"Better gray than garishness." - Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres
I don't care about what people say about gray - A gray area. A gray mood. A noncommittal color. I am committed to it. I love it. I always loved all shades of gray, charcoal gray being my favorite- but it was not always like that.
I remember growing up in Cyprus and going to a British school which required us to wear gray pants, white shirt and a gray sweater. I remember hating gray so much, and I envied kids that went to schools that could wear anything they wanted. "You mean you can wear a red t'shirt to school and not get in trouble?"
Gray is considered to be formal color and dignified, but it also also lacks warmth which can make it appear somewhat remote and solemn.
That freedom from emotional stimulus gives gray an aura of power and wealth. It is also associated with maturity and wisdom. People with gray hair are thought to have a lifetime of accumulated knowledge and experience. In packaging and marketing collateral - grays have a rich, prestigious appeal. Think of packaging for Brunello Cuccinelli, Bottega Veneta or Maserati. All employ some variant of gray in their branding. I love metallic brushed gray which is associated with scientific and technological advances - Apple has employed that finish for years.
In interior design, dark gray is stately and formal, but can be a bit gloomy. I highly doubt there are many rooms painted gray in London.
A little more about the color Gray:
- The human eye can distinguish about 500 shades of gray
- Gray is a perfect neutral and that's why many of us designers use it as a background color
- Gray is also associated with intellect
