Jemma Castillo
It's never easy deciding how to paint your walls in a living space, or which colours and design ideas to incorporate. Obviously there are many shades, textures, styles and decorations to choose from, so we have collated these beautiful grey and navy living room ideas to inspire you. Disclaimer: As an Amazon and Wayfair associate, we do receive a small commission from qualifying purchases made via links within this article. Although colours certainly play a big roll in this rooms design, materials and textures have clearly been an important focus. Shiny gloss white flooring, real wood tables and natural woollen cushions and rugs have all been picked to show off their different beautiful textures and refined warming colours. This is a dark blue and grey living space where you could happily relax, have breakfast or even work from home.
The backbone of this design is simple, a solid navy sofa, dark grey walls and a rug that brings the colours together. Texture is added with a funky white mohair footstool, while colour is thrown in using beautiful modern cushions and complementary artwork.
Finally a touch of bling is added using a gold planter, cone wall lamp and reading light stand. Although a relatively small living room, the deep blue walls work to create a warm and cosy space, a stark contrast from the hallway décor beyond. The owners here have stuck to blue theme with the furnishings too, incorporating the cupboards, sofa and footstool into it using a subtle contrast of different shades and tones. The only move away from this is the ceiling, doors and fireplace which, as they have used a pure white, gives a beautiful crisp edge to the bold blues, making the walls really stand out.
The designer of this predominantly white and blue living space, has certainly not held back on the mixing of styles and themes ! There is both a sophistication and calming feeling to this room and the deliberate limited use of colours has pulled all the different elements together perfectly. Silver shiny surfaces have been added to the colour palette as another coherent theme running through the whole space. Nothing shouts grandeur quite like a combination of high ceilings, wall panelling and internal fluted columns.
It's well known that dark colours work particularly well in larger spaces, by stopping them feeling too cold, bland and sometimes even clinical. The sofas and curtains have been kept to a completely neutral colour scheme, to not only allow the walls to remain the main bold statement of the room, but to also stop them fighting for attention or clashing.
Here we see proof that even if you prefer your interior design to be conservative and traditional within your room décor, you can still add a modern twist by creating a bold feature wall. More importantly, no complicated home decor interior design ideas or expertise are needed to achieve it. Simple lines, a neutral backdrop and bold furniture are what make this blue and grey apartment space interesting, but without being overpowering.
Rather than use bold colours on the walls, they have chosen statement furniture as the main focus of the room, with just hints of pattern in the cushions to break up the solid navy sofas. Panoramic windows let in plenty of natural light into the room, creating a refreshing open and airy space. Many differing patterns in the same space are not to everyone's taste, but the further I delve into this interior design, the more I can see that the elements of this room haven't just been randomly thrown together, but they have been placed with thought and layout in mind.
All seating has been placed around the rug facing inwards toward the coffee table, creating a perfect area for conversation, debate and entertaining. The purpose of the cream sofa is to break up the two sides, whilst also tying the theme together by picking out the colours and patterns of the chairs. This blue and grey living room design shows exactly what can be achieved in a small space, with a bit of imagination. You would be forgiven for thinking that you were in a grand stately home, but even though the ceiling cannot be raised, all the other elements have been cleverly added to create a similar effect.
Panelling has been used on the back wall which, not only copies the mouldings from the fire surround, but also in the window frame detailing. The long draped navy curtains match perfectly with the large sofa, while the red cushion and intricate artwork on the wall add a splash of rich colour to the space.
This is a living space that could easily be achieved on a budget, with many second hand or antique sellers being able to provide furniture of this type at affordable prices. This feels like more of a snug or sitting room than a living space, with its rich dark blues, rug, blankets and chairs cosied around the period fireplace. Normally fire surrounds are decorated to stand out from the walls and celebrate their beauty, but in this case the fireplace has been painted to blend inconspicuously into the background, with the tiles taking centre stage as the main focal point. With the greys of the cushions, soft furnishings and rug, along with the blue walls and navy chairs, the range of colours has been kept to a minimum to keep the look sleek and uncomplicated. Only the warm natural wooden flooring and gold accents of the mirror, lights and ornaments offer a move away from this. First we have the supersized navy blue L-shaped sofa (which is needed in a space this big, not only because of its size, but also as it is used to section off the living area from the kitchen).
Mustard is the main accent colour and is used both in the large rug and also matched perfectly in the sofa cushions (a vibrant addition that works really well with the blue). White is the other main colour and has been used as a backdrop on all the walls and ceilings (including the kitchen décor), showing off the other elements of the room to their fullest.
White wooden panelling is used around the bottom part of the walls and is the perfect height (whether designed into the theme or a happy accident) to neatly frame the wide blue sofa. Finally, the finishing touch of the large painted abstract artwork brings all of the grey, blue and silver elements together perfectly, showing why wall art can be so important to any room.
If it wasn't for the flashes of white in the wall art, table and cushions, the whole room would be solely blue! Whether you use navy on the walls with neutral furniture or vice-versa, add accent colours like grey, mustard or silver, or go for opulence or minimalism.
There are many more cost effective ways to achieve these looks, so simply use these grey and blue living rooms as a base, don't be afraid to mix and match ideas to come up with the perfect design for you.
