Are you wondering what the new black is this year? Here’s a hint. It’s not white and it’s not beige, but it is a neutral. Any guesses?

If you said “gray” you got it right. Gray in a whole range of different tones is the new must-have color, both in your home and in your wardrobe. During a recent trip to the Decoration & Design Building in New York, I found that several showrooms have thrown out last year’s rustic beige fabrics and reu-covered their furniture in soft, elegant grays.

Gray is a classic for business suits but how, you might ask, is it going to look in a home? When you’re decorating your home a good rule to remember is that larger areas should be lighter or more neutral in color. Try a warm pale gray such as Benjamin Moore’s Barren Plain on your walls, recover the sofa in a darker shade of gray, add some pillows in this year’s fashionable warm pink Honeysuckle and your home will be the talk of the neighborhood.

Have you given any thought to changing your décor this year? I’d love to hear whether you’d try gray.