Gray Rooms from a French Guest House

42 Rue Victor Hugo is a boutique guest house in Carcassonne, France—sort of a cross between a hotel and a rental apartment. We noticed it online for its cool, calm decor. Every room is decorated in gray tones, which feel really rich thanks to a balance of brown, blue, and purple accents.

A variety of materials also help to keep these rooms from feeling dreary. Lux, shaggy rugs, crocheted pillows, and woolly blankets add warmth in the form of texture, rather than color. If you're inspired by the look, and you'd like some gray paint recommendations to begin with, here are a few good ones:

• Classic Gray Paint: Silver Fox by Benjamin Moore
• Paint: Finding the Perfect Gray
• The Best Gray Paint Colors

For more information on this house, visit 42ruevictorhugo.com.

Photo: 42 Rue Victor Hugo

Comments (12)

I am looking for short round tables just like the ones in the first picture for my living room ... does anyone know who sells them? I've been thrifting around without any luck so far :(

This place is fantastic. I find the color choice calming and yet warm at the same time.

Could slip between any of those sheets right now for an afternoon nap...

Very nice, but long term, I couldn't handle the lack of other colors in these rooms. Also, so much gray makes me think of dust.

I need those couch pillows. Does anyone know where they came from?

The gray would make me sad if I lived in it full time, but as a guest house, it's very serene.

I would love to visit Carcassonne and stay here. The building looks beautiful.

Am I starting to love *gray*?

Yup, I think I am!!!

I used this very BM color. It changes with time of day, lighting, etc. At times very cool, at times almost a taupe with green undertones.

The beauty of a base like this one may seem depressing at first, but add a 12x12 square of almost any favorite color, or even white, using a pre-bought stretched canvas, and you light it up like you would not believe.

I suspect the reason it's so minimal is to please a wide range of modernist tastes. If I were lucky enough to be there, I'd hang one rumpled linen shirt of almost any color and it would seem as art.

I love the tables in the living room. Any help, please!

Am I the only one who doesn't 'get' grey? The colour of toilet blocks, prison cells and my old school uniform; which for all intents and purposes was a prison. No thank you.