Why you should think twice before painting your home grey, according to interior designer Banjo Beale

Interior designer, Banjo Beale, famously known for winning BBC's Interior Design Masters in 2021, gives us the lowdown on why you ought to think twice before painting your home grey.

We've seen paint trends come and go, but one that never seems to go out of style is grey. However, just because it's something we still see constantly, through grey living room ideas, grey kitchen ideas, and so on, doesn't mean it's the only colour you should ever consider painting a home.

The reason why Banjo Beale wouldn't paint a home grey

In an interview with Ideal Home, we asked interior designer Banjo Beale about his thoughts on whether grey is the ideal colour to paint a home, to which he responded, 'Well, absolutely not.'

'I live in Scotland on an island and when you look out the window it's only ever grey and all of the houses are grey. I don't care what it is, but I'd love people just to add a dose of sunshine.'

And this can be done in even the most subtle of ways, by seeing what colours go with grey, such as blush pink and uplifting yellows, and going from there. Grey is a great base colour to sport in a home, but we don't think it should ever be the only colour palette found in a home.

Banjo adds, 'You can't control the weather but you can control what colour your house is painted, and you would never pick a grey day for a picnic, so you shouldn't paint your house grey.'

And can we just say, we adore that sentiment.

We know how much the weather can affect our mood, and if the same logic can essentially be applied to the colours and home decor pieces we choose to decorate our houses with, why wouldn't we opt for the things that are sure to give our homes a mood-boosting makeover?

What colours to opt for instead of grey, according to design experts

If you were wondering what colour palettes to consider instead of grey, Tala Fustok, founder of Tala Fustok Studio chimes in with some observations.

'I think that people want to be more daring and bold in their choices, choosing deeper tones. I suppose this is linked to the return of maximalism – but with a curated edge – with crisp whites becoming creams and warm beige and terracotta hues replacing grey walls.'

'Other classic alternatives to shades of grey include emeralds and sages, which can pair effortlessly with an array of spring tones.'

You can catch more of Banjo Beale as he sets his sights on the Scottish isles in BBC's new six-part series, Designing the Hebrides. The series will air on BBC Scotland, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer later this year.

Will you be sticking to team grey, or are you joining the many in branching out to try something new?