Posted on December 21, 2018 by KylieMawdsley
The Top 4 Warm Gray Paint Colours that are ALMOST Greige
Partner post: How to Make Gray Feel Warmer
Warm gray. The two words are opposite each other, meaning when they’re mixed they should create the perfect happy medium – but they don’t. Gray is not a traditionally warm colour and I don’t want you to confuse the word ‘warm’ with the look and feel of actual warmth. A warm gray is still gray, even if it has warm roots.
I come across this a lot with my online clients who request a ‘warm gray’, hoping for something softer and cosier than the average blue, green or purple-toned gray. And sure, there are warmER grays, particularly in comparison to cool grays, but your room will not be typically ‘warm’ looking (compared to actual warm paint colours).
It’s important to recognize that gray itself is not a warm colour – don’t confuse the words warm gray with the look and feel of actual ‘warmth’.
Now, as you add more warmth to gray, it will slip out of the GRAY range and into the GREIGE or TAUPE end of things, in which case, you’re DEFINITELY getting a more noticeable warmth. However, at this point, you’re dealing with a chameleon colour that shifts its loyalty between gray, greige, or even beige, on a wall-to-wall basis. What we’re looking at today are grays that are GRAY, albeit warmer looking than the average gray…but still gray.
So, let’s get started with what I fondly call…
1. SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY SW 7029
This is my fave warm gray BECAUSE it’s really a greige. Confused? Let me explain. In northern light, Agreeable Gray leans HARD into gray, dropping the warmth almost entirely. Looking at Agreeable Gray in a room with these conditions will have you thinking it’s pretty darn gray.
Will your walls look warm? In comparison to a cool gray, yes. Generally speaking, Agreeable Gray will look like a soft warm gray unless it’s in a south-facing room where it can lean more into its passive warmth and appear more like the greige it is.
See the range of Agreeable Gray in these photos below…
BTW, I rely 100% on photos from my Online Paint Colour Consulting clients. This gives you a REAL life view of rooms that aren’t overly edited or altered.
- Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60 which means it’s going to add decent energy and life to a room, but won’t make a dark space look brighter (Read more about LRV here).
- Agreeable Gray can pick up ANY of the three cool undertones, depending on the exposure, interior lighting and the finishes it’s partnered with, although it mildly favours violet.
- Agreeable Gray has a subtle warm undertone – not enough to take over, but enough to stop it from flashing traditionally cool.
- I find that the deeper I go with Agreeable Gray (Anew Gray/Mega Greige/Warm Stone) the warmer it looks. Agreeable Gray is the ONLY depth where it looks more like a warm gray than a greige.
- Does this colour have beige in it? Yes, that’s what’s warming it up, but I’ve never had it look legit beige in any space.
- In a north-facing room, Agreeable can pick up a slight gray/blue look or even a wink o’ green.
FULL Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray
2. SHERWIN WILLIAMS WORLDLY GRAY SW 7043
Worldly Gray and Agreeable Gray are like kissin’ cousins. Why? Well, they have a similar foundation, but Worldly Gray can pick up a wee flash of green. Overall though, you’ll get a warm, softened gray look.
Kylie M Interiors E-Design
Worldly Gray has an LRV of 58, so it’s a smidge darker than Agreeable. If this bugs you, have it lightened by 25% to bring it back up a bit, but keep in mind, this CAN affect the undertones slightly.
- In a south-facing room, you may notice the green a bit more. It will also lean a bit warmer.
- With no natural lighting or in the evenings, the greige/warm undertones may come slightly forward.
- Like Agreeable Gray, Worldly Gray is really stuck in between the warm gray and greige worlds.
FULL Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
Click HERE on the above image to view available packages
3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS REPOSE GRAY SW 7015
Repose Gray is undoubtedly the grayest of the bunch. And because comparison is one of the BEST ways to pick a paint colour, place Repose Gray next to Agreeable Gray to see the shift between a legit warm gray and a colour that could pass for greige OR warm gray.
This next room has extreme northern light and a LOT of it. Notice how Repose Gray settles in (Dorian Gray in the kitchen)…
We used Repose Gray in these next rooms as well, complementing the darker wood flooring. Notice how Repoise Gray colour looks a bit more shaded with the reduced natural light. If you compare the contrast between the walls and trim in the previous room and these rooms, you’ll see a noticeable difference…
The LRV of Repose Gray is 60 so it’s close to Agreeable Gray for reflective value. Remember, you can usually lighten or darken a paint colour (25% does the trick in most cases), just remember, the undertones can shift slightly when you do this.
- Repose Gray is definitely the grayest of the bunch, just don’t forget about its slightly violet undertone which can ALSO lean a touch green at times.
- Repose Gray is WELL-known for picking up cool undertones from the environment so pay attention to your exposure!
- Looking for a bit more depth? Check out Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray or Dorian Gray which have similar approaches.
- Too warm for you? Take a look at Sherwin Williams Light French Gray and see if it hits the spot.
Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
Let’s take a quick break to talk about paint samples…
Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
- samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, depending on location
- they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needed for traditional paint sampling
- if you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room
Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE
4. SHERWIN WILLIAMS COLONNADE GRAY SW 7641
Colonnade Gray is very (very) similar to the ever-popular Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. Same gray, same subtle warmth, similar depth. However, the subtle green you’ll find in both of these colours is WAAAY more passive in Colonnade Gray. When it shows up, you actually have to convince yourself it’s there (whereas Revere Pewter is slightly more obvious).
- Colonnade Gray has an LRV of 52, great for a well-lit room, but a touch dull for a darker one.
- There’s a very good chance you’d never know this colour had green in it unless I spilt the beans – which I DO love to do.
- If you are sensitive to green, don’t pick your nose and don’t pick this colour. I’ve found that folks like you can see it even when it’s not there, so let’s not encourage things.
- Want a bit more depth and undertone? Check out Sherwin Williams Amazing Gray. Looking for a lighter approach, bump on back to Worldly Gray.
- Colonnade Gray is SUPER comparable to Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter – minus the muddy green. To learn about the difference between these two colours, check out this post… Colour Review: Collonade Gray vs Revere Pewter
So, there you have it. If those are just too gray for your tastes, then you probably need to start dabbling in the Wild World of Greige. And if you’re stuck? You know who can help!
READ MORE
The Two Types of Gray Paint Colours & The BEST of Them!
The 10 Best WHOLE HOME Gray and Greige Paint Colours
The 8 Best WHOLE HOME Warm Neutral Paint Colours
How to Transition from Beige to Gray or Greige
Not sure which paint colour is best for your room?
Check out my Online Color Consulting and E-Decor Services
KYLIE M INTERIORS E-DESIGN, E-DECOR AND ONLINE VIRTUAL PAINT COLOR CONSULTING SPECIALIZING IN BENJAMIN MOORE AND SHERWIN WILLIAMS PAINT COLOURS
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I just put Collonade Gray in a client’s house and it’s beautiful. She had oak wood trim too (not white) and it still looks fresh and pretty.
I just wanted to let you know how helpful your blog posts are. I attended Maria’s class and became a True Color Expert last June and am just starting up my business in Idaho. I love the way you describe colors in such detail with their slight nuances and how they work best in certain contexts but not others. This has been invaluable to me as a new color consultant. Thank you!
I used Collonade Gray in my last, more traditional style house. I loved the way it looked with black accents and white trim on my staircase. It was my favorite space in the house.
Kylie I don’t see a way to get in touch with you so I’m posting here. I’m purchasing an open floor plan one story home, with 10′ ceilings that have trays up to 11 feet. It will face east, with the master bedroom having a west facing window but being the most northern room. The rest of the house has east, west and south facing windows. Only the master bathroom has a north facing window. I’m debating between Colonnade Gray and Repose Gray. I want the paint to look like a warmer gray but not beige. Agreeable Gray or Amazingn Grey or Anew Gray are too Greige for me. Colonnade I worry will pull too Beige or green, but will Repose pull too cool??? I don’t want Blue Gray. Our house will have wooded trees in the back, but I want bright white and natural light lighting. Please contact me at lizkemis@gmail.com. With the windows where they are I say Repose, but if I do natural light colored bulbs I worry that will go too blue so I should do Colonnade.
Hi Liz – so many questions and I’d love to be able to answer them all! However, due the great volume of emails I receive I am simply unable to. I will attach a link to my packages here once I have your questionnaire and pictures I will be able to personalize a consult for you! I hope to hear from you soon! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
Hi Kylie, I’m falling in love with your posts! We’re looking to paint the main level of our house and transition from beige to gray, which has me leaning towards a warmer tone gray. I like a lot of robin egg blue and lime green accents. Is a warm tone the way I should go, or would a cool gray coordinate better with the blues/greens?
Hey Shelby – that is good news – you’re drinkin’ ma Koolaid! (wink wink). Actually, you can definitely do the blue/greens with a warmer gray – no problem! You’ll also want to pay close attention to your exposure and maybe find a happy medium between the cool grays/warm grays. For example, in a south facing room a more neutral/cool gray can help to balance out the warm sunlight coming in (which is yellow toned), whereas if you do TOO warm of a gray, it could come up too warm feeling. In a north facing room, if you do a cooler gray it could feel cold and edgy, whereas THAT’S where a warm gray will work it’s magic!
~Kylie
Kylie, finding your site has been very helpful to me, as I sit here surrounded by gold-hued walls as well as flooring and cabinetry that have faded to the much-dreaded honey color. Your blogs are very educational as I embark upon my quest for better, more updated color balance. Have you worked with SW’s Gossamer Veil at all? Is it too light or not ‘weighty’ enough for open floor plans? Thank you!
Hi Ginger, that’s funny, I actually picked up a sample pot of Gossamer Veil the other day at SW as I want to explore it more. My main thought on it is that it’s a nice soft, non-icy/cold gray. It ‘seems’ to be pretty gray and balanced, which is why I need to explore it more. I think for an OPen Layout it could be a nice weight – not too light OR dark!
Kylie, curious to know if you ever wrote a color review on Gossamer Veil? I keep going back and forth between that Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray. Would love to read your thoughts on GV. Thanks!
Author
Oooo Sarah, we’re just in the process of putting my Youtube video out on Gossamer Veil! I haven’t done a blog post on it yet, as I haven’t had ‘after’ photos returned from clients who’ve used it. So far, I’m LOVING what I see of it! The video should be out in the next day or 2 🙂
Hi I was wondering if you had a final verdict on Gossamer Veil? I was bummed to see that the video on it was never published, but I’m stuck deciding between Agreeable Gray and Gossamer Veil for the exterior of my home. Would love to hear what you have to say. Thanks!
Author
Well aren’t you the patient one! I will be doing a video on this NEXT WEEK as we’ve totally changed my set-up since moving. Of the 2, Gossamer is more likely to pick up a wee wink of green, whereas Agreeable won’t, if that helps at this point 🙂
Hey Kylie,
I have an open floor plan home where I used Rever Pewter for its LRV 55 in the room with the skylights but found the same color looked too muddy in the adjacent room without as much natural light exposure. I went to Gossamer Veil LRV 62 for that room. The two colors look great together and you can barely tell where one color starts and the other begins at the corner of the wall. It’s amazing. RP is a bit warmer but they’re a nice compliment as I was having a hard time with just lightening RP without adjusting the undertones too much (green/beige).
Author
Oooo Whitney, I love to hear stuff like this – and Gossamer Veil is a newer colour, so I’m SO HAPPY to hear some feedback on it – thank you very much!
Hi Kylie,
Thank you for your posts! I have learned a lot about color by reading them. I recently painted my west-facing orange kitchen with Worldly Gray. (The previous owner loved yellow and orange and it was quite literally a burnt marigold with 90’s honey oak cabinets and dark walnut floors) I loved the large swatch of WG on the wall before painting, but now that it’s up, all I see is the “flash” of green during most of the day. I didn’t think I was so green sensitive when I had a large swatch on the wall, so now I’m testing out a large sample of Agreeable (darkened 25%) to see if it’d be worth my time to repaint but it looks straight up blue compared to WG. Do you think bright white and dark navy accent colors/curtains/accessories would help tone down the green or will I just see it all the time still? I’ll happily repaint to get rid of the green but I’m not sure which color to go with now because I was so confident in the WG before getting it up on the walls. We’re planning on having the oak cabinets painted a white to help get rid of more orange color, so hopefully, that’ll help but I have a feeling the green will probably remain even after the orange is gone. Thanks so much for any insight.
Hi Jordyn, yes, that flash of green in Worldly can surprise you! And Agreeable is SO close to it, it’s just about taking that green out, leaving more of a greige tone. BUT, having neutrals in it, it’s super susceptible to picking up reflection from the exposure/interior lighting/etc… I would be surprised if Agreeable was actually blue on the larger scale and with the accents you like, it should work!!
Is there a warm gray with a lrv of 62?
Hi Maureen, check out SW Modern Gray – it hits it right on the money!
~Kylie
I love your blog and have found it so helpful! I currently have Anonymous/white cabinets currently in our kitchen, which flows into the attached den (open floor plan). The den is dark and I want to lighten it up. I was thinking of using Agreeable Grey. Would that go well with the Anonymous already in the kitchen?
Hi Lisa, absolutely! Accessible Beige could look pretty as well, depending on the products in your home/personal tastes 🙂
Hi Kylie,
Your blog is absolutely amazing and has really been helping me pick colors. I was wondering if you had used Requisite Gray before and if you would consider that a warm gray tone? I have a north facing family room so I am looking for a warm grey to match oak floors if that makes sense?
Hi Sahana, I haven’t used Requisite Gray personally but yes, it would be a warmer gray for sure with an almost taupey undertone 🙂
~Kylie
Hi Kylie,
I have enjoyed your posts. I have been struggling with getting the right Gray for our townhouse. The living room faces the North and has alot of natural light. Part of the room has low ceilings than the other has views of a very high ceiling with skylight acting almost like a third floor. We were considering repose, grey owl or sea salt for the paint with white trim. The floors will be tan with grey in it. We want it take on a beach feeling. I am not wanting to make the wrong choice. Any guidance would be creating appreciated.
Needing help,
Krista
Hi Krista, thank you for your note! When it comes to personal questions it’s always better if I can see photos so I can see the lighting/layout myself. This means we’re looking at my online consulting. I’ve made it affordable so that you can get some great colour ideas and info without spending more than you would on a gallon of paint (for 1 room anyway…).
Here’s the link to the packages if that interests you at all! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi Kylie. I am getting ready for a big undertaking, painting the “virgin ” exterior brick of my house. This has been a process talking my husband into and it has to be right, considering the cost, and that my husband thinks it’s a crazy idea . (The brick is that awful super dark purple/burgundy brick !) It is clear you have a great understanding of color and I would love to consider a consult (1930 colonial with original slate roof that leans toward taupe/Browns with a little bit of purple undertone that I am having trouble with) . I am just concerned that online the color from my pics may not come across accurately. Should I stick to a local resource for help or do you feel you would get an accurate read online. For an interior room, I would be totally willing to give it a shot, but this is a much bigger deal.
Hi Beth, thank you for your note! And yes that IS a big job – I totally get it! I’ve done dozens upon dozens of exterior consultations and often times it’s for clients who hired someone local, but weren’t entirely happy with the colour selection. I do my best to explain why colours may/may not work and can do a LOT with the photos you send as well as the questionnaire that you fill out.
I hope that helps ease your mind a bit!
~Kylie
Thank you for your valuable color tutorials, Kylie! We are going to be painting the interior of our house to sell. I like Revere Pewter, but want to use Sherwin Williams paint. What is your thought on color matching? I saw that you recommend Collonade Gray as the SW equivalent to Revere Pewter. After doing my research, I’m wondering why Worldly Gray isn’t your recommended SW equivalent to Revere Pewter? Thank you so much!
Hi Cathy! If you’re going with SW then it would be HARD to go wrong with Worldly Gray – it’s a beauty. I also love Agreeable Gray for staging (basically like Worldly Gray without the wee wink of green). Revere Pewter just has MORE green in it than Worldly. Worldly’s green is so passive you don’t even know it’s there!
~Kylie
Good morning Kylie,
Just found you yesterday in my search fir my “perfect” grey for my south facing yet not crazy bright living room. Can you please share with the readers which are the perfect whites for the ceilings and trims when picking warm or cool greys respectively.
P.s. i have offered ceilings with pot lights in them.
Thank you
Ron
Author
Hi Ron, great idea! I’ve actually started a draft post on this topic exactly so hopefully I’ll have it published in the next little while! In the meantime you can check out the blog post I just did re: The 8 Best White Paint Colours as it might give you some great insights! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-8-best-benjamin-moore-white-paint-colours-undertones-and-more/
~Kylie
Kylie,
I have manchester tan in my foyer -hall way and my kitchen is green. I want to paint the kitchen that has white cabinets, a gray color. My kitchen gets plenty of light. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks,
Lezley
Author
Hi Lezley, thank you for the note! When it comes to personal questions I do need to refer to my E-design as then I can spend some proper time with your home via the questionnaire/photos and come up with colours that actually make sense! It sounds like your question would fall into the ‘Random Questions’ package. If that interests you at all, you can check out the packages here… https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
I currently have SW Worldly Gray, SW Accessible Beige and SW Agreeable Gray painted in two locations each in my closed off living room (1 standard window w/ afternoon sun and 1 patio sliding door w/morning sun). I temporarily have white light-filtering privacy curtains throughout. SW Agreeable Gray gives off a light blue hue in my living room – day and night. SW Accessible Beige looks a little dull and more brown (the interior of my local SW paint store is painted in Accessible Beige and it looks BEAUTIFUL with all of the natural light pouring in but not so much in my living room). Accessible Beige was my first choice before I even tried samples – GET SAMPLES. SW Worldly Gray doesn’t really change too much at all ( I haven’t noticed any undertones of green or purple like I have read in reviews). We’re getting ready to paint most of our first floor in SW Worldly Gray. In my opinion, of all three colors (with MY living room lighting) , Worldly Gray looked better with my cream/ ivory/gray decor & charcoal gray furniture.
What do you think of SW Comfort Gray? I love sagey grayish-greens. I keep saying I want warm-er colors but I keep coming back to greens, greys and greenish-greys. I have medium wood floor, brown leather furniture, a huge brown and orangeish field stone fireplace and black bookcases, TV stand and chandler. I was thinking Repose or Worldly Gray, but keep coming back to Comfort. I don’t get hardly any natural light, do you think it would be too dark?
P.S. Just found you & LOVE your blogs!!!
Author
Hello hello! I love Comfort Gray. I have had a few clients find it a touch too blue for their personal tastes. Even though it IS a green/gray, it flexes blue SO easily (but that IS the main idea of sage anyway…) I don’t think it would be too dark and the bit more colour in it could help with the lack of natural light!
Hi Kylie,
I love reading your blogs and watching your your videos on YouTube! I am thinking of using agreeable gray and would like to use coordinating color in my open concept main floor. What colour goes well with agreeble gray?
Thanks!
Author
Hi Beth, thank you for the note! When it comes to personal questions, it’s WAAAY better if I can look at photos of your room/furnishings/flooring/lighting so I can give you options that make sense, rather than just guessing. I do this via my E-design. I try to give as much complimentary info via my blog and if that doesn’t work, it might be time for a closer look! if that interest you, the link is here… https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/product-category/interior-paint-colors/
Chat soon!
~Kylie
Where can I join your blog so I get them, I love the way you present information .
Author
Ooo Vivian, you totally reminded me that we need this! It’s a pop-up that comes up, but after that there’s no way to subscribe! So, I just had hubby add the subscribe section to the side bar – thank you!!!!
Hi Kylie ,
I just painted my living room and entry way Edgecomb Gray. I AM so upset it looks so cold almost white on some walls. I have a big wall that faces South so gets lots of light and it really appears almost white. What gray could I combine with Edgecomb Gray in entry way and on that big south facing wall to add some color ! I want a gray that is warm but that doesn’t pick up greens.
Thank you ,
Deana
Author
Hi Deana! Well my first thought is that you can try changing your bulbs (doesn’t really help in the middle of the day) but it might help to offer some warmth when the sun is off of it. And yes, with a well lit big wall, it can lighten up considerably ESPECIALLY at the height of the day, and then you may find it is softer in the morning/afternoon.
Now I’m hesitant to do this without seeing photos as there is SO much more to consider, but I can tell your bummed, so rather than send you to my e-design, let me throw a few thoughts your way…
So a gray that is warm that doesn’t pick up greens, means it’s a gray with perhaps a more taupe base. Warm grays and greige’s really can go one way or the other. My first thought would be Plymouth Rock. My 2nd one, Briarwood.
Other than that, BM is limited with the warm grays and you may want to look at SW Mega Greige.
Now if you need any help beyond that, I would have to refer you to my e-design, but hopefully that gets you on the right track!
~Kylie
Hi, thank you for your excellent article. My kitchen is going to be remodeled and it will have white wood cabinets, medium to dark distressed wood floors, stainless steel appliances. I’m leaving towards Worldly Gray paint for the walls and would like your suggestion for a complimentary white trim and door color that won’t conflict with the white cabinetry…or maybe the truest ‘white’ that would match white cabinetry. I can’t seem to find just white…would Extra White work?
Author
Hi Jane, I actually JUST wrote a blog post about this – published today! You can check it out here https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-4-best-white-paint-colours-sherwin-williams/ If that doesn’t work you may want to use my E-design, so I can give you some hands-on help! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
I like Repose Gray, but I have a north facing room with a lot of trees blocking the sky. I have seen several of your posts say that Repose Gray is not great in that scenario. Can you direct me to the post where you review a light gray color that IS good for that scenario, with a high LRV to brighten the room?
Author
Hi Jessica! I might look toward some of BM’s Grays, like Gray Owl, Stonington Gray (lightened) or SW Big Chill. You might find that these sit a bit more nicely in a north facing room – a bit more fresh! Here’s a post with some goodies… https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/the-9-best-benjamin-moore-paint-colors-grays-including-undertones/
~Kylie
We painted our guest bedroom repose gray at 75% and it looks like cement 🙁 HELP!
Author
Hi Raquel! What is your exposure, what is it you were hoping for with this colour? A soft gray/cool gray/greige/etc…?
~Kylie
How often do you see Worldy Gray go purple? I have samples painted on my open concept wall (northern exposure) that is currently SW basket beige (we just bought the house). I cant figure out if its the current paint color affecting the worldly gray or if its just not a good color for this space. Thanks!
Author
Hi Jordan, in the wild world of undertones…it sure can! Really, you’ll find that’s pretty common in colours that have a decent amount of gray in them – even greige tones. And yes, in comparison to Basket Beige it might seem even MORE so – so I’m not surprised that it’s happening 🙂
Hi Kylie,
Can you please share your thoughts on Anew Gray by SW? I am looking for a warm gray/taupe color to paint throughout our new house (on a horse ranch). The feel of our house is rustic elegant with brown/grey earth tones in our wood accents, beams, stone work and our floors are dark porcelain tile planks. Our large lodge room has a Southern exposure with a cathedral ceiling so I’m looking for a color I can paint on the wall and ceiling alike in this room. I am drawn to anew gray but I am wondering if there are any surprises that come with it :)… is there anything I should be aware of with the undertones of this color.
Thank you so much! Love your posts!
Author
Hi Kim, Anew Gray is lovely! With your southern exposure it should settle quite nicely as a light/medium greige that doesn’t go OVERLY gray or OVERLY beige. In north facing rooms it can lean a bit more gray, which isn’t everyone’s come up tea 😉
Between Pavestone and Gauntlet Gray, which would pair better as an accent wall with Collonade Gray?
Hi! Your blog is amazing and really informative. We are looking to paint the walls in our home and we are having a hard time visioning with gray works. We want the walls to look gray, no beige-yellow-blue-green-purple. Do you have any recomendations?
Author
Well Elizabeth, I have bad news for you – grays have undertones! They are also SUPER susceptible to reflections from exposures. It’s about picking the gray that suits the exposure of the room – so if you have a north facing room, you might want to choose a slightly softer, almost warmer gray. In a south facing room, you might like something a touch cooler. If you’d like some one-on-one help, I have an awesome E-design service that is affordable and fun!
~Kylie https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/product-category/interior-paint-palettes/
Love your blog. Trying to choose a great color for my entire house! Would love a great that looks gray all around. Any recommendations?
Author
Ahhh, the ever-elusive perfect gray! The thing is, it will change in each room with your exposure, so a gray that looks perfect in one room, could be too blue/too soft/etc… in another! Some of my faves are SW Big Chill, BM Classic Gray, SW Silverplate, SW Repose Gray and BM Nimbus, but you have to watch those exposures!
I love your blog!
I painted our kitchen walls agreeable gray at 70%. Looking for a coordinating darker gray color to paint our kitchen island. Upper cabinets are pure white .
What would you suggest ?
Author
Hi Sandra, thank you for your note1 It absolutely depends on your flooring and countertops, otherwise I’m just guessing and it could be a hot mess regardless of your wall colour! If you’d like me to take a close look, I do have affordable and fun E-design packages so you can get it right the first time! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi Kylie! I hope you can help as I’m having a hard time finding an open layout color because my light bulbs are all different making the color change from room to room. What type of bulb is best for these greige colors warm or cool? Would you happen to know the perfect Kelvin to get?
Hi Kylie! I love your blog it’s been a huge help! I have put agreeable gray on 3 of our upstairs bedrooms and loooove it! However I am trying to pick a paint color for my very open downstairs living/kitchen/dining and while I would love to use agreeable gray I am NOT seeing any brown undertones in any of my other rooms and the open downstairs has dark almost black cabinets and calico colored granite counters so I feel like I need a warmer gray. I would have thought based on your blog agreeable gray fit the bill but my experience in my other rooms it doesn’t seem warm at all. I have checked our existing agreeable gray paint cans 10 times to make sure I have it right and feel like I’m going crazy haha.
Author
Yes, Agreeable Gray can be a tricky one – this could be in ‘comparison’ to some of the other colours in your room or due to your exposure (as north/east can really gray out Agreeable Gray! Perhaps you need to bump up to Accessible Beige!
Hi there. Can you advise what Worldly Gray undertones would be pronounced in a room with southeast exposure? I just painted a room Sedate Gray and it is overly green in this light. I have some dark green in an area rug so a little warm gray green works but Sedate Grays green is just overpowering and I don’t want to go totally beige.
Author
Hi Grace! I love Worldly Gray as it’s a soft greige that leans a bit more gray. It does have a very (very) minor green undertone, but it’s fractional at best. This could come up just slightly in your room, in which case you might want to look at Agreeable Gray…
Discovered your blog today…extremely helpful as we are painting our interior as we speak. Thank you!
After what feels like MONTHS of swatches on every wall in my house, I think I’m going with agreeable gray! Hallelujah on that decision. I’m also painting my cabinets white-it will be next to agreeable gray-best suggestion for cabinet trim against agreeable? I read your post on trims but wasn’t sure which you recommended best for agreeable gray. LOVE your blog, it has saved my sanity 🙂
Hi,
I bought a house and I’m having the whole interior painted. I’m looking a Worldly Gray for the walls throughout the house because I want a uniform color with warmth. Is Worldly Gray safe for the whole house or should I go lighter?
Author
Hi Matthew, Worldly Gray is lovely and a nice greige, just keep in mind that it can pick up a very (very) tiny green undertone. But the depth is great as long as your home isn’t overly dark!
Have you ever lightened agreeable gray by 25%? I want a light color and I like the “safety” of agreeable gray, but I’m concerned it won’t transform the room enough.
Author
Hi Monica, I haven’t! Keep in mind that 25% sounds like a lot…but it’s not. Some people don’t notice the shift, others do – it can be that subtle! Make sure to do some big samples up and place them right next to your trim to see if the contrast feels like enough for you. If you have tons of natural light, whether it’s as-is or lightened by 25%, you can expect it to wash out considerably…
about seeing green in that gray: a few years ago, i painted most of my new house in revere pewter. the designer i worked with chose it, and i loved the way it looked in the living room. but then it seemed to change color everywhere else — and turn green!! the designer insisted i was insane (nicely, of course), and that there was absolutely no green anywhere in the color. HA! i beg to differ. i laughed out loud at your comment about people being “sensitive to green.”
Author
Oh that is too funny – see you’re not crazy! Yes, it does love to do that. I’ve even had it look slightly blue and slightly taupe (rarely) but it’s main squeeze -is green!
I agree! Reverse Pewter pulls green. I was assured by the Designer at BM that there is no green undertone. However, I had our kitchen painted RP (from being a deeper green prior) and it 100% pulls a green cast. Stay Away from RP if you do not want green. Smokey Taupe is a beautiful BM color in a well lit area.
Author
Oh Lori, I’m sorry they told you that! It is a tricky one, but I find that MOST of the time it does lean that wink green…
Hi
We are first time home owners. Our living room is south facing with screen deck outside. We have accent wall SW silver mist. And other two walls are yellow ish. We want to get rid of yellow color. We tried sooo many paint samples and we can’t decide what to do. We have only one window in living room and one comperitivly smaller in breakfast nook area. We have dark flooring and cherry kitchen cabinets. Just confused between gray , beige or white. And latter on we want to extend the same color throughout our house.
Thanks
Author
Hi Vicki! Due to the number of emails I get every day, I have to pick ‘n choose which questions to answer, focusing first on the ones that have mass appeal, more than the personal ones unfortunately! I do try to give as much complimentary info as I can on my blog and if that doesn’t help, it might be time for a closer look with my E-design. Otherwise, I’m just guessing as to the lighting in the room, exposure, colour of the dark flooring and all of the other things that matter when choosing a colour! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
I hope to hear from you!
~Kylie
Hi. My foyer, living room, kitchen and dining room are painted SW Garden Sage. It’s a deeper warm green. It looks amazing with oak wood work. I need a warm gray for my stairway going downstairs, and my stairway going upstairs, as well as the hallway upstairs. I’m thinking Accessible Beige or Anew Gray. Or maybe Anew Gray at 50%? Any thoughts? Thank you!
Author
Hi Cheryl, when it comes to personal questions, I do refer to my E-design as I can get dozens of questions in a single day! I try to give as much helpful free info as I can on my blog and if that doesn’t help, it might be time for a closer look, otherwise, I’m totally just guessing as to what your room REALLY looks like. If you’re interested, the link is here, I’d love to help! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/online-decorating-design-services/
~Kylie
Hi Kylie,
I have learned so much reading your informative and humorous posts over the last few months! My question is would painting areas with a warm gray color tone down all the warm woods and beige,warm flooring in my north/east facing kitchen and den? Or should I go Greige or even beige again? I was advised by a decorator, but in reading your posts I’m not sure that’s the way to go.
Thanks so much
Author
Hi Ana! It can all depend on the tones of the wood (yellow/orange/red/etc…) but I’m inclined to say that something in the greige range would be a good happy medium, whereas a gray (Even a warm gray) might slightly contrast with the warmth of the floor, enhancing it a bit!
I am painting a small powder room with no windows, low ceiling (1970’s) having the popcorn ceiling removed if that gives you an idea! Wondering if agreeable grey will be too dark? I want a contrast with the white doors and woodwork so hate to go too light. Help! ????
Author
Hi Chris! It’s ALL personal preference. Personally I wouldn’t find it too dark if I wanted to see some contrast with the trim. If you go lighter, you’ll be in the off-white range which won’t pop as much. But this is coming from a gal who just painted her super small bathroom SW Gauntlet Gray, so I’m not afraid of depth 🙂
Hi Kylie, I love reading your blog, you are so very helpful!!! We recently renovated our main level and in a panic, I had everything painted Pale Oak by BM. Overall, I love it. The front of the house is north facing and tends to be very dark so I wanted to freshen it up, the back part is south facing and the Pale Oak tends to wash out throughout the day. I wanted to add some depth to the south facing area and I like Agreeable Grey. Anything that starts to feel too grey makes me panic a bit. My question is, do you think Agreeable Grey and Pale Oak will work okay together? After reading this post, I’m also going to go get a sample of Collonade Grey (Revere Pewter was way too green).
Thank you so much!!
I just found this post and I love your color advice. I was just about to paint a bathroom that has a south facing window in the sky light either popular gray or versatile gray. To me they look similar to the agreeable gray and anew gray. What are your thoughts on the differences between these grays? They look so similar to me.
Author
Hi Janice, the basic idea is that Popular Gray and Versatile Gray will have MORE undertone (taupe/purple) compared to Agreeable/Anew which will feel a bit more neutral in comparison 🙂
What is the name of the other white that does not have the yellow undertones. I am talking about the white you showed in the Agreeable Gray video that gives a more modern look. Thanks!
Author
Hi Magda! I can’t remember what it was, but it could have been SW High Reflective White!
Hi, I seem to come across your blog for every paint question imaginable so that must be a sign! Picking a paint (whites and greys) gives me the worst anxiety EVER! I could almost cry.
I am going from a dark tan/brown in my living room to wanting a light grey. I have Repose in a couple of areas(it took me honestly months to find it).
My living room faces North and does not have a ton of natural light. Is there a color on the same scale that is one shade lighter than Repose that will not pull purple? I do not want dark anything anymore. I was going to go with Repose throughout but am now not sure? Any tips would be so very helpful!
Thank you tons in advance!
Author
Hi April! That’s tough as most of the popular grays sway that wink purple! Now Repose is a bit of a ninja as it can also flash slightly green or blue, so it does have more flexibility than many and you could also consider having it lightened by 25%. That might not help the purple aspect, but it would shift it for you. If we go lighter and lose the purple we’re at Big Chill, but it is a cooler look. On the Rocks could be a happy medium for you but can still EASILY flash purple (or blue-purple especially with your northern light). Crushed Ice – picks up a bit of green and is LESS likely to flash purple – that’s all I’ve got off the top of my head!
Do you like repose gray or agreeable gray for kitchen if great room is painted sea salt? Love your advice?
Author
Oh heck, you could easily get away with either, it’s more about which one best suits your countertops/backsplash! I PERSONALLY prefer Agreeable Gray, only because Repose can be a bit more unpredictable with its undertones.
Hi! Wondering if you have any experience with Ben Moore’s Nimbus and if you’d consider it a warm gray? I’m having a hard time pinpointing it’s undertones. Also unrelated, have you checked out the hgtv Sherwin Williams colors at Lowe’s, if so what are your thoughts?
Author
Hi Tess! It is a warm gray and has a soft purple undertone (vague) :). And yes, I love the HGTV colours at SW but they don’t make them very easy to access with a fan deck so that i can push them!
Hello! Im trying to find a light gray for my garage that faces east. I have repose gray inside my house but feel it might be a little to drab in a garage with no light. Can you offer a suggestion? I’m thinking light gray but undertones are tricky. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hello Kylie, we are building a new home and we have not decided on interior wall color. I plan to paint the cabinets in the perimeter of the kitchen in SW Mindful gray as well as the cabinets in two of the other bathrooms. My husband does not want white walls and I’m struggling on deciding which gray I could use on the walls that will look good with the mindful gray cabinets throughout the house. Please advise. Thank you.
Margie Perales
Author
Hi Margie, because Mindful Gray is a light-medium depth, it’s tricky to get some decent contrast. You’ll probably want to hit the off-white range or try SW Agreeable Gray 25% lighter. 🙂
We bought a house and it’s pretty much all a green Greige and then even darker Greige like safari green. In the dining room that gets no natural light. I thought I hated it all and keep trying my go to favorite bm Greige and they aren’t working. I love Edgecomb grey but it made the orangey oak cabinets look washed out and muddy and then it looked pink and cold. Then I tried November rain and although the lightness and green blue tones looked good with the wood it looked terrible with the white trim. Now it’s a mess and I’m getting why they picked the original colors as it went with the wood AND the white. Now I’m lost.
Hi Kylie! Can Wordly Gray work with taupe accents? I painted my house lake Pale Oak and I don’t care for it because of the purple undertones that are so very evident on my walls. However, after the paint job I started looking at photos of homes styled with various shades of taupe because it works well with our walls- like taupe bedding or a dark taupe bedroom door etc. I grew to like to look…I just don’t care for my purple walls. Could I still throw taupe in a room painted Wordly Gray or will the choice to re paint in this color shift me to looking at more green accents and decor? In other words, what undertones pair well with Wordly Grey because it’s a beautiful color! Feel free to link me to other articles on this color if that would be easier. Thank you as always for your expertise.