What “Millennial Gray” Is, and Why It Has TikTok in a Tizzy
If you’re a millennial with a penchant for gray, you’re not alone. In fact, the hue has become such a staple in homes that it’s become something of a joke online, as millennials and zoomers alike poke fun at the distinct aesthetics of “millennial gray.” It’s reached the point where buyers are desperate for a home with personality — but what is millennial gray, anyway, and how did it become so popular?
What Does “Millennial Gray” Mean?
Designer Katelyn De Spain of Makehouse Design Studio says millennial gray “is about saturating your home with every conceivable shade of gray, creating a strikingly monochromatic vibe.”
One Urban Dictionary user gives a slightly less elegant description: “The sad depressive hue of the color gray which many millennials coat their life in. The color reflects how millennials went from nonsense happiness, looking at Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon in the ‘90s to Inflation and depression in the early 2020s.” Ouch!
Why Did “Millennial Gray” Become So Popular?
It’s true that shades of gray became all the rage amongst many millennials in the 2010s, from furniture and bedding to wall colors and flooring. According to De Spain, this shift occurred because they were engaging in “a rebellion of sorts against the Tuscan-era design style that many millennials were accustomed to in their childhood homes, and even their early adulthood.” She explains, “The neutral grays emerged as a way to counterbalance the ruddy browns and overly warm beiges that dominated home interiors in the early 2000s.”
“This is not farmhouse gray,” one TikToker joked while explaining the phenomenon. “No, this is asylum gray… we’re living in peace now.”
Nevertheless, plenty of millennials felt called out by “millennial gray” jokes that have been circulating the internet, and shared self-call out videos admitting to the ways in which their love of gray has taken over their homes.
But if this trend has you feeling out of touch, don’t worry. As another viral TikTok pointed out, millennials aren’t fully to blame for this trend. In the video, @_ottostudio breaks down the pattern of more affordable, mass-produced homes from the past 10 to 15 years often coming with gray finishings.
“For anyone that is lucky enough to buy a house right now, you have very little money leftover to buy unique furnishings or special finishes if you’re updating a house,” they pointed out.
They added that many of the people who purchase these newer, all-gray houses are doing so with the intention to flip them without having to spend extra time putting “color and personality in the space, and it’s a blank slate for the next person.”
What Is Gen Z’s Color Scheme?
Whatever your thoughts on gray homes are, it turns out that they might be on the outs anyway. According to Apartment Therapy’s 2023 designer survey, personal style is on the rise, with more people choosing to lean into bold colors and unique touches. This is likely due to Gen Z’s influence as they begin the transition into home purchasing age. De Spain agrees, saying, “I’d describe Gen Z’s color palette as vibrant and joyful, reflecting a lighthearted approach to life with its use of punchy yellows, pinks, and greens.”