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Grey paint suggestions

(78 Posts)
petitpois Thu 21-Jan-16 09:55:51

I am looking to update our bedroom walls. When we moved in they were magnolia and we've never got round to repainting. Any suggestions for paints to try? Thinking a pale grey?

Synonymous Thu 21-Jan-16 10:48:58

petitions your name makes me want to be mischievous and suggest a lovely pale green! grin

However .......

When we moved recently we went into the local Dulux centre where they have the widest range of paint colours I have ever seen and yet they still have a service whereby they will make up a paint especially for you. You can start with a small quantity to try and if you want it lighter or darker they will keep trying with you. The staff were very obliging and nothing was too much trouble.
If you make up a mood board or failing that take in things from your home with which you want the paint to tone then that is a real help to all.

Most of all have fun and enjoy! smile

petitpois Thu 21-Jan-16 10:53:38

Synonymous - we already have a pale green living room... wink It is my favourite colour. Suspect even if the bedroom walls are grey I'm going to go with green accents on cushions etc.
Thanks for the advice - will have to look out for a Dulux centre...?! We've only got a Homebase and a Wickes that I know of nearby but I like the idea of having more choice.

Synonymous Thu 21-Jan-16 11:06:59

Should have guessed that! grin grin

tanith Thu 21-Jan-16 11:07:40

Have a look at the colours at Farrow and Ball we love their colours but they are very expensive my grandson got one of the colours mixed at a local shop at a much cheaper price..

ww.farrow-ball.com/colours/paint/fcp-category/list

Elegran Thu 21-Jan-16 11:34:17

I'd be very careful which shade/tint of grey you use, as it can easily just look as though you need a stronger light bulb. What looks OK in a small sample can envelope the whole room in smog.

sherish Thu 21-Jan-16 11:47:55

We once stayed in a room in a French Hotel which was painted grey. It was absolutely the wrong shade, not a restful dove grey but like a battleship grey! Horrid. A pale dove grey can be lovely and can be complimented by all different colours of accessories.

Elegran Thu 21-Jan-16 11:50:41

There is grey and grey. It depends what proprtions of all the primary colours and white are in it whether it looks warm, cool, or just depressing.

Tegan Thu 21-Jan-16 11:51:16

Egyptian Cotton is a lovely pale grey colour from the Dulux range; seems to blend beautifully with other shades, especially creams and duck egg blue. I always buy a tester pot now and try it on a piece of paper and pin it to the wall. B&Q have got a good offer on at the moment with Dulux paint [not sure when it ends].

Tegan Thu 21-Jan-16 11:52:43

...probably more of a hallway/bedroom colour than living room though....

Tegan Thu 21-Jan-16 11:53:49

...oh; you did say bedroom...blush...

petitpois Thu 21-Jan-16 12:07:25

Oh that looks LOVELY Tegan. Exactly what I am looking for. But Egyptian cotton just looked a bit cream/magnoliaish on the picture on the tin so I dismissed it. Does it come out greyer? I actually picked up the tester and then put it down again. Back to the shop I go!

NanaandGrampy Thu 21-Jan-16 13:55:33

www.dulux.co.uk/en/visualiser

What about this ? It is a room decorator using Dulux colours ...might be easier to visualise?

suzied Thu 21-Jan-16 14:22:30

I have my bedroom in Farrow and Ball Parma grey which is a lovely soft bluey grey looks lovely with white skirting boards and wardrobe.

phoenix Thu 21-Jan-16 18:42:37

I loved the soft grey colour that the bedroom was painted when we stayed with friends, a colour called "Swansdown". We bought a tester to try it, and in our south facing sitting room it looked very, very blue!

Ended up going with Celtic Forest 4, a rather nice.......green!

rosesarered Thu 21-Jan-16 18:51:03

It's all about the amount of natural light that a room has.A silvery Nordic kind of grey is probably best.

PPP Fri 22-Jan-16 09:38:17

'Swans down'i is a lovely flattering very pale grey. Dulux, I think.
We have just painted a wall in our hall in 'Night Jewels'. Very dark and absolutely stunning!

Gibby Fri 22-Jan-16 09:45:31

I have used Egyptian Cotton in my hall from ground floor, first and second floor. It shades differently (like most colours) in different lights however I am very pleased with it as it is a very restful colour. My problem is finding the right curtains as I don't want everything grey which seems to be the fashion in all the magazines, plus my husband and I can't agree (think he is colour blind)! I'm still looking and thinking of going for a John Lewis ready made curtain called Persia - Indian blue, haven't shown him yet ? Wish me luck!

grandMattie Fri 22-Jan-16 10:02:56

Whatever you do, DON'T go for these "chalk" paints! We didn't re-paint the house when we move here two years ago, but now realise that they are horrible to clean, and every little finger mark shows. We now have more fingerprints than the CIA on our walls! grin

Chicklette Fri 22-Jan-16 10:06:22

We've just had our kitchen diner painted in Dulux polished pebble. It's the palest of greys and I absolutely love it. Our house was all magnolia when we moved in and we're gradually changing it all. Due to health problems (and growing older!)II'm sad that I can no longer do the decorating myself and OH never gets round to it. So we've paid someone to do some decorating, and although I begrudge the money it does look brilliant.

Persistentdonor Fri 22-Jan-16 10:13:50

The over all effect really depends on the lighting, as others have said. Particularly the room's aspect. But the electic lighting you have can change the colour's appearance dramatically.
This is especially obvious if you have l.e.d. bulbs and the advice is: warm white provides the perfect ambience for living spaces such as the living room or bedroom. Cool white gives a clean, white light more suitable to kitchens, bathrooms or office spaces. Daylight is the final colour option which lends a very natural feel to any setting.
Chances are the paint shade appearance in the shop will be different to how it looks in your own home.

chrissyh Fri 22-Jan-16 10:29:42

My friends has just had her hall painted grey, with an accent papered wall, but had trouble getting the right shade. The first one she bought, looked light in the tin but went on darker than she wanted. As long as it is light enough I think it will be fine - hers looks lovely.

westieyaya Fri 22-Jan-16 10:30:06

I love Farrow & Ball's Skimming Stone, its a lovely warm very pale grey. I did some of the woodwork in a darker shade on the same colour chart. The grey matches a design in my curtains and i team it all with small accents of Fuschia Pink

miep Fri 22-Jan-16 10:43:39

Our lounge is painted in a dark grey on one wal and light grey on three; it looks great with dark grey sofas!

gettingonabit Fri 22-Jan-16 10:45:58

I'm a fan of Perfectly Taupe, a light grey with a lilacy undertone. It's nicer than it sounds. It's a warmish grey and, I think, more interesting than Egyptian Cotton (which imho is a bit "greige".

I love any grey, mind.