50 Shades of Gray

Rough Linen grey and yellow were the colours of my school uniform - very dampening...

surfmom My husband and I painted our living room, dining room, stairway and hallways a lovely, beachy, light blue-gray; Sherwin Williams "Misty", SW6232.

As you probably guessed, finding our perfect gray required a lot of paint samples and the folks at our local Sherwin Williams store all know me by name now since I bought so many sample colors.

I love "Misty" and am so glad we went with it over the other contenders. As for the other question you posed, I have to admit, I may know gray paint, but I don't know anything about the book you mentioned or its main character.

Karen Heffernan Great idea book! I'm a big gray fan - we have 7 shades of gray in our house (not including 2 taupes). I have BM Gray Owl in our kitchen, foyer, mudroom, butler's pantry, hallways and workout room; BM Nickel (2119-50) in my master bath, BM Metallic Silver (2132-60) on living room and dining room ceiling with silver 20 metallic glaze, BM Ozark Shadows (AC-26) in our home office, BM Nantucket Gray (HC-11) in our family room, BM Metallic Silver in our daughter's room, BM Stonington Gray(HC-170) in our main bath.

bena Benjamin Moore's Cliffside Gray is also a beautiful neutral, lighter but not pale gray.

michelleann1 I really love Forde Abbey by Ralph Lauren. Very pleased with it as color for my bedroom.

tyrabq I have OC-28 Collingwood in my Lv rm and kitchen which is a blended gray neutral colour. That whispers along the walls with 2121-70 Chantilly Lace for crown and baseboards. Its a wallmance...lol

georgeandgracie Outhouse door: Benjamin Moore 2126-20 Raccoon Fur.

carebsteele Grey and mauve were a big trend in the early '80s and I vowed to never use either again, but this post has made me a believer and newest fan! So looking at my Benjamin Moore wheel, I'm going to try a room with lots of decorator white and HC-167 Amherst gray. I guess I'll need to read the book to vote on who should play Christian Grey, though!

SPACIFY INC, Very cool furniture....nice ideabook.

Christine Folks. Fifty Shades of Grey is an erotic novel. It has taken off like a rocket and is affectionately known as housewife porn. I don't think the author of THIS article meant to allude that it was a book on color. Love the photos though.

keellee All those beautiful gray walls; Love them all! I am in the process of painting my ensuite bath Benjamin Moore's Grey Wisp cc-670 (a color I discovered on the Houzz website, thanks) and my bedroom and living room are painted Benjamin Moore's HC-105 Rockport Gray.

agentlulu gotta love greys!!

darklis Love Farrow & Ball's 'Railings' and my vote for Christian Grey is Ian Somerhalder!

winstondog Greys look great with white trim. We are staining all of our trim, moulding & cabinetry in our new house; very hard to find a grey that is compatible with natural wood (I tried). Also, living in Oregon we contend with frequently-grey skies so don't need it on inside!

ang312 My favorite gray paint is actually Minwax's new stain Classic Gray. It is AMAZING!

Cynthia Mason Interiors Thank you for including my room in your ideabook!

coloraddict love grey as a neutral backdrop, would love to see some pics with pops of purple here & there

mrsben Excellent break down of all the grays. Thank you!

For those who plan to print it off: Click on the printer icon and use 'legal size' paper/format (8.5" x 14") as it will only take two sheets of paper with page 2 on reverse side of page 1. Don't forget to change your page numbers when printing off. ie: Page 1, 2, 3.

judiwatkins Grey is my least favorite color! Ugh! No matter what you do with it, it makes every day overcast and dreary! I have a feeling that those of you who "love, love, love it!" are attracted to the temptation of grey walls because they don't show dirt as quickly as other colors do. My response to that is: Move away from the computer! Grab a sponge and some of that make-it-yourself, "greener" living cleaning solution that you found on Pinterest and get moving! And after all, the calories you burn while cleaning will let you have another couple bites of that triple chocolate, extra gooey with marshmellow sauce, topped with "lite" whipped cream concoction that you have been anxious to try since the food blog sent you that e-mail with the recipe. May I have another color choice, please?

studio M | design I love grey, it's neutral and can be both warm and elegant. Here's a great grey that goes well with plum accents - Benjamin Moore's Chelsea Grey, from it's Historic Color collection.

ginakinard Not sure of my favorite grey paint color as there are many great shades but I totally agree with Chris Hemsworth to play Christian Grey!!!

soupkitchin Pratt and Lambert (26 31 Gosling) is a great color. I used it in my white kitchen for the ceiling and loved the way it caught the light. That kitchen was completely remodeled recently and so I chose Gosling for a guest bedroom (not finished yet) and it is soothing but uplifting as it catches the light.

Nancy Sloop Well, I love greys and to renovate our 1982 ranch, we are using different greys: Living Room-Dining Room-Foyer-Hallway in Sherwin-Williams SW7648 Big Chill; Kitchen-Mudroom in Sherwin-Williams SW6246 North Star, with the island base, a plate rack and a built-in done in Sherwin-Williams SW7601 Dockside Blue; Family Room and Sun Room in Sherwin-Williams SW7738 Cargo Pants; Bonus Room in Sherwin-Williams SW6239 Upward; Master Bedroom and Guest Bedroom in Sherwin-Williams SW7663 Monorail Silver; and Master Bath and Guest Bath in Sherwin-Williams SW7747 Recycled Glass. These colors flow so well together, room-to-room!

Edited to add: all the kitchen cabinets, bath vanities, trim, wainscoting and ceilings are white at this time, though we might paint ceilings some day. The kitchen ceiling is to be covered in beadboard, and I can hardly wait to see it completed.

I do not know enough about the book to guess at casting a main character.

ahfiler 5th photo (of the baby room)- any information on that grey oriental rug? company name? where to buy?

JAN MOYER Judiwatkins, I think you can relax. The grey rage in paint, in fabrics, was/is undoubtedly the result of much more than a decade of camels and taupes and every beige in between, saturating the inside of every suburban home like a runaway Restoration Hardware train of "I want the color she has!" About six years ago I snapped. As a designer, I thought I would scream!!!!! if I saw one more beige chenille sofa in a family room with one more leather chair!! I prayed to the fabric gods, as I heard/felt the drumbeat of a cooler fresher scheme to go with all the deep toned modern furniture, and clean white kitchens, but clients were stubbornly stuck in...beige.Or sage green! ^%$$# Then I snared a brave soul, who said fine, but NOT the walls!! It took forever to find grey shades in fabrics.! About two years ago.....suddenly.... grey fabrics were everywhere. At the high and the low. In patterns modern and more traditional. In velvet, in linen, in mohair, in cotton, in silk. I had a few more clients who let me loose with the color in varying shades, even in the entire house, and the results were wow!!!!! So sophisticated, fresh, and peaceful!
I am feeling the "deep inky blue" thing now in a big way LOL, )especially nice against pale gray walls!) but all you really need to know is this: There are always color trends, but feel free to ignore them. It's a wide world of color out there. Just know that while you can mix a paint in any color/shade you choose to imagine, fabric color trends can be stubborn. Begin with your fabrics in your main rooms, and try NEVER to begin a room scheme with a wall color unless it is something totally neutral. You'll have the desired result, with less hand wringing. Now sit back, and wait for the "warming trend" again... it will happen!

melaniesmom1020 I used Benjamin Moore's "Marina Gray" in 2 bathrooms for a medium-dark shade & "Wickham Gray" (HC-171) on my entire first floor for a pale green-gray. I also agree that Ian Somerhalder is the perfect Christian Grey.

Amanda Haytaian Can't believe Benjamin Moore Wish AF-680 wasn't posted yet! The cabinets in this pic are Wish in a medium sheen, and the walls and v groove bead board on ceiling are same color taken down 25% in semi-gloss. Trim and beams are BM Steam AF-15 in High Gloss. My pick for Mr. Grey would be Ryan Gossling!

camclan2606 I have new furniture coming next week. It's a deep chocolate brown. Is there a gray paint t go with brown?

tucsondawn I just painted my master bed and bath with Behr Ultra "Castle Path" 730C-3. Simply fabulous!!!

trasgorshek Thank you Jan Moyer! Could not agree more! I am absolutely in love with grey but my love affair with is probably because I'm so tired of all the beige out there, and there is still lots of it! I love how grey really brings out the wood tones instead of them getting washed away in masses of warm tones. Plus how white pops off the color is wonderful.

Can I also add, and I know many will disagree, but the other thing I wish would go is faux painted walls with texture. All I can think is that come 10 years from now one will get a great work out trying to sand them down. Makes me think of popcorn ceilings. I know I could be wrong, just throwing my two cents out.

alas3lads I like Sherwin WIlliams SW 7641 Collonade Gray. My pick for the actor would be Michael Fassbender.

terryp We chose Benjamin Moore's Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) for the walls and their Super White for the trim. It goes well with the area rug we chose. It's so neutral that we continued it to all the public spaces in the house. fyi - I'm not a decorator and don't play one on TV. It's just my (only?) hobby to play around the house.

carolcarroll Love "Smokey Slope by Sherwin Williams , and by ALL means I choose Ryan Gosling for Fifty!!!! And Rachel McAdams....

Sauveteur Thank you, Rachel Grace! About 8 years ago we purchased a pale gray suede sofa. I still love that sofa. It has worked very well for us because of our styling; which has always been in the center of cities or towns. It is an excellent base to work from for minimal-art deco styling. Anyway, that is what I call it but it should probably be called something else. Recently we decided to move to Normandy and the house we are going to be moving into is just 500 yards from Omaha Beach. That is why I want a more beachy-done-classic sytle. The problem has been the sofa and coordinating it with the wall colors I will paint once we begin moving in. I was feeling a bit confused and undecided because I want to bring a bit of blues and touches of reds. I want to lighten up! This article has focused my direction and my decisions. Thank you, again.

bschmitt My whole house is Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter - love it, goes with everything - compliments from all who see it.

PaintColorHelp.com Dallas This is a nice pictorial. However. Colors in photos (and on monitors) can be deceptive. Homeowners should be aware that many of the "grays" listed here will actually be blue, aqua, green or even slightly purple when they go up. Nothing wrong with that, but if you are looking for a true gray, you may be surprised. In particular, the SW 6192 Coastal Plain mentioned here is not even greenish-gray, it's straight up green. All I'm saying is, don't rely on a chip. You need to paint a big, big sample when choosing a gray. For those who worry that gray is too cold, remember it is easily warmed up yellow, orange, red, magenta or metallic gold touches.

JAN MOYER To Amanda, you are sooooooo right about Benny Moore "Wish" and believe it or not, it is FANTASTIC and plenty of color when you cut the WISH formula in one half.( at the paint store) I have virtually the entire first floor of a huge house in Connecticut painted that way with white trim, using both of those wish tones!
And to camclan I would say this: Don't know if you are talking about your fabrics, or your wood tones. If the case pieces are in the espresso wood tones.... almost anything goes, and also consider the rest of your stuff, like RUGS. Color doesn't live in isolation, and your eye "sees" color by comparison. Try to stay in your "family". For instance, this is one of the reasons clean white trim looks so great with grey, and softer, creamier whites look amazing with all those very warm beiges like camel. Brown too has an undertone....warm or cool. What is yours? (:

JAN MOYER PS ...TO TRASGORSHEC.... Hon, those wall ARE gone. If someone still has them they forgot to check the obits! (: Now seriously...don't everyone start screaming at me. It is true. Don't shoot the messenger.

janedavis17 really ladies, who cares who plays christian grey and why are you reading such trash? have you nothing better to do with your time? it's unfortunate that women have devolved to the point of incorporating the very worst parts of male behavior.

Shannon Hutcheson Love this idea book! Not going to get sucked into bad writing by a fad following trumped by media hype. No thanks. It's so not the kind of reading I'd bother with. Sorry.

Kim Paschall I also have Sherwin Williams #6232 Misty in my living room. I love it. It is light tone grey, hinting towards blue. I have white trim accents, dark grey couch and chairs, and accents in light blue and pink. Highly recommend Misty for a lightening neutral.

mbrlewis Also try Cape Hatteras Sand by BM. We did our basement & it is fabulous!

azvab I am going to paint the whole house (new condo) SW Anew Gray with undecided white trim. Anew Gray seems to be a perfect light/medium gray.

judithesl I live on the West coast in a fog zone and a grey interior would be way too depressing. So far, I've gone with white walls and pine and birch furniture with bright pillows and pictures, although the bedroom has pale blue walls.

msaidan Solitude was my favorite in this piece. As for who should play Christian Gray -- Ian Sommerhalder (Vampire Diaries) all the way. Laters, baby :)

Sauveteur absolutely PaintColorHelp.com Dallas ! That is why I buy the smallest amount of any paint I am considering and then paint a stripe about a foot wide from the ceiling and the floor one each wall of the whatever room that I am considering painting that color. Obviously I do this with more than one tone of the paint. Then I just live with them for a month or so until I am comfortable with the one I want. Sometimes this leads to painting each wall in the room a slightly different tone. Why? Because the light strikes the wall differently. For example, it is not uncommon for me to paint a subltly darker or slightly bluer tone of a pigment color on the wall where there are large windows because of the light flowing there pales the color. Even when I fault back to white, the white on all of the walls are not usually the same tone.

Melody Lester Coastal Plane, Ryan Gosling

Angie Birdwell I'm so very estastic about coming across this article today. I'm searching now to find a 'shade of grey' to re-do my plain Jane dining room table and chairs. I'm so tired of looking at the walnut finish. As for who to play Christian Grey in a movie, why Ryan Gosling, of course! Who else???!!!

dreamscapes108 Ben Moore Owl Grey is my favorite too! I used it in our previous home, a penthouse condo in Boston's seaport and now in our new sea side home in Hull. I've combined it with Chantilly Lace high gloss (the new hybrid oil base) on all the trim for bedrooms & the same white in matte on walls & high gloss on trim in the public spaces to give this new Nantucket shingle style home a modern palette that lives well with our mid-century modern & contemporary furniture pieces.

Karen This was perfect timing for me. I'm toying with the idea of repainting my dark brown living room (I didn't pick it) and chocolate milk entry hall into shades of gray. This will be so helpful!

Tina Gutierrez I love grey so very much. My entire interior of my house are shades of blue/greys. I am now having to paint the exterior of my house and want to paint it a true grey with a white trim and am having the hardest time finding a true grey. Any and all help with this would be greatly appreciated.

kmddesign I just finished painting my new office gray owl last week and couldn't be happier with the sophisticated and contemporary look it provides my working space.

Sarah Pierson We did a major reno last year and used 5 shades of grey ranging from greenish (BM-Seaspray to bluish-BM-Stonington Grey in bathrooms) Everyone who walks in asks for the colour information. My suggestion to make them really pop is to use a very white-white. I used Benjamin Moore's Chantilly Lace and it looks wonderful.

mcolic i cant dicade tile in my kichen cobert are white open to liveroom dark hard wood

Pink Fortitude, LLC This article must have been sponsored by Benjamin Moore. Yes, their paint colors are fabulous and everyone uses them in their houses. But how about a "50 Shades of Gray Part 2" which feature other paint companies for those of us who can't afford $60.00 a gallon. I am introducing gray paint into 2 rooms of our new home, so I'm very excited to see the different shades.

melissariche We used a dark grey by Ralph Lauren with our small bathroom, which was originally pink and gold. I think dark grey is one of the most soothing colors around, and a great backdrop color in living rooms - it looks fantastic with high gloss white trim. One of my favorite greys right now is 'Paloma' from Chalk Paint (Annie Sloan). It has a very slight hint of pink, like a grey dove, hence the name.

carolsingleton Matt Bomer for Christian Grey! From the series White Collar. As for the color I have 3 rooms variest shades of grey, Love it! LATERS BABY!

victorg exterior grey house

quikfast Alex Pettyfer from 'I am number four' and 'magic mike' is definitely the perfect FIFTY SHADES OF GREY.

Ieteke Ruypers Volpini Ingenious and timely ideabook! Ryan Gosling is definitely my choice...and although some think 50 shades is trash... it can do wonders for a relationship.

Becky Harris Love gray, especially with soft yellow.

I hear that because of this book, paint is not the only thing flying off the shelves at hardware stores...

Some of these comments are cracking me UP!

susan11787 Peter Facinelli from Twilight is the only one pretty enough to be christian

carolcarroll In reading this AGAIN I think Ryan Gosling is winning, someone TELL Hollywood, please.

Tyler Grace Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore is a favorite of mine as well!

lexiek Would any of the gray tone paints go with hunter green bathroom tiles in the bathroom? The rest of the house will be painted in a light neutral color. We are just wanting to freshen up parents' house to sell. I would prefer Sherwin Williams paint because that is the closest place.

Joanna Zygo Ever heard of book Remy Meijers "Shades of Grey"? It is stunning...He is a dutch designer but becomes known worldwide. My exemplar is in Dutch but with translation to English and other languages.

Joanna Zygo @ lexiek: it's a bit to dark photo to see exactly the color of the tiles, but my first thought is to use off-white not to make it to dark.

Joanna Zygo What I noticed too and it is VERY IMPORTANT - grey does look depressing in dark spaces. Light changes the perception of color dramatically. It may appear as if the walls are dirty. The solution would be, if possible, add a lot of additional lighting, for example lot of spots so the room is evenly lit and use the lights even during the day if necessary.
All those nice looking interiors with grey look so great because they have a lot of natural light.

Joanna Zygo @ Jan Moyer: I like beige & brown, just because I simply like them. I love blue since forever so I always try to incorporate it and it even goes with beige (carefully chosen shades), so my interiors never were actually "beige everywhere". But seeing the TV programs about renovations and all that beige is indeed to much and even I hate some color combinations (with some ugly brown carpets - ok, not every brown is nice). I like the neutral base and grey is one of those neutral colors. And I love grey fabric sofas etc. Grey makes the other color pop up (just like white but it creates a different atmosphere), so it is ideal to add beautiful pillows, throws, candles, flowers. It is ideal "background" for all the other colors and everything goes with grey! The only thing is to have enough natural and artificial lighting not to get this feeling that it's dirty or simply to dark & depressing. Attached: the arrangements from Linteloo (Dutch interior designers, shops & advice).

Joanna Zygo @ Jan Moyer & judiwatkins: There are still options for beige not to look to bland. I just wanted to post the photos of my previous very small place where I combined the beige with blue and off white (there was a piece of wall I deliberately wanted to stay white, above the kitchen area but just white looked like it's unfinished, like the pain run out :-) so I spend half of a day looking for a matching tone off-white, small detail - big difference).

Orlita If you had to pick the same gray for both walls and ceiling, what color would you pick for Sherwin Williams? I like Agreeable Gray 7029 but am afraid it may be too dark for ceilings. I bought new construction and they will only use one color throughout home so looking for versatility. Thanks!

jeankris I searched high and low for the perfect gray and I think Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is the perfect shade. I love it because it doesn't look green against brown. Its light and airy.

Orlita Jean, did you to Agreeable Gray on your ceilings too? I think it is what I will go with. Also what trim did you use, I am thinking about SW Pure White.

jeankris My ceilings and trim are pure white. A SW white that looks beautiful with Agreeable Gray is Shoji White. I have half wall/plant shelves and I painted those Shoji White and it looks really pretty. Don't look at it online - it's completely different and lovely in person.

sylviasbiz There are too many shades of grey for me to list. But I will say this: I prefer warm, complex greys. They are more pleasing....
As for an actor, my pick is Matt Bomer... all the way. I don't care that he's gay. The entire time I was reading the book I had his image in my mind. And I couldn't shake it.

joewinkie Farrow & Ball "Downpipe" is my Fav.

shelleysmall83 How would grey walls look with cappuccino kitchen cabinets??

shelleysmall83 How would grey walls look with cappuccino kitchen cabinets??

aharwood Has anyone used Behr's Porpoise grey on their walls? I was wondering if they had pictures. I am thinking of using it in my upstairs bathroom. I have pale yellow tile as my backsplash behind the toilet and all around my shower. I am wanting to do the colors in grey, yellow and turquoise

JAN MOYER I am stilllllll in love with the soothe and smooth of gray and just poured it on again in a converted barn..

colori Has anyone used AF-690 Metropolitan from BM? It's a blue-gray.

nadshak can anyone suggest whats a good accent color to go with Revere Pewter? I've been suggested Metropolis or Fairview Taupe and am looking for more suggestions. Also is Silver Fox a good color for a basement bedroom? I want a warm cozy feeling but keeping with the color gray.

mimi1166 I need help picking a grey!! The cooler grays are nice, but I find by putting a sample of iceberg by Ben Moore, it looked periwinkle to me. In our living room, We are putting down dark hardwood, getting either dark brown or charcoal gray sofas, accenting with a brown/aqua rug. I want to also accent with aqua....Can anyone suggest a nice gray to go with???

JAN MOYER mimi1166'
I would try Sherwin Williams "City Loft" or "Zircon", or Ben Moore "Wish" at one half strength. Much is dependent on light in your room, but City Loft errs on the taupe side of grey and the other two on true very pale grey...with no "bluing". I have used all three for clients, and all were happy campers!

mimi1166 Thanks, I'll check that out!!
I just checked out wish and find that is a bit too grayeige..
Pretty color, but not sure if it will look good?
We want to stick with Ben Moore..

opaliner I have warm wood antique dressers and chair in a bedroom. I am redecorating and I am drawn to the grays with a pop of yellow. How would that look with the antiques? Should I paint the stained moldings white? Looking for suggestions.

sharonmackovjak My 16 year-old son wants to paint his room gray. I would like to find a warm shade that looks good with black(desk) and an antique oak blanket chest. His headboard is bulky and a dark wood stain. Should I paint it black? Thanks

sacapuntaslapioz my absolute favorite grey is Benjamin Moore Wish Af-680. looks crisp with white elegant with black and great with browns and beiges.

michellevdh Thank You. I've started collecting gray paint chips, but this helps with the big picture! Love grey, but with aging eyes need to find one light enough that doesn't look cold. This has been so helpful.

renovator1000 Just finished a bath/hallway reno with a gray and gray blue wall color, natural spruce ceilings, tile floor in same gray, yellow and chocolate shades, with white trim (bath) and natural trim (hallway). Very happy with it. But, will advise to make sure and paint samples first as gray is a tricky color to work with. I used (hallway) Coastal Pleasure, 5048, Clark & Kensington and (bath) Foggy Mist, ar1320, Allen & Roth. The Coastal Pleasure in particular seems to change color at different times of the day, from a cool, stormy blue gray to a soft warm gray. The wood floor in the hallway is a natural Pecan.

geunderwood What is the best light gray to go with the dark granite gray in the picture of the kitchen?

colori There is a lot of great advice in this IB. An important point was made earlier by Paint Color Help that many of the grays will be very blue, green, purple, etc. Blue Grays are very difficult to get just right particularly in an open floor plan with varying light conditions. I have been testing more neutral grays at home for some time now. Here are a few to consider (the list is long and my walls are a mess): BM Seattle Mist 1535 similar to BM Revere Pewter, SW Colonade 7641, BM 2111-60 Baren Plain with Stone Harbor, SW 7029-7031 are a warmer monochromatic combination. A couple of recent client combinations that worked well were SW Repose 7015 - 7018 in a contemporary open plan with high ceilings and bright light. Used SW Snowbound for trim. Many are drawn to SW 7036 Accessible Beige and SW 7029 Agreeable Gray for lighter shades (feel like safe choices).

mcolic what goes whit black entery table color of the chair

hymee95 Restoration Hardware makes a gray named slate that is gorgeous!

Joy Harvey kitchen redo, cabinets shaker honey beech, doing stacked natural stone backsplash and honed brushed black absolute granite counters with african slate floors, and I want a greige style grey, I just think it will make the wood pop. I thought I had spotted a dove grey and can't find it anywhere.... any "grey/khaki" favorites that might work for me?

wakefielddona Camoflage by BM and Universal Khaki by SW are some grey/khaki shades that work well

Brenda I really like greys with some brown or taupe in them. They look very current to me. But the cool greys that are more white or blueish -- I'm not a fan at all.

fabtwigs I have been obsessed with gray. I painted my master bedroom gray and I love it! Here is my gray master bedroom. For before and after photos go to http://fabtwigs.blogspot.com/2013/04/it-has-been-while-gray-master-bedroom.html

suzyfouad Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter will be my go to color for our new house interior and MSL Flagstone Gray will be our exterior wood siding stain...and Bradley Cooper gets my vote for Mr. Grey!