A top commenting rule on the blog is, “No one can be made to feel bad for their choices.” So I am breaking my own rule and will probably regret it. However, I can no longer contain my rant against “greige” — that drab, virtually colorless, gray-green-brown-beige — that has begun to permeate the contemporary interior design world. Above: from Restoration Hardware. This is their second season, at least, deep into the doo doo (pun intended) of greige. I know times are really tough, and that a somber mood, on many occasions, is called for. But, this palette (can you even call the absence of color a palette?) … makes me depressed. I encourage the secret society of people who plan the “hot colors” for years forward to, instead, consider promoting a palette that reminds us to smile… that lifts us up… that gives us some hope! We Americans are an optimistic, extroverted, hard-working bunch, and we’ll pull out of this malaise. We are Not a Greige Nation. Oh and one more thing: Please remember that the Marketing Machine wants to convince you to throw out everything you bought five years ago for whatever is new today. Train your own eye, surround yourself with what makes You happy, and ignore what any trend pundits — including me-ish — say.
Reader Interactions
113 comments
Pencils says
I got that catalog recently and said “BLEH!” I *like* color. We just painted our (formerly white–the entire house was white when we moved in) living room and dining room. The living room is Benjamin Moore’s Blue Jean, a nice medium blue, and the stair hall, which goes up from the living room in this Cape, is Harbor Fog, the lightest color on the card with Blue Jean. And after many testers, our dining room is now BM’s Lemon Souffle, a very nice light yellow, perfect for a dining room/kitchen. We tried hard to avoid Easter egg colors, but I needed COLOR in my house. OK, I bought tan couches, but that’s so I can change the walls, curtains, and pillows when I want and they will go with any color.Haven’t done curtains yet as we’re having new windows put in. You’ll hate me but I’m taking down the pinch pleats in the dining room–they’re hideous 80s fabric though, not earlier stuff. I assume the former owner had pinch pleats made because that’s what she had before, but they wore out after 30 years. The living room curtains–and they’re definitely curtains, not drapes–aren’t a bad pattern and color, but they’re literally falling to pieces, they may be the originals from 1954.
Laura says
When I bought my 1952 house 2 years ago, all the rooms were painted beige. They remain that color because my husband said it was better for resale value. I went along with that til this week, and I had just had it!! Now there are paint sample chips taped to every wall in the house- I’m adding color!! Why should I have to live in this bland wasteland because if and when I decide to sell, it might “appeal” to more people. I can always repaint. And if you choose to go greige, for heaven’s sake, throw in a red pillow or something for some pop!
Dave says
I was commenting the other day about the absence of color during the past 10 years or so. It seems that the trend has been mostly gray and beige. Most interior finishes such as walls, kitchens and bathrooms are all neutral tones and very beige. Appliances have to be “modern” and stainless steel, gray. You look at the siding whether stucco or vinyl in housing developments and shopping centers, beige. Car colors for the most part are varying shades of gray and beige. The mind set is on re-saleability as in, “When we sell this house”, “When we trade in this car”. It’s made people afraid of color and color trends and it seems that “greige” was the logical next step in a decidedly color-fear-full society.
sarah says
I saw that catalog recently and had the same thought, YUCK! I think people need to see interesting examples of how to make things more colorful, not how to live in a world of weimeranger-colored upholstery!
Dana says
That’s a terribly boring palette with nowhere for the eye to rest and refresh itself. It reminds me of the white-on-white-on-white palettes of the “cottage” style that was so popular 10 years ago …. all too monochromatic and no balance between stimulation and rest. The walls in my home are a light tan unifying the entire interior except for my pale apple green kitchen. My garden-inspired colors of yellow, green, blue, and pinky/coral look wonderful against a neutral wall, and to my never-ending delight, my paint-by-numbers artwork looks terrific on this wall color! I like color!!
We have a big peeve going now with the harsh-looking black or very dark brown furniture everywhere that does not look the least bit inviting or comfortable but is showing up way too often … maybe a revolt against all that white of a few years ago.
Anyway, my 2 cents’ worth, and thank you, Pam, for standing up to the greige onslaught!! It’s boring!
d.
Eucritta says
My trouble with these sorts of colors, and especially gray and beige, is that they suck up light. We’ve got pale gray walls in our living room, for instance, I haven’t had a chance to repaint them, and for half the year or so it’s like the fog and drizzle has moved right in.
Then, too, after many years of living in rented apartments that were only ever painted in these sorts of colors – and ‘greige’ was very popular among landlords – what it says to me isn’t ‘restful’ or ‘sober’ or what-have-you but ‘cheap.’ And often as not ‘grubby,’ and wow, do these colors show every scuff.
Elizabeth Mary says
Pam and all commenters, THANK YOU!
Now I know what “color” my 1926 stucco bungalow was painted by the people who bought it from me. It began life a cheery pumpkin color and was still that color when I sold it 7 years ago. I moved only a mile away so I go by it almost every day. Not a good thing.
The first thing they did was remove the beautifully made french windows that enclosed the porch — one of the main reasons I bought the house. Then, they got rid of a 4-color paint scheme (pumpkin, dark and light grey on the foundation, and white on the wood trim), and replaced it with two: white for accent on wood and concrete trim, with a color I could not name on the body of the house. Was it tan? Was it green? Was it grey? Now, without a doubt I know it is GREIGE. Luckily over the 7 years the glaring white trim, on concrete elements, has gotten a bit dirty so is not as bad as it was, but the greige remains.
Shane Walp says
Yeah, this isn’t good at all. Very negative. Looks like a house with volcanic ash all over it, YUK! Life is in color – this looks like all these post-apocolyptic movies where it’s always cloudy, and everyones’ clothes are gray.
Nancy says
The color of a corpse on CSI!
bux1234567 says
When I first saw the new Restoration Hardware catalog and when I saw my hometown’s Restoration Hardware store renovated, I was immediately disappointed—and I’m a professional interior space designer. This disappointment was not because I necessarily think that greige is bad. As disturbing as RH’s shift in color is its shift in direction: very European. Again not that European is necessarily bad. It’s just that I used to look to RH for colors, accessories and gifts that had a mid-century, American and fun feel. This new stuff aims—and misses, as far as I’m concerned—at being so conventionally sophisticated, serious and elitist. Even if it hit that mark, who’d want it to? Unfortunately, I now have all the less reason to shop RH. Thank goodness my town has a Crate and Barrel.
pam kueber says
Yes, Bux, I’ve continued to think about this all weekend and the word “elitist” came to my mind, as well. Actually, when you look thru the RH catalog, it’s very ironic: The colors are “somber” ala today’s economy, but the size, the scale, the prices, the faux-old-European-style-on-steroids: Pretentious and yet another form of conspicuous consumption. Alas.