50 shades of gray ... paint!

Well, we are knee deep in unpacking .. and it is super slow going .. I'm not sure I ever want to move during the school year again!

We also decided to tackle some painting before we were completely moved in. Thankfully, we had some help and the first two rooms went very quickly. I love how painting is inexpensive and can completely transform the look of a room. Even though our new home was well taken care of, it has been lived in for 10 years and practically every surface needs a new paint job. The doors and closets can wait, but for now we are focusing on the living room, guest room, and laundry room. Hopefully the other rooms are not far behind!

So when it came time to choose colors I went a little crazy and brought home like 50 shades of gray .. a few blue swatches, and some beige options. I thought I wanted to go lighter and brighter this time around, but it turns out I still just love Earth tones and rich, warm colors. Gray is my favorite neutral and if I'm not careful I might end up with 50 different shades of gray on my walls!

 

So how do you choose that perfect shade of gray?

1. Find the right color family. 
I think the most important tip to remember that all grays were not created equal! You have to be very intentional about which color family you are picking your gray from. If you want a "true" gray color, you need to pick your gray from the beige/tan section so that it has the darker undertones. If you choose a gray from the blue section, it will look blueish. If you choose a gray from the green section, it will look greenish, and so on.

2. Look at the color against white. 
To see which color family your gray actually originates from, be sure to look at it against a true white background.

3. Match it up!
Don't forget to bring the color home, possibly even a sample, and match it against your furniture and fabric for a true visual. It is not important for the color to be an exact match, but I personally want it to coordinate and to avoid blending in. Bringing out the undertones in your fabrics and furniture can really help to tie the room together. Plus, you have to consider the overall feel of the room that you want- is it light, bright and breezy? Calm and cool? Cozy and warm? Don't forget about lighting as well!

4. Visit Pinterest. (Why, of course!)
See how other people are using the color or similar colors that you are considering. Many times you can find pictures of rooms painted the exact shade and this can help you to visualize what it might look like in your own home. (Or maybe I just love Pinterest ..)

5. Create continuity. 
This is not necessarily a must, but I personally enjoy a home that has a continuous, connected color scheme and style throughout. Colors that compliment each other help create a cohesive feel and seem to make the home flow.

With those things in mind, we have chosen Cathedral Stone by Valspar for our guestroom. It is a fabulous warm color that is the perfect darker gray! At our last house we had used the Rugged Suede pictured below and it turned too dark (although we ended up liking it!). It looks great with my yellow, cream, and gray bedding.

Our laundry room was just painted Essential Gray by Sherwin Williams. It is another color that I am really loving-- not too light, not too dark, a great medium gray!

 

The guest bathroom and possibly our master bath are going to end up Brittney Inn by Glidden. Although this isn't gray, it is a coordinating color! This color is another warm blue, much like our previous living room. I've picked out the perfect shower curtain at Target to pair it with as well! (Although I am not sure this picture really captures the hue.)

We are leaning towards using Grayish by Sherwin Williams upstairs in our bonus room. This room only has 1 window, so we need to make  it feel spacious and light with our paint choice. Although the Essential Gray pictured above would be a great option as well.

However, my favorite color so far has to be our living room. We choose Perfect Greige by Sherwin Williams and I have to say that it really is perfect! We already had a tan and blue color scheme with our furniture and fabrics, but I wanted to incorporate gray as well. This paint color was a perfect way to tie it all together. It even compliments our furniture pieces. Now .. is it beige??? Is it gray???

And if you are looking for another great greige color, we used Treebark Gray by Colorplace in our master bedroom at our last house and absolutely loved the color. It turns out more on the beige side then Perfect Greige, but it compliments rich tones well.

 

And our best kept secret about paint? Buy it at Wal-Mart! Seriously! Find a nearby Wal-Mart that will color match and simply choose the Colorplace brand. Quite literally half the price of elsewhere and we can't tell a difference in quality.  

Check out some of my other favorite grays and color schemes that make me feel inspired:

Sources clockwise from top:

(1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(6)

I can't wait to share these completed rooms with you .. it is a work in progress. And, perhaps, one day we will finish painting and can share our complete paint list with you as well!

Happy Saturday!