The Humble Power of Greige Color

Defining greige

The color greige is a combination of grey and beige, and has skyrocketed in popularity in home furnishings over the last few years. (On a more technical level, greige is denoted as any textile or fabric that is unbleached or undyed, though this is rarely what people mean when they refer to ‘greige decor.’)

Greige Living Room Ideas

Perhaps the best color for a living room is greige. Greige, a cousin of almost every neutral hue, doesn’t associate itself with memories (good or bad), so it’s the safest color when you want guests to feel comfortable. In a living room, bring in a greige sofa and greige chair as a base. While you can add throw pillows in matching greige, to make greige truly pop will require contrast (i.e., white throw pillows, or black throw pillows)!

Greige Color Palette

A greige color palette will contain a mix of neutrals and statements for contrast. For your statements, choose higher or lower energy colors, depending on the mood you want to evoke. An example of a home palette that utilizes greige will include greige (base color), white (contrasting neutral) and blue (low-energy statement).

Greige Bedroom Ideas

Greige also works handsomely in a bedroom. While a beige bed brings a warmer feel and a grey bed a more neutral feel, greige marries the two for a neutral that errs on the side of warmth. Opt for a greige bedspread, greige pillows and a colorful throw blanket to pop.

Because greige is so neutral, it can be easy to incorporate greige and ‘call it a day.’ But layering other neutrals over greige can magnify greige’s calming effects – in a good way. While greige can serve as a clean backdrop for pops of accent color, using it instead to highlight neutrals like white or olive will call attention to greige’s subtle undertones.

Choose a greige color based on its undertones

Greige is a mixture of beige and grey – but does that mean it’s heavy on the beige, light on the grey, or vice versa? And how light/dark is the grey, and beige, within greige to begin with? The answer depends on whom you talk to, because the term ‘greige’ encompasses a variety of color ‘meanings.’

To make sure you’re getting the right ‘greige’ for your home, don’t forget to examine the color under different forms of lighting. Natural daylight, fluorescent lighting, and LED lightbulbs can each have a different effect on how greige is perceived. When done right, greige imbues tranquility; taking the extra precautions to ensure you’re bringing home the greige that will work best in your home’s lighting can make all the difference!