8.15.2013

15 Shades of Gray

"So, I don't have time for a lot of shades of gray."
Neil Cavuto

Selecting an interior paint can be overwhelming. Frankly, color selection can be somewhat of a, well... gray area.

It's no surprise then that one of the biggest struggles my clients have is selecting that oh-so-perfect color. There are literally thousands of colors to choose from, not to mention the hundreds of shades within a color.

With gray still being all the rage in interior design, I've narrowed down my top 15 picks for shades of gray with five from Benjamin Moore, five from Sherwin Williams and five from KWAL (a.k.a. Frazee, Color Wheel, General and Parker Paint).

I've selected each color within its specific brand because I DO NOT recommend color matching (that is, taking a color formula from one brand and having it matched for another brand). Each brand has a  base color that is specifically designed to coordinate with each color formula. Although color matching results are usually pretty close, on occasion it can go oh-so-wrong, and it's not worth the risk.

I personally have used or have seen these paint colors in what I refer to as "real life" and have outlined characteristics of each color based on my experience.

I recommend painting a small area of each possible color on the wall prior to making that final pick. And don't forget to take your carpet, lighting and furnishings into consideration.

If you've used any of these paint colors, I'd love to hear your thoughts...


TITANIUM OC 49
Characteristics: A light shade of gray with cool undertones.

REVERE PEWTER HC 172
Characteristics: A warm "greige" often referred to as the perfect mix of gray and beige. May have peach/pink or green undertones depending on the light. Very popular color choice for updating brown/tan/gold paint without going too gray.

WINTERWOOD 1466
Characteristics: A warm gray with a slight green undertone. Similar in value to BM Revere Pewter with less tendency to look pink.

GRAY HORSE 2140-50
Characteristics: A mid-tone gray with a bluish-green undertone. 

CHELSEA GRAY HC 168
Characteristics: A slightly darker warm gray that works well as an accent color.


COLLONADE GRAY SW7641
Characteristics: A popular "greige"similar to BM Revere Pewter, but slightly darker in value.

MINDFUL GRAY SW7016
Characteristics: A warm, mid-tone gray without being so "greige".

DORIAN GRAY SW7017
Characteristics: A slightly darker mid-tone gray than SW Mindful Gray.

INTELLECTUAL GRAY SW7045
Characteristics: The darkest and warmest "greige" of all my recommendations. 

GRAY MATTER SW7066
Characteristics: A cool yet slightly darker mid-tone gray. Similar to KWAL Artesan.



PACKING NUT 2881W
Characteristics: A warm mid-tone gray. Similar to BM Revere Pewter.

HAND DUSTER 2932W
Characteristics: A cool mid-tone with a slight green undertone.

TINMAN 3232W
Characteristics: A cool mid-tone gray with a slight blue undertone. This is a good choice for a middle-of-the-road gray.

HAILSTORM 3012W
Characteristics: A mid-tone gray, slightly darker in value than KWAL Tinman with a slight bluish-green undertone. 

ARTESAN 3013M
Characteristics: A slightly darker gray than KWAL Hailstorm. This is a popular exterior paint color.

9 comments:

  1. What a beautiful blog! I am excited to hear how your remodel turned out. I hope you post lost of pictures!

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  2. I've been searching paints all morning especially for Sherwin Williams equivalent to Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter & this was the best!!!!!!! Thanks!

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  3. I used Dorian Gray for my foyer. I hated it at night time. Without natural light, it took on a green tone. In fact, people often thought it was. If you don't mind green, this would be the paint color to choose.

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  5. About to try winterwood. It is lovely and comes off as a khaki when the light isn't directly on it. I may use herbal escape (one tone below) for my biggest wall that gets direct sun. Winterwood goes light green when light hits it. I am also thinking about gray owl and sea haze for the same room. All Ben Moore.

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