20 Best Gray Paints According to Top Interior Designers

There are only a few months until Pantone announces the 2017 Color of the Year – but if it’s up to us, we might just cast our vote for a shade of gray. The neutral color can create a calming, elegant or even electrifying effect – so it makes sense that the shade is currently going viral on Pinterest. Here, designers share their favorite shades of gray for stunning interiors.

Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams. "It's faint enough to be a neutral, but saturated enough to make a difference." - J. Randall Powers
Ammonite, Farrow & Ball. "It's the perfect neutral and a great alternative to off-white. I recently painted a wood paneled room this color, and the overall effect was warm and inviting." - CeCe Barfield Thompson
Cheating Heart, Benjamin Moore. "The biggest fear to overcome when using a dark color is that it will make your room feel smaller. Not true! A dark color makes the walls seem to disappear and adds incredible drama to a room. This charcoal has just the right amount of brown in it to add warmth. It's as gorgeous on walls as it is on millwork and trim. I've even used it on the bottom of a claw foot tub." - Jen Going
Chelsea Gray, Benjamin Moore. "I use this shade over and over again on cabinets and vanities because it is the perfect medium-dark gray. It has warmth, but never looks brown, and has enough pigment to make a statement without shouting. Such a classic!" - Erin Gates
Cloud, Dunn-Edwards Paint. "It feels soft and airy, but is still saturated enough to make an impact and elevate a space. It's incredibly versatile, working in anything from traditional to modern spaces, and pretty much everything in between. I love it paired with white for a crisp, clean contrast, and with dark charcoal for more dramatic feel." - Jessica McClendon
Cornforth White, Farrow & Ball. "This pale gray paint has a touch of taupe/lavender that provides a wonderful neutral backdrop to both traditional and modern interiors. I love how the color evolves over the day: cooler earlier in the day and a bit more moody at night." - Grant Gibson
Downpipe, Farrow & Ball. "It's such a beautiful shade that works with a mixture of tones and finishes. The color has a deep richness that doesn't fall flat and can give a space a great punch, especially when paired with light colors for high contrast." - Shannon Wollack & Brittany Zwickl of Studio Life.Style
Elephant's Breath, Farrow & Ball. "This warm and luxuriant shade is stunning in a room with white woodwork and crystal chandeliers. Pop it with coral or hot pink." - Dana Gibson
Gray Owl, Benjamin Moore. "This gray is super classic and sophisticated, but not boring AT ALL. It's a very, very warm gray – meaning that it's still a cool tone, but has more yellow in it than blue." - Emily Henderson
Horizon Gray, Benjamin Moore. "I like that it is light and airy. It is a whisper of barely there color. This gray doesn't go green, blue or lavender. It is a perfect neutral backdrop!" - Summer Thornton
Iron Mountain, Benjamin Moore. "I look for dimension within paint colors, something that shifts a little from day to night. I love the subtle depth and warm brown underpinning of this shade. This deep, dark gray is beautiful in a matte wall finish, stunning in satin for millwork, or easily pulls off sexy in a gorgeous gloss for furniture and cabinetry." - Drew McGukin
Lamp Room Gray, Farrow & Ball. "This shade of gray is pretty because it has a little taupe in it that makes it very chic. It can be beautiful in a living room, dining room, or bedroom." - Alex Papachristidis
Modern Gray, Sherwin Williams. "This is the ideal background color: warm, soft, and plays well with everyone. It's like the consummate party hostess who brings out the best in every guest. It's the perfect backdrop for blues (denim, chambray, navy) in a living room, and makes olive green look fantastic. It can handle fuchsia and orange in a bunk room, but also goes beautifully soft with creams and grays when used in a master bedroom or kitchen." - Allison Bloom
Pashmina, Benjamin Moore. "It's a rich, warm gray that creates an inviting, intimate space. It's also a perfect exterior color paired with a dark charcoal trim." - Karen Vidal
Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore. "I keep coming back to this paint color again and again. It's warm enough to use in a space with little sunlight, but not too warm to be considered "greige." It looks soft and rich without overtaking the room." - Amanda Reynal
Rodeo, Benjamin Moore. "It has the right mix of warm and cool undertones to be a true gray. It has just enough brown to achieve that perfect warm gray. It looks beautiful on walls, trim, paneling and cabinetry - use it everywhere!" - Wendy Labrum
Sleigh Bells, Benjamin Moore. "This color is warm without being muddy, and it has just the perfect amount of pigment – dark enough to be sophisticated and crisp, light enough to be bright and airy." - Orlando Soria for Homepolish
Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore. "I've found that this hue looks pure and fresh at any time of day or in any type of space. It's not too dark, not too light…it's just right." - Caitlin Murray
Whisper, Benjamin Moore. "It's a super soft and subtle shade of gray that feels fresh, light and airy. It reflects light beautifully to really open up a space, and serves as the perfect neutral backdrop." - Nicole Gibbons
Winter's Gate, Pratt & Lambert. "This color has the ideal hint of color for homeowners that may be too shy to jump out of their beige comfort zone. It's light enough to read as a neutral and is a beautiful balance for bright white trim. It's ultra versatile on ceilings, as it complements both light and dark wall colors." - James Wheeler