How To Warm Up A Gray Room
Jan 10th 2019
If, like us, you LOVE gray but sometimes it leaves you feeling cold and well, slightly depressed, then this post is for you!
Shown Above: Two-Color Hiser Handmade Tile in Slate Gray & Black Watercolor
One of the questions we're most often asked by clients is if they should choose a warm colored tile to combat the chill of an otherwise gray (or sometimes white) kitchen or bathroom. If the cabinets are a warm gray, then we're all for it. Warm grays look great with soft off-whites and creamy grout colors. However, pairing a warm white tile with a cool gray cabinet could look mismatched and will probably drive you crazy.
Our best advice for warming up a gray kitchen, bathroom (or any room for that matter) is simple -Choose your accessories wisely! Here are our top 4 tips for doing just that:
1. Warm Up With Wood
Shown Above: Cobham Handmade Tile in Slate Gray
One simple trick cozy up a gray space is to accessorize with wood - You could do this by installing a permanent fixture like hard wood floors or butcher block countertops, or by adding something as simple as a wooden bowl or vase.
White rooms can suffer the same fate as their gray counterparts, and wooden accents work just as well here to add warmth as shown in the white kitchen below.
Shown Above: Cobham Handmade Tile in Latte
2. Plants Are Your Friends
Whether it's a house plant or cut flowers, plants can bring any space to life.
Shown Above: Cobham Handmade Tile in Slate Gray
3. Get Brassy
Swap out your stainless steel hardware for brass. Yeah, that's right. We said it. BRASS. Yes, we were alive in the 90s. However, today's brass fixtures are growing on us and look especially nice with grays of all kinds.
Don't want to go quite that far? Try adding gold accents like in the photo below for a similar effect.
Shown Above: 3x6" Handmade Subway Tile in Light Gray & Satin Silver
4. Try adding color!
Gray looks best as a backdrop for other colors. Adding a colorful painting, a patterned rug, or even something as simple as decorative towels in your kitchen can make a big difference in how the space feels.
Shown Above: Damask Handmade Tile in Steel Gray