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What Is The Greige Rage?

By September 15, 2016February 19th, 2018No Comments
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Greige is a color that was introduced or identified when grays were coming onto the decorating scene after browns were the popular neutral. Although greige has been around for a while, some people, after all the browns were feeling gray was too cold, hence greige. Why and where would greige be a good color to use in a room? Let me explain so that you understand why it might be a great neutral for a room, or for selling.

Greige is that bridge neutral to help take rooms from the 1990’s beige and brown colors into the 2000’s gray trend. If you are one of those people that feel gray is “too cold,” greige is a good bridge for you. Paint is an easy inexpensive way to update any décor. When you have a kitchen that has travertine marble and lots of brown, a greige can help you make the room look a little more updated. If you decorated last in the 90’s take a look at some greige’s because they can give your rooms a totally new look without breaking the bank.

Of course, I have to talk a little bit about buyers today, they expect homes to be pretty much ‘turnkey’ they do not want to do a lot of updating. So in comes paint color to do the trick. Neutral is important when selling because it allows buyers to look at the room, not the color on the wall, or the stuff in the room. The color can actually help accentuate the architectural details that you want to emphasize when selling.

So back to why greige can be the ideal color;  identifying some ‘ideal’ greige tones that could help you update your rooms from the 90’s to what is trending is a great way to use greige. Keep in mind it’s hard to choose just one because of the undertones in floors and counters.

Although Benjamin Moore’s Manchester Tan (HC-81) has a bit of a green undertone, it is a great neutral to bridge that gap between being too brown to updating toward gray. The color works well.HC-81 Manchester Tan

 

machester tan

As you can see it can take a traditional space and make it feel more modern. Note the colors of the slate floors, dark gray, gray and greige. Using Benjamin Moore’s Simply White for the trim give the pop to the walls, taking it from “boring beige” to simply sophisticated.

Sherwin Williams identified one of their greige as Perfect Greige SW6073. It too closes the gap between the browns to a warm gray feeling, making the room feel more modern and updated.

SW 6073 Perfect Greige
Perfect Greige

This beautiful dining room is a great example of how the warmth of the color also adds sophistication.

natural cream

This traditional kitchen the granite appears to have gray in it. The cabinets were painted in a Natural Cream Benjamin Moore OC-14 which gives the room a warmer feeling then a gray. Gray, which tends to be on the cooler scale of color.

Greige continues to be popular going forward into 2017 as Sherwin Williams choice Poised Taupe, but it really is a cross between gray and beige.

So if you are considering updating your rooms, but are not ready to rip out tile, flooring, or spend an arm and leg updating; consider color as a way to bridge the gap. Sometimes just changing your color on the walls to a more updated trending color might do the trick. Send me some pictures of your color changes and the difference it made in your rooms!

Other good reads:

Which Paint Color Is the Right One?

Eight Biggest Selling Offenders

Karen GP

Author Karen GP

Karen GrayPlaisted is the principle owner of Design Solutions KGP. She is a graduate from Pace University and The Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. Her marketing background and design sense are a perfect combination for home sellers. In the first year she began her staging business, she won the ‘Rising Star’ accolade from RESA, selected from all North American stagers, USA and Canada. In 2016 she won top Occupied Stager in the USA. Karen’s ability to educate and empower clients using simple solutions allows homeowners to transform their spaces with desirable affordable decadence.

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