To redo my house from scratch because of the 'grey' fad?

[StormcloakNord]

DH and I just moved into a new(ish) house. Built in 2014 and the decor is very new and clean etc. Problem is everything, and I mean everything is grey. Grey walls, grey carpet, grey bathrooms and grey kitchen.

It's depressing. We have plans to move out of this house in about 5 years time but we're about to spend a couple thousand redoing everything. Carpets/walls/furniture.

Are we BU? Is the grey thing going to stick around for years and we've wasted money putting everything back to neutral?

It’s horrid. I couldn’t live like it.

If you are moving out in 5 years time, and if everything is pretty clean and new, then I wouldn't waste thousands changing carpets. If I was staying I would probably convert to wood floor, but selling in 5 years? I would paint some of the walls, put some lovely feature wallpaper up here and there and then go for décor in soft furnishings - at least you know that the grey that is left will fit with it. Save the money for your new house!

Grey goes with everything so easy to brighten it up, but too much is too much. I would leave fixtures and fittings but change paint and soft furnishing. Sell what you can or donate.

I hate the grey carpets most of all. They make everyone's home look like a council office in the 1970s. If you can't afford to change it put down rugs and repaint the walls. Grey is grim. People think it looks cool and Scandi. it just looks dull and depressing.

We bought our house 3 years ago, we renovated it and had it decorated/carpeted in grey, it was a running joke with my husband (he didn't like the grey, but well you know likes a quiet life), he did draw the line at a grey front door lol! We are looking to move in 5 years or so, so if you are selling give us a shout .

On a serious note can't you just paint/wallpaper the rooms to put a bit of colour in? I wouldn't be ripping out perfectly good carpets, bathrooms etc if you aren't going to be staying there any length of time.

YABVU. Cream is not neutral. It’s horrid. Even worse than grey. It doesn’t go with anything except brown.

Change the grey because you don't like it, not because of decor trends.

I lived for 14 years, in my last house, with a navy blue livingroom carpet which I hated because it showed up all the muck. Since moving, navy blue carpet has been all over Pinterestagram. I'll not be getting it fitted in this house. I can imagine that the officey charcoal grey carpet that i see in so many houses on rightmove is equally bad for showing up every single crumb that lands on it and not even attractive, to boot.

I have a grey house, I love it. It's not void of soul or life or taste and it's not boring to me it's just not to your taste

Op, keep what you can live with, change what you can't. Add colour in and enjoy your new home!

I dislike the grey fad intensely. We moved into our new place this year and the previous tenant (HA property) had painted every single bloody wall dark grey. It took ages to repaint, even using the Deluxe One Coat stuff. It was so dull and dreary, and it really 'darkened' the whole flat. Even the carpets are a weird greyish/brown mix. Unfortunately, it'll be a good while before I can afford to replace those, but I have at least been able to redecorate, which has brightened the whole place up!

If the kitchen, bathroom and carpets are new, OP, it would be horribly wasteful to replace them. You'd be pissing money straight down the drain. I'd certainly redecorate and add colour with accessories, but only do what you absolutely have to.

I assume the bathroom suite is white and it’s the tiles that are grey? Could you retire the walls - not hugely expensive? Lovely colourful rugs could ass some personality. If the kitchen is all grey cabinets could you just change the doors?

Paint the rooms different colours - lots will go with the grey carpets.

The grey fad absolutely bemuses me. I mean it's not even nice; grey is ugly and depressing. Why would you pick grey into a world of lovely colours?

But even if grey was lovely, the why would you pick exactly the same as everyone's else?

I swear 75% of houses on our street have front doors in that cottagey grey green that was first popular about 10 years ago. I mean fair enough, as a colour it's okay, if a bit nondescript. But surely you'd look around and think, "Hmm I like that but everyone seems to have it. What else could I pick?"

I think this fad for grey is bloody awful. I know a few people who have grey and navy (and even dark blue bleh!) throughout the house. Even the hall stairs and landing, and I think it's awful.

I would paint it all over tbh.

Cream goes with nothing but beige?
www.tripadvisor.co.za/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g209947-d3942963-i86453617-Gullivers_Galley_Cafe-Carrickfergus_County_Antrim_Northern_Ireland.html

my-house-my-home.com/2013/02/26/cream-walls-peacock-blue-decor/

And cream can do a lot to make even a cold grey look less uninviting.
winbackrespect.org/content/440/Luxury-Grey-And-Cream-Living-Room-Ideas-Property

Blanche - I thought exactly the same thing about an instagram
Account - was it called something like
mrs Hinch? I thought all the pix were in black and white too cos every flipping room was a cold battleship grey with silver accessories everywhere. Hideous!! Looked like no one lived there and completely
Impersonal However I think that pale/ dove grey can look lovely in moderation and is a good neutral which goes well with so many
Colours - blue/ navy/ pink/ orange/ black/ green white/ etc. OP I'd keep the carpets / and repaint some of the rooms
But maybe keep the grey in a couple to save cash and as PP have said inject colour with curtains/ blinds/ throws/ art work/ rugs and cushions.

I would not be able to tolerate a grey house, especially at this time of the year. It's bad enough that so much of the winter months are spent in a state of loitering grey dullness.

I don't give a stuff about interior fashion. I chose colours for rooms depending on what suits them and the light coming in, mainly various pastels, but some bolder colours in rooms bright enough to take them.

We had to redecorate the cave lounge within months of moving in because it was a hidous brown that looked like someone had an unfortunate accident with a food blender, a vat of hot chocolate and a 70s inspired feature wall. It was like living in a tunnel.

The house was presented in a modern, "stylish" way. We couldn't wait to get it looking like a real home. We saw through styling and superficial poor quality cover ups because we saw the potential in the structure and spaces. Decorate to make you happy because few people will be genuinely happy to walk in and leave it as it is. Add in 5 years of wear and tear, and it won't be on trend or optimum condition anyway, so why put up with it. A bit different on expensive room such as kitchens and bathrooms (still tolerating our grey, but reasonable bathroom several year later), but paint jobs on rooms like the lounge and bedrooms are well worthwhile for preserving your sanity.

We had our house completely done about three years ago. I'm pleased to say no grey and nothing "on trend". It still looks bloody lovely and timeless. We won't do it again until we absolutely have to. Interiors are my passion but I really don't like "fashion" for houses. Wasteful and expensive.

Can I interest anyone in a moustache shaped mirror?

What did you do Charlotte?

I do find myself getting sucked into trends

YANBU. I couldn't live with that either.
Five years would be far too long to live with décor that depresses you.

Our lounge is all white. I prefer to change colour by changing curtains, rugs and cushions for a pop of colour. Also use coloured hue bulbs to wash the walls in certain places so can change colours that way.

I don't mind grey. Glitter walls bother me though. Can't help but think you must spend half your life vacuuming.

I’m considering selling my property and I painted all the bedrooms white and decorated them with lovely artwork

I would keep the carpets and furniture if it's nice and just paint the walls some proper colours, not neutrals/pastels.
Much cheaper and it can actually look really good when you use bold colours.

I couldn't live in a grey house for five years.

Go with what you like instead of worrying about fads. Grey can look very stylish if done properly.

Oh thank goodness it's not just me. Went to look at a newly refurbished property and it's all grey. Dark wet wintry afternoon. But the kitchen all hand painted what on poster described as battle shop grey. My friend looked at me and said the prooerty was the sort of thing she was looking for but could it be repainted? She ended up putting an offer in on a traditional house with part wall paper and lighter paints. Not at all what she set out to buy.

7Days We went classic I suppose. I love wallpaper (neutral colours, small patterns) - whole rooms, not just one wall. One was a heritage pattern from a 100 year old design. It cost cost a bleedin' fortune - hence it won't be getting replaced any time soon!