What are you — Are you a gray person or a beige person?
As a home remodel designer, the first thing I like to determine with my clients is whether they prefer gray or beige. This doesn’t mean we aren’t going to use color, but our design needs a starting point or backdrop to guide our design. Most clients tend to lean one way or the other based on their style of home, other colors they may have picked out, etc. Whichever tone is most popular at the time — and there is always one that is trendier — shouldn’t determine your selection. Both gray and beige are timeless colors and will stand the test of time.
Finding Complementary Colors
If you want to feature brighter colors in a room with décor or furniture, then gray is color’s best friend. Gray makes it very easy to change up a room’s color palette, and gray really helps colors pop and stand out — especially when using it up against other dark grays.
However, don’t misunderstand, beige gets along very well with color, too! If you were to use darker browns with the beige, it opens up the opportunity to use additional colors because the darker brown is so vibrant. If you are wanting color from a different color palette (like light blues, soft oranges, or lighter or darker greens), then a beige undertone is the way you want to go. Remember, beige always loves a good contrast! Beige helps warm up a room, so you will probably want to go with wood tones if you like a lot of beige. Fixtures in the oil rubbed bronze finish look nice with beige because they provide a beautiful contrast. You will probably want more of a creamy marble type countertop as well.
Gray does not necessarily mean your renovated home is going to feel cold. Gray comes in so many different hues and temperatures. There are plenty of gray neutrals out there to help your home stay warm and cozy. Just make sure you choose grays with the same undertones (blue, purple, green). If you start venturing out on this, your grays will not match throughout the room.
Gray is nice to use if you like black furniture or accents, and stone textures work well with gray. There are many different stones like Carrara Marble or even slate that work with gray. Stone is a natural material and it will be trendier at times, but like gray and beige, it will never go out of style.
If you’re ready for a bathroom renovation, kitchen remodel or home update, stop by our showroom in Alachua. I’ll be happy to help you pick out your favorite hue of gray or beige to begin your home improvement adventure!
