So if you have been around the home and garden blogs at all the past year or so, you have fast discovered that grey is the new beige… I say that carefully, because I actually was never a fan of “beige”… It was, for me, a boring color that gave no feeling to a room. So of course, I am thrilled that grey has become the new “it” color for neutral backdrops to almost any room. It has a sense of color and style that beige could never measure up to. It can be elegant or edgy. It can cool down a south facing room, add drama in dark tones, or mixed with white can be as uplifting as a beach sky. Here are our top 6 shades of grey paint colors, Benjamin Moore style!
Benjamin Moore Grey Paint Colors
Because of the grey craze, paint manufacturers have obliged us with more choices that any one person could possible consider…making it confusing to simply choose a color of paint for your walls. What to do? Turn to the very talented home and DIY bloggers to get some recommendations that they have actually used on their walls… Which is what we did recently when we decided to update the front family room.
Choosing Grey Paint
- Consider whether your room is well lit… Well lit rooms handle cooler (blue toned) greys better, but still be careful. When in doubt, choose a warmer grey paint color. It will be easier to live with in the long run.
- Cooler greys combine well with white. Actually, all greys combine well with white, but choose a creamier version for warmer greys.
- If in doubt to whether a grey is cool or warm, compare it to a blue and yellow paint chip and it will become obvious.
- Always, always ALWAYS buy a sample, try it on a 3×3 foot square in several different areas of the wall, then observe over different times of day and lighting.
Grey Paint Colors Choices
Here are our top six grey paint colors bloggers love. We narrowed our choices down from these 6, and the one we finally choose will be going up on our walls. Yes, they are all Benjamin Moore… frankly, for us they just had the best choices for sophisticated grey paint… Hope this helps you all choose to chuck the beige!
Benjamin Moore Fieldstone
This is a slightly warm, medium toned grey that goes with everything… If we had more light and white trim, I would have used this in the family room. (Im a sucker for drama in paint!) Benjamin Moore Fieldstone isn’t so dark as to be dreary however…
BM Oyster Shell
Recommended by Emily Henderson of HGTV, (We also chose her number one as our paint color, but thats farther down this list!) BM Oyster Shell is a light, cool grey that goes well with white to make that fresh feeling. She cautions that greys are tough because if they are too cool they can look blue pretty fast, but this one doesn’t. Check it out in the room below. Pretty and uplifting!
Benjamin Moore Moonshine
Another grey paint color (cooler) that goes amazing with white is Benjamin Moore Moonshine… See the photo below from ‘Young House Love‘ to prove it!
BM Revere Pewter
I think ‘Young House Love’ initially made this choice the go to grey , but it’s become popular among a ton of talented bloggers. Mid tone, neutral and easy to live with, BM Revere Pewter is warm without having any olive tones.
Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray
I wanted to make sure I include a deeper, more dramatic grey, and BM Rockport Gray is a great pick. It’s not cold, but definitely more sophisticated with it’s deeper tones… in a darkly lit room, can even look warm and mocha-ey… I think every room should have a drama wall, and adding this color to any of the other choices would achieve that. Love!
BM Gray Owl
Benjamin Moore Gray Owl turned out to be our grey paint color choice for the family room makeover! This also happens to be a top seller for BM, so we can’t all be wrong! We chose this grey because it’s warm, more a greige… which makes Steve happy ’cause he likes taupe, where I like the grey. It’s kind of a combo of the two…Several other bloggers insisted that this was a very neutral grey, but once on my wall, it was a warm gray with some yellow tones. This photo isn’t our room (not ready for reveal yet!) but it gives you a good feel for how it looks on the wall.
So now that you know our 6 shades of Benjamin Moore grey paint colors we love the most, we hope you are getting out the paintbrushes! We think you will also enjoy our post on Stone & Brick Accent Walls and Clever Hallway Decorating Ideas! Also check out our posts on Easy Shelf Decor Ideas (How to Style Bookshelves) and 8 Pretty Cottage & Country Bathrooms over at TBD!
I was hoping you could help me out. My kitchen is white with sw halcyon green island. The dining room is attached and I am thinking sw alabaster white walls with gray fireplace (maybe bm fieldstone or sw repose gray) or the exact opposite. The living room is just over with a connecting office. The office is painted sw halcyon green and I was thinking a warm gray for the walls (maybe the same gray from the dining room/fireplace). Last question remaining walls (hallways, etc) reuse same colors or a lighter gray??? Help me! Thank you!!!
I will paint my daughter’s bathroom Rockport Grey; what color do you suggest for the walls?
I have a dining room that is dark green above chair railing and white below chair railing with a bay window on the north side and the living room is yellow. Both rooms get lots of light. The two rooms are next to each other with a wide opening. I am going to paint the dining room and am thinking of painting it BM Fieldstone above the chair railing. What do you suggest and what white should I use for the trim?
Thank you.
im down sizing. building a house. going to go with white cabinets or off white cabinets. Same color trim. Open floor plan with living kitchen dining all in one. Two windows in the front facing southwest. french doors in the kitchen facing north east. Im placing two smaller windows as a back splash on the same northeast facing wall under the cabinets to add more light. i want a neutral grey/blue. i dont like grey. But i dont want it to go to a baby blue shade either. what is a color that is in the middle. I have dark brown toned furniture/ curtains that match autumn colors in a thomas kindaid picture(has a gold frame, 4ft by 3ft picture)that has a misty stream running down the autumn mountains. oranges,reds,greens light blueish white clouds and a dark cabin with fog in the mist. A river. my curtains/furniture is designed around the picture. But since the new house is 1400 sq ft i thought i would paint it neutral grey/blue to make it look larger and lighter but i also want it to go with my autumn colored curtains and furnishings. That to much info? lol …i was looking at Oyster Shell was thinking it matched the fog and creek? I need a trim color and ceiling color. Also i have a 4 year old. who loves pink and blueish color. i need new colors to go in her room that will match up with the rest of the house? ok so how about an overall house color pallet for all rooms lol? 3 bedroom 2 bath.
What gray would you recommend painting exterior brick and would you paint the trim a different shade of gray or white?
We are painting our cabinets with General Finishes Queenstown milk paint https://generalfinishes.com/sites/default/files/file_downloads/color-chart-milk-paint-general-finishes-2015.pdf
We are using white subway or arabesque backsplash tile with Zodiac stratus white DuPont countertops.
Our kitchen flows into our family room so I am trying to find two grey shades that will compliment each other. Any suggestion/recommendations would be GREATLY appreciated!!! Our living room furniture is a dark taupe color
Author
We would suggest going with warmer grey, like Revere and Lockport. Hope that helps!
Hi there! Two questions; I hear ther are 2 gray owls; which # is the one you showcased here? Also, which light gray would be a close match with Sherwin Williams? Thanks so much
Author
There do appear to be 2 different numbers for Gray Owl, but they appear to be the same color…https://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/color-overview/find-your-color/color/OC-52/gray-owl?color=OC-52
What light gray would you recommend to match up with a hale navy accent wall in a family room?
Author
I like the Oyster Shell with Hale Navy, next on my list would be Gray Owl! Hope that helps!
A warm gray with green undertone and another more dramatic warm gray. Have a very open home with all crown molding and high baseboards, 20′ ft. Ceilings. Also every window large and small has white plantation shutters, medium oak wood floors. Thanks for your help
I would like your advice on what Benjamin Moore color paint for my kitchen walls. I have honey maple wood cabinets, a grey, white and black with a hint of caramel granite countertop. I wanted to look for a color in the green or gray family. Something not too dark. What color/s do you think will go best?
Author
Revere Pewter is a gray that kinda goes with everything, and is not too dark… Hope that helps!
I am trying to lighten my room with a new paint job. It is beige now with dark cabinets, med wood floor. Have big north windows, but no south. We are talking a big room wihich is kitchen, dining and living room all in one. I do have white wood work and crown molding. Would love to try a grey, but worried how it will go with a lot of brown in my room..
Author
Revere Pewter is recommended and used by bloggers everywhere for a reason, it works with most colors! Get some swatches and tape them up at different places in the kitchen, against different surfaces. Good luck!
Doing my kitchen. I have white cabinets dark warm floors and new caledonia granite. Help!!!!
Author
I would go with a warm gray, like “Revere Pewter”… Always a good bet!”Gray Owl” is perfect if you are looking for just a light wash of gray on the walls!
We agree with choosing warm grey colors as they will really be better in the long run. We usually recommend this color or have it as one of our main colors for our apartments.
What color gray would you recommend to partner with dark to medium oak trim? (not honey) Some areas have much natural light (foyer and office), while others are more dimly lit with a library feel (family room).
Author
I would try a sample of Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter… it is a pale gray to not to make your room feel darker, but has some warmth to go well with your wood trim! Good luck!
Out of the BM grays which would you suggest for a large whole house color. Exception would be maybe a different color in the formal dining which could be a different grey or another color all together?
Author
I like Gray Owl or Revere Pewter… Gray Owl is a little lighter… I would go darker in a formal dining room to set it off!