Gray Gets You the Green!

A few years ago, beige was all the rage!  But as times change, so do the colors of choice for designers and home buyers.

While sitting in the waiting room of the car place today, one of the ladies next to me apparently overheard my phone conversation with another agent and leans over to ask what I do for a living.  When I told her that I’m a Realtor®, she seemed slightly confused because she only heard the “staging” part of my phone conversation.  (Funny how we only hear what we want/need to.)  I said well, staging is a big part of my job, and that launched us into a conversation about her recent and on-going renovation project.  She said she had to pick paint colors next and that she was planning on selling in a year or so.  “Go gray!” I announced.  She looked at me like I had 3 heads and said, “Gray?” in a tone to indicate not only disapproval but a touch of disgust, which I found slightly amusing.  I said, “Yes, gray is the new beige,” and one of the gentlemen nearby nodded in agreement.  (Thank you kind stranger.)

But her reaction was not an unusual one, I talk to a lot of people, especially here in Texas, that cannot believe gray is the new trend.  To be fair, I couldn’t believe it either, but it’s really grown on me.

Taken from the Pottery Barn Collection section of the Sherwin Williams site, the image below is probably the best example of the most common color combinations I’m seeing in both new and renovated homes today.  (You can see the full collection here.)

If you’re like me, you see gray and you think modern, something like this:

But the reality is that gray is actually quite versatile in it’s ability to be either a cool or warm color.  For example, there’s the cool gray or blue-based gray you see in the photo above that can leave some folks feeling cold.  But if you’re looking for a warmer touch, using a brown based gray, or greige (pronounced: ɡrāZH) can be a great way to achieve the looking your going for and maybe tie in some of the existing browns in a room.  See the examples below:

You can achieve a warmth of feel to a blue-based gray as well, but it’s usually a lighter and airier warmth.  See below:

Bottom line, if you’re going to be selling your home soon, but want freshen up the look before you get there, gray will get you the green.

As always, if you or someone you know has questions about real estate or are looking to buy or sell a home in north Texas, I’d be honored to be of service.  I LOVE what I do and I LOVE talking about real estate.  Plus, questions give me purpose and new blog topics, so let me have them!

Happy House Hunting, my friends!