This season’s hottest interior design looks seem to suggest that gray is now the preferred dark neutral rather than black. Just skim through design magazines to see shades of gray celebrated from floor to ceiling.

According to Home Color Trends 2010/11, by Kate Smith and Kiki Titterud, gray has such a powerful influence today because of the following:

• an increase demand for sustainability
• a desire for long-lasting style
• and the need to extract the perfect balance between eco and ego

Concrete, stone, and soil provide a strong reference point for creating today’s grays, and according to Smith and Titterud, “The hues appear to be made of earth elements gathered and blended by hand. They speak to our need to dig in and get our hands dirty in order to create a stable future.”These earthy neutrals are grayed variations of green, brown, and white. They are refined rather than raw because of the tonal, mystical qualities they project. They say understated elegance rather than lux and glam. And when paired with silver and gold, the pairings insist on a matte finish rather than the glitz of shine.

We will discuss applications of the new grays next week on our blog. Sign up to receive posts via e-mail so you don’t miss a thing!