The 9 Best Whole Home Taupe & Greige Paint Colors
When painting your entire home the same paint color, you need a versatile and flexible paint color – no one-trick ponies for you – you need a 20-trick donkey, at least.
Luckily, there is a method to the madness for how light or dark and how neutral or colorful your color should be, and I’m sharing it.
That’s right, if you’re looking for a shade of taupe or greige that’s wickedly gorgeous, you’ve come to the right place. Whether you’re home staging, painting a brand-new home, or updating your current one, these colors have a ton of flexibility for a wide range of exposures, finishes, and tastes.
However, even universally gorgeous neutral paint colors aren’t foolproof.
Why?
There isn’t one color that will look exactly the same in every room in your home – colors will change how they look based on your room’s exposure, interior lighting, surrounding finishes, AND your perception!
It’s like finding a pair of shoes that looks good with every outfit or a wine that tastes good with every meal – it ain’t gonna happen (I’ve yet to find a wine that suits Mr Noodles). Any magical universal paint color WILL shift from room to room.
HOW THE QUALITY OF LIGHT CHANGES A PAINT COLOR
Paint colors will change depending on HOW MUCH NATURAL LIGHT you get in your room.
For example, let’s say you have a 2-storey home. Both floors have south-facing windows, but because there’s a deck on the top level, the bottom level’s natural light isn’t as strong or direct. You could use the same color on both floors, but it will look different from top to bottom!
- A lot of natural light will wash out paint colors, especially the ones we’ll be looking at (LRVs approx. 55+). Just remember, the sun shifts throughout the day, and so will your paint color!
- Rooms with LOW natural light can make a paint color look darker or more shaded than normal.
- Average natural light is when your paint color will appear most true to its form.
And don’t forget to pay attention to the KELVINS of your LIGHT BULBS!
NOW, LET’S TALK COLOR
While there are any number of gorgeous grays (give or take a thousand), gray isn’t trendy anymore in the average home.
This is why greige and taupe paint colors can also be great options for those wanting something a bit warmer – maybe not as warm as the beige trend, but winking at it.
And the MOST IMPORTANT thing of all…
Me. Just joking…kind of. You might not be able to satisfy EVERY room, EVERY countertop, EVERY flooring in your home with one paint color – sometimes, something has to give (and it may have to be you). Be prepared to look at additional colors in your palette if needed.
As the Great Britney Spears says, let’s hit that baby one more time…
You might not be able to satisfy every room, countertop, finish, and flooring in your home with one paint color—sometimes, something has to give. Be prepared to look at additional colors for your palette if needed.
And because we’re trying to find that one-trick pony, the best taupe or greige paint color, the one color that suits as MANY finishes and exposures as possible, it makes sense to start with…
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY SW-7029
Oh, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways…LOTS! Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is a greige-taupe that leans considerably into gray, far more than beige (to the point where you COULD call it a warm gray).
As for undertones, Agreeable Gray can pick up blue, green, or purple, but most often favors a very vague green or purple (it’s so vague, it’s not even really a thing – it’s more about me being anal-retentive and loving to hear myself talk type).
Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60, which is a good place to start. I usually lean a bit lighter when I want an ‘overall’ paint color (read more about my favorite LRV range), but this LRV still works.
Not sure what LRV is? 3 SLAPS WITH A WET NOODLE! It’s SUPER important, and you should learn about it.
While Agreeable Gray is undoubtedly one of Sherwin Williams best taupe and greige paint colors (one of their top sellers), it’s being slowly replaced by warmer colors.
Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
2. BENJAMIN MOORE EDGECOMB GRAY HC-173
Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray (also known as Alaskan Skies 972) has an LRV of 63.09, which gives it an awesome depth as a whole-home paint color. Not only is Edgecomb Gray potentially great for every room in your home, but it’s also one of the most popular choices with my Online Color Consulting clients.
Edgecomb Gray is a greige-taupe (like Agreeable Gray with its flexibility in undertones) but a SUPER warm one, that can swing a bit closer to beige than gray.
Review of Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
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3. BENJAMIN MOORE CLASSIC GRAY OC-23
Benjamin Moore Classic Gray is the lightest of the bunch, boasting an LRV of 74, which places it right on the border between off-white and light.
Classic Gray is an off-white warm gray/taupe with a very soft, subtle, warm purple undertone. It can pick up a wee wink of pink in the ODD light, but don’t expect it all the time. If you want soft, subtle, and simple, Classic Gray is a great choice.
Here’s Classic Gray compared to some warm grays and another taupe-inspired hue…
SW City Loft | BM Collingwood (warm gray) | BM Balboa Mist (warm gray)
Paint Color Review: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
All the photos in my blog are from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, talented photographers, & friends— because real homes deserve to be celebrated (dirty laundry & all!) While not magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas & proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.
4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WORLDLY GRAY
If you want a color with a subtle, organic backdrop, Worldly Gray can be a gorgeous choice.
With its LRV of 57 (which is a bit lower than usual), Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray is a light-depth paint color that sits in the greige world…barely. Sometimes you won’t notice any green at all. Just be careful, as if you partner it with finishes that NEED a taupe (purple) undertone, it could be a hot mess.
Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray: IMAGES, Info, & More
Where you want to be most careful with Worldly Gray is with finishes like tiles and countertops (e.g., bathrooms).
Why?
More interior finishes cater to taupe undertones than green ones. This said, Worldly Gray is super subtle in its approach.
Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Worldly Gray…
5. BENJAMIN MOORE PALE OAK OC-20
Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak is currently Benjamin Moore’s most popular neutral paint color. With an LRV of 68.64, it’s one of the lighter options on this page.
As for its color, Pale Oak is definitely a taupe. How do we know? It has beautiful, warm, purple-pink undertones.
Benjamin Moore Pale Oak Color Review
In the above photo, Benjamin Moore Classic Gray is the sample on the left, Pale Oak is on the right, and Collingwood is the backdrop color – some of the colors we’re exploring in this blog post!
Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Pale Oak!
Get the best color advice…
6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS EGRET WHITE 7570
Sherwin Williams Egret White is similar to Classic Gray as it’s a soft taupe that can lean into gray but often picks up more warmth. With trends leaning warmer, this is definitely one to look at.
Being a taupe, Egret White has gentle undertones, but they’re super subtle for this type of color. As for its depth, Egret White has an LRV of 70, which puts it on the higher end of the light range. Just look at how it updated this kitchen and its red-stained wood cabinets…
Egret White is a fun one to watch, how its temperature shifts depending on your room’s exposure (if you’re a color nerd; if not, it’s not really that fun).
Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White
7. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ANEW GRAY SW-7030
Not everyone wants a soft, light neutral—some of you like things a little deeper (wink wink). That being said, if you’re doing home staging, I highly recommend sticking to the above depths for mass appeal, especially if you’re selling your home. However, it would be CRAZY for me not to share this next one.
COLOR REVIEWS: SW Requisite Gray | SW Versatile Gray | SW Keystone Gray | SW Mindful Gray | SW Balanced Beige
Anew Gray is a stunning light-medium depth color and one of the best taupe and greige paint colors for those who prefer a little meat on their color’s bones.
While it slightly favors gray, overall, it can appear relatively well-balanced, with more contrast than the lighter version, Agreeable Gray.
Review of Sherwin Williams Anew Gray
99.5% of the photos in my blog are of REAL HOMES from my Online Color Consulting clients, readers, and friends. While not always magazine-perfect, they’re packed with ideas and proven color choices to help you create a home you’ll love.
Anew Gray has an LRV of 47, putting it in the middle of the light-medium greige-taupe world.
Find Anew Gray in this blog post: The Best Paint Colors to Help Hide Dirty Walls!
8. BENJAMIN MOORE RODEO 1584
If you’ve ever seen Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter and loved it, let me introduce you to Benjamin Moore Rodeo (I say that as RP is the OG of the warm gray-greige world).
Some people find Revere Pewter a bit too dark to use throughout their home, but love its overall look. Rodeo is similar, but with an LRV of 59.84, it’s a bit lighter and easier to use on a large scale.
Here’s your Peel & Stick sample of Rodeo…
Like Revere Pewter, Rodeo is kind of stuck between warm gray and greige and can shift quite a bit depending on your room’s exposure. I mean, every color will, but colors that are this close to the edge can either look greige or look gray (more moderate greiges hold more warmth).
Review of Benjamin Moore Rodeo
9. SHERWIN WILLIAMS MODERN GRAY 7632
Modern Gray is slowly winning my heart. At first, I didn’t pay it much mind, but as the need for flexible, warm neutrals gained traction, it came up more often on my radar.
Sherwin Williams Modern Gray is a mild, warm taupe paint color with an LRV of 62. This particular number USED to be my sweet spot until I changed it to a range (60-70).
If you’re not sure about how warm Modern Gray is, compare it to Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray (#1) and see it swing! In turn, it shows how gray Agreeable Gray can look.
Review of Sherwin Williams Modern Gray
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Here are some of the top questions and concerns I come across…
WHAT’S THE BEST WHOLE HOME WHITE TRIM/DOOR/CEILING COLOR?
While it can greatly depend on the wall color you choose, along with your interior finishes, generally speaking, check out Sherwin Williams White Snow, Pure White, and Benjamin Moore White Dove and Chantilly Lace.
For exact recommendations, check out this: The Best White Paint Color (singular)
WHAT’S THE MOST POPULAR LIGHT, NEUTRAL PAINT COLOR?
While previous years favored colors like Benjamin Moore Gray Owl and Sherwin Williams Repose Gray, today’s colors are warmer.
SHERWIN WILLIAMS: Accessible Beige is the best, light neutral paint color. However, it’s followed by Agreeable Gray, which is still hanging on for dear life (it was popular last year, too)! Lastly, Shoji White is in 3rd place – love it.
BENJAMIN MOORE: Pale Oak, a gentle shade of taupe, is their most popular neutral. This is followed by Revere Pewter – like Frank’s Hot Sauce, people put this !$%^@# on everything.
If you want to check out some lighter shades, read this: The Best Off-White Paint Colors For Your Whole Home.
So, there you have it, my funny friends. Again, while these might not suit every finish in your home, they should at least get you on the path to color happiness!
QUICK SUMMARY (TL;DR)
- The best light greige and taupe paint colors have LRVs between 60 and 73.
- The most popular colors include Benjamin Moore Pale Oak and Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray.
READ MORE
Beige & Tan Paint Colors For Your Whole Home
The Best Gray Paint Colors for Your WHOLE HOME!
The 8 Best Whole Home Off-White Paint Colors
The 12 Best Light Taupe & Greige Paint Colors
Get the best color advice…
Check out my Online Color Consulting packages – I’d love to help!
ORIGINALLY WRITTEN IN OCTOBER 2019, OVERHAULED IN 2025 FOR YOU!
I’m trying to decide on a whole house color for our new build. Living room/kitchen will have a ton of natural light with west facing windows. Pure white or white dove cabinets and light oak floors. I’m leaning very heavily toward Edgecomb Gray but have recently discovered BM Pale Oak and think it might be my winner winner chicken dinner (to quote you, of course). Thoughts on using such a light color (Pale Oak) in a room with a ton of natural light? I prefer a warm over cool space.
Oooo yes, I do love chicken dinner! But…I want you to be careful with Pale Oak. It’s a beauty, but in some lights, it can flash a bit purple-pink. It’s gorgeous, as long as you’re cool with that. I would LEAN more into Edgecomb as it has a bit more flexibility in comparison, UNLESS you’ve found that the products you prefer also lean into that warm purple. And while I love White Dove, I do love the simplicity of Pure White :).
We painted the main areas of our house Agreeable Gray (lightened 25%) thanks to a consult with you… and we absolutely LOVE it. It’s the perfect greige. It pairs so well with our Decorators White cabinets, trim and ceiling. I’ll be sure to send you some pictures sometime next century when we are finished the build!
Sweet, I would LOOOOOVE to see photos – definitely! And I know it can take a long time to really feel after building (ie: years) 😉
I also think that Agreeable Gray’s next lighter shade is Gossamer Veil. Very similar, but the Gossamer Veil has a light green tint, which AG would probably have if lightened.
We tried some of the recommended greys,, but ended up using SW Light French Grey. South facing bedroom, fairly well lit, southern exposure. What’s your opinion of this particular color grey?
Good one – that could come in at #13! I do love this gray. It would come into the 2nd grouping, the colours with that bit more depth and body to them. It can favour a purple undertone that can sometimes (in northern light) flash quite a bit purple – it’s a beauty!
~Kylie
We used Anchor Gray thanks to you to match our red tones wooden accents. It favors more blue and warm tones and we love it
Hey Tory! Isn’t Anchor Gray wicked gorgeous – I love it too, hope all is good with you, and give those pups a good tooshie scratch for me!
Hey- do you have any recommendations for what to put with orangey oak floors? We love our house and the floors are in good shape but I want to minimize them not
Hi Shelley, you might find this blog post helpful, where I chat about the different wood tones/paint colours! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-best-paint-colours-to-go-with-oak-wood/
I would love to know what color you ended up painting. We have the same floors and are wanting to paint. Struggling with what would match best. I do love the agreeable grey.
I ended up using several of the colors off of this list after a consult with Kylie on how to update the colors in my large Colonial to get it ready for sale (lots of greens, yellows and beiges beforehand…..) All I can say is that it came out FANTASTIC!!! Kylie chose Gray Owl for the main spine of the house: the mudroom, backstair, upper central hall, and front foyer. There is a lot of white trim and wainscotting, and it came out gorgeous and tied together the whole homes. The kitchen with white cabinets, honed black granite and Carrera marble subway tile backsplash got SW Classic French Gray – a dark great but with some much white in the kitchen, it turned out great. The contrast really made the white trimwork pop. Stonington Grey for the garden room with some tricky to match marble flooring, Revere Pewter for 3 of the children’s bedrooms, Platinum Gray for the family room and one child’s room, and Edgecomb Gray for the master bath. Rounding it out: Amherst Gray for a dramatic Master Bedroom, and Chelsea Gray for a library with a gray stone fireplace. To say that this totally transformed the house would be an understatement. Kylie’s consult was worth every penny – I would never come up looking like this if I had tried to do it all myself. THANK YOU, KYLIE!!
Hey you! Thank you for that lovely comment! Give those poochies a good cuddle for me 😉
After painting most of the house Classic Gray I really see so much how it looks purple or blue most of the times . We are now finally buying a new house and I would like a light gray like Classic Gray when he behaves ???? without going crazy with the purple and blue . Any chances that a colour like that exists?
Thank you !!
Hi Elisa! Well, it can have a LOT to do with your exposure as north/south lighting can do crazy things to paint colours! And grays will have the blue, purple or green undertone and I’d say that Classic Gray is LESS likely to go cool – purple/blue, compared to some others and usually leans that touch warmer, so I do wonder if it’s your exposure or it’s somehow playing off of your interior finishes/trim funny??? What I’m trying to say is that sample it in your new home as it could look TOTALLY different!
~Kylie
Hi there!
Thank you for your wisdom and humor! I read your East West post and I’m still lost. We are building an ope floor plan home. There are no west facing windows. The main living area, and dining are right by the east facing windows. And the kitchen is center of the room. There are windows on the north side. On the main window area ( East) there will be a large stucco patio cover for our one story home, and the home behind us to the East is 2 story. This is feel will cause much less light as the sun rises. That being said, with our dark countertop, dark grey brown floor, espresso furtinure dark countertop, white kitchen cabinets, farmhouse with blue accents, I am wondering your thoughts on Agreeable grey. We currently live with an old color that is called Chateu that I love ( sort of creamy coffee neutral beige but darker? My husband and I want this newer larger house to be a bit lighter and we like online pics of agreeable grey , but I’m fearing I’ll miss my creamy coffee color. Since the new home will have minimal natural light What are your thoughts on agreeable?
Hi Kylie I paid for a consult quite some time ago and I finally found the questionnaire in my spam. I completed it and sent it in but I never got an email back. I don’t know if you received it or my pictures. Is there a way to get this looked into?
Ooo Dayna, I’m glad to hear from you! I’m going to have Tim (the hubby) look into that…can you let me know approx when you purchased the consultation, sometimes if it’s a long time ago we wouldn’t even think to find the questionnaire… :).
Hi Kylie,
What is a lighter alternative (higher LRV) to SW Agreeable Gray, if I am restricted to using SW and want to stay with neutral/warm greiges?
Thanks,
AF
Well, there aren’t a ton, you’ll find the undertones start coming up more, like with Incredible White. You might want to try lightening Agreeable Gray first and seeing how those look – try 25% lighter and 50% lighter and see if you can get the depth you want without going as light as Incredible White. 🙂
Where would you put SW Useful Gray in this mix? And specifically, how does it compare to Repose Gray? Thanks!
Good questions! I like Useful Gray. It’s kind of like another step over from Worldy Gray and Amazing Gray, into a bit more warmth and green.
I’m trying to find a gray to go with my house. My house is a cream color similar to accessible beige. I want to go gray! My hubby don’t let me paint the whole house just accent walls and the kitchen. What gray can I incorporate, that will match the accessible beige color?
Hi Kylie,
Which SW color is most similar to BM Swiss Coffee?
I wanted to use the Swiss Coffee as tha main wall paint for new build, a modern farm house. I am limited to SW paint though. The SW, rep said Alabaster but it looks warmer to me. Thank you!
Hi Maredee, one thing to realize with Swiss Coffee is that it CAN pick up a very vague green undertone. If you’re cool with that, you might like SW Greek Villa. The thing is, paint colours don’t have the same colours, so there won’t be an exact version of a colour that you love in another brand, there will be some minor (or major) adjustment. I actually prefer Alabaster in that it is less likely to grab that vague green, even thought it’s a weeeee wink darker than Swiss Coffee.
Hi Kylie!
I am a huge fan of your blog and check here before I choose any paint color for my house 🙂 We recently painted our downstairs Edgecomb Gray and while I love it, my husband does not. He wants to paint it all Repose Gray! Is there a happy middle? I love how light and warm Edgecomb feels but he wants something that has a little more gray in it. Any advice would be amazing! Thank you!!
Oooo, you have to check out Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray. I’m with you, Repose Gray ‘has its place’, but not in every home, whereas I find that Agreeable Gray is a FAAANTASTIC happy medium, DEFINITELY. 🙂 I have a blog review and Youtube review of it too!
What would you suggest for a basement small bedroom? Though the room does have a large window facing NE. I am decorating with a vintage look. The room has tan carpet. What would you suggest? I have SO enjoyed reading this entire post. Thank you for any input. I purchased a queen iron headboard and was planning on painting it black, or I suppose I could keep it off-white.
Hi Shelley! What about a colour like SW White Duck, which has a PASSIVE warmth and could work with tan carpet while adding a bit more warmth for that NE light? I also love BM Ballet White :). I’m assuming from the blog post you commented on that you were HOPING for a gray or greige, but in between tan carpet and NE exposure, those can be a tough sell! At the most MAYBE BM Edgecomb Gray… 🙂
Hi Kylie: we’re at the start of our journey of renovating our first house and our realtor pointed us to your site. Love all the info! Question though – at the start of this article, you have an image with 12 colors, one of which is BM Pashmina, which isn’t talked about in your list, while your list covers BM Collingwood, which isn’t on the image. Did BM change the name or something? Or was Pashmina an old fave that’s been replaced with Collingwood?
Ahhh, I’ll have to check this out!
I do LOVE Pashmina! It’s a greige that leans PRETTY hard into beige, more so than most greiges and has a very very minor green undertone. It also has a BIt more depth than the average WHOLE HOME colour, which is probably why I switched it out ;).
Where is pashmina on this list? I repainted my whole house that color in 2020.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Pashmina, but for the average whole home, many people find it a bit too dark :).
Hello! I’ve found myself back in your website multiple times so I thought I would see if I could pick your brain. We are getting ready to paint the whole inside of our new home and am trying to figure out the best color to go with. We have a lot of south facing windows and a few east facing ones. The flooring we went with is Lifeproof sterling oak from Home Depot which leans a little warm IMO. I am looking for a medium greige that isn’t too warm such as and isn’t too cool or too gray. We are using designer white for the trim and all of our cabinets are white shakers. I start to lean towards a color and then find myself down a rabbit whole looking at the undertones and change my mind. Do you have a medium gray that you recommend? I keep seeing agreeable gray but I feel like that might be too dark but then again I don’t want to go too light since there will be soooo much white around. We are also doing black accents/hardware and dark gray tile in the bathroom. Thank you for any input!
Well, a medium gray would have you WAY darker than Agreeablev Gray. In fact, when I first started reading, it’s the first color that came to mind. Agreeable Gray is a LIGHT depth color because of its LRV. Medium depth colors are more in the 30 range. It sounds like you might want to explore colors that are between 60-65 – Benjamin Moore Collingwood is another great comparable. If you CAN go lighter, I love SW Egret White!
Hi!
I am trying to decide between SW Guild Grey, Fortitude, On the Rocks and Knitting Needles. They are all so similar it is hard to make a decision. Interested in your thoughts on these in a coastal/beach house with southern/eastern exposure and some rooms with no natural light? Floors are a greige wood look, white trim and cabinets and brushed nickel/stainless steel fixtures/appliances. Thanks!