Incorporating Red Accents on Grey Decor

Grey decor makes a great neutral canvas for many accent colours, red being one of the most popular. Red accents counteract the coolness of a grey scheme, and inject bold personality. Getting the balance just right can take practice though – too much colour can swamp and dominate the chilled grey backdrop you created, too little and the accent may look misplaced in the room. We’ve gathered together three great examples of how to do the red on grey thing just right, in various quantities and styles. We also have the privilege of taking a peek around the rest of these modern homes, filled with chic furniture and finesse.

Visualizer: Dali Design Studio

A red sofa sets the tone in this living room dining room combo. A digital wall mural puts shades of grey and contrasting blue tones behind it.

The tv wall opposite the sofa is a much plainer affair, where light and layering has been used to add interest to a white wall, rather than colour.

The dining area sits right by the red sofa, so the dining table and chairs are finished in black, grey and wood tone so as not to compete with the hero piece. The opportunity to add colour through lighting choice is skipped here too, with a black swing arm wall lamp illuminating the table. By holding back on colour use in the dining furniture and fixtures, a piece of red wall art is allowed to really stand out against a charcoal painted wall.

However, the kitchen bar counter pendant lights in the galley kitchen are a completely different story. Two strawberry red shades dangle over the breakfast bar, and reflect in a mirrored wall at the other end.

Wood kitchen bar stools make warm accessories to the pale grey kitchen cabinets.

In the modern bedroom, a single red scatter cushion picks out the red piping that trims the beds grey upholstery.

The wood herringbone floor treatment continues up as a feature behind the headboard and small side table at each side.

Black wall sconces provide reading light.

A black wall mounted unit serves as a media cabinet and as a dressing table.

Rouge pebbles bed down beneath a unique bathroom sink, which cuts straight through a low level modern bathroom vanity.

Pink tinted glass screens off a shower area with pink floor tiles.

Designer: Marra Group

In Kyiv, Ukraine, a 46.6 square metre white minimalist apartment brings in just one considered pop of red, in a set of nesting coffee tables.

A grey sofa hugs the lounge space, defining it from the rest of the open plan.

White doors and panels cover the room perimeter.

The minimalist living room is given a dark treatment over the tv wall, with deep wood panelling and a black media unit.

Twin floor lamps provide task lighting.

An internal door is camouflaged in the wood effect wall.

One chunky rustic wooden beam brings character the ceiling of the modern room.

A monochrome dining area nestles behind the sofa.

The dining area is neighboured by an L-shaped kitchen, with black, white and dark wood units.

The minimalist bedroom is a serene white space, capped by a dark grey ceiling.

A bespoke light installation illuminates the head of the platform bed.

At the window, a dark blind and radiator provide an anchor point in the light scheme.

Visualizer: Hanna Dudchenko

The final home tour with red accents is this slick modern apartment with internal glass walls.

Red scatter cushions brighten up a dark sofa. Across the other side of a modern coffee table, two red pouffes move the colour farther into the scheme.

Gold wall sconces add a little luxe.

Flames flicker in a modern fireplace below a wall mounted tv. The focal points are set into a wall of dramatic dark wood effect panels.

A row of dining room pendant lights catch natural light from the windows at the end of the kitchen diner.

The dining area is stepped up a level from the kitchen to clearly define the space – though a stepped floor can create a safety issue if a chair is pushed back over the edge!

The bedroom is also set on a slightly higher level from the main living room; a light strip illuminates the change in floor beneath glass dividing doors.

The bed is shrouded from view by turning the back of the headboard toward the living room. A recessed shelf in the back of the headboard contains candle holders, which make the piece resemble a modern fireplace.

A linear suspension light hangs at the head of the bed. The bed faces toward the window to watch the sunrise.

A gold vanity table sits by the home entryway. The vanity mirror is a custom cut, full height piece, illuminated around its edges.

The makeup vanity has a matching gold vanity chair.

In the kitchen, pale countertops and a chrome cooker chimney lighten up the black and deep wood grain design.

Gold mosaic tiles shimmer across the bathroom wall.

White marble covers the rest of the walls and floor, including the shower enclosure.

Bespoke bathroom cabinets hold clean towels, toiletries and decorative items.

The floating effect vanity unit is mounted directly onto a huge bathroom mirror. A storage cube beneath it holds more dry towels. Plumbing for the wall hung toilet is concealed behind a cabinet wall.