6 Best Most Popular Blue Gray Paint Colors Used By Designers
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Gray paint colors are among the most widely used paint colors on the market. Grey is a standard neutral that will go with just about anything because it’s so versatile and looks good with everything from brown and black to virtually any color, including blue. It’s no surprise when you mix blue with grey, they’ve become some of the best and most popular paint colors used by designers everywhere!
Blue is a classic color and when mixed with gray it creates a perfect balance of neutral with a little hint of color. It still has an overall neutral look but it’s slightly more interesting and less predictable making for a more unique design choice.
When selecting blue gray paint colors for clients, there are a handful of colors we turn to and use again and again because they just work.
6 Best Most Popular Blue Gray Paint Colors
Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge
Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray
Benjamin Moore Smoke
Sherwin Williams Passive
Sherwin Williams Silverstrand
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore
While I love neutral paint colors, if everything in your home is neutral it begins to feel a little boring and flat. There is nothing to give it contrast or that WOW factor that’s unexpected, that makes you think, “I never thought to do that!” As a designer, that’s what makes a space really stand out in my opinion.
One thing you may have noticed about me is I love the color blue. I’m naturally drawn to the color and find myself picking out blue things all the time. Whether it’s clothing or furniture or paint colors, I gravitate towards blue. In fact, I’m sitting in our blue patio chair outside as I type this!
When it comes to blue grey paint colors, they have a complexity to them. Just as gray has hard-to-read undertones, so does blue. I’ve explained in several of my paint color reviews the importance of understanding undertones and swatching colors before painting a whole room to avoid any surprises or let downs. There are so many factors that play into what a paint color will actually look like on your walls, and sometimes the color isn’t quite what you were expecting. Maybe you chose a beautiful light blue, but on your walls it turned out to be a baby blue which you didn’t intend. I can’t count the number of times clients have told me that they chose a color for their room only to find out that the color they picked isn’t what they expected and now they hate the result. I was just talking to my neighbor the other day and she told me they repainted their main living area a gray. She thought she had chosen a neutral gray but she said on the walls, it definitely has a hint of blue which surprised her. If this has happened to you, you are not alone!
That is why I always recommend swatching paint colors on your walls or where you are painting. If you are scared to go blue but worried you won’t like it, choosing a blue grey paint color is much less scary! Let’s explore the world of blue gray paint colors and see which are the best colors along with where to use them in your home!
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The Best Blue Grey Paint Colors
According to Wikipedia, “blue gray is a medium bluish–gray color. Another name for this color is livid.” There is a big range of colors – some have more gray in them, others have more blue. Another name for these types of colors is slate.
The reason why we designers love blue gray paint colors is because they are a more interesting twist to neutrals and are a good way to ease into color without going too bold or bright. If you are scared of bringing color into your home but you want to add a little something because it feels tired or boring, blue gray colors are the perfect choice. Just follow the steps how to choose the right paint colors for your home, and you will find a color that suits you that is perfect without feeling intimidated.
Where can you use blue-gray colors?
The best thing about blue gray colors is they can be used just about any space in your home, just like neutral colors.
Use them on the exterior of your home. A dark gray blue paint color makes a beautiful exterior that is dramatic with big wow factor. Yet, it doesn’t feel overdone because it’s a classic blue gray neutral.
One of the best places to use blue-gray is in bedrooms. Because blue is a calm, serene color that promotes relaxation, it only makes sense to use it in the bedroom where you go to unwind and fall asleep. And since it’s a neutral with a hint of color, it doesn’t feel boring if you keep the rest of your bedroom and linens neutral.
On the same note, blue grays are also a great option in bathrooms for the same very reason as they are calming and peaceful. If you want a spa-like feel in your bathroom, blue grays are perfect.
Blue Gray Kitchen Cabinets
Another trend we’ve seen on the rise in the last few years are blue gray kitchen cabinets. People are going more bold in the kitchen and getting creative with their use of color. You can go with a darker color on your cabinet lowers and stick with a neutral on the upper cabinets for a unique look. Or try painting all of your cabinets blue gray for a pop of color.
In our first house we painted all of our kitchen cabinets Northern Star by Pratt and Lambert before we remodeled the whole space and they were beautiful! The kitchen was small so there wasn’t a ton of cabinetry and the kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house. The blue gray paint color punched up the kitchen for a fun twist.
In the same home, several years later, we remodeled our kitchen and replaced appliances, countertops, flooring, and got all new cabinets. The second time around we went lighter on the cabinets, but stuck with a blue gray color. The cabinets came pre-finished from Home Depot so I don’t have the exact paint color, but the closest match is Sherwin Williams Passive. I absolutely loved the color! It still felt like a neutral, but not boring. Imagine how blah the kitchen would have looked if the cabinets were standard white.
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Paint Brushes – The BEST paint brushes for the most accurate edging and they last forever if you clean them well.
Painter’s Tape – a must-have when painting trim and to tape off ceilings when doing walls. Even with a precise paint brush you need tape.
Drop Cloths – You’ll need this for sure when doing any painting. It’s better to have plenty than not enough and constantly moving them around.
Wire Brush for Cleaning – This wire brush is ESSENTIAL to get your brushes clean and remove all the dried paint on the outside bristles. Without this, your brushes will only last a few paint projects.
The Best Most Popular Blue Grey Paint Colors
There are hundreds of paint colors it’s hard to choose a select few, but these are my absolute favorite blue gray paint colors that I recommend most often. I’ve read through other lists of best blue grey colors and while their lists are lengthy, I wanted to share only the best of the best and colors I personally use and recommend.
Benjamin Moore Water’s Edge
It’s a beautiful blue gray that doesn’t feel too “baby blue”. I love it painted on the interior door here!
Benjamin Moore Boothbay Gray
This is a very gray paint color with just a subtle tint of blue. It’s a chameleon and will look more blue in some light and less blue in others. It’s perfect if you want just a tiny blue color in otherwise a good neutral. I’m thinking of painting our front door this color!
Benjamin Moore Smoke
A gorgeous color for cabinetry with a little blue but the gray mellows. Jillian Harris’s laundry room cabinets are painted this color and I love it so much!
Sherwin Williams Passive
A light paint color with blue undertones, Passive is one of those colors that might surprise you when you start painting on your walls if you didn’t intend to choose a paint color with a blue hint. It may look like light gray on the paint swatch but in certain lights, the blue is evident.
Sherwin Williams Iron Ore
Iron Ore is a dark charcoal with the tiniest bit of blue in it. It’s one of those dark dramatic colors that looks great on exteriors if you’re looking for a statement. There are certainly other colors with even more blue in it, but this is a good one if you want a dark charcoal without going too navy.
Sherwin Williams Silverstrand
This color has a bit of a coastal vibe with it’s light and airy color and pop of blue. I painted our main bathroom vanity this color and it’s just beautiful! Our bathroom doesn’t have any windows so the blue is a little more prevalent than in a room with lots of windows where it may get washed out and look more gray.
Additional Paint Colors
If you’re looking for even more ideas for paint colors, check out my other posts that go in detail on specific colors. I break down the undertones for you and show you the paint in real-life examples!