If you’re a renter or homeowner saddled with gray vinyl floors you absolutely despise, you’re not alone.
The Los Angeles Times calls them “soulless” and says tenants hate them.
The Atlantic says they’re a “lifeless hue” that can vary in shade from “vape cloud to wet gravel” and are so ubiquitous that people “have begun to plead for mercy.”
“Fueled by social media, a hatred for trendy gray flooring is thriving,” adds the New York Times.
(The Home Depot)
How did these ho-hum floors become the target of such vitriol?
“Rehabbers and flippers got what I would call ‘gray happy’ over the last five to seven years, often using gray floors, gray paint, and gray cabinets across all of their projects because it was a ‘safe’ choice,” says Jennie Berger, owner and design consultant of Property People in Chicago. “And I think over time, people just got tired of seeing it everywhere.”
Are you suffering from gray overload? Here’s where the trend came from, why it still has legs, and how to liven up your gray floors.
The dawn of grayness
Gray floors started to gain popularity in the early 2010s as part of a broader trend toward neutral and minimalist interior design.
Joanna Gaines, co-host of the popular home renovation show “ Fixer Upper,” has played a significant role in popularizing many interior design trends that may have gone overboard (we see you, shiplap!), including the use of gray tones.
The design guru also drove interest in modern and clean designs that allowed for more flexibility in home decor.
While Gaines herself might not have directly initiated the trend of gray floors, her influence on home design and love of versatile color palettes and neutrals may have helped to mainstream this trend.
Today, gray floors have become a dominant choice in many homes, particularly with the rise of gray wood-look tiles, laminate, and vinyl flooring options.
“When you’re renovating a home to sell or rent out, you want to appeal to the largest amount of possible buyers and renters,” says Berger. “Gray fit that bill well.”
(Photo: Jennifer Boomer/Verbatim Photo A. From: Fixer Upper.)
The draw of gray floors
Despite the backlash, gray floors continue to seemingly pave homes from coast to coast.
“I’ve seen gray vinyl floors rise in popularity over the last couple of years, especially as minimalist and modern designs started trending,” says Rotem Eylor, CEO of Republic Floor.
Gray vinyl flooring is still “a go-to choice,” Eylor adds. “I’d say it is among the most popular, especially in” luxury vinyl plank flooring.
Flippers and landlords love gray floors because they complement a wide range of styles, from contemporary to rustic, and they make spaces seem larger and more open.
Also, gray vinyl can be cheaper than other flooring options.
“I’m surprised by the backlash against the gray floors,” says real estate professional and attorney Bruce Ailion, of Re/Max Town & Country in Atlanta. “As an owner/landlord and property manager for others, I find gray vinyl plank flooring to be the bomb. I agree that some very light gray may be sterile, and the darker gray can be depressing, but there is a middle ground. We use gray flooring with some brown tones mixed in.”
The vinyl advantage
Wood floors are oh, so lovely—and oh, so easy to scratch and dent.
Vinyl flooring, on the other hand, is a synthetic material made from PVC. It is more durable and water-resistant than wood, making it a choice for high-traffic areas or rooms prone to moisture, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
“As a landlord and homeowner, I like vinyl flooring for my rentals,” says Denise Supplee, a real estate agent and co-founder of SparkRental in Doylestown, PA. “It is more resilient and stands up better to wear and tear.”
(Getty Images)
The gloomy downsides
The biggest drawback of this moody floor is fairly obvious: It’s, um, gray.
“There’s nothing exciting about gray,” says Cedric Stewart, a real estate consultant at Keller Williams in Washington, DC. “Let’s be honest.”
While gray can suggest sophistication and elegance in design, it can also imply a lack of energy or enthusiasm when associated with mood. The term “gray mood” often means gloomy.
“Gray vinyl floors are visually flat and emotionally uninspiring,” says designer Justin M. Riordan, founder of Spade and Archer Design Agency in Portland, OR, and Seattle.
Gray floors strike him as “clinical,” he adds. “We now have a generation of homeowners blissfully unaware of the surgical sterility they’re installing underfoot.”
Indeed, the floor’s durability and longevity are both a blessing and a curse.
“I am concerned that this flooring application’s popularity and color may go out of style before the product needs to be replaced because it might last 15 to 20 years or more,” says Ailion. “Vinyl is virtually indestructible.”
Eventually, a home may look dated, with gray flooring becoming the new 1980s-style oak kitchen cabinets.
“Long after gray vinyl has fallen out of fashion, it’ll still be there, clinging to relevance like an outdated meme,” says Riordan.
(Getty Images)
How to liven up a space with gray floors
Because gray vinyl is so ubiquitous, “it can take away character from the home,” says Sam Fitz-Simon, a real estate agent with Compass in Danville, CA.
Combat the gray blahs with some colorful area rugs.
“They’ll soften the harsh acoustics of a room dominated by hard surfaces and add a bit of personality where the flooring falls flat,” says Riordan. “Plus, they’re a great way to sneak in some color and texture without committing to a full remodel.”
Accessories with—you guessed it, a pop of color—can also energize a space infused with 50 shades of gray.
“Anything you install for furnishings and decor can help brighten up a basic gray floor,” adds Berger. “This includes throw blankets and toss pillows, wall art, decorative items, live plants, fun lamps, and other complementary furniture.”
