By Monique Valeris and Kelsey Kloss, ELLE DECOR
Any design scheme can benefit from a hue that's versatile enough to work well with neutrals and more playful, vibrant shades. Gray is that kind of color. Whether you're going for a sophisticated aesthetic or a more laid-back vibe, here are some of our favorite living room designs featuring shades of gray.
Park Slope Living Room
In a Park Slope, Brooklyn, townhouse, gray adds an inviting touch to a living room design featuring a sectional by Living Divani, a side table is by Jean Louis Iratzoki for Retegui, and Italian vintage sconces. The mirror and mantel are original, and the leather Simon Hasan vase is from the Future Perfect. The walls are in Paper White by Benjamin Moore.
Miami Penthouse Living Room
A striking Miami penthouse designed by Jean-Louis Deniot features a range of soothing gray tones. The sleek sofa is from Deniot’s collection for Baker in a Martyn Thompson Studio fabric. The pair of 1930s Jindrich Halabala chairs are in a JAB Anstoetz fabric, the vintage glass cocktail table is by Paul Frankl, and the gold side table is by Hervé Van der Straeten. The bronze-and-alabaster chandelier is from the 1920s and once hung in the Villa Kerylos in France, the indoor-outdoor rug is by Galerie Diurne, the artwork is by Franz Kline, and the shelf holds a Roger Desserprit sculpture (center) and a French 1940s lamp.
Contemporary Gray Living Room
In a contemporary New York City living room designed by Jamie Drake and Caleb Anderson, subdued gray sectional sofas by Avenue Road, which are covered in a Great Plains mohair, take center stage. To complement the sofas, the duo chose a pair of vintage Gio Ponti armchairs from Karl Kemp Antiques, a glass cocktail table by Fredrikson Stallard filled with feathers, a round side table by Holly Hunt Studio, a table lamp by Charles Paris and a custom rug by Tai Ping.
Family-Friendly Gray Living Room
A luxurious, yet family-friendly, Upper East Side home is outfitted with a sofa that's upholstered in an Osborne & Little fabric, 1950s armchairs by Gianfranco Frattini, a resin-top cocktail table by Jean Brand, and a1960s daybed by Geneviève Martineau-Dausset. The photographs are by Rineke Dijkstra, the striking painting is by Friedrich Kunath, and the carpet is by Beauvais.
Modern Gray Living Room
A moody Russian living room features subdued hues, including gray, for a modern vibe. Rich, silk patterned curtains add a touch of luxury to the room.
Narrow Gray Living Room
A gouache by McIntosh and a custom gray banquette outfit the sitting area of a Moroccan riad. The walls are painted in a soothing Farrow & Ball's Lamp Room Gray, and black-painted cement tiles line the floor. The cushions's cotton-canvas fabric and painted side table were found in a souk. A pendant and sconces by maisonLAB complete the space.
Cozy Gray Living Room
A fireplace and a basket of firewood lend warmth to this living room in a northern New Jersey mansion. Framed 19th-century English pressed plants line the walls, and the gray wallcovering is by Phillip Jeffries.
Georgian-Style Gray Living Room
In 1stdibs founder Michael Bruno's Tuxedo Park, New York manse, gray steals the spotlight as the living room's sophisticated hue of choice. The sofa is slipcovered in an Osborne & Little chenille, the armchairs are by Jean-Michel Frank, the 1970s cocktail table and 1940s René Prou nesting tables were found in Paris, and the Regency-style mirror is 19th-century. The rug is by Mansour Modern.
Artsy Gray Living Room
In an Upper East Side home, the living room's gray proves to be a soothing canvas for the room's pops of art. The rug is by Beauvais Carpets, the custom-made sofa is upholstered in a Larsen silk velvet and the walls are painted in Benjamin Moore's Classic Gray.
Relaxed Gray Room
Cool gray contrasts with a backdrop of warm wood and brick in this Los Angeles house. The Jens Risom lounge chair and Florence Knoll slate-and-steel cocktail table are both vintage. The sofa is Swedish, the wall sculpture is by Jason Meadows and a rug bought at a Marrakesh souk is over a Persian runner discovered at the Rose Bowl Flea Market.
Gray Living Room With Brown And Yellow
When a once-abandoned farmhouse on Sweden's Bjare Peninsula got a design-forward makeover, the living room embraced an all-gray theme-save for a few pops of playful yellow and warming brown. The gray sofas are by Claesson Koivisto Rune, the cocktail table and console are custom made, the pouf is Egyptian and the floor is lined with Douglas pine by Dinesen.
Gray And Pink Living Room
Gray and pink come together in a playful banter of patterns in this Manhattan apartment designed by Steven Gambrel. The gray rug is custom-made by Beauvais Carpets, a pair of Art Deco Swedish chairs is covered in a fabric by Mulberry Home and the cocktail table is custom-made. The paintings, from left, are by Philip Guston and Kenneth Noland.
Minimalist Gray Living Room
The wide-open living area of this understated Tuscany home is anchored by a gray Golran patchwork rug. The midcentury T chair is by William Katavolos, Douglas Kelley and Ross Littell for Laverne International, and the flooring is bleached oak.
Casual Gray Living Room
A gray abaca rug by Merida lends this New York City apartment a laid-back, playful atmosphere, and echoes the gray of the sofa covered in a linen by Christopher Farr Cloth, chevron-patterned oak floors and the steel doors and windows by Crittall.
Family-Friendly Gray Living Room
When a modern bachelor pad is transformed to accomodate family life, gray takes center stage. The ottoman is covered in a Kyle Bunting hair-on-hide leather, the photograph is by Darren Almond, the rug is alpaca and the floor lamp is vintage.
Accented Gray Living Room
A Marrakech retreat juxtaposes vibrant colors with a foundation of gray. In the living room, the cocktail tables and pendant are by maisonLAB, the plaster fireplace surround is custom made, the vintage rug is Moroccan and the painting is by Raffone.
Sultry Gray Living Room
Gray finds its place between modern and mysterious in this sultry Truckee, California home. The curved club chair by Marmol Radziner is upholstered in a cowhide by Townsend Leather. The cocktail table, dining table, and sofa and armchairs, all covered in a Zinc Textile velvet, are custom designs. A custom-made silk rug tops a polished black concrete floor.
Rustic Gray Living Room
An 1870s carriage house in Bedford, New York exudes historic charm with rustic touches-just take this living room as proof. The gray wool rug is a custom design, the sofa from Matter has cushions from Les Indiennes and Nathan Turner, and the pendant light is by Roost.
Laid-Back Gray Living Room
This Greenwich Village pied-à -terre pulls off a laid-back personality by blending charcoal gray with warm, earthy accents. The living room features a daybed by Rick Owens, armchairs by Émile-Jacques Ruhlmann upholstered in an alpaca by Perrine Rousse, and a dhurrie and striped kilim from Lawrence of La Brea.
Brown And Gray Living Room
In a glamorous West Village loft that's made for entertaining, the chic and sleek living room boasts a gray-and-brown color scheme. The 1940s club chair is by Jean-Michel Frank and, along with the 1970s Maison Jansen circular banquette, is upholstered in shearling and leather. The artwork is by Julian Opie.
Coastal Gray Living Room
This apartment in Palm Beach celebrates gray that's reminiscent of sand and sea foam on a cool day. The curtains are of a Holland & Sherry fabric, the Pierre Paulin swivel chairs are covered in a Maharam fabric and the table is by Maria Pergay.
Calm Gray Living Room
A New Jersey mansion trades expected grandeur for cool and sleek with a gray rug by Doris Leslie Blau, a dark drawing over the sofa by Catherine Jansens, and a custom-made sofa covered in a Rogers & Goffigan fabric.
Sculptural Gray Living Room
In a San Francisco home that's designed akin to a fashionable gallery, the gray living room boasts a chalky sculpture on the floor called "Odalisque I" by Manuel Neri. The floors are polished concrete and the bookcase is a custom design.
Bohemian Gray Living Room
Typically moody, modern gray takes on a bohemian personality in this New York apartment's living room. The gray Iranian rug is from Double Knot and the similarly-hued midcentury furnishings include a pair of Nanna Ditzel chairs and a Hans Wegner armchair. The sofa by Wyeth is covered in a Rogers & Goffigan cashmere.
Gray Living Room With A Pop Of Yellow
Room and room again proves that gray and yellow is the unexpected color scheme that consistently delivers charm. In Todd Alexander Romano's home, the charcoal vintage sofa is upholstered in a Clarence House velvet, and provides a moody contrast to the burst of yellow in the curtains, which are of a silk taffeta from Brunschwig & Fils.
Danish Gray Living Room
