COLOR WATCH – GREY IS THE NEW GRAY!

Photo: Reid Rolls (bedroom desk/vanity area with tufted upholstered chair in dark grey, patterned grey carpeting and light grey walls…with dark wood accents) (above)

I was helping my friend RB house hunt for a new home a few months ago. RB had me leave work one day to look an adorable Spanish style house in West Hollywood off of Melrose. The house had a great enclosed garden in the front, leaded windows, coved ceilings and lots of arched doorways. RB was marveling that no painting would be necessary because the colors were perfect – specifically RB loved the grey colored walls in the master bedroom. I, of course, feeling that I must have a strong opinion on everything to do with decor…immediately objected…”grey is depressing”, I stated adamantly – not even really knowing what actually I thought about the color.

Later that day and after a bit more consideration and after seeing these amazing interior design photos featured in this post from Memphis photographer Reid Rolls…I decided to change my mind (again, a woman’s prerogative). I liked grey…grey was the new chic alternative to tans and taupes on walls. Grey was a wonderful neutral which like white could pretty much go with anything. I fully embraced grey as the new “it” color.

Then, all I needed to do was to retract my grey and gloomy statement about the color grey – the statement I made to RB…and then I would DEFINITELY own grey.

So, in order to own grey even more and take back my rash statement from earlier that day, I immediately called RB and said…”actually”, in a very snobby voice, “I really like the grey in the master bedroom of that house you are thinking of buying. I think grey can be very chic. In fact, I would leave the walls just as they are…no painting necessary”. Even though I was piggishly taking ownership of the color grey, I knew this color belonged to RB…and so did RB… how do I know this…as went on and on about how much I really “loved” the grey and how great grey is…I could hear RB smirking (if it is possible to hear one smirk) on the other end of the line – a smirk because RB had known first that grey was the new gray!

Room & Board – Heather Grey Bedding – $50-260 (by Area, 100% cotton percale bedding) (above)

Photo: Reid Rolls (bathroom with grey marble countertops, undermount porcelain sink, grey marble mosaic tiles and silver polished metal fixtures and accessories) (above)

William Sonoma Home – Fitzgerald Armchair in Easy-Care Faux Suede Gray – $795 (above)

Photo: Reid Rolls (grey bedroom: blue-grey wall color, greenish grey upholstered bed, charcoal grey satin bedding, lamp with brushed silver grey metal lamp shade) (above)

CB2 – Lounge Shag Rug in Silver Grey (100% handwoven wool) – $299-599 (above)