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The 10 Best Paint Colors to Coordinate With Marble

Posted on April 14, 2021 by KylieMawdsley

What paint colours look good with marble tile or countertop?

Partner Post: Get the Look of Marble Without the Cost

Whether you’re dealing with the real thing or a good impersonator, there’s no doubt that marble is a popular product for bathrooms and kitchens.

Why? 

Well, although the maintenance issues and cost leave a lot to be desired (for this budget-friendly gal anyway), the look of marble is a timeless classic that undoubtedly adds style and value to a home.

walk-in-shower-with-marble-hexagon-tile-floor-marble-walls-baseboard-and-flooring-kylie-m-interiors-decorating-design-online-color-consulting

See this full bathroom here – IT’S GORGEOUS

Today’s most popular marble tiles and countertops are usually a mix of white and gray. HOWEVER, if you’ve been hangin’ with me for a while, you’ll know that all grays have subtle (or not so subtle) undertones – and the gray found in marble is NO exception, with blue and violet being the most common. Once in a while, you’ll get a warm gray-greige with a wee smidge of green, but it’s not as common. The same goes for beige or gold as you WILL find them in marble and marble-look finishes, but they’re not as common.

White paint colours with marble backsplash and countertop. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint colour consulting and advice blogger

If you’ve been hangin’ with me for a while, you know that all grays have subtle (or not so subtle) undertones – and the gray found in marble is NO exception

Just remember, I can’t account for EVERY marble and every type of marble surface, which is why these paint colours are ‘guiding’ colours to get you on the right path. There are also MANY other things to consider before you finalize your paint colour, such as surrounding finishes/LRV/exposure/personal tastes. Again, I can’t hit it all in one blog post (I’m good, but not THAT good) but I can sure as heck get you headed in the right direction.

The best gray, white, blue greige and neutral paint colours with marble or marble look countertops and tiles, Kylie M

Above blobs are basic placeholders for some of the colours below

 A FEW QUICK NOTES

  • Decide whether you prefer a ‘neutral with undertones‘, ie. white, greige, blue or gray. Knowing the general direction you’re heading in will help you narrow things down. If you’re not sure, check ’em all out!
  • Marble can accommodate a variety of paint colour depths, from white and off-white up to medium-dark and sometimes even black. However, too much ‘colour’ can overpower some marble surfaces.

Small bathroom or powder room ideas. Marble hexagon floor, blue green vanity, white wainscoting, Stonington Gray paint color. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

1. SHERWIN WILLIAM SEA SALT 6204

Sea Salt is a lovely soft green with a gray background to calm it down and is a popular paint colour for ANY room – not just for those with marble. However, it’s a bit of a ninja and is WELL-known for flashing into blue, to the point where you hardly see any green at all!

The LRV of Sea Salt is 64, so it will be slightly brighter-looking without washing out as much an off-white paint colour would.

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt in bathroom with white countertop, dark wood mirror. Kylie m INteriors Edesign, paint colour review. Client photo

While it’s not shown with marble in this bathroom, from the overall style you can see how Sea Salt is a great paint colour for this type of look.

Colour Review of Sherwin Williams Sea Salt

PAINT COLOURS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO SEA SALT (COMPARISON IS KEY!)

2. BENJAMIN MOORE PELICAN GRAY 1612

Pelican Gray is a light gray paint colour with subtle, but purposefully colourful undertones.

Small bathroom powder room tile and shiplap update ideas. Marble and white quartz, Kylie M Interiors Edesign, diy

This hexagon marble tile backsplash (above) is shown with Sherwin Williams High Reflective White. However, if the homeowner wants a shade of gray, Pelican Gray, with its subtle blue-violet undertone, would be a great colour to explore. Why? The type of gray in the tile is blue-violet (same as the white quartz countertop). 

Pelican Gray is a relatively flexible gray as well, not leaning hard into one undertone or the other…Benjamin Moore Pelican Gray with m

The LRV of Pelican Gray is 59, so it has a bit of body to it, but not so much that it will weigh a room down or add TOO much contrast with marble.

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colours with LRV

PAINT COLOURS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO PELICAN GRAY 

Remember, that while colours can be SIMILAR, there will always be shifts in depths, temperatures or undertones – sometimes all three!

3. SHERWIN WILLIAMS ON THE ROCKS 7671

On the Rocks is one of my go-to gray paint colours when I look at the average marble surface. While sometimes it’s not QUITE blue enough for one marble or warm enough for another, it sure hits the spot sometimes (just like Tim, wink wink).

While you can’t see much of the countertop in this next photo, it gives you a good view of On the Rocks in action…

Sherwin Williams On the Rocks, light gray paint color in bathroom, Extra White wainscoting, tile floor. Corner tub, Kylie M INteriors Edesign

As for the countertop, here it is…

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White painted vanity, marble look quartz countertop, board and batten, arched mirrors, On the Rocks Sherwin. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

While On the Rocks looks warmer than usual in this photo, it all comes down to the exposure of a room, time of day and the photographer!

PAINT COLOURS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO ON THE ROCKS

Remember, that while colours can be SIMILAR, there will always be shifts in depths, temperatures or undertones – sometimes all three!

4. BENJAMIN MOORE STONINGTON GRAY HC 170

Stonington Gray is one colour that’s totally underappreciated and underused. Personally, I find that Stonington Gray is simply stunning when placed with the right marble countertops and tiles.

Ideas to add style to small bathroom. Herringbone marble tile feature wall, wood vanity with marble top. Benjamin Stonington gray paint color. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color expert

The LRV of Stonington Gray is 59, so it has some decent meat on its bones. In a darker room, it will have a bit more visual weight and will only look bright and fresh (which is often the goal of those wanting gray walls) in a well-lit room.

Small bathroom or powder room ideas. Marble hexagon floor, blue green vanity, white wainscoting, Stonington Gray paint color. Kylie M Interiors Edesign

 

The best gray paint colour to go with marble is Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray. Shown in kitchen with island and white cabinets by Kylie M Interiors

PAINT COLOURS TO COMPARE THAT ARE SIMILAR TO STONINGTON GRAY

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

SAVE MONEY ON PAINT SAMPLES WITH SAMPLIZE

5. BENJAMIN MOORE GRAY OWL OC-52

Gray Owl is a subtle, soft gray with undertones of green and blue. You’ll find this colour ‘usually’ looks gray, but can flash a touch of green or blue in the right conditions, so make sure it jibes with YOUR particular marble.

Painted kitchen cabinets. Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray, Gray Owl, white subway tile, black laminate countertop. Budget friendly Kylie M Interiors E-design Colour expert (1)

Gray Owl vs Stonington Gray – Colour Review

PAINT COLOURS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO GRAY OWL (COMPARISON IS KEY!)

6. SHERWIN WILLIAMS HIGH REFLECTIVE WHITE SW 7757 

There’s NOTHING wrong with going white as it can keep things bright and fresh!

Sherwin Williams High Reflective White cabinets, marble subway tile backsplash, LG white quartz countertop. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, diy decorating ideas

Shown above is Sherwin Williams High Reflective White with a wicked cool marble hexagon and beautiful quartz countertops. If you prefer a cooler shade, Extra White will lean a bit bluer while still acting like white.

SIMILAR WHITE PAINT COLOURS TO COORDINATE WITH MARBLE

Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace, popular white paint colour. Wood vanity, white marble look quartz countertop, vertical shiplap, gray tile floor. Kylie M Interiors

The above bathroom shows Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace with a marble-look countertop

FULL Paint Colour Review of Sherwin Williams High Reflective White

The 5 WHITEST White Paint Colours

7. BENJAMIN MOORE DECORATORS WHITE CC-20

Decorators White LOOKS white, but it actually has a subtle gray shade to it with a vague blue-violet undertone (super vague).

Check out Decorators White in this next image (it’s the sample at the very bottom).

Benjamin Moore Decorators White, Chantilly Lace, Super White compared to marble tile or countertop. Best white paint color. Kylie M INteriors Edesign

SIMILAR WHITE PAINT COLOURS TO COORDINATE WITH MARBLE

FULL Paint Colour Review of Benjamin Moore Decorators White

As for the slightly WARMER end of things…

8.  SHERWIN WILLIAMS AGREEABLE GRAY 7029

While not EVERY marble countertop or tile can handle a warmer approach, Agreeable Gray can be a great choice for marble or marble-look finishes that also have a wink of warmth in them.

Marble island countertop, painted warm gray, greige island. Kylie M Interiors Edesign, online paint color consulting

9. BENJAMIN MOORE REVERE PEWTER HC-172

Revere Pewter is definitely one of the most POPULAR gray paint colours on the market. And while it works with ‘some’, but not all marble finishes, it just might work for yours!

Revere Pewter kitchen cabinets, Cambria Brittanica warm quartz, URbane Bronze island, oak wood floor. Kylie M Interiors Edesign (1)

COLOURS THAT ARE SIMILAR TO REVERE PEWTER TO COMPARE WITH

And by the way, don’t be afraid of a little depth…

10. BENJAMIN MOORE TROUT GRAY 2124-20

Trout Gray isn’t for the faint of heart, but when used in the right spot, as shown on this island below, it can be a gorgeous complement to marble…

Trout Gray painted dark gray cabinets, marble tile floor in kitchen, Chantilly Lace walls and trim (Benjamin Moore) Kylie M Interiors Online paint color consulting (2)

SIMILAR COLOURS THAT LOOK GOOD WITH MARBLE

The 10 Best Dark Gray & Charcoal Paint Colours

There you have it! And while there are MANY more great colours out there, the above options should definitely get you started!

READ MORE

How To Get The Look of Marble WITHOUT The Price! 

The 12 Best WHOLE HOME Gray & Greige Paint Colours

The 5 Best ALMOST FOOL-PROOF White Paint Colours

How to Redecorate Your Living Room Without Leaving Your Home!

Not sure which colour is best for you and your home?  

Check out my Online Color Consulting – I’d be happy to help!

The best gray paint colors for your room. Benjamin and Sherwin. Edesign, Kylie M Interiors online paint colour services. Home decorating and diy ideas blogger.market

WRITTEN IN 2018, UPDATED IN 2021

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Comments

  1. I left a comment earlier, but it disappeared. In brief, I said in my comment that I tried Gray Owl on white paper and it looks like a pale pale green, very hard to see it as a gray color or with the blue undertone. I did a color match with sherwin williams paint and I wonder if it was a bad color match. Do you think color matches work all the time? I didn’t have a paper swatch to compare the sample to the BM color.

    Reply

  2. I LOVE your site! I have learned so much! I go on Benjamin moore’s site and compare colors online. I chose for my living room which is dark and a cool room (light brown on dark brown) (NOT my choice) I went with Gray Owl and Rockport and wow opened it up and feels not only brighter but warmer too with the subtle undertones.

    Reply

  3. I actually love all of these. I used Stonington Gray in a boy’s room with lots of navy blue, white and a touch of deep red, and it was absolutely perfect. I think it would work excellently with marble, but haven’t had a chance to try that yet.

    Reply

  4. Hi Kylie! Great article! I’ve decided to paint my kitchen and living room with Owl Gray but I’m having a hard time trying to decide on a good white trim color for Owl Gray. What are your suggestions? Thanks!

    Reply

    1. Hi April, thank you for the note! When it comes to the cool grays like Gray Owl, I’m inclined to keep things crisp and simple with a white like Super White – simple and fresh with no sneaky undertones to contend with.

      Reply

  5. I used Sea Salt on the walls of my bathroom with a marble looking quartz counter, marble mosaic band over the board and batten. It works great

    Reply

  6. I recently remodeled my kitchen and freshened up the walls with BM Owl Grey. I used BM Simply White oc-117 for the trim and it look beautiful. Simply White is a great choice especially if you have an abundance of honey maple ???? going on.

    Reply

  7. Hi Kylie,

    We just put in Gunstock Oak hardwood floors and now we need to paint. We were thinking a cream color with white base boards. Out fireplace is a marble ceramic tile, so I was thinking of doing a dark gray accent wall. Will that look weird with cream colored walls and white trim?

    Reply

  8. I have dark auburn vanity with black marble top wood floors looking for a good color to paint walls and a little backsplash tiles above vanity needing help on colors

    Reply
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  9. I’d be interested in what your choices of cream would be to with Carrara marble, and look alikes. I get how all the grays go and anything with a gray undertone. But what if the direction you need is a cream? Hope this makes sense.

    Reply
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      Author

      Hi Laura, cream can be a tricky one with marble simply because marble is a white base product. It can sometimes have a touch of cream in it, but it’s mostly a cool tone with cool gray undertones. When you pair this with cream, they can really enhance each other, but not always in a good way. Cream is a yellow base colour – always. You can’t get cream without yellow (or you’ll have peach or pink). The cool tones can enhance that yellow REALLY easily and not necessarily ‘do’ anything for each other. You’d need a pretty darned quiet cream ‘maybe’ something like BM White Down, but if it were me I might stay away…

      Reply

  10. Thank you for this post. We just remodeled our bathroom using Statuario Marble for the shower and counter tops. We used Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee for the cabinet color because the crown moldings were already that color. Not sure I am happy with the color of the cabinets as they do not look pure white with the marble. I will paint the walls gray. What do you think of using Stonington Gray to offset the yellow of the swiss coffee color? Or should I have my cabinets repainted?

    Reply
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      Author

      Oooo, I’d be careful. Because Stonington is a gray with that subtle stormy blue, it will react with the yellow of the Swiss Coffee and they can enhance each other…sounds to me like you may want to reconsider painting the cabinets…

      Reply

  11. I’m redoing my masterbath and having a hard time finding a paint color to go with my cabinets and countertop. The cabinets are off-white (more on the ivory side) and the counter top is Diana Reale Marble. The mirrors have a wood frame the same color as the cabinets. I was looking at Benjamin Moore White Sand 964, Bar Harbor Beige 1032, or Frappe AF-85. I’m going for a classic look, but also a beachy light and airy look. The floors are a light tile that looks like hard wood flooring. They have an ash tone to them similar to driftwood, but with a more beige undertone.

    Reply
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  12. What a joy to find your posts on all these beautiful cool grays. Thank you, Kylie, for all the educational information.
    I bought 8 different sample colors from your various posts on grays but I love Sidewalk Gray! I had it custom to take out 1/2 of the violet and replaced with 1/2 blue., a soft light bluish/lavender. It’s so beautiful and add a modern look to my white cabinets & marble top . I am thinking of adding an accent wall. Do you have any suggestions for a complementary color (s)?

    Reply
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  14. I have white carrara countertops and BM white dove cabinets. I was looking at SW anonymous or a lighter shade of gray for my island. What do you suggest?

    Reply
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  15. Kylie, I need help with white paint colors for cabinets in my bathroom and kitchen.
    Bathroom has Rainwashed walls and Carrara marble countertops and shower. Western exposure.
    Kitchen/great room has BM’s Pale Oak walls (pale greige) and White Nile quartzite countertops which are described as having a mix of warm and cool colors. Northern exposure.
    Considering Pure White (or Extra White )for pop against Pale Oak walls …. maybe Sterling White for Carrara in bathroom. ??? Suggestions?

    Reply
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      Hi Virginia, thank you for your note! I have quite a few blogs posts re: white cabinet colours, if you hop into my search section on the right hand side of my blog and type in ‘white’, you’ll see several! Otherwise, I do have a package that would suit you question, where I can actually take a look at your rooms and spend some time with them – it’s fun and affordable! https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/product/cabinets-or-built-ins-paint-colour-kitchen-bath-or-built-ins/

      Reply
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      Hi Missy! There are quite a few types of marble, but my thoughts might for FIRST towards something like SW Repose Gray, On the Rocks or Big Chill 🙂

      Reply

  17. Hi Kylie,

    We just finished tiling our master bathroom with biano carrara basket weave tile, so it’s gray and white with the black dots. My vanity is stained black and my linen cabinets are black and natural walnut. I can’t decide on a paint color, everyone is telling me to do a light gray but I’m kinda tired of grey or a softer white. For some reason I am thinking of a very light green that has no blue undertones. I might be just crazy and should just do gray…what can you advise?

    Victoria

    Reply

  18. I have a brown marble walk in shower and white floor tiles that has a brown and grey vein running through it. My countertops and sinks are white quartz. What paint colors should goes best on the walls?

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  21. I really wish I had found your site before now! I love your detailed advice. I am almost done with our primary bath remodel and made a big painting mistake this week. The entire bathroom (walls, ceiling, trim) is painted in Swiss coffee 75%. I thought I needed a warm white for this northeast facing rooms and Shea McGee painted her whole house this color so it must be great. It is reading very cream/yellow. I think because of the cool tones of the white hex tile floor and the zellige tiles in shower. The countertops are Perla Grigio marble (not in yet) but cool as well. I’m going to have them repaint the whole thing – and am leaning towards Chantilly Lace since it’s very neutral. I’m hoping it’s not too cold. I also considered SW pure white but that looks a lot darker in the sample in the room. I tried Decorators White as well but the sample swatch looked too cold. If you have any other recommendations thank you! I look forward to seeing more of your content. Thank you!

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      Ahhh yes, good old Swiss Coffee. I’m not surprised you’re seeing what you are ;). Chantilly Lace is MUCH better for not flashing soo warm. And while SOMETIMES it can come off a wink warmer than some whiter tiles/countertops, generally it’s a GREAT CHOICE, especially if you don’t want a cold white look.

      Reply

  22. I was wondering what paint colour I could use on my walls in my kitchen. My cabinets are a natural birch wood tone, with a cream coloured marble tile, dark charcoal grey with white flecks coriander countertop with white marble floor tile.

    Reply

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