If I didn’t know it before, looking at lots of houses online has confirmed something – gray is the new beige. The default wall color in this day and age has shifted from beige to gray. It’s the non-white choice of color that is neutral enough to not be offensive to potential home buyers. Now, I’m not knocking on gray walls. Most of the walls in my previous home in Minnesota were painted gray. Stonington Gray by Benjamin Moore to be exact. But as I’ve felt an aversion to old homes painted in neutral, cold grays, I wanted to try to articulate why it wasn’t working for me and some of the keys to making gray walls work and look their best.
making gray walls work | it has to be the right gray for the house
People often pick neutral colors like gray, beige, and white because they seem easier, but there are still millions of shades within just those three colors and you can still go off the rails by narrowing your color palette to neutrals. If you’ve seen a bad off-white, beige walls that look like a band-aid, or gray walls that read purple, you know what I’m talking about.
Don’t neglect to buy paint samples, test swatches, and watch how the color reacts to the light in your house just because you’re going with a soft neutral color. Everything can impact that color from the tone and reflective finish on your floors (wood floors that lean yellow can turn pale blue walls green, for example), to the colored light bouncing off of a neighbor’s siding, to the kind of lightbulbs you use. It makes selecting a paint color so hard, even for people who work with paint and color for a living. Every color can be a chameleon and will adjust depending on the environment it’s in.
So, don’t rely on a color that looks good in a friend’s house or in a house on the internet. Test out samples before you go through the time and expense to paint an entire wall.
making gray walls work | add textures
Gray is a wall color that can look graceful, intentional, subtle, and classic, but it can also look cold, sterile, and dull. To stay on the former side of that list, be mindful of what you pair with the gray walls. Sleek stone accents, glossy finishes, and high contrasts will make the room feel more modern and cold. That look can work beautifully in some homes, but when you do that in a more traditional house, it just looks off. To keep gray walls classic, pair them with lots of texture that comes from places like woven rugs, nubby fabrics, books, baskets, and the patina of old paint.
woven rug | antique wood boot forms | handmade pet basket bed
making gray walls work | add layers
Pairing gray walls with fabric that shows they are an intentional choice will also help, well, make them look intentional and not like a default. In the case of our bedroom, Stonington Gray walls in matte are paired with blue and white fabrics along with textured white linens that add visual interest to the room. It’s soft, subtle, and has a neutral palette, but layers keep it from being boring.
primary bedroom makeover reveal
making gray walls work | add warmth
There are definitely warm gray paint options out there, but most of the gray walls I’ve seen recently in homes sway to the cool end of the spectrum. And I’m here for it. I definitely prefer cool wall colors over warm ones, but to make that work well, the coolness has to be balanced out with some warmth. The warmth can come from wood furniture and/or floors, fabrics, and definitely rugs. In our bathroom, which is dominated by cool grays, an antique wool rug brings a pop of warm color and texture to the room. The wood stool also brings visual warmth to add some contrast. It looks crisp and clean but still inviting.
ensuite bathroom makeover reveal
making gray walls work | break it up
If you love gray walls, as I do, use them where they work, but depart from them when they don’t. I love how my friend Cheri used gray in her hallway and on the doors, but used a creamy white on the paneling, which worked much better than a gray would have. She’s still embracing neutrals, but she is making her choices deliberately and thoughtfully. Also, I have to point out the layering, textures, and warmth. She has it all in this open concept living space.
So, will I use gray in our next house? I don’t know, yet. It really depends on the house! When picking wall colors, I would consider a few things (and knowing my thought process might help you when you pick paint colors next time.)
What is right for the style of the house?
I think you can use any color in any house, but how you use it and why you chose it is key. Also, the nuances of the color can make a huge difference. I think the green on the walls of this boy’s room in the Noser house tour is a great example of a surprising color that ends up looking very traditional and historic. You can push conventional color boundaries much further than you might guess with beautiful results.
What will work with things I already own or pieces I am purchasing for the room?
Sometimes we want to paint a room because we are ready to get a fresh coat of paint on the walls, but it will save you a lot of time, effort, and expense if you wait until the main components of the room are in place before you decide the wall color. Trust me, it’s much easier to match paint to fabric, rug, or upholstered piece than the other way around.
What will lead the space in the direction I want to take it?
If you want a moody room, pick a moody color. If you want the room to feel bright and airy, pick a color that will feel bright and airy. It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s so easy to get swayed off course with quick decisions that are just about getting a project done. Have a clear vision and pursue it, even if it takes more samples and test swatches than you would like.
painting a fireplace surround | family room makeover
I don’t know about you, but this is getting me geared up to paint some rooms!! (I suppose I need a house first and two working feet!) Every house we look at online, Jeff will look over my shoulder and say, “Oh yeah, that will be painted. And that…” The truth is, I’ve painted just about every surface of every house we’ve owned. I’ve painted cabinets, walls, ceilings, trim, stairs, railings, built-ins, tile, doors, and floors and I will likely do it all again.
I am a paint enthusiast, after all.
I thought gray was on the out, but then the same was said for farmhouse and white cabinets. I’ve had beige in every house we owned and this last one I went gray just because I wanted something different. I have a hard time with color. For me it’s easier to bring in color with accessories that are inexpensive to replace. It’s a work in progress.
I also think grey is on the way out and beige is having its moment again!
I agree with the above comments on gray being on the way out. (I hope so.) At least walls can be repainted. If you go with gray flooring, like a luxury vinyl plank, or gray countertops, you’re married to the color for a long time!
I never thought the Stonington Gray of your MN house “felt” gray – the other elements you brought it really helped with that.
Marian, your post on incorporating greys/grays ?, will surely be helpful for those who love it,! or have to live with it in a rental, etc.
As someone who doesn’t, I can attest to the frustration in house shopping at present. More than 50% of houses we find on real estate sites literally have grey walls, grey floors, grey cabinets, stainless appliances (another grey), etc. it makes for very depressing house shopping! Particularly when most of the grey added is from recent remodeling, which a (non-grey-loving) purchaser will be paying for – and then paying to undo!
Add that, to seeing a charming exterior, only to “open the front door” (even online) to discover all the walls removed in the living areas, and rooms replaced by a big grey box. It’s really disheartening.
Thankfully, paint is an easy fix –
(though not necessarily cheap for whole-house painting).
However, pulling out a house-full of grey flooring (and replacing), putting walls back up, etc, are not inexpensive to change!
Of course, there are some lovely neutrals; and I do love gorgeous greys like carrera marble! I loved your bathroom remodel so much that we just put carrera floors in ours, and love it!
But overall, I’m hoping with the previous comments that “grey everything” is on the way out.
Can you see a traditional Living room painted a shade of rose/blush? It is painted a burgundy red and I still like that moody look but it is so dark. Marian you could make any house look stunning!
Great advice about paint. Paint used to be a “cheap fix” but no more. Costs have skyrocketed! Even so, investing in some sample sized paint jugs is an inexpensive insurance policy. If you don’t want to put the paint on the walls get some white poster board and do a giant paint chip that you can move around as the light changes. Live with it for a week or so just to be sure.
Can’t wait to see your new house!
I thought I had read that gray was out. I don’t think I ever would have liked it, no matter the shade, unless it was more of a mushroom. shade.
The all gray on gray is out, but gray walls can be fairly neutral if you have enough warm wood tones and textures to offset it. I would not invest in gray flooring…..instead I would go with a warm brown. My go to gray paint color is Repose Gray……it makes stained wood trim tolerable…..I’m a white trim kind of girl.
I painted our house with the Stonington Grey and I love it! 1955 ranch with warm hardwood floors. Texture, textiles and a pop of color make it easy to decorate.
Gray is not a color that most people like or choose deliberately. The color Gray was flooded onto the market following the release of the movie ‘Fifty shades of Grey’ in movie theaters. Like the color gray the movie was not a hit with the majority and the color gray was not part of the plot but actually the male actors name. However apparently it triggered something in the minds of designers who immediately began pushing the color in paint and upholstery, linens and even cars. Years ago I read that car makers decided to offer black, white or silver car colors in order to train people to accept the mediocre. If you look at parking lots these days most of the vehicles are still those neutral colors. Some car manufacturers have begun to offer more colors but for years those were the options. Several comments mentioned gray being out. Who decides that and who appointed them to make that decision? I choose a color to live with because it makes me feel happy or calm or serene, not because it is in or out according to designers. Color has the ability to affect our emotions, otherwise why would they paint jail cells pink and hospital rooms green or blue? Gray has always been out as far as I’m concerned. Your advice was very good but it seems a shame that so much effort has to go into making a color tolerable.
I really don’t care what is “in” or “out”. I love my gray walls and they look spectacular so much so that people come in and say WOW. Paired with a neutral warm white trim throughout for cohesion (Simply White by BM) they are soothing and steady. They provide an amazing backdrop for wonderful and readily available (and inexpensive) decor options including wonderful wallpapers, great accent colors and graphics for any mood. Give me gray any time and I will riff the design for the ultimate aesthetic pleasure.
I love gray. A few years ago we did a whole house reno/update. We had the entire interior painted gray. I couldn’t love it more. It’s funny that you mentioned gray can lean towards purple. When choosing paint for the reno, I ended up buying 12 sample sizes. I’m usually very decisive but the grays threw me. Finally chose a favorite, paint went up on the walls, and yes, purple! But I kinda love it! Oddly though, men see it as gray, but women see it as purple so it’s a bit of a conversation starter!!
I hope gray is on the way out. I have some greige walls now, but I am ready to paint and am leaning towards beige colors again.
Okay this is not a Grey paint comment or even an interior paint comment but hope it makes you smile. My mother LOVED a yellow house she drove by everyday so when she decided to have her house painted it had to be that shade of yellow. We boldly went up to the owner’s door told her how much we loved her house color and asked if we could hold our yellow swatches up to it to match (she had no idea of the paint color name) she was delighted. So, we stood on her COVERED NORTH facing porch and carefully matched to one of our swatches. RIGHT, the west facing uncovered wall of the house was the one my mother LOVED. My mom renamed her house Tweety Bird :))
Hello Terry,
May I ask what color yellow you settled on? I have always wanted a yellow house. Somehow the style was never quite right for it. Well, I recently moved and I think I have found my yellow gem!!! I am thinking of white trim and black shutters. The door has me stumped….???? oh…I am going with black shutters because all the lighting, mail box and hardware is black. Pinterest has been my go to!
oh….Marian!!!! Thank you for letting drop in on your comments!!!
I have lots of very subtle cool greys in my farmhouse here in rural Australia.
I agree that texture & warm natural tones, wood flooring etc lift the coolness, but I also find having the crisp contrast of white makes the grey look definitely intentional & makes the room look fresh.
I find the heavier or in your face colours way too distracting, I like my decor/furniture to be the focus & want my rooms to look light nowadays & dark colours on the walls absorb too much light for the look I want.
We just painted our home Worldly Grey by Sherwin Williams and I am in love! I think grey is such an amazing neutral.
Another variable that can affect the color of wall paint is the orientation of the room and windows. Light coming into a room from a North facing window is cooler and South facing window will have a warmer light. I’ve had that throw me off–loved a paint on one room and hated it in another room on the other side of the house.
This past winter I had to pick a paint color for my finished basement before picking a carpet. The basement was being restored after a pipe leak caused a flood and mold growth last summer. The basement gets little natural light from the tiny windows but has an east facing french door. The previous color was a creamy yellowish white that looked dark so I wanted a white color to make the room brighter but not cold. The overhead lights were being upgraded to integrated LEDs with the light color at 3000 K (non-yellow but not stark). I collected a lot of paint chips and read a lot of internet advice and settled on color choices (walls and trim) for the contractor. He called around dinnertime one evening for the paint details so the workers could get it first thing in the morning. A soon as I told him the brand, he let me know that the job was priced using SW paint si he could nt use my choice, We agreed that I could text him the info for SW colors later in the evening. I spent the next two hours reading every blog I could find on SW white paint colors before texting the contractor. It’s all about the undertones and room lighting. I finally settled on SW’s Alabaster White, bright with a subtle warm undertone, for the walls without having so much as a paint chip. I love it. It’s light and airy and looks good with my baskets and blue and white china pieces. No more gloomy basement!
So interesting to see the love/hate comments on this post. What I love about the gray “trend” is that it brought another neutral into the world for color-fearing people to work with! Now there is white, beige, and gray to work with! There are so many grays to work with, and it is a major natural color, being the colors of all the rocks where I live, tree bark, and overcast skies. It will never be out of style, like it or not!
We are in or about to dive into a recession. We are accustomed to cyclical recessions that are sometimes referred to as ‘slumps’ by home builders here in CA. Always home color trends will show as pre or post slump. If you want to be with the new trends wait awhile for what the change will be. I just do what I like with a bent toward neutral and positive home sales. We have done ok doing that. My eye doesn’t like gray at all. Not happening here. Your color skills are stellar. Looking forward to your next home.
It is funny how different people see the same color differently! I used Pale Oak by Benj Moore in my living room and it looks great! To me, it is like a very pale taupe sort of color but my sister-in-law thinks it is gray… I too have found that contractors try to specify Sherwin Williams paint, but I always ask they change that to Benjamin Moore and if they won’t, then I get the contract to say I will buy the paint. If they don’t specify a paint brand in the proposed contract, get it changed to specifically what you want (including finish sheen).