To want to know, what is the new 'grey'?

[ForeverInADay]

Inspired shamelessly by a thread I just read BUT if painting whole houses grey (I am almost guilty of doing planning this) will soon be out of fashion, much as white and before that, magnolia - what do you think the new grey will be?!

I have over half a house left to paint but zero artistic flare! If I'm left to my own devices it will all go grey as I like my calm grey kitchen and living room. Now I think I may need saving from myself!

Help Mumsnet?!

Oh bollocks - I’ve had teal long before it was fashionable and now it will look like all the other houses

I painted my house grey in 1998. Loved it, I think there was only Dulux dove grey available.

Everyone else hated it when I told them. It’ll be like living with bare concrete, it’ll be cold, dingy, miserable and depressing.

Now I’m desperately trying to avoid grey and not managing because there’s not much choice with tiles etc. Shame because if it wasn't so fashionable and therefore likely to date terribly I’d love to go grey again!

Gutted about teal,I have a lot including some expensive curtains. I'll be raging if it looks school in a few years.

My very fashion conscious disaster is decorating her new house with a lot of white and terracotta.

*very fashion conscious sister

I am sticking to white. Brilliant white. Doesn’t have to be matched up and it goes with everything.
There is no way I would paint anything in my house teal (green) I hate green

Nobody else has mentioned it, but I think pure brilliant white is the next thing. Bright and opposite of all the darkness. Either accessorised with lots of bright colours in cushions, sofas, pictures.... Or with lots of light wood, natural, calming beiges and muted greens and blues. But plain bright white walls.

That sounds like the alternative, Habitat style 70s

Honestly, I don’t pay any attention to this at all. I just go for what I love.

My inspiration is Lorelai Gilmore

Lounge is a pale mahogany wood with a floral pattern tile on the borders. Pale primrose yellow walls. Natural colour sofa and accessories.

My bedroom is pale cornflower blue walls with a ditzy floral frilly broderie anglais quilt and - white with cornflower blue and coral flowers. The main theme of the room is pale blue, coral and white.

Guest rooms dusky pink and beige and blush pink, white and grey. Grey and white bathroom that was already there when I moved in.

Kitchen is country style (no high gloss) cream units and duck egg blue metro tiles and cream walls.

My friends are all “show home” style - greys and whites and everything matchy matchy and that’s lovely but I want my house to feel like my home. I know my taste won’t be everyone’s taste but life’s too short to feel obliged to decorate according to whatever the trend is. Go with what you love.

I’ve lusted over Laura Ashley, Emma Bridgewater and Cath Kidston tat for too many years to go for the Narnia look as soon as I could afford my own home, even if means my house doesn’t match or fulfil the trends.

Go for what you love. If it happens to be on trend then that’s just a happy coincidence.

Similarly, I had to hunt for duck egg in 2002 and pay £££ for things- 3 years later it was everywhere. In 2006 I went for sage in the dining room/ kitchen and everyone said it was drab- until they all started using it 5 years later. I've had a dark teal/blue/ grey colour on the walls and skirting in the living room for 9 years (keep repainting it because I love it) and now it's everywhere. Did DS3's room in navy 3 years ago- then it exploded in popularity. Bathroom from 3 years ago is grey (dark) and hall (french grey) and they're staying , I really don't care. Well, the hall needs to stay as it's bloody tall and goes over 2 floors- not changing that!

I love the sludgy pinks around right now but I couldn't do terracotta/ cream, I'd feel i was back in my flat circa 1995! (I had fleur de lys shapes stencilled round the living room in dark green to match the dark green and burgundy tartan curtains. I thought it was amazing!

Thanks woodhill

OP, even if you aren't artistic or design-minded, why not just look around for pics of rooms that you like? Say you really love cosy, warm dining rooms - just google them and scroll through. To me a house of a grey sounds very cold (though I know it is fashionable). My favourite colours are pretty specific and I use those. It's you who needs to enjoy your home :-)

@NurseButtercup

This is what Dulux said:

www.dulux.co.uk/en/dulux-colour-year-2021

This is what ideal home said:

www.idealhome.co.uk/news/crown-colour-trends-257784

This is what farrow and ball said:

www.idealhome.co.uk/news/farrow-and-ball-colours-2021-trends-255342

If you like grey - go with grey.

Haha, my living room is the same colour as the Dulux one (although it’s actually Farrow and Ball ‘Savage Ground’), I did it 4 years ago and am just considering painting over it as I’m bored of it!

I have different colours in most rooms. Hall, stairs and landing are Egyptian Cotton (a greige). Office is dark green. Kids rooms are turquoise and pink respectively. Babies nursery is pale grey. Kitchen is white. Dining room same colour as living room. Our bedroom is a sort of blush pink. Bathroom dark blue. En suite a lighter blue. I have no palette, just colours we like.

Why not go for what appeals to you?

You can rarely go wrong with white so long as its done tastefully with the right accessories. And so long as it suits the property - for example a rustic old cottage is never going to suit all white. But most new builds, apartments etc - white is best.

Grey is dated. Navy will be dated soon.

Surprised at posters suggesting mustard - that's more dated than grey!

You can rarely go wrong with white so long as its done tastefully with the right accessories. And so long as it suits the property - for example a rustic old cottage is never going to suit all white

I’ve just moved into a stone built cottage c.18 something. It’s currently painted in “builders leftovers”, yellowy beige, psychiatric green, with pale blue on the odd wall here and there.

I’m going to paint it all white to give me a blank canvas, going to try and find a chalky white, but jeez there are several million shades of white now! Most heading into the grey category.

Can’t tell the difference until I get them home. Costing me a fortune in testers.

I think the next colour will be something that goes with everything
Brown and maroon are brave choices

I did live in an old cottage and white was perfectly fine.
I think anything darker would have looked dingy

Don’t get the cottages don’t suit white comment

Bugger. I've just done a room in teal.

Stockholm white - doesn't get more scandi than that. It is a classic though but might be a fad in the UK

Horrible red kitchens

I thought navy/mustard/teal had been and gone a good five years ago when every other wall seemed to be either Hague or Inchyra blue.
Pink and green seemed to be everywhere fairly recently, so I think they must be on the way out now too.

psychiatric green

That's pure Farrow and Ball. :o

I know I'm going to be a misery for saying this but please can people think twice about changing accessories to fit in with trends? Its so bloody wasteful. My friend has just redecorated. All the duck egg tat is going to charity (or the incinerator because the shops aren't open) but if its not on trend who will buy it? You can buy accessories that will match any colour scheme and keep them for much longer.

I don't think I've been in an old cottage that wasn't mostly painted white!

Having said above that grey is very dated, dark blues and greens and are about to be dated and pure brilliant white is the next thing...
I should maybe also say that I think it's best to choose a colour that you love!

My kitchen is bright cornflower blue with light grey units
My bedroom is bright yellow
My living room is a combo of Nancy's Blushes ( light pink) and Downpipe ( almost black).
My DC recently requested the brightest Jaffa cake orange ever in their room and I love it.

Go with what you like and it won't date as fast because it'll be more unique to you.

I don't know if it's fashionable but I love turquoise