24 grey living room ideas to inspire an update

There can be a tendency to lean into the subtleties of grey, pairing them with whites and metallics, but this can occasionally appear washed out, especially if your living room receives a lot of natural light. This living room is a great example of using pastel colours to soften and brighten grey features.

Dark charcoal walls are a great way to define your space, but extra consideration is needed in styling. 'To avoid your monochrome schemes from feeling too stark or cold, introduce texture,' says Amy. 'Consider all of the surfaces and finishing touches and where possible combine soft, smooth pieces with more tactile textures such as sheepskin with concrete.'

Pictured: Lock Keeper No.18 at Mylands

'Blush pink goes exceptionally well with light and dark grey,' says Vicki, interior stylist at ScS. 'You could potentially paint your walls crisp white and introduce flashes of blush in the form of chunky cushions, a feature wall and blush-themed table accessories. Don’t overdo the pink though, you just need an injection of it here and there.'

There is always a case for embracing soft grey, and matching with an equally pale wood and chalky accessories. As you can see here, it creates a really serene spot. The green tree is an important styling element here, as it prevents the living room from looking washed out.

Pictured: Coffee table and all accessories at Layered Lounge

Greys that take from nature – charcoals, stone and slate shades – work wonderfully with other earthy accents. 'Darker shades of grey look fab with muted sludgy pale accents – a pink that has brown base notes will really warm up a dark grey room,' says Amy Wilson, interior designer at 247 Curtains.

This striking living room pairs dramatic deep purple with blush pink to soften the look. Grey accessories tie the look together and keep the space from looking too saturated.

Pictured: Living room design by Neptune

This is a classic design route for living rooms, and it won't steer you far wrong. Stick to a grey, black and white palette, and introduce metallics – you can mix gold and silver as long as they are complementary tones like a gunmetal and brushed brass. The organic motif on the rug is a nice touch here to soften the severity of a modern monochrome design scheme.

Pictured: Furniture and accessories from Dunelm

As this fabulous living room shows, grey needn't be reserved for contemporary or minimal spaces. Brown leather is such a surprising pairing here, but adds a great deal of warmth and richness – in recreating this look, make sure to use an equally warm grey on your walls.

Pictured: Purbeck Stone at Farrow & Ball

Though this shade is more of a 'Greige' (a blend of grey and beige) the principle is the same with most grey shades. Grey can disappear like a neutral when placed next to warm and richly coloured accessories and patterns, so treat it as you would a white canvas.

The grey-beige mix known as 'greige' is often favoured over a true grey for its capacity to warm up a design scheme. Greige is really the best of both worlds, combining the cooler tones of grey with the warming nature of beige.

Pictured: House Beautiful Freya Sofa at DFS

One of the joys of grey is the way it changes when placed next to other colours – use grey against an intense purple for instance, and it will bring out lilac tones. Consider this if you're after a soft and feminine space, and sit your greys next to rosey pinks or buttery yellows.

Pictured: Sloane Square No.92 at Mylands

Black accessories will always work in a grey living room. So too will your pale creams and off-whites. A matt black is especially effective, as light lands so softly on a matt surfaces – glossy black would look a lot more harsh here.

Pictured: Accessories at Layered Lounge

Grey tends not to react to natural light in the way that a warmer colour does, and so a common complaint in grey living rooms is that walls can appear flat. To mitigate this, consider a wall treatment that adds a bit of texture.

'You can consider incorporating texture on your walls with the use of some of the more interesting paint finishes available like limewash, polished plaster or even a textured paper,' says Amy.

Pictured: Ercol Amalfi Sideboard at Heal's

Black metals are your best friend in contemporary grey living rooms. Any big pieces of furniture like coffee tables and sideboards will look light and willowy in a black metal.

Pictured: Metal Sideboard at Cox & Cox

Soft greys lend themselves to rooms full of rich pattern. Consider this living room with a white sofa or walls, and it loses a lot of its warmth.

Pictured: Tokyo Modular Sofa at John Lewis & Partners

The Japandi trend combines clean lines, neutral colours, understated silhouettes and a nod to the natural world. All of these elements make it a great design choice for a living room. Here, several grey shades sit alongside pale wood and heaps of texture to create a serene and comfortable retreat.

Pictured: Wall art at Poster Store

Grey is not an obvious choice for bohemian styling – usually sandy neutrals and greens are favoured – but grey works almost universally, no matter your preferred design theme. Take some design cues from this modern bohemian living room, and use plenty of dark wood, lush greenery, and some warming red and mustard accents.

Pictured: Model 03 3 Seater Right Chaise at Swyft

This silvery putty colour is a brilliant choice if you want something soft and feminine in your living room. As you can see here, it works well with pinks and taupes.

Pictured: Sofa at Cox & Cox