Grey Paint Colours – Help Me Choose The Right One

Grey paint colours are highly versatile and neutral, making them an excellent complement to a wide range of other hues. However, true greys are rarely a simple mixture of black and white. Instead, they typically include undertones of other colours, such as blue, green, brown or yellow. This can make it challenging to match greys perfectly, and as a result, it is one of the most challenging colours to get right.

Grey paint colours and their undertones

As colour consultants, we pay special attention to the undertone of a colour when creating a successful palette because they are crucial to achieving a perfect harmonious scheme.

Grey swatches with different bases

For example, look at the three grey colour swatches below, each with a different base tone.

The left swatch has a purple, the centre one a green and the right one a turquoise undertone. They are all grey, but each portrays a different feeling and matches other colours in a certain way. Can you see that grey is not just grey?

Choose a mauvy grey as your paint colour

Consider this example: Assume you have a sofa covered in this mauve-coloured fabric shown in the centre of the image above, and you want to choose a grey paint colour for your walls. In this case, our we recommend selecting a grey with undertones of mauve, as displayed on the left-hand side above. This way, you achieve a perfectly harmonious look for your living area. You can go one step further. Add bold mauve or purple scatter cushions to your couch to tie everything together, creating a stunning lounge area.

Select a harmonic colour scheme

Another example: We now want to find the perfect grey paint colour to match our (above) turquoise sheer curtain (see image above). In this case, choose a grey that has a turquoise base to accentuate your space best. This way, all the chosen colours look and work beautifully together, achieving a harmonious look for your interiors.

Get swatches of your grey paint colour

Staying with the examples above. If you’re looking for grey paint colours with either a mauve or turquoise base, there are a couple of ways to go about it. One option is to obtain a fan deck from a paint company like Dulux and browse through their selection of grey paints. Another option is to visit a hardware store and collect free paint samples. Once you have your samples, hold the grey swatches close to your mauve sofa or turquoise sheer curtain and determine which shade complements them the best. This colour-matching tip is practical regardless of whether you’re looking for a light, medium or dark grey.

What to avoid when matching colours

If you want to match your grey paint colour successfully, there are two key things to avoid. Firstly, never try to match them from memory. Instead, bring the hues physically together, even if it means carrying your colour swatches to a furniture showroom to hold them close to your desired furniture piece. Secondly, never attempt to match a colour on a computer screen or brochure, as they vary from the real thing. There is simply no shortcut if you want to match colours like a pro.

While you’re here, have a look at our completed interior design projects to get some inspiration.

Colour consulting services

If you need assistance finding the right colour, take advantage of our colour consulting services, where we recommend a beautiful palette for your interior decoration. For any questions, please call Martina at 0434 498 450 or email martina@martinahayes.com.au.