Grey is a very popular neutral sofa colour, which is no surprise as it is an incredibly versatile colour that will match virtually any other that can be imagined. The trick is matching the right tone of grey, with the correct tonal range of the colour you are pairing it with.
Rather than give you a long and exhaustive list of colours that go with grey, I decided that real-life examples would be far more beneficial. That way you get to see exactly how the colours work together in a living space setting.
The following examples are great ideas for deciding what colour goes with grey sofa...
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1. Grey Sofa with Mustard Accents
Image credit: avenue interiors
In this first example, two stylish and contemporary dark grey sofas have been accessorised with vibrant mustard accents. This has been echoed across the cushions, throw and rug (and not forgetting the mug!).
The light shade of grey on the walls, and warm-toned wooden flooring all work together beautifully to add depth and create a warm and homely feel.
Black and white have also been used in other accessories as accent colours, adding another element and contrast to the space. The pure white picture frames and shelf and black metal within the side tables and floor lamp all help to tie the room's design together perfectly.
2. Grey, Grey and More Grey Colours
Image credit: Danetti
If you love a grey living room, then this muted colour palette is definitely the one for you!
The darker shade of the grey wall, mid-grey velvet sofa and light grey rug almost cascade down from the ceiling to the grey tones of the wooden flooring. Topped perfectly by the black lampshade, almost like a fully considered modern art installation.
The only flashes of colour to break up the shades of grey are within the artwork on the wall and the soft pink table just out of shot.
Hints of silver on the metal sofa legs, side table frame and accessories, add a further subtle touch of opulence to the space.
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3. Soft and Subtle Grey Colours
Image credit: pinterest
Grey and pink in the living room are a match made in heaven. Although I don't advise overdoing the pink! This room, however, has just the right balance of pink and grey for me.
Light grey walls, a darker shade of grey sofa and a mid-tone muted grey carpet, with soft blush pink cushions thrown in as an accent colour create a beautiful tranquil space and help to add warmth.
The mixture of light grey matte fabric cushions, black and white accessories, textured rug, and the pinks in the flowers and vase, all tie in seamlessly with the overall concept of the living space. A winning combination of subdued pastel tones with a grey couch.
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4. Gentlemen's Club
Image credit: London furniture outlet
This living room style reminds me of a modern take on the classic gentlemen's club or traditional old-fashioned pub. I can imagine myself sitting on this deep charcoal-grey leather sofa with a drink in hand, being warmed by the crackling, raging flames of an open fire.
There aren't many green wall colours that would work with the grey of this leather couch and the lightness of the oak wood flooring, but this matt emerald green on the panelled wall does. There is no denying though, that this large regal sofa still steals the show.
5. Grey Sofa with Copper & Gold
Image credit: bed sava
As far as living room furniture goes, there is a multitude of different pieces to choose from. The trick is to pick items that work together in these three areas; style, design and colour.
It can be very hard to pair period furniture with modern items or cohesively match different colour combinations.
It is best to stick with the same style, using matching or complementary colours and tones. This is echoed in this stunning family room colour scheme.
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A Beautiful Contemporary Grey Sofa
I love this simple but stylish and contemporary grey sofa. It sits handsomely as a focal point of the room and is accessorised with copper and black and white geometric sofa cushions.
The black and white theme is further echoed through the large patterned rug, modern framed artwork, black coffee table and clean white walls.
Finally, artwork frames, tall light stand and coffee table legs add the hints of gold and plain neutral grey colour curtains finish the living room design simply and effortlessly. For a good range of neutral colour curtains that you can purchase yourself, check out this website.
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6. More Gold and Grey Colours
Image credit: Pinterest.com
You can't go far wrong using grey and gold in your living room, it not only makes for a sumptuous modern finish, but in combination, they are possibly two of the most used colours in interior design today and for good reason.
In isolation, grey can be a cold and clinical colour, but paired with the sumptuous tones of the gold accessories, they not only add a comforting warmth but also a flash of bright colours for interest.
The colour palette for this grey living room has been extended wider to add contrast, with the subtle use of a teal cushion and olive green in the complimentary geometric rug.
7. Neutral Hue Living Room
Image credit: decoratedlife.com
Having a neutral grey sofa doesn't mean that you have to add splashes of colour, there is nothing wrong in keeping the whole colour palette neutral and plain, as shown in the example above.
The walls have been kept plain and simple creating a pure white backdrop. This ultimately makes the light grey sofa and accessories stand out, showing them in their best light. The soft and cosy rug adds texture, and warmth and helps to zone the area into a friendly entertaining and lounging space.
The large windows let in a great deal of natural light, creating an open and airy feel to the space.
Simply using a neutral colour palette of cream, greys and natural wood tones for warmth, creates a comfortable and cosy atmosphere, suitable for many homeowners' living spaces.
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8. Grey Sofa Apartment Living
Image credit: decorsnob.com
The classic choice of grey scheme in this apartment's living room has far more of a masculine feel to it, with the matching grey upholstery of the L-shaped grey corner sofa and tub chair, different shades of grey within the curtains and rug and cooler shade of grey on the walls.
Add to this the black metal frame of the glass coffee table and the gloss black of the sculptured light stand and you are left with a pared-back modern design style. The only deviation from this is the few plain and bold patterns within the cushions that add colour and contrast to an otherwise grey-neutral base.
9. Grey Sofa with Burnt Orange
Image credit: culturesouthwest.org.uk
This modern living room design shows how by simply picking out colours in a statement piece, in this case, a stunning geometric rug, and using them in other items can effortlessly pull a theme together.
A prominent stand-out colour is the warm tones of burnt orange, which resides within the bold patterns of the rug design. This contrasts beautifully with the grey sofas.
The other colours within the rug, like the rich dark navy blue, white and cream have also been chosen for some of the sofa cushions, again cleverly echoing the palette of colours across the space..
Earthy tones, such as brown, beige and taupe have all been added into the mix with the use of cushions, furniture and carpet.
10. Baby Blue with Grey Sofa
Image credit: pinterest.com
As far as colour choices go baby blue is certainly a more common occurrence in nurseries and children's bedrooms, but don't be too quick to rule it out in your living room interior design.
The warm hues of the wood flooring, cool tone of the wall and blue undertones of the grey sofa all work together in harmony, creating a that any interior designer would be proud of.
Although baby blue on this living room wall is the dominating colour and gives the room a modern feel, avoid bright tones that could overpower the space and detract from the other styling options.
11. Living Room With Grey Natural Tones
Image credit: danetti.com
The soft grey tones of the sofa, wall, rug and floor pair beautifully in this modern living room space, whilst the, almost concrete grey of the walls, creates a cool foundation making the space feel open and airy.
When it comes to furniture choices, glass is again chosen for the coffee table and sofa side floor lamp, continuing the modern design aesthetic.
As with previous examples of colours that go with grey sofas, only a minimal splash of colour is used, which adds more depth and warmth to the overall feel of the room.
12. Soft Pink and Grey Sofa
Image credit: laredoute.com
For a contemporary combination, you won't go far wrong using pink on your walls, I suggest a soft pink and not a bright pink though (or if you feel that would be too overpowering, a stand-alone feature wall) and pairing this with a modern dark grey sofa, as can be seen in this beautiful example.
Other elements within the space, like the side table, lamp, flooring and plant pot have been kept natural and neutral to leave the sofa and wall combination as the star of the show.
Finally, a natural jute rug has been added to the space, giving practicality and creating a zoning effect within the seating area.
13. White, Grey and Teal Living Room
Image credit: pinterest.com
This bright white living space is a beautiful, modern open and airy space to enjoy a spot of reading, conversation or simply chilling to some music.
The soft velvety sheen of the teal chair and grey sofa not only contrast perfectly with each other but also with the panelled white walls.
The teal and grey colours have been cleverly picked out in the footstool with matching cushion, other sofa cushions and also within the accessories and artwork, tying the whole colour scheme together seamlessly.
14. Contemporary Grey, Green and Copper
Image credit: furniturechoice.co.uk
The clever use of a dark emerald green painted panel, along with the subtle green tinted rug, creates a perfect zoned seating area within the larger room space.
The light grey of the sofa contrasts beautifully against the emerald wall, with the copper of the cushions and gold of the table lamp adding warmth and interest to the interior design.
Finally natural wood finishes on the coffee table, sofa legs, side table and wall shelf, all add another warming element to the room and finish off the design to perfection.
15. Nature Inspired Colour Explosion
Image credit: housingunit.co.uk
Well, where do I start? The beautiful contemporary grey couch is surrounded (literally!) by a multitude of colours, nature and patterns. A veritable feast for the eyes, and the boldest of these living room ideas.
The interior designer of this quirky room design started with a blank canvas, used the stylish grey sofa as the focal point and took the client's brief of colour and nature to the extreme, with no holding back.
However, if we stand back for a moment, the designs chosen and the pieces selected are not a fluke and have not happened by accident. Thought and clever interior design have gone into the space.
Colour Coordination is Key
The colours within the bold nature-inspired wallpaper have been cleverly reflected in the large area rug and also within the regal-coloured cushions. Even to the point of using a similar tone and same shade.
The nature theme within the wallpaper, that I mentioned earlier, has also been carried across other parts of the room, with the wild cat cushion, large bee artwork, wooden monkey statue and even leopard print comforting throws.
Definitely a marmite room, you are either going to love it or completely loathe it!
My Final Thoughts
So in answer to the question, 'what colour goes with grey sofa', well firstly grey! (believe it or not) At least as far as the walls go. For an accent colour within the accessories and soft furnishings, I recommend gold, mustard yellow or copper and for flooring, stick to natural wood with a large textured rug that is predominantly grey and white, with additional accent colours within.
Whatever you decide, if using more than one grey element within the colour scheme, make sure to use different shades and tones that complement each other and pick only one or two accent colours to use around the space.
Author: Matthew Chiappini
