Your Guide to Choosing Gray Paint

What are the best Gray Paint Colors by Benjamin Moore?
Considering using gray in your home? There are things to consider and the best tip I can give you is to look for the  undertones.
You can look at 20 different swatches of gray all in the same tonal value. They are all a little different. The undertones you are seeing is what makes them appear different (unless you are actually colorblind) and you may wonder how they will look on something as large as the walls of your room.
More importantly -  how will it make you feel?

Purple undertones in three shades of gray

UNDERTONES MATTER
When choosing grays, understanding undertones can help you achieve the feeling you want in your space.
I've chosen examples from Benjamin Moore. Go to your nearest Ace Hardware and pull a few of these swatches to help you decide, as monitor colors may not be true.

Green Undertone -  can be drab, but looks great with oak trim and cabinets.
Gray Owl 2137-60     Clarksville Gray HC-102

Blue Undertone - sharp and clean, this airy grey can also feel chilly.
Sidewalk Gray 2133-60    Stonington Gray HC-170

Purple Undertone - this is the happiest of grays, softer and playful with a modern edge.
Cement Gray 2112-60     Portland Gray 2109-60

Yellow Undertone- this warms the grey. "Greige" is a cross of beige and gray. A nice neutral choice.
Revere Pewter HC-172     Edgecomb Gray HC-173

Red Undertone - a red undertone brings in brown, resulting in a warm grey.
Barren Plain 2111-60     Abalone 2108-60

Can you see the difference in the Undertones of these paint colors??

Of course there are thousands of paint colors to choose from, each having it's own unique pigment formula. I always suggest painting samples on foam core so that you can move it around your space at different times of day to see how your light and surrounding colors will effect the color. Look for the undertones!

To learn more about color and light, click here.

Warm grays with brown/red undertones

Sheri Kaz Interior Designs and Color Consulting - Milwaukee, WI serving SE WISC