Style features
When choosing furniture, color palette and accessories, it is worth considering the general style of the room. There are several style options that are popular today:
- Modern. Elegance is characteristic of these kitchens. This style is simple and straightforward. For its implementation, different versions of gray are used. Metallic facades, dark floors, smoky countertops look great. This play of shades will help you achieve the desired mood.
- Scandinavian. This style will suit fans of a minimalist interior. It involves the use of laconic furniture, natural materials, and modest decorative elements. Gray blends harmoniously with this style.
- Classical. This kitchen should be done in gray-blue tones. Granite shades will be interesting additions. Furniture can be made in such a palette. The distinctive features of this style are luxurious decorative elements, matte surfaces, perfect lines.
- Provence. This style involves the use of natural materials. The interior often contains decorative details with rustic notes, sophisticated furniture. Wicker interior items look beautiful and harmonious. This helps create a cozy atmosphere. Light gray color will organically fit into the interior. It should be emphasized with bronze or copper decorative elements.
- Eclecticism. Different solutions are mixed in this style. Therefore, gray will be a great background. This direction combines ethnic and classic notes. The combination of antiques and modern looks no less successful. With strict observance of harmonious proportions, it will be possible to obtain original results.
Kitchen finishing materials
Practicality and safety are the main properties that materials for finishing a kitchen should have. Before choosing, it is worth considering the design style.
The following materials are popular:
- Chipboard or MDF, wood for furniture. Facades are often covered with plastic sheeting, which can be of any color;
- ceramic tiles for the backsplash or floor. With the help of white and gray tiles, you can lay out any pattern on the wall or floor surface;
- plastic is often used for an apron. Manufacturers produce various options for ready-made aprons with a pattern that look very impressive;
- linoleum and gray laminate are quite common and allow you to create an even and high-quality coating on the floor;
- stretch ceiling is practical to maintain, but plasterboard structures are often created, which are easy to paint in different colors.
Choice of color depending on the side of the world
South facing kitchens
These rooms are usually full of natural light. In summer, hot rays of the sun penetrate the room from the south window all day long. To add coolness to the interior, it is better to base the design on cold colors (mint, turquoise, blue, blue), as well as an intriguing purple color. The background for such interiors is traditionally white.
North side kitchens
A window in such a room is almost unable to catch a sunbeam, and therefore, to create a comfortable environment, it is advisable to give preference to warm and unsaturated colors, such as dull yellow, pale orange, terracotta, cream and calm light green.
The room will become brighter if you use variations of white as the background, such as ivory or boiled milk.
East side kitchens
With this arrangement of the window, light enters the room from morning until midday. The predominance of soft cold tones in the interior design is appropriate: blue, grayish-green or turquoise.Warm accents will act as companion flowers: yellow, orange, scarlet or herbal.
West side kitchens
So that in the early morning, when the sun is not yet shining through the window, it does not seem too cold in the kitchen, it is better to choose warming tones, for example, beige, calm yellow, terracotta, pine, shade of coffee with cream.
To add color, you can add pale blue or turquoise textiles, a blue vase and a bouquet of forget-me-nots.
Gray in the interior of the kitchen
Bright colors are always welcome in trendy kitchen interiors. They create a feeling of cleanliness and freshness. The use of gray in kitchen layouts gives a lot of room for creativity, given the sheer number of shades and thousands of possible combinations.
Pearl gray is suitable if you want to make the interior of the room as light as possible, but white seems pretentious and tedious to you. This color scheme is ideal for a Scandinavian-style kitchen-living room, which will be very easy to make modern and functional. The shiny kitchen equipment will complement and enhance the positive effect.
The gray background goes well with natural or artificial stone and even brick, from which you can make a tabletop and a window sill. If you are attracted by more “homey” country styles, then it is better to combine gray color in the interior with beige, terracotta, soft tones of green.
What do we know about gray?
The most important criterion that most people rely on when choosing a kitchen design is practicality. Gray is a truly versatile and practical kitchen design. It's all about the features of such surfaces to hide minor damage and mask imperfections.
In addition, there is almost no dust visible on this color. And if the work surface is decorated in gray with small splashes of white, then you may not even notice the crumbs remaining after work.
Of course, this does not mean that it is enough to choose a kitchen in gray colors and forget about cleaning altogether. No, the kitchen must be cleaned especially carefully and regularly. It's just that due to the nature of the environment, there are surfaces and coatings that are much more troublesome than they could.
So, for example, by the evening when the window is open during operation on a black matte table, you can notice an unattractive layer of dust.
Of the minuses of gray, only some difficulties can be noted in creating an interior using it. The fact is that, despite its versatility, it is quite picky about combinations with other colors.
On the one hand, gray is a neutral shade and you can safely mix absolutely any color with it.
But there is one "but". The interior of the kitchen should remain fresh, light and clean. In no case should such a room be overloaded with many small details and a combination of dark colors.
How to choose gray kitchen furniture and appliances
Kitchen furniture is the starting point when creating an interior project. We offer basic principles for the selection of furniture in a gray kitchen.
- Too dark shades of gray in furniture will create a depressing mood even in a spacious kitchen.
- You cannot use more than two colors in one headset.
- Upper cabinets should be darker than lower ones when they are chosen in different colors or shades.
- One color in furniture should be dominant when two are combined.
- A gray kitchen set should contrast in color with the walls. The monochromatic pale color of furniture requires a bright saturated color of the walls. And vice versa.
- In a small room, light paints are used for furniture, otherwise it will visually further reduce the space.
Glossy facades of the headset will add sophistication to the interior
When choosing a technique, you need to take into account the color scheme of the kitchen and stick to one shade. In a gray kitchen finish, a dark gray metallic looks good.Technical devices should be in the same style and color, in harmony with furniture and wall decoration.
A gray tint will make the kitchen look more modern if you take it as a base.
Color matching rules
There is no wrong or correct combination of kitchen colors. However, if you fulfill some of the requirements, then the overall picture will turn out to be more harmonious.
- Use the 60/30/10 rule. Where 60 - neutral colors, 30 - additional, up to 10% - bright and dark. Do not use more than 3 shades. If you're new to design, combining more colors in your kitchen can be a daunting task.
- Consider the amount of light. The dull interior of the kitchen, whose windows face north, requires warm colors - soft white, beige, yellow, orange. If the kitchen is southern, on the contrary, add tenderness: boiling white, blue, pink and other pastels will balance the level of warmth.
- Start from the size of the room. The color scheme for small kitchens should be as light as possible. Best of all, white color expands the space, which is diluted not with other tones, but with textures - glossy facades, brickwork, light wood.
- Turn to psychology. The color of walls and other interior elements directly affects your mood and desires. For example, warm colors stimulate appetite, cold ones, on the contrary, pacify. This does not mean that if you are trying to keep yourself in shape, you need to decorate the entire kitchen in chilling shades - just choose a suitable tablecloth and dishes.
- Strike a balance. Match bright or dark walls with a neutral kitchen set. And vice versa - a flashy headset will look better against a background of light or even white walls.
- Follow the matching rule on surfaces. It can be enclosed in one phrase: from bottom to top. The darkest in the room is always the floor, the lightest is the ceiling.
- Don't forget the texture. The same color will look completely different on glossy and matte surfaces. In the first case, the tone will become richer, in the second - muted.
How to choose a gray kitchen set?
Facades and countertops imitating stone or wood will reveal a neutral color in the most advantageous and expensive way. Plus it is one of the most practical, non-marking options for the kitchen space. In these textures, gray can be of any warmth and lightness.
Design: Anton Petrov
Design: Anton Petrov
Design: Serge Makhov
Design: Serge Makhov
Choose such surfaces for minimalism, loft, country, brutal, masculine spaces. And the furnishings in modern classics will perfectly complement the kitchen in gray tones made of solid wood with panels and decor.
Design: Matas Nagele
Design: Matas Nagele
Design: Svetlana Kuksova
Design: Svetlana Kuksova
Design: Royal ES
Design: Royal ES
Monochromatic surfaces in the color of graphite and wet asphalt, in gloss or matte finish will also look expressive and self-sufficient, relevant for loft and minimalist environments, good in modern and Scandinavian styles, high-tech interiors.
Design: DesignSpace London
Design: DesignSpace London
Design: Alexander Kuchin
Design: Alexander Kuchin
Headsets with plain light gray facades and countertops, as well as in medium light gray, will also fit into these styles.
However, so that the situation with such a headset does not look dull and expressionless, it is important to dilute it with contrasts, accent elements
Design: Victoria Vlasova
Design: Victoria Vlasova
Design: Notum Project
Design: Notum Project
Design: Ekaterina Kolegova
Design: Ekaterina Kolegova
Design: Anna Popova
Design: Anna Popova
Also pay attention to the stylish and durable headsets with metal fronts: they are very relevant now
Design: Jean Louis Denio
Design: Jean Louis Denio
Design: Matt Burman, Andrew Cotchen
Design: Matt Burman, Andrew Cotchen
Design: Hannes Peer
Design: Hannes Peer
Grayscale scale
Today, many variations of gray are known, each of which has certain characteristics.
This color helps to get a cozy interior. For this, it is worth choosing complements in soft and warm shades.
Silver
This shade looks really luxurious. In order not to overload the interior, it is worth picking up laconic additions to it.
This is a deep shade. It is allowed to combine it with light or bright details.
Smoky gray
This color looks sophisticated and mysterious. To create a harmonious interior, it is worth choosing complements of deep shades for it.
Twilight
This gloomy color looks mysterious and enigmatic. To create an interior with his participation, light colors are used.
Wet asphalt
This color evokes associations with home comfort. To create a beautiful interior, it is worth placing color accents correctly.
Kitchen in gray - choice of style
A vibrant plastic gray will help create different variations.
High-tech gray kitchen - elegant, stylish and technological
Gray kitchen in Provence style
The main feature of the "French country" style is simplicity without pomp and pretentiousness. It is chosen by people tired of city rush and ostentatious luxury. Pastel gray will ideally fit into the soft rural color and natural materials of Provence. It resembles the morning fog over the sea, filling the house with a light breeze and coolness. Combined with light wood in different shades, a gray kitchen will evoke a serene summer vacation on the seashore.
The Provence style interior is a simple rustic cosiness imbued with sophisticated French taste
Gray loft-style kitchen
Gray is the best color for mixing antiquity and modernity in this style. The loft has a lot of natural materials such as wood, metal, brick. Use gray in cool light shades. They do not irritate the eyes and reconcile the different tastes of family members with their calmness. And also gray allows you to combine two styles in the kitchen interior at once - loft and minimalism.
The loft will be a good choice for people keeping pace with the times, living dynamically and uninhibited
Scandinavian gray kitchen
The gray color in Scandinavian cuisine reminds of the harsh northern climate, high cliffs, mountain streams. Scandinavian cuisine presupposes a lot of light, bright contrasting elements in decoration, rough and glossy surfaces. All shades of gray from light silver to dark anthracite are successfully combined in decoration, furniture and decor.
Scandinavian cuisine is an island of coziness and comfort, where you want to return as soon as possible after a hard day
Contemporary gray kitchen
Translated from English, contemporary means "contemporary, contemporary." More recently, this style has become one of the most fashionable. Although it originated in the last century and resembles interiors in Soviet films, it is a kind of mix of minimalism and Scandinavian style. The main emphasis in this direction is on simplicity and rationality. The gray-white kitchen is used in the contemporary interior as the main room. Various bright elements - vases, photos, paintings, pillows on chairs - neutralize the asceticism of gray. The laconic contemporary style is suitable for small kitchens, bringing individuality to the warmth of a family hearth.
The uniqueness of contemporary music lies in the thoughtful combination of simplicity, convenience and practicality.
How to properly combine gray with other shades
As mentioned above, gray can be a basic color in order to accentuate decorative elements. Depending on which color scheme is chosen, the effect can be completely different. It is necessary to take into account not only the style, but also the purpose of the room.
Gray with red in achromatic
Today such a combination of colors is a classic, recognized by all designers, it will never go out of fashion.Red, black and white on a gray background is the perfect combination, depending on the percentage of a particular color, the effect will be completely different. However, there should not be a lot of red, and the shade does not have to be flashy-bright.
Gray with warm tones
All terracotta color options look stylish and unusual next to ash gray. Gray goes well with all natural wood colors and it also looks very modern.
Advice! Gray and pink shades are very harmoniously combined. A room that uses these two colors, perhaps with a bit of white added, looks magical. Thus, you can arrange a room for a teenage girl of a romantic nature.
A cool option for gray next to pink creates the perfect harmony. The ash shade looks very advantageous next to the color of the fuction. Another trendy and very cozy combination is gray and beige. You can decorate both the bedroom and the living room in such options with the addition of white textiles.
Gray with cold tones
All cool colors next to shades of gray look much softer. This applies to blue and green, as well as purple colors. A rather cold lavender shade is best combined with a warm gray version, the same applies to a trendy light green color.
For example, a smoky gray color scheme with a slight touch of the most delicate lilac will look great next to orange curtains or upholstered furniture. This is truly "royal", and a fashionable combination of colors.
An interior in gray colors looks very beautiful if white and blue decorative elements are present against the background of gray walls and floors of different shades.
Even for a couple of seasons, room designs in which gray and mint colors are present do not go out of fashion. It looks very fresh, all shades of green will look great on gray, including the trendy swamp color.
On a note! Gray and beige colors in the room will look pretty restrained, this combination is quite suitable for lovers of the good old classics.
If, when decorating an apartment, the reception of space zoning is carried out, then you can safely use a gray base (several shades) and at the same time warm and cold tones. For example, ash gray, along with orange and purple, will be good with a slight addition of white, which will slightly dilute the fashionable contrast.
What shades of gray are relevant today?
For interior decoration, designers most often choose:
- warm variations of gray and grey color (from English beige + gray);
- gray with green - cold variations of the color of bottle glass, swamp shades;
- ash tones with a bias in blue, mint;
- graphite, very dark tones.
Design: Dasha Mayer
Design: Dasha Mayer
Design: Ariana Ahmad Interior Design
Design: Ariana Ahmad Interior Design
Design: ORT-interiors
Design: ORT-interiors
Design: Robby Brymer
Design: Robby Brymer
These are complex tones, they will reveal themselves in a rich, expressive setting. But it is more difficult to work with gray of medium, moderate lightness and without admixture of any other shades: if you “miss” with textiles, decor and neighboring colors, such an interior can turn out to be faded and boring.