This week, our reader question is all about color combinations-what works, and what clashes.
After years of hating the color gray I am finally coming around to it for tile flooring. I am looking at two possibilities. A concrete grayish color and a very dark gray-black color. My dilemma is that the floor will flow into an area I will be using a rug. The rug I want is chocolate brown with teal accents. Can a brown rug go on a gray floor? Since I have bought neither item yet I am concerned that I may not see it correctly in my head.
-
AnnHere's the proposed rug:
Teal damask rugand the dark or light gray tile floor
steel and silver floor
My two cents: For the purpose of flow and a cohesive color palette, I would allow some of the gray tile to frame the rug. It's also important to consider contrast. Make sure your rug has a different value than the floor. In other words, when you squint at the two colors, side-by-side, they should not blend one into the other. If you chose the darker steel floor, the rug should be lighter; vice versa, if you chose the silver floor, the rug should be darker. With the neutral palette of grays and browns, punctuated by touches of cool-based teal, I think you are good to go.
Since we are such visual-people, here are some examples of brown-based rugs on gray flooring.
And if you are still not convinced, here is the oh so popular Kelly Wearstler's Hard Rock Cafe, in blacks, grays, and browns.
Kelly Wearstler
So, my most artistic, astute readers, what do you think Ann should do? What are your feelings on mixing brown and gray?
Mathew Smyth
The Rug Company
And if you are still not convinced, here is the oh so popular Kelly Wearstler's Hard Rock Cafe, in blacks, grays, and browns.
