Contractors/flippers/builders/interior design aficionados : when will white/black/grey/oatmeal be over ?

[Mike Eskimo]

Sometimes we call them “gray castles”.

White bright glaze subway tile, Carrara marble, large format porcelain that looks like Carrara marble, “quartz” counters that look like Carrara marble, every shade of gray under the sun, paint every inch of natural wood interior trim white or light grey or black, black exterior window trim and more and more - sub in an oatmeal color for one of the lighter grey or white wall colors.

And, speaking of wall colors , they’ll debate for hours , 5 or 6 shades of white - that they’re going to paint every inch of every room.

If there’s an existing colorful (color ?! ) 30’s-60’s bathroom , even if it’s crack free and the plumbing has been upgraded ? Rip it out ! White/grey/black/oatmeal…

Interior design filters d-o-w-n the economic strata , rich to poor . So I’m waiting for my wealthy customers to call up and say - let’s gut it !

I remember when you’d start to see glass tile in HD commercials, I knew was going to have to start ripping out/redoing backsplashes in the wealthier locations - which def happened .

So - I’d like to think this trend is peaking but I see no clear end in sight…

 

[schmee]

I'm an oddball. I dont like most stone countertops at all. I do like some granite or stone that is not gloss, more natural.

 

[John Stephen]

There's a cross-industry color council that decides these things. It's all up to them. I think it's this outfit: https://colormarketing.org/

 

[Mike Eskimo]

I know where it started : rhymes with kragbowlya… (hint :Waco)

And from there forward , everyone’s imagination, vision, artistic sense was wiped clean !

Don’t forget the large black metal frame pendant lights ! The bigger the better !

 

[getbent]

much like shoulder pads for woman (hello linda evans) things will change.

 

[loopfinding]

Hey, it’s a lot better than pink pickled cabinets or “Tuscan villa.” I would even gladly take a lot of 50s and 60s and kitschy blunders over the macmansion wannabe/gated townhouse hell that the boomers inflicted in the late 80s, 90s, and early 00s.

 

[bobio]

Spend any time on Zillow looking at homes in large markets where flipping is popular, and you will see the interiors of the vast majority of those homes look identical...same boring color pallet...

 

[Esquire Jones]

Yeah and faux stone front of houses. Some are nice but some are sort Burger King looking.

On the other hand I grew up around older house and I really like white subway tile.

A builder friend says it runs in ten year cycles. So, things may change in a year or two.

Maybe we'll go back to oranges and avacado greens? Shag carpet? Yeah baby!

 

[John Stephen]

I'll be happy if those little glass tiles for backsplashes go out of style. I've got them in my kitchen 'cause my wife loves them. They remind me of the waiting room in a dentist's office from the 1970s.

 

[mr natural]

I noticed this trend in cars a while back. The vast majority of new cars I saw were black, white, grey, tan or silvery. My car is “slate” for example. Lately it seems to be slowly changing.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

What about West Coast Modern? Around here, this is the favourite current house design. They all start to look the same.

 

[Esquire Jones]

The new buzz here in Arizona is “Modern Prairie”.

 

[JL_LI]

Go to the paint store. There are hundreds of colors. My wife and I just finished an attic to basement renovation using earth tones, blues, soft greens, more blues. The shingles outside are also pointed blue. Like I said, there are hundreds of colors. The boring part is furniture where gray, white, and parchment prevail but lamps and occasional pieces can be used to add color. What you won’t find is Fender Tequila Sunrise.

 

[noname_dragon]

I'm a painter and I like the grey trend. I even like some grey ceilings I've seen. I dislike the beige/chocolate/brown/mustard/caramel colors folks are getting rid of now... good riddance!

 

[Bones]

What about West Coast Modern? Around here, this is the favourite current house design. They all start to look the same.

I actually like this one.

 

[Bones]

Sometimes we call them “gray castles”.

White bright glaze subway tile, Carrara marble, large format porcelain that looks like Carrara marble, “quartz” counters that look like Carrara marble, every shade of gray under the sun, paint every inch of natural wood interior trim white or light grey or black, black exterior window trim and more and more - sub in an oatmeal color for one of the lighter grey or white wall colors.

And, speaking of wall colors , they’ll debate for hours , 5 or 6 shades of white - that they’re going to paint every inch of every room.

If there’s an existing colorful (color ?! ) 30’s-60’s bathroom , even if it’s crack free and the plumbing has been upgraded ? Rip it out ! White/grey/black/oatmeal…

Interior design filters d-o-w-n the economic strata , rich to poor . So I’m waiting for my wealthy customers to call up and say - let’s gut it !

I remember when you’d start to see glass tile in HD commercials, I knew was going to have to start ripping out/redoing backsplashes in the wealthier locations - which def happened .

So - I’d like to think this trend is peaking but I see no clear end in sight…

Our Livingroom, entryway, hallway, kitchen and bath are various shades of gray, kitchen backsplash is made of translucent blue/green subway tiles. Those colors are then carried throughout with various pieces of furniture and accent piece including my photographs. Ceilings are flat bright white. Trim is bright white "eggshell" finish, two levels of luster below the traditional semi-gloss and the walls are all "matte" finish. All Benjamin Moore Aura base. Our mater bedroom is a shade of green that she likes and our individual "caves" have yet to be refinished so they are representative of the colors that were popular in the late 90s , early 2000s.

Anyway, all of this to say that we really like what we have done with the place and the grays are actually very comforting/relaxing colors and it allows us to get a little more stylish with little pops of colors. I did all the renovation work and painting and we picked all the new furnishings together, so how it is really reflects our tastes in 2021. And yes, our tastes are driven by tends to a certain degree, but it's a way better trend than the
"mauve" and "taupe" craze of the 80s.

 

[BigDaddyLH]

I actually like this one.

Maybe it's a case of familiarity breeds contempt with me. You walk down the street and see...

It's like they have a basic tool kit of 6 boxes and they rearrange them and make a house.

 

[Toadtele]

I don’t know when. But it will be over. I am just thankful that the barn door craze is slowing.

 

[Bones]

Maybe it's a case of familiarity breeds contempt with me. You walk down the street and see...

It's like they have a basic tool kit of 6 boxes and they rearrange them and make a house.

yeah, that's a bit much...

 

[Bones]

I don’t know when. But it will be over. I am just thankful that the barn door craze is slowing.

Mrs. Bones hates those things