Shades of Gray

Interior designer Mary McDonald shares her tips for working with the new neutral

“Gray has been around forever,” says Los Angeles-based interior designer and author Mary McDonald, explaining its appearance in nature (think slate and marble) as well as mid-century Scandinavian design. More recently, the ongoing popularity of stainless steel appliances and silver hardware and fixtures make the color gray a shoo-in for today’s home.

McDonald’s new collection of fabrics and trims for Schumacher (available at the Denver Design District showroom) shows plenty of gray, beautifully complemented with vibrant colors such as pink, orange and aquamarine.  “It’s easy to use gray as a grounding color,” says the designer, who suggests using lighter, silvery tones with white or ivory for a more traditional look. To go clean and contemporary, try dark, charcoal shades with bold, high-contrast accents.

McDonald also insists on trying out several shades before choosing, especially for large areas such as walls and floors. “Gray can look purple or mauve depending on the light. I would keep it cooler, with blue or black undertones.”     especially for large areas such as walls and floors. “Gray can look purple or mauve depending on the light. I would keep it cooler, with blue or black undertones.”“Gray has been around forever,” says Los Angeles-based interior designer and author Mary McDonald, explaining its appearance in nature (think slate and marble) as well as mid-century Scandinavian design.

More recently, the ongoing popularity of stainless steel appliances and silver hardware and fixtures make the color gray a shoo-in for today’s home. McDonald’s new collection of fabrics and trims for Schumacher (available at the Denver Design District showroom) shows plenty of gray, beautifully complemented with vibrant colors such as pink, orange and aquamarine. 

“It’s easy to use gray as a grounding color,” says the designer, who suggests using lighter, silvery tones with white or ivory for a more traditional look. To go clean and contemporary, try dark, charcoal shades with bold, high-contrast accents.McDonald also insists on trying out several shades before choosing, especially for large areas such as walls and floors. “Gray can look purple or mauve depending on the light. I would keep it cooler, with blue or black undertones.”