I Prayed For Gray: Part 1

Isn’t it funny how sometimes you actually pray for a rainy, gray day?  I know, I know, its usually the other way around…but after an almost month long string of amazingly clear and sunny days here in New York that have made “doing” very possible–I honestly don’t think I’ve stopped to take a breather in weeks. By this past Saturday afternoon my mind, body and spirit were feeling it. With yet another over scheduled Sunday looming, the morning’s forecast of gray skies and downpours was like music to my ears.

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I quickly discovered I was not alone in my psychological rain dance.  Everyone I chatted up on Saturday seemed to be waxing poetic about even the slightest possibility of a rained out day.  No sports, no markets, no Fall festivals…a free pass, a few hours to do nothing more than catch up.

It wouldn’t be until later the next rain soaked (hooray!) day that I would realize that the color Gray had in fact been very much on my mind the entire week- and not just in form of clouds.

The color Gray is often referred to as the perfect neutral color.  This is why gray boards are used by designers as a background color. I like to think of Gray as a polite hue, secure in who it is… no need to effect or force itself on it’s surrounding colors.

If Gray had an astrological sign I bet you it would be a Libra!

This is also probably why Gray is considered to be the color of compromise (sitting perfectly in the middle of black and white) and balance.  Dignified, authoritative, classic are all words used to describe our friend Gray.

Yet the physical affect that Gray has on our emotions might better be described as being slightly bi-polar (uh-oh, no offense Libras!)  With the ability to both ‘unsettle’ and ‘create expectations’ perhaps Gray’s personality truly is in the eye of the beholder and how this neutral makes us feel is elicited by the very context in which it is being used.

For me the effect of my lovely Sunday Gray morning was quite balanced indeed- unsettling my busy routine while creating the great possibility of me actually getting a moment to organize my messy life. But Gray did not in fact represent itself in such a two-sided way earlier in the week….

A quick step back in time to exactly one week early. A lovely Sunday walk through Central Park just to people watch (my absolute favorite) had revealed that the color Gray was everywhere as far as fashion goes.

Surpassing the typical urban camouflage of Black-I made a mental note to write about Gray being NYer’s new favorite color for ‘out-and-about weekend’ garb. Under some catchy title like ‘Gray Reigns Over Sunny Skies In Central Park’,it was bound to be a good post…but of course thanks to my busy week it never went farther than being just a good idea.

And no I did not snap this picture.  I swiped it off of the Sartorialist’s amazing blog- this fashionable gray loving NYer is admitingly way cooler than anyone I was able to catch on film that day.

And though no doubt Gray isn’t a new color on the city block when it comes to NY, what I did find interesting was how many people were wearing Gray and it’s many moody shades from head to toe and not just as a neutral with other colors.

To me the look is not only super cool, but almost blank slate-like.  The perfect backdrop to life.  Much like how the Grays of the metal, glass and concrete that make up Manhattan’s skyline create the ultimate backdrop for the colorful world that is our beloved city to me these individuals were dressing with great expectations.

Fast forward to Wednesday night. I’ve made my way to the What’s New, What’s Next@200 Lex event.  I was there to hear House Beautiful’s Newell Turner and Benjamin Moore’s Sonu Matthew talk about ‘Colors You Never Get Tired Of’ ( it was wonderful- and much, much more on their presentation to come very soon).

Flipping through the evening’s program I spotted that Traditional Home magazine was also hosting their own stylish event a few floors down at The Grange Showroom.  Being a total francophile when it comes to decor (and having recently spent one of the best nights of my year with TH’S own Sabine Rothman) it didn’t take much twisting of my arm to get me heading quickly to the elevator once the HB event was over ( and after I got in some great private time color talk with Sonu and Newell- but again more on this soon).

Once there, all I can say is I would happily move into the Grange showroom.  If there is a ‘la toilette’ and shower somewhere on the premises- I’m set.

The ‘Princess Lounge’ by designer Marica Harris is one of the many fantasy vignettes featured during the festivities ( FYI- the vignettes will remain on view through October 31st inside Grange’s New York Showroom- New York Design Center 200 Lexington Ave. Suite 201)

The wall color of my fantasy lounge is a custom mix- but I’m told Benjamin Moore HC-108 is a very close match.

The furniture, the colors, the stylish vignettes depicting ‘Family Style Chateau Chic’ created that night all had me internally crying out ‘oh-la-la this is the life for me!!!!’ I was transported into a world of warmth, style and sophistication.  Beautiful, traditional form meets modern day function- why is it that the French always get this blending so right?!

And though there were many colorful rooms to admire and aspire to I immediately realized that it was the two set within a stage of Gray that really caught my eye.

In fact its when I turned the corner and saw the showroom’s kitchen with it’s rich Gray walls, shiny copper pots and creamy cabinetry that my bags were indeed officially packed.  When I caught site of who was pulling out a tray of delicious smelling cheese puffs from the Aga oven within my new found digs , I knew deep within my own gray matter that this night was only going to get better!

To be continued…

Read I Prayed For Gray: Part 2 Here