People often tell me that picking out paint colors is the most dreadful part of decorating their home.
I totally get it! Look at all the gray paint swatches in this photo. This is probably only an eighth of what’s available at Lowe’s, too. Gray has been a popular wall color for a while now, and it’s not going anywhere. This is because it’s so incredibly diverse. Every shade of gray has an undertone – blue, pink, purple, green, yellow. So, how do you choose?
I always recommend choosing your gray paint based on the other colors in the room. If you’re incorporating blues in your room, you’ll want to use a blue-gray paint. If you will be using tan accents in your space, you should use a gray with a yellow undertone, or a “greige” (gray/beige). Ultimately, the gray paint color you choose will depend on temperature. Do you want the room to feel cool or warm? Blue and purple undertones will give the room a cooler feel, while green and yellow warm things up.
However, many people struggle with seeing these undertones in paint swatches. Try taping a bunch of swatches on the wall next to each other, and see if you can tell the difference between them. Then, try holding some swatches next to different colored objects, such as a green plant or a blue pillow. You may notice that the saturated color of the plant makes one swatch look very blue, and another swatch seem green and cohesive with the plant color.
If you’re still having a hard time deciding and are afraid to risk wasting a weekend and a couple gallons of paint, send me a message. I’m always happy to help!