Find It: The Perfect Grey Paint That Will Outlast The Trend
Grey is a beautiful neutral colour, but I believe that the over-the-top grey home trend will soon be coming to an end, in the same way that the builder beige and brown trend bit the dust.
Let me explain.
It seems we've gone a bit overboard with the grey trend. Whole homes are being done in this colour the same way that white is used as a neutral backdrop.
Personally, I find all-grey spaces a bit too lifeless and cold. Some are too much on the blue side and it can actually make you feel blue as well. Others are just cold and or too dark and make a space feel like a cement jail cell. Especially when you have grey walls, grey cabinets and grey furniture all piled on top of one another, it just makes for an uninteresting and at the same time overwhelming experience.
In other applications, dark greys and blue-greys look stunning, like on kitchen cabinets for example. BUT that's a problem too: because a look that stuns your eyes will eventually run it's course and you'll tire of it quickly. That's the reason I always stick with a classic white or light wood kitchen (which, IMHO, will never go out of style and is a soft, calming backdrop in your home).
That said…
I do think that a light misty grey or a light grey that's slightly on the warm side (aka greige) can be timeless and very natural in a home. A misty grey is very soothing and bounces light around, whereas greige is a naturally muted backdrop that feels warm and welcoming.
Also, using grey strategically in certain areas of the home can work well. For example, a soft neutral grey can neutralize overly yellow or reddish floors and cabinets. Warm greys can liven up a north facing room with low light. And a dark slate grey in a small powder room or accent wall works really well.
So I'm not dismissing grey - not at all.
I just advise using it strategically and choosing a light or neutral warm grey tone. And then layering in elements in a different palette for cabinets and furniture and decor.
I've put together this full list to help you choose the right grey paint. These tried and true- go-to shades of grey below will work well in most rooms and will outlast the trend. Take a look at more shades down the page and examples of how they’ve been used in homes.
BEST SHERWIN WILLIAMS GREY AND GREIGE PAINT COLOURS
I use Sherwin Williams paint for a lot of my projects and Repose Gray is an all-time favourite that works in pretty much any space. It's a neutral with a teeny bit of a warm undertone so if feels good even in low light. Here's Repose Gray and some other Sherwin Williams greys I really like.
Sherwin Williams Ice Cube - Refreshed Designs
Sherwin Williams Passive - Designing Vibes
Sherwin Williams Repose Gray - Two Twenty One
Sherwin Williams Ice Cube - Olive & Tate
W Repose Gray kitchen walls- Kandrac & Kole
Sherwin Williams Peppercorn - Lia Griffith
BEST DULUX/CIL GREY AND GREIGE PAINT COLOURS
I've used CIL Oyster Bay with great results, like this kitchen project in Calgary where the colour was used to neutralize the yellow wood cabinets but still add a touch of softness. Raindrop White is an off-white with just a touch of grey that looked beautifully soft and misty in the bathroom of my former home.
My previous bathroom in CIL Raindrop White
CIL Oyster Bay
BEST BENJAMIN MOORE GREY AND GREIGE PAINTS
Benjamin Moore has lots of wonderful greys, including my favourite, Misty Gray. I've used this both in open spaces with tons of light and in basements with low light - the colour came out very clean and light and bright every time (sorry I don't have photos of it). Its very soothing to the eye. I've also used BM Stonington Gray in a yoga studio refresh and the colour, used as an accent wall, worked great with the salvaged wood trim in the space.
BM Gray Owl works well with light wood - via House Beautiful
Benjamin Moore Misty Gray - Benjamin Moore
