Colors That Go With Gray
#808080 · a neutral mid-grey
Gray (#808080) — a neutral mid-grey — is a neutral, nearly neutral mid-toned colour. It pairs best with complementary accent #78a1a1, analogous (warmer) #978469, and grounding neutrals, drawn from 546 historically-grounded combinations across 13 settings below.
Colour reference
- Hex
- #808080
- RGB
- 128, 128, 128
- CMYK
- 0, 0, 0, 50
- Temperature
- neutral
- Lightness
- mid-toned (50%)
- Contrast on black text
- 3.8:1 (AA for large text)
Gray by setting
Gray for walls
On walls, use terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a wedding
For a wedding, pair it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a bedroom
In a bedroom, layer it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a living room
In a living room, ground it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a kitchen
In a kitchen, contrast it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for clothes
To wear with it, reach for terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for an outfit
Build the outfit around terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for cabinets
With cabinets, match it to terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a bathroom
In a bathroom, pair it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a nursery
In a nursery, soften it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for a front door
On a front door, contrast it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for an accent wall
On an accent wall, pair it with terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Gray for curtains
For curtains, choose terracotta & clay. 42 matching combinations.
Combinations with gray, from the 1933 Dictionary
Grass Yellow & Rikyū Grey
Wild grass yellow tempered by the muted grey favored by the tea master Sen no Rikyū.
Rosolanc Purple & Turquoise Green +2
Plate 346 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Rosolanc Purple, Turquoise Green, Light Green Yellow, Andover Green.
Celadon & Unbleached
Celadon pottery green beside the unbleached warmth of raw silk.
Spinel Red & Ivory Buff +1
Plate 184 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spinel Red, Ivory Buff, Light Grayish Olive.
Light Brown Drab & Vinaceous Tawny +2
Plate 244 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Vinaceous Tawny, Andover Green, Antwarp Blue.
Deep Violet / Plumbeous & Veronia Purple +1
Plate 183 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Deep Violet / Plumbeous, Veronia Purple, Red Violet.
FAQ
What colors go with gray?
Gray (#808080) — a neutral mid-grey — is a neutral, nearly neutral mid-toned colour. It pairs best with complementary accent #78a1a1, analogous (warmer) #978469, and grounding neutrals, drawn from 546 historically-grounded combinations across 13 settings below.
Is gray warm or cool?
Gray is a neutral colour — 0% saturation, 50% lightness. It reads as a backdrop colour — pair it with one saturated accent for contrast.
What is the hex code for gray?
Gray is #808080 — RGB(128, 128, 128), CMYK(0, 0, 0, 50).
Other colors
Studio
Work with this colour
You have the hex code, the RGB/CMYK values and the computed partners for Gray. These are the materials a colour study like this actually gets made with.
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Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 24 — Art Nouveau
Gansai are traditional Japanese watercolour pans — dense, matte and easy to mix, the closest everyday medium to the flat printed colour Wada's plates were made in. This is the Art Nouveau-themed 'II' edition, a different 24 to the standard set.
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 24 Colors II - Art Nouveau
View on Amazon -
Kuretake
Gansai Tambi 36
The larger pan set. More range means mixing toward a specific plate rather than approximating it from six colours.
Listed on Amazon as Kuretake GANSAI TAMBI Watercolor Paint Set 36 Colors
View on Amazon
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From the archive
Support the archive The full catalog, on your disk, as a thank-you.
- All 378 palettes (348 Wada + 30 editorial) in five formats
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Library
Go deeper on colour
The colour-theory books behind pairings like Gray — history, reference and the science of what works together.
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Torn between the two Wada dictionaries? Vol 1 vs Vol 2, compared plate by plate →
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