Empire Grey No.171 is a warm greige — grey with a proper beige backbone — and that warmth is the thing to build on. It's not a moody colour; it's a mellow one, and it makes an easy, sophisticated base for almost any room.
Trim and ceilings: Farrow & Ball All White (LRV 92) is the safe bet — a clean, neutral white with only the faintest warmth, so it sits comfortably over a greige without the blue chill that makes warm neutrals look dirty.
For lift, Mylands Beehive Place No.140 (LRV 58.6) is a golden, honeyed yellow that plays beautifully with a warm greige — sunshine against stone. Use it in a hallway running off the main room, above panelling, or in a kitchen where the greige takes the units and the yellow takes the walls.
For depth, Paint & Paper Library Blue Blood (LRV 16.4) brings a deep, inky navy with a cool green-grey undertone. That cool dark against a warm mid is a deliberate, handsome contrast — joinery, a feature door, the back of shelving.
For the accent, Dulux Fuchsia Falls 2 (LRV 29.8) is a bright, cool magenta-pink — a jolt of colour that stops a greige scheme ever feeling beige-safe. Small doses: a lamp, a chair, artwork.
The 'but what about' question: does greige need more grey? No — layer texture instead. Limed oak flooring, unlacquered brass that patinas over time, linen and wool: they do more for a warm greige than another grey ever will.
Practical tip: two coats on a big A3+ board, checked morning and evening and in the room's least-lit spot. Empire Grey leans warmer and more honeyed by lamplight, greyer on a dull morning — north-facing rooms will read it cooler, so warm the lighting if needed.