How To Find The Right Greige Color Paint For Your Home
Curious about greige color walls? Greige color paint is a warm blend of gray and beige, accented by subtle brown undertones that create a refined, neutral backdrop for any room.
When we painted our home with this versatile hue, it quickly became a hot topic among friends and visitors who couldn’t help but ask, "What's that amazing paint color?"
In this post, you'll discover the secrets to choosing the ideal greige color for your space, ensuring it remains a timeless favorite for years to come. (For more design insights, be sure to explore our guide Easy Steps to Create a Whole House Color Palette.)
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What Color is Greige?
If you haven't heard of the paint color greige, you've most definitely seen it.
Greige is a balanced blend of beige and gray with brown undertones - as if beige paint from the 90's and today's modern gray paint had a baby and created a gray beige paint color we now call greige!
Greige paint color continues to be a go-to choice among homeowners and designers because greige coordinates with many different colors and complements a variety of home decor styles - key to a perfect neutral paint color.
The problem with beige walls
Beige walls might seem like a safe, neutral choice, but finding the right shade can be a real challenge. Too often, you end up with a beige that veers into pink or even orange - hardly the sophisticated backdrop you were hoping for!
Just like we steer clear of overly yellow or orange lighting, it's crucial to avoid beige hues with those same undertones, or your room can quickly feel outdated or a bit dingy.
The problem with gray walls
Now, consider gray walls. While they promise a modern vibe, many gray paints end up with a blue or purple tint that makes a room feel chilly and uninviting.
That's where greige colour paint truly shines - it blends the best of both worlds. With its balanced mix of gray and beige and just the right hint of brown, greige paint creates a warm, inviting space that's anything but boring.
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Choosing Greige Paint For Your Home
Finding the right greige color paint color for your space involves understanding your room’s lighting, decor, and personal style. Consider these key points:
- Assess Your Lighting: Greige can transform under different lighting conditions, so test samples at various times of day.
- Complement Your Decor: Whether your style is modern industrial or classic traditional, choose a shade that enhances your furnishings.
- Balance the Undertones: Look for a hue that maintains a harmonious blend of gray and beige with just the right touch of brown.
The trick is to pick a warm gray which means you want a gray paint with some brown in it, but not too much red.
Easy Steps To Find The Right Greige Paint Color
When it comes to selecting that perfect grayish beige paint color, a few practical steps can guide you in narrowing down your options: Regardless of whether you choose from Sherwin Williams greige paint colors or another brand, these steps will help you figure out the right shade for you.
Step 1: Use the darkest shade on the swatch as your guide
Start by examining the darkest shade of the color on the color strip. This shade reveals the true undertones that will influence even in the lighter versions of grey beige paint color, ensuring you know what to expect before making a decision.
Let's look at an example.
The second beige gray paint color from the top (image below) would probably be one that a lot of people would consider as a good neutral.
But look at the darkest hue on that swatch. There's a lot of red in that brown. And so as the color gets lighter, there will be red or orange undertones that show up in your wall color. This is how people end up with walls that read too pink, when they were going for tan walls. You don't want that.
Step 2: Find a dark greige color with the perfect balance of brown and black undertones
Next, focus on identifying a dark gray paint with brown undertones using the darkest colors on your color strip. Here’s how to make sense of your options:
Look at the colors from left to right:
- The first brown might lean too red - no good because an unwanted pinky hue might show up on your walls.
- The next one you can see a significant purple tint in the darkest shade which will show up on your walls even when you use the lightest shade - especially in rooms with lots of northern light.
- Another swatch looks neutral at first glance - but we know better. A closer look at the darkest shade tells us there's a hint of green in this color.
- The final two swatches you can see a lot of black in the darkest hue, so in the lighter shades these will read more gray with brown undertones, making these true greige colors.
By comparing these nuances you can confidently narrow your search to finding the griege color that's perfect for your space.
Step 3: Choose between a light or deep greige tone
After identifying the true undertones using the darkest shade on your swatch, the next step is to move upward along the strip to decide whether you want a lighter or deeper greige for your walls.
Consider these two examples:
- Example One:
Starting with SW 7027 Well-Bred Brown, you see a true brown base. As you move up the swatch, gray begins to emerge, forming popular greige options like Requisite Gray and, further along, the even lighter Alpaca. - Example Two:
With SW 7020 Black Fox, the base leans cooler with more black than brown. Moving up the strip, you'll discover popular lighter variations such as Mindful Gray, and eventually, Repose Gray.
These examples illustrate how progressing through the color strip can help you determine whether a light, airy greige or a deeper, richer tone best suits your space.
Examples Of A Greige Color Palette In Real Homes
The greige walls in my home are Requisite Gray by Sherwin Williams. I used this neutral color on most of the main living spaces and hallways in my home and it's acted as the perfect backdrop for my home's color scheme.
The greige color palette in my home has a lot of gray and blue tones and the greige walls go perfectly with these cool colors as well as the warm wood tones on some of my furniture, tying it all together nicely.
Greige walls in our entry way
Our warm greige living room
Greige kitchen wall color
A lot of activity happens in our kitchen, and the greige paint goes with everything and makes the white trim pop. This room gets a lot of warm natural light and the light greige paint is a perfect background for everything from the warm tones on our kitchen table to the cool tones of our kitchen cabinets and countertops.
Greige bedrooms
Greige bedroom paint creates a calming atmosphere, letting you mix both warm and cool neutrals in your decor while making your white trim and moldings stand out.
Greige bathroom paint
Greige sets a serene tone in the bathroom that effortlessly blends warm and cool neutrals, allowing your fixtures and tile accents to truly shine.
Building A Greige Color Palette
Once you’ve settled on your ideal greige shade, consider building a harmonious color palette around it. Use this versatile neutral as your base and complement it with accent hues to create a cohesive design. For additional inspiration, be sure to explore our guide on How to Create a Whole House Color Palette.
- Pro Tip: Enhance greige with accent colors like navy, soft greens, or even a pop of mustard to create a balanced yet dynamic look.
Final Thoughts
Over the years, I've helped hundreds of people choose the right paint color for their homes, and I've mastered the art of selecting the ideal greige paint color.
Now, why not take the next step? Dive into our guide where I break down 12 Perfect Neutrals by their undertones. This additional resource offers a fresh perspective on choosing the right shade - providing you with a diverse range of 12 neutral options beyond greige to match your unique color scheme.
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!
