Best light gray paint for living room sherwin williams

What are the best cool grays for painting walls?

When it comes to painting, gray is by far the most popular paint color – whether it’s for walls or cabinets. It adds depth and dimension to room (especially when compared to white).  It’s stylish, soft and neutral…the perfect combo.

Gray works so well with dark hardwood floors (the most popular) and it also does well with light hardwood floors.  It’s a cool color and cool tones are in – whether it’s for the walls, floors, area rugs and other fabrics as well as cabinets.   It just seems to work everywhere.

But did you know that Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore make over 100 shades of gray?  Yes, that’s enough to overwhelm most homeowners…and many just get confused and overwhelmed when they go to the paint store.

So, I’m going to simplify the process and make it much easier for you.

This is a great option if you’re going for a super modern look.  They tend to work well with very dark floors, white cabinets, white marbles (or quartz) and other cool grays.

In this article, I’m going to discuss my top picks for cool gray paint shades.

Get The Printable PDF

I have everything that you need is here in this article.  But it is a long read. If it’s more convenient, you can purchase the PDF file for only $5. It has the full article (including pictures). This way you can print it out and will be available for you to refer to anytime you want. (Click on the book below to purchase)

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Please note that this article contains affiliate links. You can read my full disclosure at the bottom of the page.

Note: If you’re planning on painting yourself, here are some  helpful tools to make the job faster and easier.

  And, this Painting and Flooring Planner will organize your paint shades, finishes and flooring choices by room.

While 11 may still sound like a high number, you’ll quickly see that there are really only 4 choices.  There are 4 base lighter colors, and then some darker coordinating colors that can be used as accent walls, or for some variation in some rooms.

These are my favorite cool gray shades from Sherwin Williams. They are popular and tend to go well with most floors and most furniture. My customers seem to love them, and they just work. You really can’t go wrong with any of them.

While these colors do work for most homes, I always encourage my customers to get testers and see the color for themselves in their own homes…in their own lighting.  It’s especially important with grays with tend to reflect light and take on other colors from the room.

Do you need any paint shade fan decks?

Amazon can help with that. It’s so much easier when you have the full color wheels and can see all of these in your own home (vs. going back and forth to the store MULTIPLE times).

Sherwin Williams Benjamin Moore

What is LRV? (And, why should you care?)

A quick note about LRV, before I get started.  LRV stands for Light Reflective Value and it’s a scale from 0 to 100 with higher numbers reflecting more light…and these look lighter (obviously).  Basically, it’s a measures of the lightness or brightness of a color.

For perspective, the average blackest black has an LRV around 5% meaning that it absorbs almost all the light, while the whitest whites are in the range of 85-95%.  As a rule of thumb, most decorators recommend that your base color be a 50% LRV or higher meaning that it reflects more light than it absorbs.

Now this is only part of the story.

On a separate note, if you don’t have enough natural (or artificial light), no paint will save your room.  Paint shades don’t give you light; they only reflect it.  You need to address the root of the issue…get more light.  (e.g. get lighting, remove dark colored window treatments/open them, etc.)

You need the light to bring the paint color to life.  While a higher LRV may help, it won’t solve the real issue.

Low LRV colors are 0-35.  These colors absorb most of the light.  A medium LRV paint is in the 35-55 range.  These colors reflect a medium amount of light, but not an excessive amount.  60+ is considered a high LRV, and these colors reflect a lot of light.

9 Awesome cool gray shades from Sherwin Williams:

These first 5 grays coordinate well together. So, if you use for you base Gray Screen for the base color, you can use the darker grays for accent walls (or other rooms).  Or, you if you a chair rail, you can do the lighter color on top and a darker one on the bottom

1. Gray Screen (SW7071) – LRV = 59

The LRV (Light Reflective Value) is 59, so it reflects more than half of the light and is light enough for most rooms.  While I consider it a light gray, it is the darkest light gray of the bunch.

Because it’s a cooler gray, it pairs well with very dark floors and mid toned brown floors, most white marbles and other cool grays you may have in the home (e.g. stainless steel appliances, gray tiles, dark gray cabinets, brushed nickel hardware and many area rugs).

For accent walls, I’d suggest Sherwin Williams Online, Network Gray or African Gray (see below).

Would you like to see this color in your own room? If so, you can get a sample here.

2. Online (SW7072) LRV = 45

It also coordinates well with African Gray (SW9162) and Software (SW7074) for accent colors.

And, you can always get a real sample here.

3. Network Gray (SW7073) LRV = 37

Or, it can be used as an accent wall to offset Gray Screen (if that’s your base color).  It work well in southern exposure or well lit rooms.  In dark rooms, it can look too heavy.

Also, if you choose Network Gray as your base color, then Software (SW7074) or Web Gray (SW7075) can work well for a deep rich accent wall.

Would you like to see this color in your own lighting? If so, you can get a sample here.

4. African Gray (SW9162) LRV = 31

Or, African gray can be used as an accent wall for Gray Screen or Online.  It’s a darker gray that isn’t too dark if it’s used in moderation.

Get a sample here.

5. Software (SW7074) LRV = 23

It’s blue undertones give it a super cool look.  If you’re going for a deep darker room (e.g. for a media room or man cave), it may be perfect.  But more often, it’s used as an accent wall with a lighter gray or a mid-toned blue or aqua.

Would you like to see this color in your own room? If so, you can get a sample here.

Before I cover the next 6 shades, I want to share a helpful video from Sherwin Williams.  This will help all you DIY painters out there.  It’s just 2 minutes and shares advice on best tools and techniques to help make the process faster and come out better.  At the end of this post, I provide links to where you can buy some of these products on Amazon.

Sherwin Williams and Pottery Barn Painting tips for DIY homeowners

These next 3 shades all coordinate together.  I would usually recommend Olympus White for the base color as it’s the lightest.  Morning Fog and Serious Gray coordinate well with each other for contrasting accent walls.

6. Olympus White (SW6253) LRV = 68

If you want to do an accent wall, my top recommendation would be Morning Fog (see below).  While Serious Gray is on the same color strip, it’s usually too much of a contrast with Olympus White.  But, if you use all 3 gradations, it can work well.

Would you like to see this paint color in your own room? You can get a sample here.

7. Morning Fog (SW6255) LRV = 42

This color coordinates well with Olympus White (SW6255) as well as Serious Gray (SW6256).  So, it can be used as a darker accent wall for Olympus White.  Or, it can be used as the base color and coordinated with Serious Gray as the accent wall.

You can get a sample here.

8. Serious Gray (SW6256) LRV = 23

Serious Gray is a great accent color choice for Morning Fog (SW6255).

Would you like to see this in your own lighting? If so, you can get a sample here.

These next 2 colors coordinate well together

9. Reflection (SW7661) LRV = 66

It’s calm, neutral and reflective…so it’s a perfect name.  It works well with true white trim (see best whites for trim and base molding).  If it’s paired with a warm white or off-white, it tends to make the walls look more blue.

You can find a paint sample here.

10. Steely Gray (SW7664) LRV = 30

As the name implies, it’s a deep steely gray with blue undertones.

Would you like a sample?  You can get a one here.

11. Passive (SW7064) LRV = 60

Because it’s so neutral, even if the gray trend becomes a thing of the past, I predict that this cool neutral gray is here to stay and will outlast the trend.

You can get a sample here.

Is it gray or grey?

You will find that most American manufacturers, such as Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore, use “gray” for their color choices in the US.  They will sometimes have an alternate spelling for Canada. But, either way, the meaning is the same.

Paint Samples

Now, let’s talk about samples…

It’s always best to test the paint colors in you own home and own lighting. The colors do look different pending your lighting and can even look different room to room.

You can definitely go to your local painting store to buy some samples (and a brush…be sure to paint with 2 coats), but I have a MUCH EASIER way for you. Check out SAMPLIZE.

Samplize offers 12” x 12” peel and stick paint samples that are EASIER, AFFORDABLE and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

Here are a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients:

• Samples come right to YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, pending on location
• At $5.95, they’re more affordable than the samples/brushes/foam boards than traditional samples…and of course easier and way less messy
• If you keep the samples on the white paper, you can move them from wall to wall and room to room

They are amazingly accurate as they are made with 2 coats of real paint, so they are color correct.

Visit the SAMPLIZE website HERE.

Conclusion:

I hope you love these cool grays as much as I do. These colors tend to be very neutral and forgiving. Do not stress about the nuances among them. Just choose one that you love. And, be sure to test the colors in you own home so you can see these grays in your own lighting.

Get The Printable PDF

I have everything that you need is here in this article.  But it is a long read. If it’s more convenient, you can purchase the PDF file for only $5. It has the full article (including pictures). This way you can print it out and will be available for you to refer to anytime you want. (Click on the book below to purchase)

I would love to give it to you for free, but it cost money to have an online store and it’s expensive to maintain a blog. I would love your support so I can continue to help those who need it.  You can purchase it here.

Helpful tools if you are going to paint yourself

Here are some painting tools that may come in handy if you’re going to do the painting yourself. Also, be sure to check out my article on the Top 10 DIY Painting mistakes and how to avoid them. The products below can be found on Amazon and delivered straight to your door.

• Painting brush – this one costs a bit more, but it’s totally worth it. It will help you paint faster and more accurately. If you’re going to paint yourself, don’t skimp here. Incidentally, this is Amazon’s Choice as well.
• Painter’s tape – a must have. Use for all the trim as well as ceiling area
• Paint roller kit– this includes a tray. Use the brush for the edges and the roller for main areas of the wall (and ceiling).
• Drop cloths – Yes, you’ll need them for sure. Some people have some on hand, but often not enough if you are doing many rooms.

Do you need any paint shade fan decks?

Amazon can help with that. It’s so much easier when you have the full color wheels and can see all of these in your own home (vs. going back and forth to the store MULTIPLE times).

Sherwin Williams Benjamin Moore

Related articles:

• 9 Amazing warm grays and greiges
• Most popular shades of gray paint and coordinating accent walls
• How to properly test paint samples
• Best paint colors for selling a house
• Best paint colors for kitchen cabinets
• Best shades of white for trim and base molding

11 Awesome Cool Gray Paint Shades from Sherwin Williams