Grey - The Modernists Color

While not trying to go beyond the norms of design, It seems that once again Grey has become a color of choice for many aspects of design. Taken from nature, you see it showing up in new shades on cars, in paint, fabrics, furniture, and hard surfaces like tile.

It’s true, Grey has always been a color that used in the right setting and shade can make even a dark interior space seem more appealing, but with the advent of modern technology and the increasing demand for reinvention, it has taken a a liking to the Modernist approach of design.

So while Grey can be considered as a color of intellectuals, knowledge, and wisdom, It also has the ability to invoke a feeling of it’s use as being classic and refined. It is also a color that some may consider as conservative, and yet it also carries authority.

“If I see everything in gray, and in gray all the colors which I experience and which I would like to reproduce, then why should I use any other color? I’ve tried doing so, for it was never my intention to paint only with gray. But in the course of my work I have eliminated one color after another, and what has remained is gray, gray, gray!” — Alberto Giacomettii

So why can it be called “The Modernists Color?”

What’s the definition of a Modernist? [mod-er-nist] noun or adjective 1. a practice, usage, or expression peculiar to modern time. 2. modern artistic or literary philosophy and practice; especially : a self-conscious break with the past and a search for new forms of expression?

It may have something to do with the fact that it fits into so many elements of design. Think about it. . . Grey can be perceived as inconspicuous, not too dramatic, some may even call it a color of compromise, because it sits between the two extremes of black and white. To the Modernist, Grey is the color used to create drama, it is the color used as the accent in order to give a modern contemporary flair to products or space, whether interior or exterior.

This is true when you consider the varying shades of Grey. The closer it gets to silver or white, the more illuminating and lively it becomes. The closer it gets to black, the more dramatic and mysterious it becomes.

In any case gray is perceived as solid and stable, a color that creates a sense of calm and composure, relief from a chaotic world. And this is the space in which the Modernist dwells. It’s a place that allows the creative mind to relax without compromising the modernist approach to life.

Even if you don't consider yourself a Modernist, I am confident that the shades of Grey available by some tile factories, such as Florida Tile, and Emil Ceramica will motivate you to take a closer look at the color that has the ability to add a “Modernist” approach to your design style.

So, what shade of Grey are you drawn to?