Garden Furniture of a Grey Hue: Expert Opinion Discourages Matching with This Specific Outdoor Cushion Shade
In the world of outdoor décor, grey garden furniture has been a popular choice for its sleek and modern appearance. However, to add a touch of style and warmth, experts recommend complementing grey furniture with a variety of colourful outdoor cushions.
Danielle Le Vaillant, head of photography and film at Cox & Cox, advises against using grey outdoor cushions due to potential colour distortions. Instead, she suggests opting for earthy neutrals, bold jewel tones, soft pastels, classic neutrals, and even warm, earthy tones that are trending in 2025.
Sage green, for instance, is a fitting choice as it links the outdoor seating and dining area to the surrounding greenery of the garden, creating a biophilic design idea. The Drift cushion, in a lovely sage green shade, provides ample texture and boho vibes, working well with both the garden and grey garden furniture.
Sapphire blue adds sophistication and pairs beautifully with grey, offering striking contrast while harmonizing with garden foliage. Emerald green offers a similar effect, while mustard yellow brings unexpected warmth, especially in shaded areas.
Soft pastels, such as blush pink, mint green, and lavender, create a soft, serene vibe ideal for relaxed patios. Blush pink and lavender add subtle sophistication, while mint green conveys fresh tranquility, all complementing grey furniture gently.
Classic neutrals such as cream or black also work well, offering bright contrast or dramatic accents to grey furniture. For those seeking a bit of pattern, dark and navy blue, or a South American-inspired motif, like the one found on a John Lewis outdoor cushion, can also work well with grey outdoor furniture.
Warm, earthy tones of terracotta, rust, and brick red are among the biggest colour trends for 2025 and pair beautifully with grey outdoor furniture. Cox & Cox suggests that grey outdoor cushions can have some grey in them if they are patterned or textured.
Sam Sutherland, Flitch interior stylist, recommends varying textures and adding contrast to prevent a grey outdoor cushion setup from feeling too flat or cold. Scalloped edges, trending in outdoor spaces, can be found on cushions like the one designed in a beautiful sky blue.
Sara Hesikova, Content Editor at our platform since June 2024, starting as a News Writer in July 2023, and the platform's Certified Expert in Training on Furniture, agrees with these recommendations. Sara graduated from London College of Fashion with a bachelor's degree in fashion journalism in 2016 and has worked with various fashion and lifestyle magazines and luxury bed linen brands.
It seems that grey garden furniture is set to undergo a transformation in 2025, with a shift away from the monochromatic look. By incorporating vibrant and colourful outdoor cushions, homeowners can create stylish, inviting outdoor seating that goes beyond using just grey cushions and can enhance the ambiance of their patio with complementary or contrasting hues.
Danielle Le Vaillant suggests opting for earthy neutrals, bold jewel tones, soft pastels, classic neutrals, and warm, earthy tones to complement grey garden furniture, such as sage green, sapphire blue, emerald green, mustard yellow, blush pink, mint green, lavender, cream, black, dark and navy blue, terracotta, rust, and brick red. Sara Hesikova agrees, stating that by incorporating these colours in outdoor cushions, homeowners can create a stylish and inviting outdoor seating area that goes beyond the monochromatic look, enhancing the patio's ambiance with complementary or contrasting hues.
