These Are the 3 Colors Designers Say to Never Pair With Gray if You Actually Want It to Look Good

Living room with pale grey walls, blue velvet sofa, two black armchairs, a pale grey ottoman, a geometric blue rug, a large white fireplace and modern art hanging above it.

Gray has had some bad press in recent years. Once the most loved neutral of them all, it's fallen out of favor in color trends, replaced by softer neutrals like creams and beige. However, gray still has its place, and with this cool tone, the shades you pair it with can really make or break how it shows up.

'Gray does still have universal appeal, serving as a timeless and elegant backdrop upon which to build character, and has been at the root of historical decoration for centuries,' explains Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene. 'Gray paint colors embrace tonal variations – from the palest, almost white tones through to stone, charcoal, brown and blue-black hues.'