'Let This Be A Lesson To You': Homeowner De-Modernizes Millennial Grey Fireplace

The gray-washed interiors that millennials fell head over heels for in the 2010s — aptly referred to as "millennial gray" — have officially become a cautionary tale. The trend emerged in response to the bold, often overstimulating color palettes that filled the childhood homes of many millennials. Choosing gray as the dominant color was a way for millennials to create spaces that were more modern, sleek, and serene. The problem was that it went too far. Before long, homes were being drenched in the ashen shade, making spaces feel sterile and depressing — devoid of character and certainly, color. Now, a reckoning has arrived, as many of the millennials who jumped on the gray bandwagon are trying to undo the damage. Unfortunately, for some, getting rid of millennial gray has been a daunting task. That's certainly been true for one Redditor who wrote about the experience in a post titled "De-millennial greyed our 1900 fireplace."

In the post, the Redditor explained, "Previous owner did a lot of character removing, millennial grey updates to our 1900 Victorian... Even though it was an unnecessary and purely cosmetic change, we couldn't wait to redo the fireplace. It always felt so cold and out of place to us." The fireplace makeover involved removing the gray stone tile surrounding the fireplace and replacing it with brick. The project took nine months to complete, but the result was applauded by many, with several even characterizing the job as doing the "Lord's work" and one commenting, "Boys and girls... let this be a lesson to you...nice work, now it looks like it belongs there!"

While some homeowners made the choice to drench their spaces in millennial gray, others inherited the look, buying flipped homes that have become synonymous with the shade. When a house pops up on Zillow awash in depressing gray vinyl flooring, gray painted walls, and gray kitchen cabinets, it can be almost instantly identified as a flipped home — and one that was probably done cheaply. Although many flippers embraced the gray trend because of its widespread appeal, it also gave them a way to quickly and cost-effectively create neutral-looking homes without giving much thought to the design or decor.

For those who purchased a millennial gray flipped home, many are now struggling to inject personality into their spaces. As one commenter on the Reddit post said, "Millennial here, I bought a flipped house that came with multiple grey 'accent' walls and grey wood floors, I can't wait to be able to afford to change it." Plenty of others are in the same boat, with one responding, "Same. A grey flip was not my top choice, but it was winter of 2021, and the market was nuts, and it was impossible to buy a decent home without cash...I removed the grey carpet and refinished the original 1910 hardwood floors."

If you're a victim of the millennial gray trend and are looking to inject some life back into your space, don't panic. There are many easy ways to add a pop of color to a room without having to take on a costly project. On Reddit, the question of "How do you rebel against millennial gray in simple, low-budget ways?" was posed, and many came through with clever, cheap tricks to help spice up a dreaded gray space. 

The suggestions range from buying inexpensive Persian rugs on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, to changing out cool-toned light bulbs in favor of warmer shades. Other commenters suggested adding removable peel-and-stick wallpaper or purchasing "oops paint" from Home Depot, which are cans of paint that are heavily discounted either because they were overproduced or mis-tinted. A fresh coat of paint on the walls, a patterned rug, or a few colorful throw pillows and blankets can instantly transform a dreary room, making it feel warm and inviting.