Best Blue Gray Paint Colors For Your Home
Blue gray paint is a popular color choice in home decor for good reason. Blue is of course a classic color but adding gray to make a grayish blue makes for a beautiful neutral for any space wanting to add a bit of color without it being too much. Considering gray blue paint colors allows you to step away from typical neutrals like white, gray, and greige paint colors.
The trick to blue gray paint acting as a neutral is in hue of the blue and the amount of gray in the undertone. Today we'll look at the best blue gray paint colors so you can determine which is best for your home.
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What Is A Gray Blue Paint Color?
Blue gray color paint is exactly what it sounds like. It's a blue color paint with gray mixed in to soften the brightness of the blue and push it more toward a neutral paint color. We call these neutral blue colors.
How To Choose Blue Gray Paint
Colors in the blue gray paint range run the gamut from gray with a hint a blue, to blue with a hint of gray. Whichever there is more of is the dominant color. The more gray, the more neutral the paint color becomes.
When looking at light blue gray paint colors you'll look first at the darkest color on the paint strip or swatch to determine the dominant color. This dark hue will make it obvious if the blue/gray color has more blue or more gray.
Popular Gray Blue Paint Colors
To keep things organized we'll start with light blue gray paint colors by Sherwin Williams and move towards dark blue gray colors.
Light blue gray paint colors
North Star SW 6246
Serene and muted North Star 6246 paint color is the perfect blue gray color for bathrooms, bedrooms and relaxing living spaces. It's a sophisticated light blue gray wall color that is soft enough to act as a neutral backdrop for brighter colors or other neutrals.
Reflection SW 7661
Reflection 7661 by Sherwin Williams is more grayish blue than North Star. Its name alone inspires a meditative calming effect, which is exactly the mood Reflection captures as a cool gray blue neutral. For that reason, SW Reflection is in high demand for bedrooms and bathroom walls.
Misty SW 6232
SW Misty is another soft gray blue color that works well with both cool and warm color palettes, making it versatile and easy to pair with many different home decor styles. This light blue gray paint is particularly well-suited for coastal and beachy themes and is the most even blue to gray ratio of the light blue gray paint colors we've looked at so far.
Medium shades of grayish blue paint colors
Upward SW 6239
SW Upward is a medium neutral blue with a really calming feel. Upward paint is also balanced between being a warm blue gray paint color and a cool color. Regardless of your lighting conditions, Upward will hold its hue very well.
Krypton SW 6247
Krypton SW 6247 is also a mid-range blue neutral but with a stronger cool gray undertone, giving it a sophisticated and modern look. SW Krypton is versatile enough to be used as a primary neutral paint color as well as an accent color.
Lazy Gray SW 6254
On the flip side of Krypton is Lazy Gray SW 6254, a greyish blue with a much a stronger gray undertone and more subtle blue. Like its other cousins in the blue gray paint color range, Lazy Gray is a perfect choice in rooms where relaxation is the primary function.
Stardew SW 9138
Stardew SW is a cool shade of blue with hints of green and gray. It pairs effortlessly with various design styles, from modern to rustic, and a wide range of complementary colors. Sherwin Williams places Stardew (SW 9138) on its list of top five shades of blue neutrals.
Dark gray blue paint colors
Dark blue gray paint is an excellent choice for accent walls or when you want to create a moody feel in a space.
Waterloo SW 9141
Waterloo SW 9141 is a rich blue that's subdued by gray tones and makes a strong statement wherever it's used. Waterloo is most popular on accent walls, wainscoting, and cabinetry.
Storm Cloud SW 6249
SW Storm Cloud is a deep and saturated color with a gray undertone that gives it a moody feel. Storm Cloud is a popular choice for kid bedrooms and playrooms, but has enough versatility to look sophisticated in any room.
Distance SW 6243
SW Waterloo (above) and SW Distance have a lot in common but Distance is lighter and bluer than Waterloo. Both these colors have more blue than gray; Waterloo's blue is tempered by a warm gray while Distance reads cooler. Distance is too heavy to use as a primary neutral except on the exterior, where it looks stunning.
Slate Tile SW 7624
Slate Tile SW 7624 leans into grayish blue territory; this elegant shade is another great choice for emphasizing focal points in a home. This dark gray blue brings drama to interior doors and board and batten accent walls, and is a deep and lovely exterior trim or primary color.
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Examples Of The Best Sherwin Williams Blue Gray Paint Colors
I used gray blue color paint in my own home as a backdrop behind the DIY family room builtins I created. This beautiful smoky gray blue color, Distance by Sherwin Williams, was perfect to make the white shelves pop.
Blue gray living room
Blue gray in a home, particularly the light blue gray paint colors, can be really calming. In this living room, light colored furniture and neutral accessories help warm up SW Misty's soft coolness and create a comfortable place to relax.
Blue gray bedroom
The bedroom is the optimal place for bringing in tranquility with SW Upward paint color on the walls.
Blue gray accent wall
SW Storm Cloud has a starring role in a great room focal feature with its deep blue gray adding a huge color punch against the light stone fireplace surround and neutral living room decor elements.
P.S. There's no better way to create a cohesive feel than with color, but in order to avoid mistakes and get an updated look you've got to understand color like a designer.
Inside my online course, Color Made Clear, I will teach you exactly what you need to know about selecting colors for your home in everything from paint colors, to flooring and carpet, to fabrics so you can make confident color decisions and get the exact look and feel you're going for. - Even if there are finishes in your home you can't change, I'll show you how to use color to distract from them for an updated look!
