Armrock

Grey blinds and white walls – yes, no, or maybe? The grey & white combination is a popular one that you we see in many homes and businesses. The issue is not whether grey blinds will work with white walls (they will) – it’s overcoming concerns about this particular interior design vision. Is it sufficient? Is it too weak, or wishy-washy? Does it have longevity?

In this brief article, we reflect on this important discussion. Read on as we enter the amazing world of grey blinds… with white walls!

The Psychological Problem with Grey

It turns out that choosing grey occupies something of a psychological challenge, or obstacle, for many people. The argument is that by choosing grey, you’re not really committing to anything. You’re in the middle.. a sort of safe, neutral place that isn’t supposed to stand out. This is the same notion as in the idea of the grey man:
The intentional act of dressing and behaving in an inconspicuous manner, in order to avoid any unwanted attention from strangers or authorities. The goal is to dress, walk, and behave as a local, without attracting any attention to yourself. To “blend in” in a foreign (usually hostile) enviroment. To be visible and yet invisible at the same time.
SRC: urbandictionary.com

So the argument goes, if you choose grey, you’re not making a choice. But we beg to differ.
There is more to this than meets the eye. Rather than allow the neutrality and inconspicuousness of grey prevent you from the consideration of this interior blind choice, what we find is that grey blinds can achieve a highly-successful result when paired with white walls. Following are a range of reasons why we think grey blinds have a number of essential advantages which makes this so, starting with how grey and white work together.

How Grey and White Work Together

Grey and white work together because they both have a relationship to the achromatic palette, in which there is no colour value. Unlike bright or bold colours, white, black and grey, and strict combinations of them, have little or no chroma, or colour. Even when degrees of colour are added to your greys, this relationship binds them with white, except with more nuanced effects being achieved.

As greys get darker, or stronger, they move further away from white, but the achromatic relationship continues to bind them. Although white-walled rooms by themselves inadvertently work with most types of blind-colours (see this article for more information) the real benefit of using grey tones in your white-roomed walls is that they make it very easy to furnish and manage the rooms, since the role of the blinds is more neutral than when brighter or bolder colours are utilised.

In summary, grey and white work together very nicely. But let’s get back to the concern of neutral territory. They may work together, but should we choose this combination or go with a different solution?

So, Should We Choose Grey & White?

The thing is, with interior design, and including the selection of blinds, there are times to be bold and times to not. Sometimes it’s about being noticed, and other times, it’s about making choices that are deliberately less noticeable. Whether it’s to create an opportunity for something else to shine, or to specifically pursue a look that’s less in-your-face, or for any number of other reasons, sometimes grey is the best choice you can make for your blinds.

With this in mind, the argument that choosing grey for your blinds is a choice that does not display confidence is revealed to be an invalid argument. Actually, the confidence to make any choice isn’t about being the brightest, boldest or most noticeable. It’s about making the best choice for your interior design goals.

Functional interior colour choices are ones that look great, and work well within the room and premises. These type of choices not only have more longevity than confident, faddish options, but also enjoy the benefit a more flexible interior, since the room’s possibilities are not dictated by the strength of the blinds.

But isn’t Grey and White.. Boring?

Emphatically, NO! A grey and white combo need not be boring. Within this combination, there is a wide spectrum of possibilities. Stronger greys create more contrast, and powerful, impactful results can be achieved.

Working with contrast in this way provides access to a wide range of options, none of which are lacking confidence or boring. Furthermore, when you work with patterns and textures, you can create nuances which subtly enhance the presence of even mild grey combinations.

The Grey Edge

Something really powerful about grey is realised when you think about it in comparison to black or white options. Grey has an edge over black and white, being that of integration. Because greys have a bit of black and a bit of white, to varying degrees, they have got wide scope to create integrated palettes with many different colours. Again, this may not be your design goal, but the maligned safety of working with grey should always be appreciated in this light. It’s a strength than can make life easier for you – take advantage of it!

Grey & White – Are They ‘In’ Right Now?

Timeless palettes never go out of fashion. Fads bring them in and out of attention, but they’re always valid and relevant. Grey and White is an enduringly timeless combination of colours. Black and white is another one. They may temporarily fall back in favour of modern trends, but it’s only a matter of time before they’re back front and centre.