These Are the Best Colors to Pair With Gray, According to Designers (2024)

Gray gets a bad reputation. Rather than being dull, boring, or too simple, the rich hue can actually be used to bring depth and character to a

room’s design—depending on what other colors its paired with. From the palest silver tones to an almost-black charcoal, gray has been beloved by interior designers for decades for its chameleon-like versatility. Gray suits nearly every design style, from farmhouse to traditional and even cottagecore. The colors that go with gray are equally endless. Pair with a light, sage green for a soothing, spa like interior, or go bold with a russet orange for a dramatic room.

Gray has the rare ability to change in mood and tone based on its undertones. It can lean warm with more red in its base, or cool with more blue cool, choosing the right gray can help a room strike the perfect balance between the two. The best grays also change with the light throughout the day, adding depth and visual interest to your interior.

When choosing what color to pair with gray, think about the goals you have for your room. Whether you're looking to create a serene tone-on-tone environment or find a piece of furniture that'll really stand out, gray can be paired with virtually every hue. Ahead, we highlight our favorite 25 colors that go with gray.

For a pop of color, pair a cooler-toned gray with a bold cobalt blue like this example from Delish's new test kitchen. Using it in small doses can help the hue not feel as overwhelming or too visually busy.

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In this Jeremiah Brent designed home, a cool, sage-like gray is warmed up thanks to terra-cotta velvet and natural wood accents. It adds just enough color to this office space without distracting from the tasks at hand.

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Monochrome can be a great way to streamline a space and make it feel luxurious and restful. Vary the gray tones to add dimension and visual interest to the room.

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In House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home, this kitchen is grounded with a deep green-gray hue on the cabinetry. To lighten the space, the molding and surrounding walls were painted a bright, warm white.

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Channel your inner English countryside by pairing your light gray walls with hunter green cabinetry and upholstery. Warmer woods and patterned tile tie the entire room together. “We didn’t want anything that felt modern here,” designer Amanda Jacobs says.

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Gray can feel quite modern and futuristic, so in order to ground it in the present, pair the hue in deep mahogany wood antiques. This pantry, designed by Whittney Parkinson in House Beautiful's 2022 Whole Home, uses a textured gray wallpaper to further add depth.

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Philip Smith was in search of a table when “a friend of mine’s mother passed," he says, adding, "I adored her, and when my friend went through her things she said, ‘there’s a table here with your name on it! I was nearly in tears.” The gray-blue patina looks beautiful next to the chrome chairs and green-gray wall paint.

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Light griege, black accents, and brass fixtures create a beautiful, polished mood in this living room designed by Ray Attanasio.

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We're loving the pops of jewel tones in this living room designed by Courtney McLeod. Bold shades of marigold and magenta are softened by the warm gray walls.

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The gray, swirling clouds in Anne Hepfer's dining room—papered in a Cole & Son Fornasetti print—feel anything but bleak with the addition of punchy blues.

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Gold and coral tones warm up the charcoal sofa and light gray painted walls in this living room designed by Alison Victoria.

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Verdant, leafy green and trelliswork makes this pale gray office designed by Joe Lucas feel like an enchanted garden.

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A dose of muted pewter grounds the bold pink and orange textiles in Molster's bedroom.

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Pale-blue bedding and silk-wrapped walls make this bedroom designed by Michael Maher an utterly serene escape.

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Walls and ceiling in Benjamin Moore's Nightfall—an almost-black shade of charcoal—provide a moody backdrop for the russet red sofa in Andrew Flesher's 300-year-old Westchester colonial.

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In House Beautiful's 2019 Whole Home, design whiz Vern Yip showed how deep shades of golden yellow and brass can add glamour to layers of gray.

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Designer Janie Molster's Richmond, VA, home has a base of soft gray. The antique settee is covered in Schu­macher’s Gains­borough pink velvet. The armchair is Lee Industries, and the chandelier is antique.

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David Frazier divided the main living room into two distinct zones, one for lounging and visiting, and one for dining and working. The large pendant light and antique pieces personalize the more generic bones of the building, and Benjamin Moore's Simply White makes for a more interesting impression than plain white.

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Jeff Andrews used a spectrum of warm grays and taupes to keep his living room feeling cozy, not cold.

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