Today, I thought it'd be appropriate (as I am currently transforming our house into 50 shades of crazy, or I mean gray) to say that I'm thankful for the color gray. My friend Flower has always obsessed over it, and I used to laugh at her (just a little). Until she gave me several of her gray paint colors to test out in my own house, and I haven't had a chance to look back but for my lusting over each and every sample I've put on the walls. Since we moved in, I think I've painted some rooms more than once, and lately a lot of rooms have become gray.
I tend to like grays that are true grays, and don't go blue or purple on you. Which happens more than you'll like once you start trying this color out. So long as you pick a gray that has a lot of yellow and brown to it, you'll be just fine.
Trick- look at the whole paint swatch. If it's a dark color you want, look at the lighter colors on the chip. If the lighter colors are blue, your dark color on that same swatch is going to read blue.
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| For example, if you want to use Sled, take a look at Twilight Gray. It's probably going to be on the blue side. |
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| If you want to use Porpoise, take a look at Trail Print. It's got a lot of brown in it, I think you're safe. |
I'm often asked by friends for paint advice. Because I'm some expert? Um, definitely not. It's because they know I'm insane and have painted my rooms at the house, at the condo, in college, and back at home with my parents- a bajillion times. Really. My dad jokes that my old room at their house has lost square footage due to the thick layers of paint on the walls. A girl can change her mind, and change it again, and again, right?
Here are my favorite gray paint colors, in no particular order
Sherwin Williams Anew Gray
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| Sherwin Williams Anew Gray |
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| via Decor Pad |
Anew Gray is a taupe gray, and falls into the greige category as a really nice warm neutral choice. I painted all of the guest rooms in our house this color.
Behr Elephant Skin
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| Behr Elephant Skin |
When I decided to paint our half bath a deep charcoal color, I wanted to make sure I steered clear of any purple tones. Charcoals seem to go purple on you real quick like. Using the method I was telling you about above, I look at the whole paint swatch. Behr Perfect Taupe is on the other end of the spectrum from Elephant Skin. I figured with taupe in the name, I was safe enough.
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| Behr Perfect Taupe |
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| Behr elephant skin in our half bathroom |
Behr Classic Silver
Confession here- I didn't use my paint swatch method on this color, and it almost turned out to be a big fat FAIL.
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| Behr Classic Silver |
While by itself, Behr Classic Silver looks like a true silvery gray, maybe if I had looked at the entire paint swatch I would have known that it's darkest shade is deep purpley navy, called Poppy Seed.
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| Behr Poppy Seed |
I painted my bedroom and bathroom in Classic Silver. Before I'd gotten all my furniture and accessories back into place, I thought for sure the color was too lavender looking. NOT the look I was going for. But, once everything was put back into place, the color now reads more silver. Thank goodness, because I really didn't want to paint everything again. :)
Benjamin Moore Moonshine
I love Moonshine. My friend Flower used this throughout her living room and dining room area of her gorgeous Buckhead home. It's a perfect for-real-straight-up-gray. In looking at the swatch, it looks like the shade actually has a lot of green in it, too. Moonshine doesn't read green, though, promise. But because it has green in it, it definitely won't look blue or purple. Paint is weird.
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| Moonshine via Young House Love |
Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
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| Chelsea Gray |
Chelsea Gray is an awesome dark gray that has a lot of brown undertones. It will never look purple, at least I don't think so. Flower did her master bedroom in this shade, which looks cozy and sophisticated.
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| Cape May Cobblestone- a few shades lighter from Chelsea Gray, and noticeably taupe, and not blue or purple. |
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| Chelsea Gray |
And those are my personal favorites. Good luck on your quest for the perfect gray!
