I don't like using gray inside as I find it quite depressing. I love color and have just painted one of our dining rooms orange and blue. The love of certain colors is a personal thing and I believe that you should use colors that make you happy especially in your own home. Fads are just that - let you home reflect you and your favorite choices not what the 'fashion' is.

Gray is certainly on the downfall. Styles come and go in everything, home design is no different from fashion in that way. Partly I think gray is fading so quickly is due to how oversaturated it was the past few years.

I always urge my clients to pick classic choices for items that can't easily be changed out often. Flooring especially, since floors can last 15-20 years. Go classic and timeless on bigger items. You can add style and personality through items that can easily be changed out like furniture and paint.

I love grey, so I plan to use it for my walls, and in the veins of my marble countertops. That way I can enjoy it and it stays classic, rather than doing a whole room in a single color, which does look dated and can so easily go out of style.

I adore my gray kitchen - both cabinets AND walls. BUT...it's not open concept, I have lots of color in the other rooms in my house, I have a huge west-facing bay window over my kitchen sink that looks out to a lovely garden. All this makes a BIG difference.

I don't like gray floors. I think floors should be done once and done classically - site-finished hardwood in a medium tone. They will go with everything.

I don't intend this to offend you Carol but help you make objective dicissions instead. Any time decissions are based on current trends,you must budget for future change as trends change. Since you said "I am making choices that will be permanent for many years.",here's how you decide what to use. From beginning of mankind,people have been simulated and influenced by colors. How colors simulate and influence hasn't changed nor will it ever. Regardless what groupies in New York and the West Coast are doing,a winter rental cabin in snow country shouldn't use cool blues,greens and violets if you want it to appeal to the broadest number of people to whom you are renting. Look back over the past 50 years for what has consistantly remained in use despite trends. Natural wood has never gone out of style,neither has nature hues. At the same time,alowing either of those to dominate has been a mistake. Gray fit's both those catigories depending on the tone. Using a little gray with any color combo is always a safe thing but letting gray dominate set's a mood surly as viberant floral patterns do. The best advice I have is buy a color wheel and familiarize yourself with how it works. Guaranteed,your friends will eventually call you a good decorator despite not jumping on every trend that come's into favor. I am not a decorator but I have years of success with rental office space and residential properties.

We are doing a grey and white kitchen, grey walls and grey carpet in bedrooms. But our flooring is more of a blonde lighter colour and our rooms have tons of natural light. We will be adding colour in what we put in the spaces. For us grey is neutral and simple and serene.

gray is still going strong, but white plus black are the new gray so to say

actually all three of these work well to support what is a real fascination-and the real fascination are colors. stronger colors, jewel tones, pastels, you name it

wood stained cabinets are on the rise again. look through good shelter magazines-and you'll notice trends several years before they'll be widely announced as such..))

all this is kinda interesting, but matters to you very relatively. It can inspire you and give you ideas-but the main thing that should lead you-your place, where is it, what character it has..what will always look there organic and natural..say I'd refrain from gray wood floors unless it's a place on a beach, and will also depend what beach..:)

another main thing-is you. no one else:) So try to separate likes from deep loves, and go with deep loves. While listening, very closely, to your house.

Your home will reflect its time. We also reflect our time. That's how it goes. A person has-or builds, slowly and painfully- his integrity-and that's what stays timeless. If he's fortunate enough..

A well-considered house that reflects his owners has its integrity-and in that, to a certain degree, lies its "timeless-ness"..that appeal that stays, the character that stays, regardless times that will change and will be this or that.

I just read a designer's 2018 design trend round up and she said everything is trending warm--warm wood tones, yellow, even red. My first thought was, if that's the case all the people who "updated" to the gray trend in the past ten years are gonna be really frustrated with that investment in 5-10 years.

So goes trends, though. Most folks wanted browns or "tuscan" 10-15 years ago. It's best to remember what you have always loved. I've loved dark blues and pinks since middle school--they're the colors I like to wear--so after falling victim to the brown trend a few years ago I chose to phase out the brown with my love of blue and pink. I hope it endures!

Personally I stayed with the cream/beige/tan colors. Painted 1 room gray and had to redo it, hated it. It's your home so if you like gray go for it.

Trend is not good. Do something tasteful that you like. Or get a designer that will help you pick out colors / finishes that appeal to you.

I don't care about trends, I have my personal style. I can't imagine my self living in a gray black and white house with "pops" of color, I'm a embrace color person

I happen to love gray I don’t find it depressing at all if you have good natural light and good artificial it works just as well as (in fact better ) than beige IMO> I would however proablt stick to a nice wood color for floors because too much gray can be a bit overdone. I fing with a gray, black and white color scheme in my house that some wood just worked.I like the ability to add color whenever I want , I have had this color scheme for 10 yrs and still love it which is a miracle for me.I do have floors that are a grayed/ green which looks like slate . BTW a gryed/ green for walls is often my go to for clients who want neutral but love color .

however, I like gray and white bathrooms. 6 years ago I was redoing my bath and was impossible to find a simple big dark gray tile for the floor. Because the trending was beige and I hate beige bathrooms. I was able to find only online but it was very hard

Ignore trends & go with what you love. Yes, the gray trend has passed. I see warmer colors and saturated colors in all the new higher end applications where I live, but that might not be true in other parts of the country... I think it’s somewhat regional. A very high end designer told me that wood toned kitchens are the trend with white running a close second. So it goes ...I’m a firm believer in classic medium wood floors regardless of any current trend.

I think gray has it's place. I don't think you should rely on it as your main color, or every room painted gray.

Bluntly,I'd steer clear of of grey laminate floors if I wanted a look that won't date. Nonetheless,if you absolutely adore a gray floor, trends don't matter. The best spaces,IME, have a personal vision.

If this is going to be your home and not a flip/rental/etc., I wouldn't get too caught up in worrying about trends. The only thing I would shy away from is the gray floors. Wood floors have never really gone out of style. Incorporate the gray in other places, but leave some warmth to the floor. Plus since floors are meant to last 10-20 years it'd be a little pricey if you were to change your mind in a few years.

Billy Baldwin said it perfectly, "Be faithful to your own taste because nothing you really like is ever out of style."

Someone above said to look in your closet. I agree! I often ask clients what their favorite color to wear might be. If your closet is full of tobacco browns, and creams, and russet oranges, you aren't going to be happy with cold grays. If your closet is full of vibrant reds, royal blues, and bright yellows, ditto.

Create a natural palette for your main unchangeable elements. Natural toned wood. Not bleached to gray, or stained to ebony. Cabinets either a white, cream, or natural wood. Same with your millwork. Then let your favorite colors from your closet have free reign. If you wear a lot of lime green, put in that lime green island and couch. It will look great with natural maple cabinets! And you will love it!

Wow! Thank-you to everyone. This has been so helpful.

Thanks K. Lawrence for your succinct reply that the gray trend has passed and warmer colours and saturated colours are moving in.

It is clear from just about everyone that gray flooring is not the way to go, and that natural wood tones will go with anything else I might do.

Thanks Aprilneverends & Debbi Washburn. You reminded me to do what I love, vs trends or just likes.

And SJS Interiors and The Cooks Kitchen for suggesting I look in my closet. Very insightful and good way to remind me what colours give me joy. In my closet I have lots of black base pieces and many bright colours: turquoise, bright coral, hot pink, multi-coloured.

My personal vision, hollybar, is to create a contemporary artsy space with touches of global / tribal / travel. I was thinking of doing the main elements (kitchen cabinets, countertops, floors, bathroom tiles & counters) in neutral whites & grays. And adding colour with my art, and whimsy, in furniture and other décor.

So far, I am thinking of painting the walls in white - as this condo is not very bright, and I want my art and accents to pop.

Below are some pieces I already have (now in storage until I take possession of my condo and reno it.)

I do have a follow-up question.... If I do glossy white Kitchen cabinets, should I do both uppers and lowers in white. Hade been thinking of large format marble look quartz for counter. See example pic at bottom of pics below.

Is this too much white? Should I look for a counter top that has more touches of black and not just gray?

Below are some pics of some of the furniture and accents I have.

This is my LR rug. Tribal look in black and creamy gray.

I have 2 accent chairs in this gold jewel tone. Each with a different black and white pillow.

Interestingly at one point I threw a scarf of hot pink, turquoise and gold on the chair. really like it but not sure that it ties in with the rest.

Lola Lampshade - my floor lamp. Got to have a little whimsy. :-) I made her from a vintage dress form.

I couldn't pass this one up when I saw it at Home Sense. very Andy Warhol-esque, n'est-ce pas?

Moroccan antique wooden bowl.

Light gray sofa with black, white & gold pillows.

A white kitchen with marble-look quartz counter.

LA Cuesta Contemporary Kitchen · More Info

Brava, Carolyn. Your vision for the space is speaking loud and clear. (and that Warhola Pup,too amusante) The bright,clean backdrop for color and art sounds perfect for your look. Chic & collected. I would likely keep the cabinets the same,with glass as in your inspo. I would also keep the counters background since the floors will carry through. In white spaces,the glass and the flooring strongly function as another color and texture. One thought I had was that the cabinets will direct the tone of the other whites used, so I'd find them first.

Hollybar.....Not clear on what you mean by having glass as my inspo for the cabinets?

In order to keep the counters as background, are you suggesting no marble veining like the pic I posted? And just go a mottled white? As it needs to go with the white in the cabinets,

Greige (like the color of natural linen) has been a safe direction for decades

Thanks Beverly. My sofa, however is a cool gray.

You've got some great pieces and it seems you've got your direction figured out! Love homes with tons of art worked in. Please share when all is done.

Just to throw it out there, if there is an entry landing or a guest bathroom (some area with a bit of division from the main space) maybe you could put in some fun flooring (colorful geometric tile)

And/or an bright accent wall (bright yellow or orange paint, or funky wallpaper)

Greige & gray can play nice.

Never mind the color wheel Carolyn,obivously you figured that out long ago. LOL

I distinctly remember when the Restoration Hardware catalog came out with their first Belgian grayed out woods--2008? 2009? -- I called my designer cousin to tell her I thought it was hideous. Haha. Now it's totally mainstream and considered timeless by some.

Whenever I felt the pull toward gray I would remind myself that I ripped out 2000 square feet of gray flooring in 2006 and that my first reaction to the gray trend was not positive; it's extra work for me sometimes to distinguish between what is an enduring personal style and what is influenced by blog/instagram/etc.

Carolyn ...Just meant that in the kitchen you posted above,the whole top run has glass inserts. If you plan something similar,that glass becomes a second "color" of cabs. Countertop-wise, are you planning a waterfall like in the pic? The important thing here for your look,imo,is the right tone & the plainness, not too much action or contrast. Subtle veining should work. (especially because you mentioned you are opening up the space.) My bet is that you will know when you see it. And yeah, so much depends on the cab choice.

I've been noticing grey on a downward spiral since around september. I never really liked it. This is the reason I never follow trends, its stupid. How long did this whole grey craze last? A year? Then what, your gonna paint your whole house again? I hope you have deep pockets. I was the same way throughout high school. Everyone would dress or do all this stupid stuff. I would just ignore it cause I knew it was dumb. Now they get to look back at how stupid they were lol. Now they do the same as adults lol. I always do stuff thats classic and will never be out of style. In about a month, I'm about to install 18x18 crema marfil marble tile in 650sqft in my house. Instant Timeless! None of this dark floor garbage. Pay for beautiful oak floors then cover it up with dark stain? Yeah that makes perfect sense.

I think the cool pieces you have and bold colors will be beautiful off white walls - very contemporary gallery style look... White gloss cabinets are fine but remember to be careful when cleaning them to avoid scratches... If you are doing new cabinets you could do the gloss in the uppers and do beautiful walnut on the lower cabinets... I actually like the floor color that is in the picture with your rug - it is a gray tone but very warm...

I would not do the brownish gray washed wood floors. Definitely a trend. And not a great one.

Slate look tile is timeless. Well, let's say, it's not currently trendy so it won't date the space. There are many nice patterns with warm and cool shade combinations.

As mentioned above, medium toned hardwood is versatile and classic.

I would consider these wood floors the light side and a little more modern but they are very pretty.

CrystalPea....Love those colourful geometric bathroom tiles.... I have not seen anything like that before. Do you know the manufacturer name? or Retailer? by any chance. And what app did you use to show my art on a colourful wall? That would be useful for me.

I will definitely post some before and after pics.

HollyBar.... I wasn't thinking of glass uppers. I was just showing a pic of the type of counter top. My worry with glass uppers, especially in a small condo, is that they create additional busy visuals because of everything in side them. Yah?

Debbi Washburn.... Thanks for all your insights and feedback. It helps to chew things over with others I find.

Unsure about 2 different woods... especially in a small condo that I don't want to chop up. On the other hand the kitchen could end up looking totally white washed. ... So perhaps a backsplash with blacks, whites and grays for more dymanism??

Want to make the condo look bigger and brighter. ( It is a bit dark, with not a lot of natural light.) Although I will be putting on lots of layered lighting, including pots, ceiling fixtures and lamps. Even under the peninsula overhang where the stools will be. I will have and LED strip which can be white or wash other colours down the cabinet base - based on mood or table setting. This perhaps speaks to a white lower for the best effect.??

Love the idea of lighting under the overhang... I like it with a texture to highlight, but it will be nice plain as well...

Proper lighting and reflective surfaces will help keep the place feeling bright - plants will help keep it soft and inviting and your art work and eclectic pieces will give it energy!

Keep at it!

I used photoshop to add your art into that space. I'm not aware of an easier/ more accessible program, but there may be one out there.

https://www.artedomus.com/products/opus-allegro#image-1256

-Dreading getting the pricing information...

The tile is $135/sqft in case you were curious. Guess I'll have to be satisfied with looking at it in my ideabooks.

Crystalpea....you and me both. :-)

I guess this tile and my dream perfect bathroom tile are friends..and often go out for tea..inviting my dream perfect kitchen tile to join them..:)

@crystalpea, $135 a square foot? LMFAO!!! it better be made out of gold or platinum. $135 for a box of 10 would be more like it.

yeah, my dream bathroom tile was definitely 130$ per sq foot (after 30% contractor's discount LOL)..small boutique line, family-owned..never heard of it until I saw their tile..in addition to being custom, hand painted, blahblah, the full pattern consisted not of squares put together, but of triangles...

it was not made of gold-but it was incredible tile.

still look at it sometimes. on my screen lol

the dream tile for my kitchen that I never got (that one was cheaper..70$ per sq f)-I actually have the sample. Keep it in a drawer. Still look at it. Years go by..:)

Yeah I let out a slight giggle when they emailed me the price. Was kind of expecting as much so I wasn't too disappointed.

aprilneverends, my favorite kitchen backsplash is a dimensional tile by heath ceramics that is $70+sqft. There are other things I'd rather spend the money on, but it is certainly dreamy.

Those tiles are a rip off!! For that kind of money you can get the tools yourself and do it yourself. Or make a template and hire a place to cut it out for you with a water jet. either would be half the price. If you were doing something small then it not worth it. But a huge room? even $30 a SQFT is a rip off. Thats why I never shop at the tile shop. They have many of the same exact tiles as floor and decor but they charge 3-4 times more.

no..I spent a lot of time in tile shops until I found the ones I love enough:) I'm pretty crazy about tiles. Other things, I might not give a damn-tiles, I do actually love. Many many shops we checked out, and the ones I worked with in the end were nothing like Flor and Decor or any other big store for that matter. Different selection, quality, service. But took us lots of time to discover them.

The people who make them-these tiles I'm talking about- are very good craftsmen. Believe me. It borders art..thus hard to put price on that, since art is subjective. You attach to it value that's intangible somewhat.

what's a rip off? if you ask me my today's visit to a doctor was a rip off and put me in a bad mood. But he's a doctor, and I'm not. He's not a bad doctor too. But I'm really sorry I went there, at this point.

I also know some very good doctors-there, I don't mind paying. I mean I do mind but what can I do. It's just that with the doctors I might unfortunately have no choice but to go and pay. And not neccessarily they'll tell me something encouraging either. The result is vaguer, so to say:)

With tile, on the other hand,I can decide to continue to dream:)

Or choose tiles I still love but can afford, which I eventually did.

I painted my house in safe greige colors. Sherwin williams has a wide variety of these beautiful colors. Good luck