What Color Sheets Go With Gray Comforter
Gray walls in your bedroom create a neutral and impartial color scheme that provides the perfect backdrop for your secondary and accent colors to take charge and command attention – of which your bedding can play a visually commanding role.
So which bedding colors are the best for your gray walls?
The best bedding colors to go with your gray walls are muted pastels like purple, orange, pink, blue, green, off-white, and yellow to create a soft and calming ambiance to help you relax and sleep – with higher saturations serving as an accent color to add harmonious contrast if desired.
The rest of this article gives you the names and hex values of 7 specific colors that you can use in your bedding to go with your gray walls.
I've also included 5 images of different bedding ideas to go with your gray color scheme to give you some immediate inspiration.
And there's also a step-by-step guide that shows you how to match your bedding with your gray walls using the basics of color theory.
Alternatively: if you're looking to buy a new set of bed sheets then check out my list of the best bed sheets to buy online now.
7 Bedding Colors That Go With Gray Walls
Below are 7 colors with their specific names and hex values that you can pair with your gray walls using #808080 as the base gray color – which you can input into this free color wheel from Adobe to create your own palettes (paste the hex value into this tool to get the color names).
1: Monsoon
Pastel purples like 'monsoon' work exceptionally well as a secondary color for your bedding when you have mid and light tone gray bedroom walls because they are analogous colors that promote harmony and can help you relax.
Because monsoon isn't too distant from gray itself, you can use it in your sheets or comforter/duvet when you want to de-emphasize the presence of your bed to create a more blended and subdued atmosphere that can promote relaxation and sleep.
Alternatively, you could switch to a deeper level of saturation to create a bolder emphasis whilst still remaining in the same color family to retain harmony.
2: Puce
Pastel pinks like 'puce' offer a more striking contrast between your bedding and your gray walls whilst working in the analogous color scheme to promote harmony.
This means that you can be fairly aggressive in your distribution of the pink – possibly including it uniformly in your sheets and pillows – to create a centerpiece that lifts away from your gray walls with cohesive elegance without becoming overwhelming.
Alternatively, bold pinks with a deeper saturation can be used as an accent to command the eye – especially when used as part of patterns on your throw blankets, pillows, or even as part of your headboard detailing.
3: Copper Rose
Copper rose is another pink hue that when used in your bedding, harmonizes well with mid and light-tone gray walls that can work well as a secondary or accent color to provide subtle contrast without overpowering your senses.
This means that you can use it both lavishly or with selective application throughout your sheets, blankets, pillows, or comforter depending on how prominent you'd like your bed to be against the backdrop of your gray walls.
4: Bandicoot
Bandicoot is a triadic color relative to mid-tone gray which means that it's best used as a secondary color for your bedding when your walls are a much lighter gray in order to create a mellow emphasis.
Pairing bandicoot in large volumes with a mid-tone gray is risky – potentially resulting in a muddy and enveloping feel; however, it may work as an accent if used selectively.
5: Clay Ash
Clay ash is a pastel green that when used as a secondary or accent color in your bedding pairs beautifully with light tone gray walls to create subtle emphasis.
Pairing clay ash with mid and dark-tone gray walls creates a richer feel that's more involving – which could be ideal if you're going for an earthy, natural ambiance (think trees wandering selectively amongst a rocky terrain).
6: Tonys Pink
Tonys pink is a complementary color to mid-tone gray which means that it works well as an accent color to provide contrast between your bedding and gray walls.
However, tonys pink is a pastel which means that it can promote openness and relaxation – with potentially romantic undertones that can make your bedding feel warm and inviting.
7: Torch Red
Torch red has a high saturation that packs a powerful punch when paired with dark, mid, and light-toned gray walls.
If you decide to use torch red in your bedding then it's best advised to do so very sparingly to create bold accents.
However, if you're feeling daring, then you could use torch red as a secondary color in your blankets, comforter, or duvet to turn your bed into an invigorating centerpiece that will make extroverts feel right at home.
5 Bedding Color Ideas That Go With Gray Walls
Below are 5 gray bedroom decor ideas that use different bedding colors to create varying ambiances that you can tweak to suit your own preferences.
1: Dusty Purple
Purple is a royal color that commands power and exudes nobility when used at a deeper saturation but is also perfect to pair with your gray walls when applied as a muted pastel to your bedding.
Here, you can see how the dusty purple harmonizes with the textured gray walls and a gray laminate wood floor to create a calming ambiance that has echoes of wisdom and spirituality.
The lighter hue means that you can use purple as a secondary color for your entire bed set without it becoming overbearing – as might be the case with a deeper and richer purple.
Alternatively, you can use lighter accent colors in the form of a folded throw blanket to break up the continuity and create interest.
2: Sleek Gray
With the right texture and tone, you can balance your gray walls by using a monochromatic gray palette for your bedding.
Here, you can see how dark pillows provide depth that's accentuated by pale gray throw pillows to provide a middle ground for the comforter and headboard that sits on top of a crisp white fitted sheet.
Notice how texture plays an important role in the overall decor of this bedroom.
Where glossy lamp shades, the shine of the floor, and the vertical detail on the side table offset the matte finish of the wardrobe to create a sleek and professional gray bedroom decor that avoids being muddy and overwhelming.
3: Yellow Accent
Yellow is an uplifting color that can work well in your bedroom if you also use this room to study or think deeply.
Using yellow pastels selectively as an accent to color your pillows or even your bedside lamps can provide just the right amount of vigor to promote mental agility without becoming overstimulating come bedtime.
Whilst a crisp yellow with a deeper saturation can also help to trigger positivity, clarity, and optimism – which could help to lift your spirits each morning.
4: Passionate Red
At high saturation, red is an invigorating color that can often spell danger.
But a powdered red can also work well when used in your bedding to create a romantic feel – use as an accent for selective contrast, or get bold and use it as a more dominant secondary color in your bedding for the most impact.
Notice how the red comforter matches the accent wall and the headboard to create a bold yet pleasing juxtaposition against the gray walls and patterned cream floor.
5: Cracked Blue
Patterns can be an excellent way to break up blocks of color and allow you to pair colors of a similar hue without causing elements of your decor to become swallowed up.
Here, you can see how cracking the chambray blue of the pillows and comforter with white pentagons breaks up the monotony to create interest and contrast.
Whilst the patterned throw pillows and singular accent pillow adds multiple layers of depth in an otherwise rich room.
How to Match Your Bedding With Gray Walls
If you have no formal training in home decor, interior decorating, or otherwise lack artistic flair then it's normal to feel overwhelmed and confused when trying to find a bedding style that matches your gray walls.
Thankfully, because your walls take up so much space in the room, then the dominant color (gray) is already decided for you.
So all that's left for you to do is to style your bed relative to the role that you want it to play in the ambiance of your bedroom (dominant or subtle).
Here's how you can do that in 3 steps.
1: Identify Your Base Palette
The palette of your bedroom is the names (or hex values) of the final colors that you have chosen – in this case, you're working with various hues of gray.
Your palette is derived from a color scheme that you can base upon the rules of the color wheel to create a visually appealing arrangement.
The most popular color schemes are analogous, monochromatic, triadic, and complementary – with varying shades and tints being useful for adjusting the color saturation and overall final ambiance.
For example, you can enter the hex value #808080 as the base color (under the middle tile) in this free Adobe color wheel tool and then select various color schemes ('color harmony rules') from the left-hand menu to create different palettes as a starting point.
Alternatively, if you're already working with decorated gray walls and you'd like a more precise palette relative to your color scheme, then try taking a photo of your bedroom and uploading it to ImageColorPicker.com here where you'll be told the dominant color and its hex value – which you can then paste into the Adobe color wheel to generate your desired palette. If you want to find out the name of a color then paste the hex value into this free color naming tool.
I've provided an explanation of how each color harmony rule can be used to create different styles and ambiances in your bedroom below (the palette image examples are derived using #808080 as the base color on the Adobe color wheel).
Analogous – Harmonious and Subtle
Analogous colors fall next to each other on the color wheel and create a harmonious effect by reducing contrast to give your bedroom a soothing and calming feel.
When using an analogous gray palette, it's typically best to allow one shade of gray to take the lead and tone down the remaining hues by using lighter tints to avoid creating a bedroom that feels dark and dreary.
You'll then want to select an accent color to break up the gray backdrop – using a less saturated pastel purple with mid-tone gray walls, for example, can create a soothing and spiritual feel that's subtly calming.
Monochromatic – A Neutral Backdrop For Your Accent Colors
A monochromatic color scheme is comprised of several variations of one base color – with accent colors being revealed by adding black, white, or gray.
Similar to the analogous arrangement, a monochromatic color scheme minimizes contrast and promotes harmony.
A gray monochromatic color scheme with lighter tones of gray can create a light, professional feel that paints the perfect neutral backdrop for your chosen accent colors.
Using a darker gray as the dominant color for your walls is bold and care needs to be taken not to create a threatening feel – adding contrast with lighter bedding and lighter-toned cherry wood bedroom furniture can give the room impactful depth.
Triadic – Bold Yet Cooperative
A triadic color scheme comprises of 3 colors that are evenly spaced on the color wheel that typically creates a bold and striking contrast when used at maximum saturation and must be used carefully to avoid creating an overly rich and potentially tacky feel.
However, when using gray as the base color, applying the triadic color harmony rule creates a palette that's almost analogous in nature – if not a little bolder.
This means that you can selectively add bold gray secondary and accent hues against a light gray backdrop to create a harmonious punch without the gaudiness.
Complementary – Selective Emphasis
Complementary colors are two colors that are opposite each other on the color wheel and normally contrast heavily – making them best used as an accent color that takes up no more than 10% of the room.
However, because gray is usually considered to be more of a neutral tone than a color, a more harmonious feel is created when the complementary rules of the color wheel are applied.
This means that much like the triadic colors, you can use a color complementary to a mid-tone gray to create a bold secondary or accent color that can be used for selective emphasis.
2: Style Your Bed
Your bed is naturally a dominant piece of furniture in your bedroom so it's up to you if you want to enhance its presence or help it blend more into the background.
When gray is the dominant color in your bedroom, colors tend to be amplified – so even light pastel hues can produce a striking effect.
Here are some ideas for the types of colors that you can use for the specific elements of your bed.
Headboard
A large, colorful headboard can take charge of the room – choose analogous pastels for a subtle impact or colors with a bolder saturation for a more striking effect.
Conversely, a low profile spacious metal frame can almost make your headboard unnoticeable – go for a tone that matches the wall behind your bed if you want to create a muted effect.
Alternatively, you can sit a metal, darker gray headboard against a mid-tone or light gray wall to create diffused detail.
Sheets
Crisp white, off-white, or neutral sheets work well with a monochromatic gray bedroom decor – ideal for creating a subdued and calming room.
You can break up the monotony by using patterns and texture, or by adding emphasis with accent pillows.
Comforter/Duvet
Your comforter or duvet is the ideal place to add in some color to your gray room – use subdued pastels for a subtle effect or choose a deeper level of saturation to make your bed the centerpiece of your bedroom.
Pillows
You can use accent pillows to create more emphasis or choose to let them take a back seat by opting for traditional white or light gray.
Patterned pillows are a ideal way to add detail and interest whilst mixing up the aesthetics.
3: Finalize The Ambiance
With your bedding aligned with your gray decor, the final step is to consider the details that will finalize the ambiance of your bedroom and create the feeling that you're looking for.
Pattern
You can use patterns to unify the colors of your palette by uniting the different shades in a visually appealing way – or add contrasting lines to crack open big blocks of color to avoid monotony.
For example, patterned textiles like pillows, blankets, and rugs featuring your accent color can break up your gray palette to make the room more interesting.
Texture
Use textured upholstery, blinds, and accessories to create visual weight in the room – match them to create cohesion, or mix them up to provide contrast.
A matte texture can work well with muted grays, whilst a glossy texture can create a modern feel when applied correctly.
Flooring
Dark hardwood floors (like ebony, espresso, dark walnut) tend to go well with gray walls because starting with darker hues at the bottom and working with a mid-tone wall and lighter tone ceiling tends to be aesthetically pleasing.
However, you can also use dark, earthy brown tones for your carpet to match your gray walls too.
Conclusion: Pastel Bedding Goes With Gray Walls
Based on the 7 colors and the 5 decor ideas above, you can see how pastel colors tend to work best with gray bedroom walls.
However, you can also increase the saturation to create deeper contrast and selective bolding as required in line with your own preferences and taste.
If you're ready to buy your new bed sheets then click the button below to find out which TYPE of bed sheet set is best for your needs (such as sleeping cool).
Image Attribution and Licencing
Color samples created using the Adobe Color Wheel, all other images used in this post are licensed through the Canva One Design Use License Agreement.
Dan is the founder and head content creator at Bedroom Style Reviews.
He has been working as a professional online product reviewer since 2015 and was inspired to start this website when he ended up sleeping on a memory foam mattress that was too soft and gave him backache.
Through in-depth research and analysis, Dan's goal with this website is to help others avoid such pitfalls by creating the best online resource for helping you find your ideal mattress, bedding, and bedroom furniture.
Dan is a qualified NVQ Level 2 Fitness Instructor with 6 years' experience helping clients improve their health through diet, exercise, and proper sleep hygiene.
He also holds several college and university-level qualifications in health sciences, psychology, mathematics, art, and digital media creation – which helps him to publish well researched and informative product reviews as well as articles on sleep, health, wellbeing, and home decor.
Dan also has direct personal experience with insomnia, anxiety, misophonia (hypersensitivity to sounds), and pain from both acute and long-standing sporting injuries – he enjoys writing insightful articles around these subjects to help fellow sufferers of such conditions.
Learn more about Dan here.
What Color Sheets Go With Gray Comforter
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