Grey is a color that I know quite well. I used to consider it cold and imposing. Much of that had to do with my disdain for the foggy weather here. I found that waking up to days shrouded in fog made me feel suffocated and suicidal. Perhaps that is a bit strong, but the point is that I was not a happy camper. The French have an expression, "se griser" to describe being half-drunk thereby referencing grey as a color to represent a state of semi-consciousness. A "grey area" symbolizes a bit of a problem; something that can't be easily resolved because it cannot be clearly defined. Perhaps it is this ambiguity of grey that so easily allows for its seamless integration in the environment. It is a color that is easy to live with because it is there, and yet it is not.
The French love grey. You can find it in their homes in the nubby weave of an unbleached linen slipcover, the silvery cast of a weathered wooden table, or perhaps a vignette of zinc finials and the like. Depending on the warmth or coolness of the chosen shade of grey, it is also an excellent foil for silver or gold to create a quality of understated luxury. As time goes on, I find that I too, have developed a love for this color--silver, dove, oyster, pearl, slate. It's quietness appeals to me.
British Homes & Gardens/Tom Leighton
Provence Style of Living/Jerome Coignard
Campagne Decoration/Stephen Clement
Creating the French Look/Annie Sloan
Campagne Decoration/Christophe Madamour
Campagne Decoration/Stephen Clement