We usually see grey used in modern interiors, so it's a nice change to see how this shade translates in more traditional rooms. Interior designer Nathalie Vingot Mei has a beautiful portfolio that features sophisticated, serene interiors thanks to her restrained color palette of whites and soft greys while playing with light and texture to create a calm ambiance. We've pulled together a few of our favorite photos that show how Mei uses grey in different rooms and styles...
A simple bathroom with modern lines.
This ornate bathroom has a warmer feel to it due to the lighting and the romantic drape of the shower curtain. Absolutely love how the exterior of the bathtub is painted a matching shade of grey!
With an antique bedspread and curvy furniture, this bedroom takes on a more feminine feel, as opposed to the more masculine double bedroom featured above. By limiting the color palette, textures and shapes can dictate the mood of a room.
We like this tip: Painting the bottom 1/4 of a wall grey and the top 3/4 white. It'll give the illusion of added height to a room.
Want to see more of Mei's work? Visit her site, Villa Medicis.
(Images: Nathalie Vingot Mei)
The bathroom seems more taupe than grey to me, but I absolutely love all these interiors! I'm a fan of bold color, but also a sucker for these subtle tones. In fact, my bedroom is mostly grey, and I adore it:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/visualingual/2544389767/in/set-72157594505190197/
view visualingual's profile
I like the last bedroom best.... the middle one is a little too somber for me and I'm not sure about the stripes in the first one. But all three of them are very serene and look like nice places for an afternoon nap. The bathrooms are nice too.
view insanity_pepper's profile
Love grey! I recently bought a white refrigerator 'cause it was on sale and didn't cost $6,000 like stainless steel. But to give my kitchen the "feel" of steel, I painted the walls a beautiful steel grey. Saved myself $5,980!
view GreatFriend's profile
So beautiful, simple, and serene!
view romateamo's profile
This is absolutely stunning. I love how texture takes center stage in these rooms. If only I had enough restraint to achieve this!
view JulieLeanne's profile
What are the mats on the beds, she has them in several other interiors as well.
view Courtnyleigh's profile
GREY is my favorite color!
It's kinda hard to decorate with but I LOVE these rooms!
view pniccole's profile
It's very nice, the bathroom is my favorite and I love the layered bedding in the first photo, the duvet on top of the spreads, so original.
view decor8Holly's profile
The bathroom has a warmer feel because it's well on its way to beige.
Its strange, I love grey and I tend to overuse it. And I feel like the rooms (bedroom especially) should be something I would love; but I'm finding it too washed out. I'm surprised.
view OnlyMe's profile
Grey and white are my new favorite colors. Of course I'm stuck with fawn colored carpets. Maybe I need to invest in some larger size room rugs.
view baileyb's profile
I have to say... these all look like black and white photos. pretty to look at but not real. why work so hard to keep color out?
view ilovelamp's profile