Benjamin Moore Gray Owl: Undertones, LRV, & Best Uses

Gray Owl is a light, warm gray paint color that became popular in 2010 and kept on going. It works well on interior walls, especially in whole homes, open-concept spaces, and bathrooms.

Undertones, LRV, and overall temperature all play a role in how Gray Owl looks, particularly in different lighting conditions and exposures.

This is why doing your research is important (starting here…thank you). Today, we’re taking an up close and personal look at Gray Owl to see if it’s the perfect shade of gray for you and your home.

WHAT TYPE OF GRAY IS GRAY OWL – WARM OR COOL?

The funny thing is that while scientifically, Gray Owl is a warm gray, you’d hardly know it, as it almost always looks cool – almost icy cool in some situations. You may want to read this if you want a more traditional warm gray.

If you ask me what Gray Owl is, it’s a ‘stormy gray.’ While it can look icy cold, it’s more likely to settle into a moody, slightly stormy gray, with a bit of lightness thanks to its LRV.

GRAY OWL’S LRV

Gray Owl has an LRV of almost 66, so it’s smack dab in the middle of the light range – right in my sweet spot!

Not sure what LRV is? You really should read THIS.

With an LRV of 66, Gray Owl offers a nice contrast with white trim without adding too much visual weight to the walls. And while it will wash out on a well-lit wall, any paint color will do the same. However, if you have a dark room, it could feel a bit flat without adequate interior lighting.

The 4 Best Warm Gray Paint Colors by Sherwin Williams

WHAT ARE GRAY OWL’S UNDERTONES?

While most gray paint colors have a preferred undertone, many of today’s popular gray paint colors can easily slide into any of the 3 gray undertones—and Gray Owl is no exception!

If the term ‘undertone’ is new to you, it’s another way of describing the way a color leans, or its bias. That said, how it appears can change depending on a room’s exposure, interior lighting, and surrounding finishes. 

Gray Owl wants to commit to its green undertone, as seen in this next photo. However, like many gray paint colors, it can be swayed by trim color (Sherwin Williams Alabaster in this photo), exposure, reflection, other interior finishes, and more.

Gray Owl gets around and isn’t faithfully married to its green undertone—not by a long shot. As shown in the next photo, you can easily expect that green to slide back and be replaced by a blue-green or almost straight-up blue undertone.

It can even vary from wall to wall, as shown in this next photo—a bit more green on the left and a touch bluer on the right!

And there it goes in this next photo, looking pretty darned gray with very little undertone…

Long story short, when it comes to Gray Owl (or any paint color), it’s vital to sample it carefully in your own space before committing to a full gallon on the walls.

Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Gray Owl! 

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GRAY OWL & STONINGTON GRAY?

I get this question all the time—so many that it could be a blog post unto itself. And it is, HERE!

However, to satisfy your curiosity quickly, check out how Gray Owl looks slightly greener compared to the stormier, slightly bluer look of Stonington Gray…

Click HERE or on the above photo to view my Online Consulting Packages!

WHAT ARE THE BEST WHITE TRIM COLORS WITH GRAY OWL?

Gray Owl is one of the more flexible gray paint colors when paired with whites. It can accommodate everything from cool, crisp whites to warm, creamy ones! Although it’s shown in a few of the above photos with Sherwin Williams Alabaster, I love it with Benjamin Moore White Dove, Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, and Sherwin Williams Pure White.

The 8 Best Benjamin Moore White Paint Colors

IS IT A GOOD EXTERIOR COLOR?

Maybe…but there’s a lot to consider when choosing an exterior paint color. Regarding the DEPTH/LRV of Gray Owl, you’ll want to consider whether it has enough of it to hold up to intense southern light, which could wash it out considerably. You’ll also want to make sure the undertones (the way it leans) jibe with your roof, stone, or brick.

5 Tips for Choosing the Best Paint Color for Your Exterior

IS GRAY OWL A GOOD CABINET COLOR?

If you love white walls, sure, Gray Owl can look great on cabinets. However, you may want to reconsider if you want some off-white or light-depth paint color on your walls. Because of their depth/LRV, colors like Gray Owl don’t accommodate a wide range of wall color partners, leaving you with white or a color that’s a good 20+ LRV points lower than your cabinets (which most people don’t want).

The Pros & Cons of Off-White & Light Depth Cabinet Colors

Long story short, I would only do it if I had to and plan on living with white walls…forever.

TIPS FOR USING GRAY OWL IN YOUR HOME

• In my experience, rooms with reduced natural light and/or northern exposure can bring out the blue undertones a bit more.
• Warm whites (trim) can enhance the cool undertones hiding in Gray Owl.
• Gray Owl is great for resale if you use it sparingly in a few rooms. However, because trends are no longer this cold, I wouldn’t paint it in the majority of rooms or the whole home.
• Overall, if you don’t like cool colors but would like a gray, you may want to forget about Gray Owl. Again, it might be labeled as a ‘warm gray,’ but you can expect it to look cool on your walls.

READ MORE

The Best Warm Gray Paint Colors

Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Big Chill

The Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colors

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Originally written in 2015, awesomely updated in 2024