Here’s an UPDATED blog post all about my favorite neutral paint colors – right this way!

Selecting the right paint color for your space can be very tricky. It all depends on the amount of natural light, the floor color, other finishes/materials in the space and furniture. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of paint mishaps and I know how frustrating it can be. So, today I am going to share a few of my go-to neutrals that haven’t failed me yet! Now, this is part one of a series – part two will consist of dark neutrals that I love. Stay tuned!neutral-paint-colors
edgecomb gray via oh, i design blog1. Edgecomb Gray – Benjamin Moore / View more of this project here.

4209ee17770f3247c7c21272fadd4fb32. Gray Owl – Benjamin Moore / photo source

balboa mist3. Balboa Mist – Benjamin Moore / photo source
oystershell14. Oystershell – Benjamin Moore / photo sourcereverepewter15. Revere Pewter – Benjamin Moore / photo source3fb0d409a0a4c58aa78349d12cefa9226. Stonington Gray – Benjamin Moore / photo sourceneutral paint colors via oh, i design blogaloofgray1. Aloof Gray – Sherwin Williams / photo sourceaccessible beige2. Accessible Beige – Sherwin Williams / photo sourcelattice3. Lattice – Sherwin Williams / photo source frenchgray14. french gray – farrow & ball / photo sourcesedate-gray-1024x6805. Sedate Gray – Sherwin Williams / photo sourcebehrsilverdrop6. Silver Drop – Behr / photo source

Happy Monday friends! Feel free to ask any paint-related questions below. 🙂

SHARE THIS STORY
COMMENTS
EXPAND

Hi. My kitchen is painted SW Garden Sage, which I love, it’s a medium olive shade. I will be painting the common (vaulted) wall with the living room Garden Sage too. I need a neutral paint color for the north facing living room that will complement the green, the neutral will be adjacent to it on both sides. I will carry the neutral through the living room, into the foyer, it will also be in the stairway going downstairs and the stairway going upstairs. I made a huge sample board of Accessible Beige. In my room it looks very gray, almost muddy. Is there a better choice? There is not a lot of natural light in this north facing room. Right now the living room is cream and caramel colored and I need to update the space. Thanks so much!!

I LOVE Silver Mist by Benjamin Moore. I love the light that it brings. However, I was looking for a color just slightly greyer for our main floor. Any suggestions? Puhleeze?

I’ve tried Silver Lake and Winter Solstice now too. Both are showing as a dirty green gray. : (

Benjamin Moore Intense White

Trying to decide between November rain Ben Moore or Accessible Beige SW when accessible beige is in a dark area it looks too dark, when Nov rain is in a very sunny area it looks white. both are nice and fresh to uplift! Thoughts very much appreciated. We are considering doing our kitchen cabinets in off white so I think November rain may be not enough contrast. Its not easy to pick a color which will look suitable for all rooms, so much to consider. Thanks!

Hi Susan, I know there are so many things to consider! Here is a link to a post that helps you decide between whites which might be helpful even though you are looking at a beige as well —> http://ohidesignblog.com/choose-right-white-paint/

HI,
I am using Ben Moore Intense White for my Living Room, Dining Room, Halways. I need a complementary color for myy kitchen and great room. Kitchen has white shaker cabin ets, white subway tile, black honed granite, Island is black cabinets, carerra top and stainless farmhouse sink…HELP!!!!

Hi Angela, it’s hard for me to make recommendations without being in the space. I would suggest getting a few different options and trying them out on poster boards so you can see them throughout your great room and kitchen. Good luck! 🙂

We painted Aloof Grey in the living room, hallways, and bedrooms of our 1957 home. I love the color, it is soft and soothing in our house that has been updated to have a classic, almost beach/cottage feel with a white mantle fireplace in the living room, medium brown hardwood floors throughout, and nice baseboards and crown morning throughout. But now, I’m struggling with what color to paint an adjoining room that has remained untouched except the floors. It used to be a den, but as it also connects to the kitchen and a nicely sized living room, and we are without a dining room, I’d like to transition it for that purpose. The problem is … dun, dun, dun, it has terrible wood paneling and a giant red brick fireplace! I’d like to freshen it up by painting the fireplace white but then I’m stuck with what color to paint the paneling? I’d like something light, and neutral, as the room is kind of dark (probably thanks a lot to the fireplace and paneling) but it has so much potential as it has skylights and a big screen door that leads out to a sunporch. I’m hoping a light neutral might really help the light bounce around the space. I’m worried the Aloof Grey might look odd, as it would be the same color as the connecting living room which might make the oddity of the paneling more apparent. Can you or any readers who’d like to chime in recommend another light neutral that would coordinate well with the Aloof Grey in the adjoining living room, the Sea Salt in the adjoining kitchen (very beachy with white bead board half-walls and cabinets), and the future white brick of the fireplace? I would just try white, but then I’m stuck with what color to then paint the fireplace and beamed ceilings. Can I move toward a more warm neutral like a 50% lighter Revere Pewter or do I need to stick with the cool tones? Some kind of cream? Balboa mist … too similar to Aloof Grey? I’m totally stuck. Thanks for your insight!

What are your thoughts on Gray Owl vs. Oystershell? I’m deciding between the two for a (smallish) living room and attached study. I’m curious if anyone else has decided specifically between those two and what you ended up with!

Thanks for your question! I honestly like both gray owl and oystershell – I have found recently that oystershell has been working for the rooms that need a light gray. You could get samples of both and a paint them onto a white poster board and hold them up at different times of day on different walls to help with your decision! Good luck!!

I want a very cool color scheme in my house that has a lot of sunlight and open floor plan. What do you think is best transitional paints to go together with a white kitchen and white dining room farm table and cappuccino couches in family room.

I would suggest a paint color that has a little blue in it. Something like Stonington Gray from Benjamin Moore? Try a few similar paint samples to that one as a blue undertone will look nice against a cappuccino sofa!

Hello Jessica! What a helpful post! Thank you! I am currently in the middle of repainting ALL of my walls, and so far have purchased 13 different paint samples! My husband said I should just go for “quilt” as our new look, lol! I have a small ranch, with not a ton of natural light. I want a gray for the kitchen as I have white cabinets and black granite with some white/off white movement in it. It opens up to my family room. I was looking at Gray Owl or Stonington Gray for the kitchen, but can’t seem to find the right color for the living room/hallway. I have a very light tan couch, and just purchased a light Persian rug with different hues of blue, gray, and yellow. Can you suggest two grays that would flow together or a gray and a second color for the living/hall? Thanks so much!!!

Hi Jeannine! Sounds like a fun project 🙂

What if you paint the kitchen grey and then the hallway/living room white? Or I would do the same grey you are using throughout if the rooms are near one another. Another option: you could do a darker grey that contrasts . I hope this is helpful! It’s hard to give too much advise without seeing the space in person.

Have tried most of these colors in my home and just trying to figure out which undertones would work best. We are deciding on our dining room and not sure if we should choose revere pewter at 50% or balboa mist? It’s open to kitchen so the light definitely reflects in the color (edgecomb gray looked peachy). We were just looking for a neautral color to work in the space.

What did you decide?

Did you end up deciding between revere pewter at 50% or the balboa mist? I have been trying to decide the exact same thing for an east facing room. I would love to know what you decided and how it turned out!

I am stuck on the exact same issue wit an East facing room. What did you find?

I have cream color tile with a touch of yellow/orange tone. I am trying to tone down the yellow. Looking for a neutral color for the home. I am considering edgecomb gray, but I didn’t want it to look yellow in my space. I live in Florida and there is a lot of light in the space. I was also considering smokey taupe from Benjamin.

Which white, ceiling, trim, would you put with Balboa Mist? Thank you!

I really like Decorator’s White from Benjamin Moore for trim, but I am unable give a definitive answer as I have not seen your space in person. Try a sample first! 🙂 Good luck!

Great article-Any suggestions on a gray for a kitchen that gets very little sunlight? The rest of my house is painted in Bennington Gray. I am trying to cool down the yellow in my warm natural cherry cabinets. Right now I have a blonde color paint on the walls in my kitchen. Thank you!

Hi Rachel – maybe go for a gray similar to Edgecomb Gray? It’s not too gray but not too beige and should tone down the yellow. I can’t give a 100% answer as I am unable to see the space in person, but I would try a few samples that are similar to this color. Hope this helps!

Thanks for the suggestion. I just got the sample of edgecomb gray and I think it’s going to work perfectly. I will try and get a photo when I finish painting. It looks like it’s going to be a great neutral color too that won’t complete with the Bennington gray. Thank you!

Thanks for including me in your post Jessica. All of these colours are stunning!

All of the grays you picked are beautiful! I am trying to pick a whole-house light gray for our open floor plan. Our floors are light maple and cream carpet (both with sliiight pink undertones) and our main living area is north facing. I’m afraid a pink undertone in a warm gray color will turn everything pink, but don’t want the north-facing rooms to feel too cold. I’ve already gone through a ton of samples (Agreeable Gray, Collonade Gray, Knitting Needles, On the Rocks, Repose Gray, Grey Owl, Edgecomb Grey, Stonington Grey) and I think I’m going a little crazy! ???????????? Any suggestions or advice?

oh gosh! that is me too! Ive tried Gray Owl, Classic Gray, Collingwood, trying to get an all over light warm gray (but not he dreaded beige,lol). Everything seems to end up blue in my place, I get lots of sun on some walls so it washes out a too light colour, and on others they seem dark. Arrgh!

Why don’t you try a really warm grey, or even closer to beige, and see what happens on your walls! Since those colors are turning more cool, a beige could look like more of a grey you are going for. Just a thought!

Hi Monica! Wow, you have gone through a lot of samples – haha! I know selecting a paint color can make a person go a little crazy, but unless I am able to see the space in person I don’t know if I can give you my opinion. However, feel free to email me at hello@ohidesignblog.com with photos and I will try my best!

Hope this helps! xo

Love your blog. I’m trying to find a light silvery grey without green beige or purple undertones. I just cannot choose colors. Everything looks so dark. Any advice will be very much appreciated.

Hi Donna 🙂 thank you so much! I have Stonington Gray – Benjamin Moore in our living room and hallway and it’s definitely a light cool grey (not purple..more blue). Try a sample of that or Silver Mist, Iced Cube Silver…all from BM! Let me know if you have any other questions! Feel free to email me: hello@ohidesignblog.com

I painted our living room Stonington Gray and have not decided on furnishings yet. What colors did you do in your room? I’m thinking of a rusty orange loveseat but not sure if it would clash with walls. Thanks for your help!

Great post.
Just wanted to say that if you live on the West coast of North America (read: Vancouver) where it rains so much of the year, some of the cooler greys (with blue or purple undertones) that look great on the East Coast or generally sunnier places will appear gloomy. I’ve seen many Vancouverites make this mistake. The warmer greys, like Revere Pewter (which has more of a pink undertone) on the other hand are stunning.
Just started following your blog. As a novice interior decorator/blogger I’m looking forward to learning from your experience. Thanks.

I completely agree, Heather! The area in which you live plays a big part in the decision making of your paint selection. Revere Pewter is a great example of a warmer grey that would look great in a space that doesn’t get much sunlight.

Thank you for following my blog! Looking forward to your insight on future posts!! 🙂