Accent Wall Colors for a Light Gray Room
Odette stood in my dining room doorway with her coat still on, looked at the strip of blue green paint I’d rolled onto one wall, and said, “Isla, did you…
Choosing a Wardrobe for Plain White Walls
I was standing in the middle of my own spare room with a pencil behind my ear and a roll of blue tape in my hand, marking out where things…
Wardrobe Colors for a Room With Gray Carpet
I painted a wardrobe door swatch on a Sunday afternoon, propped it against the wall of my bedroom, decided it looked “elevated and moody” in the four minutes of northern…
Matching Pillows to a Gray Sofa Without Playing It Safe
The received wisdom on gray sofa pillows is that you play it safe: white, ivory, maybe a “brave” charcoal if you’re feeling reckless, and you call the room finished. I…
Feature Wall Colors That Work in a Light Gray Room
Feature walls have a reputation, and it isn’t a good one. Say the words “accent wall” to anyone over forty and you’ll watch their face do something complicated, because most…
Colors That Pair With Light Gray Bathroom Tile
My mom stood in my bathroom doorway, took one look at the tile job I’d just finished grouting myself, and said, “It’s very… hospital.” Not mean, exactly. She followed it…
White Wardrobes: What to Put Around Them So They Dont Look Flat
I was standing in the doorway of the spare room on a Tuesday afternoon with an armful of flat sheets I hadn’t folded properly in maybe four years, trying to…
Lampshade Colors for Gray Walls
I count my lampshades. Not on purpose, it just happens, usually around eleven at night when I’m too tired to unpack another box but not tired enough to stop looking…
Lampshade Colors for White Walls
My sister texted me a photo of her new living room at eleven at night, all caps in the message before I’d even opened the image: “IS WHITE ON WHITE…
Vanity Colors to Try Against Gray Tile
My dad walked into the bathroom I was tiling last spring, looked at the sample vanity door I’d propped against the wall, and said one thing. “That’s the wrong white.”…