Worthy has used Dulux Dusted Moss 2 on the walls and accented the space with a yellow tub chair by Oliver Bonas and a gold sunburst mirror from eBay.

We have loads more green living room decorating ideas if you are after more inspiration. 

11. Mix soft grey with pretty pastels

Pink and grey living room with black and white prints

(Image credit: Arianna Trapani)

Use soft warm greys and mix them with pastels for a pretty colour living room scheme. Prevent it from feeling too sweet and sugary by accenting with darker, moodier shades seen here with black and white cushions and dark wood table. The result is a calm living room suitable for the whole family. 

Blogger, Arianna, has created a sumptuous, cosy space packed full of texture and warmth. The wool throw is from The Future Kept; art work from Desenio; and a selection of cushions including pretty pink ones.

If you love the look of this pink and grey living room, go and have a look at these pastel decorating ideas for more ways to work candy hues into your home. 

12. Make dark grey feel warm and cosy

Monochrome living room with large wooden coffee table, cow print rug and leather sofa

(Image credit: Kasia Fiszer)

If you opt for a darker, charcoal grey on your walls yet don’t want the living room to feel all doom and gloom, lighten the space by using white based art work. Include pops of colour through your soft furnishings and make the most of your cosy feel by adding layers of sheepskins for warmth and texture. 

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