How to Get Rid of Millennial Gray Without Shocking Your System

Millennials grew up in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s. Take a look at any old decorating show from that era and you’ll see almost blinding color combos, strange rag wall painting techniques, and trompe l’oeil. When we grew up, painting all our walls gray was a palette cleanser. Our brains needed calm (boring?) spaces.  

If you’ve just moved into a home with millennial gray walls or you’re a millennial that needs a break, changing things up can take courage. How do you make your walls interesting without going too far? These tips will help. 

Key takeaways 

• Start small with a feature wall if you’re not ready to change the entire room. 
• Try muted greens, blues, pinks, earth tones, and other subdued colors for a bigger change that still feels calm. 
• Add color without painting through rugs, curtains, pillows, artwork, furniture, plants, and other decor. 
• Repeat an accent color throughout the room to make colorful additions feel intentional. 
• Experiment with warm, cool, or colored lighting to change how gray walls look. 
• If you still like gray, add interest with grayscale patterned or mural wallpaper. 
• Use bright white trim, molding, wainscoting, or chair rails to add contrast to gray walls. 

Start small 

The easiest thing to do is add a feature wall to your room. A feature wall is one wall in a room that’s interesting and the focal point.  

You can paint this wall your favorite color, wallpaper it, make it a gallery wall, or cover it with interesting wall tiles. Gray goes with just about anything, so you don’t have to worry about your feature wall clashing with the rest of the walls. 

The beautiful part is it’s just a small part of your room. If you hate it, it’s much easier and more affordable to change than an entire room. Decorating a feature wall is a good way to dip your toe into decorating outside of the gray box without going nuts. 

Choose a muted color 

A bright color right off the bat can make you question your life choices as soon as the paint roller hits the wall. If you’re set on painting the entire room, go for a muted color, first.  

Muted colors are calm, like gray, but a little more interesting. Here are some ideas: 

• Muted neutrals: Warm white, ivory, cream, oatmeal, linen, mushroom, taupe, greige, putty, stone, warm gray, dove gray, and charcoal gray  
• Muted greens: Sage, eucalyptus, olive, moss, lichen, dusty green, gray-green, fern, muted mint, and soft forest green  
• Muted blues: Dusty blue, slate blue, blue-gray, smoky blue, muted navy, denim blue, storm blue, steel blue, and faded teal  
• Muted pinks and reds: Dusty rose, blush, mauve, muted coral, faded terracotta, clay, rose beige, and dusty burgundy  
• Muted yellows and oranges: Ochre, mustard, muted gold, straw, wheat, sand, apricot beige, muted peach, and burnt orange  
• Muted purples: Dusty lavender, mauve, heather, smoky purple, gray-purple, muted plum, and soft aubergine  
• Earth tones: Terracotta, adobe, clay, camel, tan, tobacco, cinnamon, rust, sandstone, and muted brown 

Add pops of color 

You may not need to paint your walls. There are plenty of ways to add color to a gray room: 

• Throw pillows: Mix solid colors with patterns on sofas, chairs, and beds.  
• Throw blankets: Drape a colorful blanket over a sofa, chair, bench, or bed.  
• Area rugs: Use a rug with bold colors or a colorful pattern to anchor the room.  
• Curtains: Choose colorful curtains to frame the windows and add color vertically.  
• Artwork: Hang paintings, prints, posters, photographs, or textile art with brighter colors.  
• Accent furniture: Add a colorful chair, ottoman, bench, side table, cabinet, or dresser.  
• Lamps: Try colorful lamp bases or shades.  
• Decorative vases: Place colorful glass, ceramic, or painted vases on shelves and tables.  
• Flowers: Fresh or artificial flowers can add small bursts of color throughout the room.  
• Houseplants: Greenery naturally stands out against gray, and colorful planters can add another layer of color.  
• Books: Arrange colorful books on shelves or coffee tables.  
• Decorative baskets: Use woven or fabric baskets in colors that complement the rest of the room.  
• Storage bins: Colorful bins and boxes can make practical storage part of the decor. 
• Picture frames: Swap neutral frames for colorful ones or create a mixed-color gallery wall.  
• Mirrors: Choose a mirror with a colorful, painted, tiled, or metallic frame.  
• Candles and candleholders: These are an easy way to introduce small amounts of color without making a big commitment.  
• Decorative trays: Use a colorful tray on a coffee table, dresser, ottoman, or kitchen counter.  
• Accent wall: Paint one wall a contrasting color if you want a larger splash of color while keeping most of the room gray.  
• Wallpaper: Add colorful wallpaper to one wall, an alcove, the back of built-in shelves, or another small area
• Removable wall decals: These can add color without permanently changing the walls.  
• Upholstery: Reupholster a chair, bench, or headboard with a colorful fabric.  
• Bedding: Add color with a comforter, duvet cover, quilt, sheets, or pillow shams.  
• Table linens: Tablecloths, runners, placemats, and cloth napkins can brighten a gray dining area.  
• Decorative dishes: Display colorful bowls, plates, glassware, or serving pieces in a kitchen or dining room.  
• Kitchen accessories: Small appliances, utensil holders, dish towels, and countertop accessories can add color.  
• Hardware: Colorful or decorative knobs and pulls can give cabinets and furniture a subtle pop.  
• Clocks: A colorful wall or mantel clock can double as functional decor.  
• Sculptures and decorative objects: Add colorful pieces to shelves, mantels, consoles, and coffee tables.  
• Seasonal decor: Rotate colors through pillows, blankets, flowers, and other small decor as the seasons change.  

You can repeat the same accent color in three or four places around the room. For example, a mustard yellow pillow, a little yellow in the artwork, and a yellow planter can make the color feel intentional. 

Change your lighting 

Maybe the easiest way to change the colors of your walls is to change your lighting. Colored up-lights on each wall can turn them into any shade you want.  

You can also switch the bulbs in your overhead lights and lamps to a warm-hued light. This will make the gray feel cozier and more of a brown or beige than gray. A cool-toned light bulb can make the gray skew more blue. 

Go on gray overdrive 

If you can’t decide on a different color, go all-in on gray, but make it interesting. Find a wallpaper with a grayscale print. Look for a fun print or a mural that’s in different shades and tones of gray. You can put the wallpaper on just one wall or put it around the whole room.  

Add a pop of bright white 

Pairing a bright, crisp white with Millennial gray can look very sophisticated. Add the white to the walls with:  

• Baseboards 
• Window trim 
• Molding 
• Wainscoting 
• Chair rails 

Millennial gray decorating FAQ 

What is Millennial gray?

Millennial gray generally refers to the gray-heavy decorating trend that became common in homes during the 2010s and early 2020s. It can include gray walls, flooring, furniture, cabinets, and other neutral finishes. 

How can you make gray walls more interesting?

Add contrast through artwork, wallpaper, colorful decor, white trim, plants, patterned textiles, or a feature wall. You can also experiment with lighting to change how the gray looks throughout the room. 

What colors go well with gray walls?

Gray can work with a wide range of colors. Sage green, dusty blue, mustard, terracotta, blush, muted lavender, navy, and other subdued shades can add color without creating a dramatic contrast. Brighter colors can work well as smaller accents. 

How do you add color to a gray room without painting?

Use items that are relatively easy to change, such as throw pillows, blankets, rugs, curtains, artwork, lamps, bedding, plants, and decorative accessories. This also lets you experiment with different colors before making a bigger change. 

How many accent colors should you use in a gray room?

You don’t need a specific number. Start with one or two colors you like and repeat them in several places around the room. For example, you could use the same green in a pillow, artwork, planter, and rug. 

Can lighting make gray walls look different?

Yes. Warm-toned lighting can make some grays appear warmer or more beige, while cooler lighting can emphasize blue or cool undertones. The effect depends on the specific gray paint and the other colors in the room. 

What can you do if you aren’t ready to stop decorating with gray?

Keep the gray and add more visual interest. Try patterned grayscale wallpaper, contrasting white trim, different textures, artwork, or a feature wall. You don’t have to replace every gray surface to make the room feel different. 

What is an easy first step for moving away from Millennial gray?

Try changing something that’s easy to reverse. Add colorful pillows or curtains, paint one feature wall, or hang removable wallpaper. If you like the result, you can gradually introduce more color throughout the room.