It’s easy to think of neutrals as soft, pale, and demure — simply fading into the background as brighter, more saturated shades come to the forefront. This might be the case with some neutrals, but charcoal gray isn’t one of them.
This bold, near-black gray makes quite a statement in any interior, and its timeless appeal makes it a great choice for almost any style of decor. As you’ll see in a moment, it pairs with more colors than you might think.
Here’s a list of colors that go with charcoal gray, plus helpful color palette examples:
1. Tangerine Orange and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #F28500, #343633, #DAD7CD
Few color combinations “pop” more than this one, so it’s not unusual to see logos or signs that make use of both charcoal gray and tangerine orange. That said, any good interior designer knows to be cautious when using orange. It’s a color associated with optimism, joy, and creativity, so including a splash or two in your space can be uplifting. But if you add too much orange, people in the room are likely to feel overstimulated or agitated.
The safest way to make use of this color is to add touches of orange to a room that is mostly charcoal gray. For example, to make your living room a little more lively, you could add tangerine orange accent pillows to charcoal-colored couches. You might even add a rug patterned in tangerine and white!
2. Pale Gray and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #D3D3D3, #353535, #3C6E71
Charcoal gray is a color that really stands out in contrasting color schemes. However, it’s also great for monochromatic interiors. It’s particularly striking when used as part of a gradient-style palette. For example, if you want to create a memorable living room, consider starting with matte charcoal walls and white wall trim.
From there, you can layer different shades of soft gray throughout the room. You might have couches and chairs that are a shade of very pale gray and a rug that is just a touch darker. Given the dark shade of the walls, you’d want to intersperse some cool white accents to maintain a fairly even light/dark balance.
3. Navy Blue and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #000080, #333234, #F2F4F3
Navy blue and charcoal gray are two colors that can be used in similar ways, at least in interior design. Often, both are dark enough to effectively ground a color palette. And while it might seem like a room that includes both colors would be entirely too dark, charcoal and navy can actually combine to create beautifully balanced palettes.
The trick here is to separate the two — if you place charcoal and navy right next to each other, you likely will just make the space seem oppressively dark. It’s also a good idea to choose one as your main shade and another as an accent, with lots of a light neutral mixed in. For example, if you like bold wall colors, you might choose to paint the walls of your living room navy blue. If you want to include charcoal gray, you might add a charcoal-colored couch. However, to keep both of these colors from overtaking the ambiance, you could also add an off-white area rug and white wall trim.
4. Lavender and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #E6E6FA, #3D3E3D, #A98743
Charcoal gray is a cool-leaning neutral, so it tends to look good with cool colors. Lavender might not be the first color you’d think to pair with charcoal, but it provides an interesting counterbalance. Even though both shades are cool (or at least cool-leaning), lavender is considerably lighter. It can give any room in your house a light, almost airy feel. Add the grounding force of charcoal to the mix, and you have a space with plenty of dynamism.
5. Pewter and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #ADB4BF, #353D46, #FEFFBE
There’s something wonderfully sleek about the combination of charcoal gray and pewter. The two colors form what is essentially a monochromatic palette, although pewter’s metallic luster adds another dimension. It’s an easy combination to work into your own decor. For example, in a kitchen, you could include charcoal cabinets with pewter hardware. This look would pair well with white or pale gray marble countertops.
You also could add pewter picture frames or decorative bowls to a room that has a good bit of charcoal gray. Pewter will look nice just about anywhere, but it’s especially striking when it’s placed right next to charcoal!
6. Olive Green and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #556B2F, #333333, #F7FFF7
Some people believe olive green is a highly sophisticated color. Others think it’s drab and boring. Whatever your opinion of it, you’ll probably agree that it looks nice alongside charcoal! Olive’s muted character means it’s especially useful for creating vintage-inspired designs.
For example, in a bedroom, you can create an instantly retro vibe by using wallpaper patterned in olive green and white. From there, you could add a plain charcoal-gray bedspread. Alternatively, you could simply add charcoal accents to a mostly olive room or olive accents to a mostly charcoal room.
7. Cool White and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #F4FDFF, #323432, #138A36
Together, black and white make some truly striking patterns. But sometimes, the space you’re designing needs a contrast that’s just a little less stark. Cool white and deep charcoal gray offer a great alternative. You can keep it simple by juxtaposing the shades (like putting white accent pillows on a charcoal gray couch), or you can add interest with charcoal and white patterning.
This combination is one that’s well-suited to a layered color scheme. By including various shades of gray that sit in between white and charcoal, you can create considerable depth. Try including different textures, too!
8. Blush Pink and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #F1ABB9, #393843, #90C2E7
Pink and gray are two colors that just about always create a pleasing contrast. This particular combination has greater contrast than most — blush pink is soft and delicate, while charcoal is deep and dark. A common way to combine the two is to add a few blush pink pillows and throws to charcoal living room furniture.
Pink walls aren’t too terribly common, but if you want to do something a little more unique, you might consider putting charcoal-colored furniture in a room with blush-pink walls. If you do this, make sure you include at least a couple of blush pink accents elsewhere in the room — that will help tie everything together.
9. Lemon Yellow and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #FEF250, #363537, #FAFAFF
Earlier, you saw that tangerine orange can pair well with charcoal gray. The similarly bright, citrus-inspired lemon yellow really pops against a charcoal background, too. But much like orange, yellow is a color that should be used with caution — at least in the world of interior design. Yellow might be a happy color, but some research indicates that for some people, being exposed to large amounts of the color can cause nausea and dizziness.
However, when it comes to being an accent color, yellow excels! One of the most effective ways to use it in a charcoal room is to create a focal point and then add accents of the same color. For instance, let’s say you want to decorate your bedroom using charcoal and yellow. You might start with a charcoal bedspread and charcoal curtains. Then, you could create a focal point by hanging a large yellow poster with black lettering above your bed. After that, you could add your accents — these might be yellow accent pillows on the bed, a yellow rug on the floor, a yellow lampshade, etc.
10. Burgundy and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #800020, #303636, #F0E7D8
Both burgundy and charcoal are elegant colors. So, as you can imagine, a color scheme involving both can make a room look downright opulent!
These are both intense shades, so it’s important to use them carefully. Often, this means using far less of one color than the other. For example, if you’re painting your living room, you might paint the walls charcoal but make the area above the mantel burgundy. From there, you could paint the mantel trim and wall trim ivory and add ivory furniture, too. This sort of decoration scheme goes nicely with elaborate gold decorations and rich, luxuriant textures like velvet.
11. Emerald Green and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #50C878, #3D3D3D, #ACADBC
Emerald green and charcoal gray are two fairly popular colors for interiors, but you don’t often see them together. Both of them are bold colors with bluish undertones, so they pair quite well. You can create a fantastically memorable living room when you start with charcoal walls and add emerald velvet couches. Gleaming gold wall sculptures add a touch of luxury, and a charcoal and white patterned rug can really bring the look together.
Alternatively, if you want your color scheme to be closer to monochromatic, you might create a living room with charcoal walls and charcoal couches. From there, you could add emerald green wall hangings above the couch, a couple of green accent pillows, and an emerald rug.
12. Medium Brown and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #7F5112, #2B353B, #FDFFFC
A room with a gray and brown color scheme might sound dull. But with some imagination, you can combine medium brown and charcoal gray to create a grounded, rustic palette. As you may have guessed, these shades look great with different wood tones, so if you’re interested in putting together a room with mixed neutrals, the charcoal/medium brown combination is a good one to start with.
If you’re partial to eclectic looks, try placing a brown leather sofa and a couple of charcoal gray chairs around a cream-colored rug. If you wish, you can create a Scandinavian-style color scheme by adding different neutrals and muted tones. This kind of aesthetic does best with several textures mixed in, so don’t be afraid to experiment with shaggy rugs, fuzzy woolen blankets, plush throws, and more.
13. Sky Blue and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #87CEEB, #3F4750, #F0C987
Blue and gray are two colors that just seem to go well together. After all, both are colors of the sky, or at least can be. Sky blue is an especially bright light blue, and it may be too much for some tastes. But when you put it against the depth of charcoal gray, it can really draw the eye.
That means that you don’t need a whole lot of sky blue to create an interior worth remembering. For example, if you have a kitchen with charcoal gray cabinets, a sky blue backsplash can add some interest and energy while still keeping the cool-leaning color scheme. If you’re feeling especially creative, you might even want to add a few white clouds!
14. Teal and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #008080, #292F36, #EDF7F6
Teal’s depth and coolness make it a good match for charcoal gray. And if you’re trying to create a space (like a bedroom) where you feel calm and ensconced, it’s worth using these two shades. Both can be quite intense, so make sure you use a good bit of cool white or another pale neutral, too.
For example, if you’re designing a bedroom, you might choose to start with charcoal gray walls. From there, you could add a teal (or teal and white) bedspread. Then, bring everything together with a wall print featuring a burst of teal on a white background.
15. Beige and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #F5F5DC, #3C3D3E, #B07BAC
Beige and charcoal are both great neutrals. However, they couldn’t be more different — usually, beige is relatively pale and has a “barely there” kind of appeal. Charcoal is dark, bold, and hard to miss.
At first, it might seem hard to think of a way to use these two in the same color scheme. However, the stark contrast between them offers you a unique design opportunity. Start with a room that is largely charcoal. From there, add accents of light beige: that could mean furniture, wall hangings, rugs, etc. The light accessories will seem to pop out from the charcoal background!
16. Hot Pink and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #FF1694, #343A46, #B0B2B8
The combination of black and hot pink is a dynamic one, but it’s certainly not for everyone. Substituting charcoal for black softens things a bit, but this color combination can still be pretty harsh. Unless you’re in the minority of people who want large portions of their homes to be hot pink, you probably want to use just a touch of hot pink in a mostly charcoal space.
Fortunately, a very tiny bit of hot pink can go a very long way! Even a pink wall hanging in a mostly charcoal room can change the entire energy of the space.
Depending on your preferences, you might determine that even a relatively minimal pink focal point is too much. In that case, try selecting a patterned accessory that includes some hot pink. That way, you’re still introducing color, but the hot pink doesn’t bowl people over or monopolize their attention.
17. Turquoise and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #30D5C8, #2C303A, #FFEDE1
If you’re at all familiar with the vibrant turquoise gemstone, you know that it’s often set in sterling silver. Charcoal gray isn’t exactly silver, but there’s enough of a resemblance there to captivate and intrigue visitors to your home.
The exact color of turquoise can vary somewhat — some versions have more blue, some have more green, and some have more yellow. There’s no rule against having turquoise walls, but this color is so high-energy that it tends to do better as an accent. Fortunately, the darkness of charcoal is enough to keep it grounded.
18. Forest Green and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #014421, #2F2F2F, #D2CBB1
Like emerald green mentioned above, forest green is another shade of green with decidedly bluish undertones. Many shades of charcoal appear to have a bit of a bluish tint, so the forest/charcoal combination is the perfect one for crafting an aesthetic that’s both moody and nature-inspired.
Of course, because these colors are both so dark, your space will need at least some amount of a lighter neutral. If you want to lean into the rustic charm of these two shades, you might consider using some very light wood tones to break them up and balance them out.
19. Golden Yellow and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #FCCB06, #32373B, #4A5859
Above, you saw that lemon yellow makes quite a dynamic pairing with charcoal gray. But if you’re partial to autumnal earth tones, you might prefer the look of golden yellow against charcoal. Golden yellow is still cheery and energetic, but its warmer, slightly orangish glow brings a calmer vibe to the room.
In most cases, you’ll want to keep your use of golden yellow to a minimum. Even a few accents can balance out a largely gray room. However, if you’re especially partial to yellow, you might try something a little bolder — a golden yellow accent wall behind a charcoal gray couch can make quite a statement!
20. Cream and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #FFFDD0, #353535, #8D99AE
The combination of cream and gray is balanced and versatile. Both are neutrals, and they complement one another perfectly. Charcoal gray is dark and cool-leaning, while cream is light and warm. Depending on the overall mood you’re trying to cultivate, you can emphasize one over the other.
For instance, let’s say you’re designing a living room. If you want the overall look to be light, airy, and open, start with cream walls and cream furniture. Add an area rug patterned with charcoal gray and cream, and place a few charcoal-colored accent pillows on the furniture. If the room needs a little more gray to balance it out, try adding a few charcoal-heavy wall hangings.
If you want a darker, moodier aesthetic, you might consider doing the inverse. Charcoal couches, charcoal walls, and cream-colored accents come together to form a living room that guests won’t soon forget.
21. Burnt Orange and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #BF5700, #313531, #EFF1F3
Earlier, we mentioned how tangerine orange and charcoal gray go together beautifully. However, tangerine is vivid enough that it might be too much in some situations. Burnt orange is a little more muted, so the combination of burnt orange and charcoal gray is ideal for anyone looking for a high-contrast design that’s easy on the eyes. Like most combinations of charcoal gray and warm colors, this one tends to do best when charcoal is the main shade and burnt orange is used as an accent.
22. Greige and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #CCBCAF, #373737, #758ECD
Can’t decide between pale gray and light beige for an interior? Greige might be just the shade you’re looking for. As the name implies, greige is a combination of gray and beige — so much so that it’s not really either color. That said, you can adjust the amounts of both colors to suit your preferences.
Greige might seem like a strange color to pair with charcoal gray, but it’s a great choice if you want to layer different neutrals throughout a space. For example, you could design a cozy bedroom with greige walls, a charcoal gray bedspread, cream and tan accent pillows, and a rug patterned in light gray and cream.
23. Royal Purple and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #7851A9, #2F3137, #D1CCDC
Royal purple is an intense, cool-leaning shade. So is charcoal gray. When used together, these shades should be handled carefully, but they can create truly memorable interiors!
That being said, the dark intensity of these two should be balanced out by lighter colors. For example, if your space includes charcoal gray walls and plush royal purple chairs, consider adding warm white wall trim and a warm white rug.
24. Silver and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #C0C0C0, #36393B, #618B4A
In many rooms, metallics make up a tiny fraction of the space, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t important! Silver is arguably one of the best metallics to pair with charcoal gray, as it adds a little shine while keeping the palette almost monochromatic.
The kitchen is arguably one of the best (and easiest) places to use this combo. If you have stainless steel appliances, you already have your silver essentially in place. From there, add charcoal-colored cabinets and a charcoal-colored backsplash. This combination looks especially nice with dark gray marble countertops.
25. Rust and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #B7410E, #31393C, #D7C9AA
If you’re looking for an intense, contemporary color combination, look no further than rust and charcoal. Just as burnt orange is (in a sense) a toned-down version of tangerine, rust is kind of a toned-down version of burnt orange.
A significant portion of interiors using this combination have charcoal gray as the main shade, and they only use rust as an accent. It can be a lot of fun to play with texture here — try velvet rust furniture in front of matte charcoal walls!
26. Black and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #000000, #343A40, #97979B
The combination of black and gray is a dramatic and intense one, and it’s certainly not for everyone. If you go this route, make sure the space you’re designing has ample natural light. You will also need at least one other lighter color mixed in. Pale wolf grays can lighten things up without disrupting the overall look.
27. Cardinal Red and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #C41E3A, #2C343A, #DEE5E5
This is another ultra-bold combination. It’s not one you see too often, and it tends to work best in more modern spaces. In almost every case, a room with cardinal red walls is too much, but you can create a balanced energy with red furniture against charcoal walls. If this type of design still has a little too much red, tone it down by primarily incorporating gray furniture with gray walls. Add some cardinal red accent pillows and a rug to create some variety.
28. Gold and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #D4AF37, #3D3E3D, #998888
You saw above that silver metallics are great for creating near-monochromatic looks with charcoal. But if you want to do something a little different — even downright opulent — consider incorporating gold metallic features alongside charcoal gray. If you prefer a more conservative approach, start by simply integrating gold hardware and a few gold picture frames into a largely charcoal room. You might even include shimmering gold accent pillows for some extra sparkle.
However, if you can find metallic gold furniture (and it fits your general aesthetic), consider using it in a room with charcoal walls. If you go this route, be sure that your charcoal walls are matte, not gloss. Too much shine will quickly make a room overwhelming!
29. Cobalt Blue and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #0047AB, #2D3339, #E8E9F3
Blue is the most popular color around the globe. So it’s no wonder that interiors are full of countless varieties of this shade. You often see charcoal (and most other shades of gray) used alongside quiet, pale blues. Cobalt is a bright, bold blue that’s almost the color of lapis lazuli, and it’s not for the faint of heart.
Cobalt makes a statement when used with charcoal. But a quick word of warning — both of these colors are fairly intense, and if you use them in a space without enough of a very pale neutral, the room will likely look dark and out of balance.
Even though charcoal gray is a neutral color, this combination is still a good candidate for the 60-30-10 rule. Start by using a light neutral (cool white or a very pale gray are both good choices) for about 60% of the space. Choose either charcoal gray or cobalt blue for 30% of the space, and then use the remaining color for 10%.
30. Lime Green and Charcoal Gray
Hex Codes: #32CD32, #3A4248, #B0BBBF
Are you looking for a color combination that really pops? Check out lime and charcoal. True lime green isn’t as bright as the highlighter-like shade that many people picture. Instead, it’s roughly the color of the skin of a key lime — it leans a little bit yellow.
Like any bright color, lime generally does best when used as an accent. Try creating a room that’s layered with charcoal and various other gray shades. Then, intersperse small accents of lime green throughout.
Designing With Charcoal Gray
As one of the boldest neutrals, charcoal gray really packs a punch when used in just about any interior. If you need a shade that both grounds your color scheme and creates significant contrast with lighter and/or brighter shades, this is a color worth looking at. Keep it in mind when you start your next project!
