Many paint companies and organizations set the tone for the year in interior design by releasing their colors of the year. As many homeowners and designers began to ask, “is gray paint still on-trend?” heading into 2021, Pantone revealed Ultimate Gray and Illuminating, a bright yellow, as its 2021 top picks.

According to Crosby Design Group Founder and CEO Jennifer Crosby, gray hues have been popular for the last 5+ years and they are still seen in a lot of homes today. While gray in general remains popular, adding millwork to a plain wall, giving texture to what used to be a plain wall, is a nice extra regardless of if the color is gray. Positive and negative color blocking with gray looks fantastic as well.

In the firm’s latest projects, Crosby Design Group is seeing gray on both walls and cabinets, as well as countertops, primarily if concrete can be gray. Alternatively, when it comes to quartz countertops, white remains the most popular selection.

With gray being a neutral hue, it will always have a place in design, according to Crosby.

“We do see white walls being specified in addition to a lot of gray tones as a general paint color,” Crosby said. “High contrast is eye-catching.”

In relation to home staging and selling homes, depending on interior light levels and Kelvin rating, if the light source is white 3000K+ then gray walls look great. If the lighting falls at 2700- on the Kelvin scale, the yellow undertones off-cast the gray, as well as white, to an unpleasant hue.

“The sheen on the paint and lighting are huge factors,” Crosby said. “I recommend taking any sample of paint you like to the outdoors and look at the gray color in mid-morning light, afternoon light and again in the evening as the sun goes down. You will quickly notice if the “gray” color you selected gives off a purple tone, blue or even a brown to really get a sense of how it will look in your home.”

With two studio locations in Georgia, Crosby Design Group is a full-service interior design firm specializing in commercial, corporate, hospitality, mixed-use, adaptive mixed-use, multifamily, 55+, student housing and large residential development projects. Established in 2000, the firm remains steadfast in its mission of creating inspired spaces on every project. Crosby Design Group serves local and regional clients from initial conception and documentation to executing turnkey FF&E procurement services.

The Crosby Design Group website is currently under construction to showcase the firm’s latest projects. Call 404-872-9777 or visit LinkedIn and Instagram for Jennifer Crosby and Crosby Design Group.