Are grey walls too cold? Will it date too quickly?

[bigyellow]

We are about to paint our living room which is quite light with big windows either side. I am looking for a neutral colour which can be used as a backdrop for the rest of the room which will have more colour in the sofa, cushions etc. The curtains are harlequin kallianthi olea. www.harlequin.uk.com/DesignDetails.aspx
I like the idea of a blue grey colour on the walls but DH thinks it will look too cold. I did think it will look ok given the amount of light that's in the room anyway but am now not so sure.
Any ideas of paint colours that would work well with the curtains?

[MrsMarigold]

The link doesn't seem to work but we have a room with blue grey walls (a very pale farrow and ball) and it's quite restful but in our case the idea is nicer than the reality. However one of my friends did her walls in a greyish colour (it was more eau di nil and not farrow and ball but a similar product) the paint was called moonshine and it is lovely.

[DoNotDisturb]

We have a blue grey (crown smoulder) in our hall and I love it. It's warm and has a lovely depth to it! Go for it.

[bigyellow]

That's really helpful, thanks. I quite like farrow and ball's cornforth white but will have a look at the moonshine paint too.

[Iaintdunnuffink]

We have Dulux Grey Steel 1 in our bedroom and its a nice warm, calm grey
www.dulux.co.uk/colour/grey_steel_1

[MrsMarigold]

When I go down to the cellar I will check what Farrow and Ball it is. Good luck - it's a tricky business.

[MortifiedAdams]

DD has grey walls, and they are like a denim sort of look (in texture, if that makes any sense). Homebase's own, warm grey with white ceiling and woodwork and green accessories. It's so so lovely that we want to swap rooms

[25catsnameSam]

We have dulux potters clay which is warmer. Cool geey is nuce butvwe have a very big sitting room and it looked a tad chilly. I Suggest you get tester pots and paint various bits of your room to try different greys out, I was amazed at how much they change in different light.

[25catsnameSam]

We have dulux potters clay which is a warmer grey, Cool grey is lovely but we have a very big sitting room and it looked a tad chilly. We tried out various tester pots, I was amazed at how much the colour changes in different light.

[25catsnameSam]

Phone / edit fail

[kitsmummy]

I've used Cornforth White in my bedroom before and it was lovely - calm, soothing and not cold.

[Iaintdunnuffink]

I love the dulux potters clay :) it'd make a gorgeous living room colour.

[BananaPie]

We accidentally painted our bedroom grey (don't ask). Think it's homebase "putty". I quite like it. Bit more modern than beige tones.

[Zoelda]

Grey grey everywhere

Looks dated already

[Honesttodog]

I've been to a grey living room and i found it a bit much, a bit too depressing in winter. I would need lots of lamps and colour against it.

[Devora]

Grey has become ubiquitous but the question is, does that bother you? It is a fantastic neutral and goes so well with a whole range of other colours. If you're not going for grey, but you want neutral, what do you end up with: magnolia? White?

Anyway, if you like grey but you're worried about being a design cliche, I reckon the thing to do is to go for a very pale neutral grey that isn't too much of a statement. We have grey throughout our house but because we've gone for pale neutrals I'm not sure many people would even notice - they're more likely to notice our strong accent colours. So we have F&B strong white through most of the house, which looks white until you put it next to pure white, when it goes a really pretty soft grey. It looks really good with mustard, ochre and olive accents. I have Homebase Putty in my kitchen and bathroom and it is a lovely colour - greigey with cool creamy undertones. It looks fabulous with burnt orange, and also with blues and greens. F&B Blackened in our bedroom, a cool pale grey which looks pale blue in some lights - it is quite cold, but works with silver, plum and charcoal.

[Zoelda]

I think a very pale green looks much fresher and doesn't seem to date in the same way

I like the idea of burnt orange tho.

[staverton]

I have been wondering the same thing, as yes I think grey will date.
We have strong white in the hall and it's lovely.
I'm thinking paler shades of off white/grey with bright accents.

[itsmummynotmum]

warm grey is nice - we are in the process of doing most of the house in Dulux - called Dawn something or other but wouldn't recommend their Once paint! you can't go over bits v well.

colour is fab though - very matt and a sort of 'putty' colour (but greyer!)

[SunnyUpNorth]

We had dulux grey steel 1 in a bedroom in our last house and I loved it. We have done two rooms in our new house in dulux Just Walnut which I love, it is a kind of greige.

Have also used Egyptian cotton, also by dulux, which is nice but I prefer just walnut.

Have just painted our living room in Oval Room Blue by F&B whic is definitely a blue but can be quite murky and greyish in low light, I love it!

[noddyholder]

Grey is dated. I painted my last 2 developments grey and buyers liked it but it is very commonplace now and hard to get right if the room is badly lit.

[AnnoyingOrange]

I remember a friend of mine doing her house in grey. It was in the eighties

[Wishiwasanheiress]

If you like Kelly hoppen, or want your house to look neutral/ like a hotel or its period type then grey works very well. That's the kind of way the house update shows have used stone shades for donkeys. I don't think it's going out of fashion any time soon tbh

I'd love my house to look that clean and tidy. It won't though til my toddlers leave home.....

[staverton]

Noddyholder what would you use now?
It's interesting that the mags eg Elle deco / living etc still are into grey but to me it is already getting dated. Especially the darker colours (eg pavilion grey and maybe cornforth) with white woodwork.

[BananaPie]

Not convinced that grey is ubiquitous yet. Magnolia / variations on beige are still much more common. There aren't all that many options if you want a neutral colour!

[MerylStrop]

Mid to dark grey can be oppressive unless there is lots of natural light and will be an absolute bugger to paint over. Its also a bit try hard.

We have gorgeous light neutral grey in our front living room, and everyone always comments on how lovely it is, it is very light reflective, warm and slightly purplish in tone, we have it with creams and olive greens.