Homeowners and designers agree gray is the new white! It’s become the most popular neutral for homes. You can use it for any room—from a formal dining room to a cozy bedroom.
Prominent interior designers like Nate Berkus, Thomas O’Brien, Betsy Burnham, and more shared their favorite shades of gray with My Domaine. The sheer number of shades and tones of gray can be overwhelming. Choosing between a cool-gray or warm-gray, bluish-gray or greige can seem impossible. That’s why we’ve rounded up advice from color experts to help you choose the perfect shade of gray for your home.
Start by thinking about the function of the room.
Are you painting a bedroom or bathroom? Is the space going to be formal or casual? The function of this space plays an important role in the shade and tone of gray you should choose.
Grays with a cool tone is usually best for a bathroom, formal living room or dining room. Cool tones are calming and sophisticated but can feel cold. That’s why we wouldn’t recommend a cool gray for a bedroom. Warm grays are best for a bedroom or family room. Warm colors feel more energetic and welcoming.
Look at the colors in your décor.
Once you’ve decided if you want a cool or warm gray, it’s time to think about the best undertone for it. Cool grays have a green, blue or violet undertone while warm grays have a beige, brown or taupe undertone.
What colors and textures are the flooring, textiles and accent pieces that are in the room? What undertone color do you think compliments them best?
It helps to pick up swatches and hold them next to décor in the room. Be sure to pay attention to what types of undertones are in the swatches that you prefer.
Test your top picks with the lighting in the space.
How much natural light the room gets can impact how the color makes you feel. Painting a room blue-gray that has little natural light can make it feel dreary and cold. Painting it a beige-gray (or greige) instead can make it feel warmer. It has a big impact on how the paint color will appear. How the color looks on your walls can even change throughout the day as the sun shifts. Once you’ve narrowed down your top paint choices, pick up a few samples. Paint a few small swatches on the wall and watch how the color looks throughout the day. This is the best way to find out how the color will actually look in the room and how well it complements your décor.
Don’t be afraid to be bold!
You don’t have to limit yourself to light shades of gray! Charcoal grays are equally sophisticated and elegant. They pair well with bold jewel-toned accents like emerald-green, royal blue, and ruby red. If you think that a darker shade of gray would look better in the space, try it out!
Have these tips helped you find the right shade of gray for your home? If you want more expert advice, set up a consultation with Franklin Painting! We have expert color consultants on our team.
Frank Campanelli, the esteemed founder of Franklin Painting LLC, has been leading the company since 1986. He takes immense pride in the stellar reputation his dedicated team has built by consistently delivering top-notch service to each customer.
