ST. LOUIS — Whether you’re taking a drive through a neighborhood or a strip mall in 2026, you might feel a striking sense of dullness and similarity with buildings. What were once bright brand colors or detailed exteriors have now become muted, gray, or other neutral tones. But is the world starting to lose its color?
Architects, developers and design researchers say the gray trend isn’t an accident, it reflects changes in economic decisions, branding strategy, design education, and evolving cultural taste.
A safe choice?
In the architecture world, gray and other neutral tones are often seen as “safe” colors that minimize risk for clients. According to a 2023 study from Wrocław University of Science and Technology, architects avoid bold colors because clients are not interested in them and colorful designs can be dismissed as “kitschy” (poor taste) by the design community. As a result, designers often settle on colors like gray, white, and black to avoid conflict with clients.
The study says: “Many designers, in order to avoid confrontation with customer expectations and ostracism in their industry, ultimately decide on safe achromatic solutions. They choose the colorlessness that makes our cities monotonous, sad and boring.”
Economic incentives and reality
The trend also points to practical realities in modern day construction…