With its acclimated versatility and ever-so chic aesthetic, it is unsurprising that the allure of gray remains unrivaled. This year has seen gray, in all its stylish tones, overtake our interior spaces – but it's making moves beyond our four walls too.
Garden designers have revealed that gray is 2021's best garden furniture color, while it was similarly crowned the most popular sofa color of the year.
Data from Moda Furnishings reported that gray was their best-selling color, while search trends for 'gray outdoor furniture' have increased by 100% over recent months. Meanwhile, 'gray outdoor furniture cushions' has also increased in popularity by 180%.
'What is the reason for gray's ever-popular appeal?', we hear you ask. And, perhaps even more importantly, how should you bring this shade into your garden? Well, we have the answers.
Here, designers discuss their backyard ideas – including how to embrace the craze if you haven't already succumbed to the shade's subtle style.
According to the CEO of Moda Furnishings, Jonny Brierley, gray's popularity stems from the increased desire to blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living – one of the biggest trends of the season.
'People want to see a flow from their interiors to their exteriors, and the best way to achieve this seamlessness is through creating an aesthetic that you can carry through both spaces,' Jonny explains.
'As the consumer demand for gray homewares like sofas and kitchen furniture continues to dominate, our customers want to echo this stylish look in their gardens.'
With gray sofas at the peak of most interior lust lists, the color's reign in our gardens is only inevitable, but how should you bring gray into your outdoor space? Jonny continues, sharing his garden design ideas that will bless your exteriors with these cool tones.
'We have seen a huge increase in demand for matching sets of furniture in different areas of outdoor space in the same property. For example, an outdoor dining set on the patio will match the sun loungers on the lawn, which in turn will match the bistro set on the balcony of the master bedroom,' he says.
'Color matching is a huge trend in outdoor furniture, with many opting for pale grays and neutral tones. This ties in with the enduring popularity of gray in the home,' Jonny adds.
Domaine & Demeure's CEO, Matt Salisbury, also mirrors Jonny's affection for the 'elegant and timeless' shade whilst urging you to combine the color craze with another trend, rattan.
'The French gray of our rattan furniture complements greenery well and makes for a very chic yet relaxed look,' Matt says. 'The neutral hue also acts as a blank canvas allowing you to introduce color through decorative details like cushions and tableware without any risk of clashing.'
Is this the garden power couple of 2021? We certainly think so. We're reshaping our garden furniture ideas to accommodate this fashionable shade because something tells us gray will stick around for a very long time to come.
