Washington, D.C. Renovations a Peculiar Shade of 'Flip-House Gray'

Amanda Kolson Hurley asks the big question of Washington, D.C. real estate: "What’s with all the gray houses?"

The context for the question:

"From Petworth to Anacostia, Riggs Park to Bloomingdale, developers are applying fresh paint in tones of Raincloud or Flagstone to the fronts of newly renovated rowhouses, as subtle as a 25-foot “For Sale” sign. The gray rowhouse shines out to homebuyers not so much as a beacon in the fog but a foggy beacon, its message contradictory: Here is a chance to buy property in D.C., but hurry, it’s fleeting; this neighborhood is desirable but in transition; the house is seemingly pristine, and most likely a flip."

The origins of the color's popularity are unclear, though the financial reasons for renovators to paint over—rather than power wash—century-old brick facades is. Kolson Hurley does speak with an interior designer who makes a case for gray as walking the line between "tradition and classic."

The article includes more on the cultural implications of the growing swath of gray paint covering the Nation's Capital.