Couple barred from painting house gray

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TRELLEBORG, Sweden, Sept. 4 (UPI) -- A Swedish couple said they were prevented from painting their house because the shade of gray they picked did not match neighboring homes.

Ellinor Johansson told The Local she and her boyfriend filed for permission from Trelleborg officials to paint their house gray, and they received a response this month informing them the request had been denied because the shade of gray they had picked did not match the colors of neighboring houses.

"The house is my boyfriend's. Surely he can paint it whichever color he likes. And I don't see what the problem is with gray!" she said.

"All the houses on our side of the street are painted in a similar color. They're all from the seventies and don't even look that great. We were told that we just couldn't paint the house in the color we'd chosen," Johansson said. "What's worse -- all the houses on the other side of the street are really modern, and are all painted in different colors. It doesn't make sense."

Johansson said she and her boyfriend plan to appeal the decision.