This is one of those quilts that you have to remember is for the one receiving it. I've had to work in a color scheme I can't get into but the final result was appreciated. Mine was a wedding quilt and the bride knew I liked to work with bright colors but she's a country girl. She loved the result, I yawned.
BTW, I love the second one with the bright colors, the design is great in both. I agree that perhaps it's the greys bringing the quilt down, but it's their color scheme.