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Have you ever woken up and found yourself in a life gone grey?

The typical project at Kelly Deck Design commences when the clients arrive with a stack of inspiration images - usually tear-outs from their favourite design magazines. You'd think those images would be as individual and idiosyncratic as the people themselves. But they're not. From the reams of inspiration images emerges a Canadian icon as popular as any Cohen, Dion or Bieber - the kitchen with white, Shaker-style cabinets, Bianco Carrara countertops and a dark wood island.

The scheme, which I think of as "Canadian Aspirational" is attractive, but it's fast becoming a cliché. Perhaps not surprisingly, for the past 18 months we've seen a variation developing on the theme. Call it Greyscale Aspirational. The social scientists might have some profound explanation for it - I certainly have no idea - but people are mad for grey. Grey walls, grey floor tiles, grey upholstery, grey fireplaces - there doesn't seem to be anything people don't want clad, clothed or painted grey.

The colour is here to stay and I think it's a good thing. Grey, as modish as it now seems, is quite resistant to trend. Clothed in it, quality furnishings will look good for decades. Well executed, it's neutral and soothing in any interior - and it looks great in the cool West Coast light of winter.

Here are some inside tips to help you execute it well.

Take a pass on Bianco Carrara marble

For those of you who don't know marble from granite, Bianco Carrara, usually quarried in Italy, belongs to a family of white marbles with grey veining. In marble, there's a general rule: the whiter the stone and crisper the veins, the more expensive the stone.

Bianco Carrara is more faint grey than white, and its veins are blurry. Accordingly, it's the most affordable white marble on the market - which is good, because demand for it is high. Why? Because it's the Canada Savings Bonds of countertops: an intelligent, play-it-safe investment that appreciates over time.

Intelligence and safety - in addition to commonness - are also the knock on Bianco Carrara. Feeling themselves, design-wise, on uneven ground, homeowners often choose the old standard, passing over stone of surpassing beauty and timelessness. Don't worry, it's a choice I've made, too. Now, though, when visiting our stone yard at a project's inception, we're looking for alternatives. They are many: smoked grey marbles with white veins, milky grey limestone with subtle flecks of blue and pleasantly uniform manufactured stone in warm grey and crisp white. Pair stones like these with cabinetry in warm grey, midnight blue and, of course, ivory: the result will be as appealing and enduring as Canada's favourite kitchen - but much more original.

Vary the shades of grey

This past week I visited Restoration Hardware. The chain has recently renovated and redesigned its Vancouver outlet. Restoration has some smart design, but it doesn't address itself to aficionados. When something has caught on there, you know it's big.

Inside, the walls - formerly pale grey-blue and topped with ivory crown moulding - have been painted dark grey, the oak floors stained ebony. My first impression was positive: I liked the dramatic new feeling. Then, as I moved through the store, looking at this and that, it began to feel oppressive. Finally, the monotony of the dark walls and floors was too much. My spirit wanted respite from the weight, a moment of lift, but there was none. I couldn't wait to leave.

Painting a room a dark colour and staining the floors a similar value is a sure way to make the entire space flat and lifeless. Instead, create some variance. Keep as your guide the notion of a man's suit, shirt, and tie. You've never seen James Bond in all three, the same colour. Deploying a light, a dark and a mid-tone is a better way to create depth and intrigue.

The lesson here is that grey is worth bringing into our homes. It can, in turns, be seductive and sultry, warm and comforting, dark and moody. But variation is the key. An interior needs contrast and light to give it dimension.

Add warmth to increase depth

Until recently we've been using grey in a fairly narrow palette. The photo above is a good example - all the finishes and furnishings are in sundry whites, greys, pale blues and cool neutrals. Their collective effect on a home's atmosphere is lovely and softening, but after a few years of exploring this style, I'm starting to look for two things from our interiors: more warmth and less polish.

In many of our projects currently in production, we're persuading clients to use grey as the ground for a warmer and more eclectic decorating scheme. We keep the walls light- to mid-tone and continue to suggest enduring neutrals like grey for large, expensive furniture pieces. But in the art, rugs and accents, we are layering on distressed warm wood pieces, brass or gold lamps, burnt-orange cushions and occasional hits of black to ground the look. The look envelops you in warmth without overwhelming.

If you tell your doctor you feel, somehow, that everything is grey, he'll prescribe you some little pills. They'll probably be blue. They're mood elevators - don't take them. For in the end, not all is lost in a world gone grey. With a few smart design choices, you'll find it as inviting a world as you've known.



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