Karen Houghton Interiors The colors are somewhat bluer in the image. Sterling is a blue-gray. The key is how it looks in the room. Always put up a sample on the wall to really judge how it will interact with the light in your room. Make sure to use two coats, fully dried. As for the ceiling, it's likely the wall color cut with white. That's a great way to lighten the ceiling with out the strong contrast of white.