Taupe gray living room: Design and decoration
A calm taupe gray living room is a winning option for connoisseurs of classics and for followers of modern design trends. It is a respectable, elegant and noble combination that even a layman can make.
But still, beginners can make mistakes and shortcomings, which makes the room dark. How to avoid mistakes and achieve balance – we’ll talk about this in this article.
Gray and taupe living room: Choice of shades
Gray and taupe aren’t boring at all, as it sounds. Both are revealed in a diverse range of shades. And to determine the nuances, look at the actual dimensions and the location of the living room.
For a small living room, you should choose a light-taupe gray or moderate range. Since dark tones visually compress space, throw them out when you design a small room.
Spacious living rooms in deep, dark tones, on the contrary, will benefit. They will “eat” an excess of free space, which will create a feeling of comfort and security.
Look at the gray and deep taupe tones that outline the spacious living rooms and the combined kitchen-living rooms.
The shades that dominate – gray or taupe – depend on the lighting of the room. Thus, in the living room oriented to the south, it is advisable to give priority to gray tones, in the dimly lit north room – light brown shades.
Please note that the dark tones of the living room oriented to the north are contraindicated – there is so little sun there, and they take not only space, but also light. So choose light or moderate, medium shades.
In the living room with the windows to the south, it would be good to combine gray with a mixed shade of taupe containing a cool color (for example, with olive brown). In the room with the windows to the north, it is better to use the warmest shades of mole (for example, dark yellow-brown, red-yellow-brown, coppery brown).
You will also be interested in learning more than the group of shades known by the general name of “taupe” – these are gray-brown tones, which are perceived by many as an independent color and are widely used in the design of the living room interiors. Mole received its verbal designation from the name of the animal – taupe, which has just a kind of gray-brown skin.
Manufacturers of finishing materials, furniture, textiles and accessories produce many products in the color taupe. You can choose floor coverings, wallpapers, furniture, curtains and other interior trifles in this color.
How to integrate a gray and taupe combination in a living room interior
After having roughly decided on the colors, make an indicative plan for each component of the interior: basic surfaces, furniture, lamps, household appliances, textiles, accessories.
Base surfaces
Those who want to make all the walls in one color should stop at a pale gray or light brown shade.
You can also cover one or two walls with taupe wallpaper with a traditional, geometric or floral pattern.
Look at examples of living room wallpapers in a taupe color palette.
As an alternative – wallpaper in two shades of gray, light and dark.
Gray wallpapers with silver and gold patterns also look decent.
Consider the option with an accent wall – it will be a dark gray wall on the bottom of the remaining light taupe, or chocolate on the bottom of three pale gray walls.
For the finishing of the floor will be an optimal natural wood covering or its imitation (linoleum, laminate). In a modern interior, a light or moderate wood covering is preferable, in a classic – dark.
In most cases, the ceiling should be light white or pale gray.
If you want to have a gray or taupe stretch ceiling, you need to do without a lot of furniture and accessories of the same color, because the ceiling itself will already be an independent accent, the largest and most visible.
Furniture
What furniture to order in a taupe gray living room? If you prefer the classics, make the walls light gray and choose furniture in a traditional taupe color palette: wooden, with wooden or leather inserts.
When creating a modern interior, it is worth doing the opposite: make the walls taupe clear and buy gray – laconic furniture, without unnecessary decorations.
Who likes eclecticism, that is to say a mixture of elements of different styles – try to find a piece of furniture colored in the third active color. For example, red or burgundy, purple or lilac. It can be a dresser or a chair. A colorful object will diversify the decor of your living room, and no one will certainly think that it is boring.
Lighting
The darker gray and taupe tones need the more light sources you need. Consider the location of spotlights, floor lamps, lamps, wall sconces. Particularly dark walls need additional lighting. To do this, hang a few wall lights on the wall.
Appliances
Designers tend to hide appliances, or at least make them less visible in the general context. Even a TV, which is difficult to hide, is placed in some sort of artistic setting.
It is easier to hide certain equipment – for example, there are air conditioners in a gray or silver housing.
Textiles
The taupe gray color combination is very popular in modern living room interiors, so you can easily find a floor mat in this combination of shades. Although you can go another way – choose a carpet in the third accent color.
As for the curtains, for the southern living room, of course, you need to choose a denser and darker fabric, plain or with a taupe pattern.
In the north countries living room there are enough translucent curtains – pale gray or beige.
Décor
The living room interiors in taupe gray tones welcome accessories in silver and gold. The silver accessories will brighten up the living room oriented to the south, whose atmosphere needs to be refreshed, while the golden accessories will integrate into the room to the north, which needs additional warm accents.
Indoor plants will help bring notes of revitalization and freshness. Most often, a large plant is selected and placed near a window. Although there are several options for bringing live greens indoors.
Don’t have the time or just don’t want to take care of the plants? Then add cool yellow, green or turquoise accessories (pillows, poufs, vases, etc.) in your living room.
Gray and taupe living room design and decoration ideas
Wood accent wall
Another way to revitalize the environment and add natural warmth to it is to introduce wood. For example, in the design of an accent wall behind a sofa or television.
Decorate with adventure subjects
Map, globe, airplane model, trunk – if you like to travel, decorate your living room with one of these elements.
Wooden partitions
Not everyone is completely comfortable with the combined space in the studio. A wooden partition will delimit the space into functional areas, at least conditionally.
The mirror behind the sofa
You do not know how to decorate the wall behind the sofa? Hang the mirror with or without frame. The mirrors reflect the light, which slightly enlarges the space visually. This technique is particularly relevant for small parts.
Finishing the gate of the wooden fireplace
Not enough budget to decorate the fireplace portal with marble or onyx, or do you just want a modern interior that does not involve these classic “gadgets”? Decorate the fireplace with wooden panels – it will go perfectly with the taupe furniture and decoration.
