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Warm Grey Neutral colour for bedroom

last year

Really struggling with paint samples looking different to the end results.

I need a warm grey that isn't too grey and isn't too beige for our bedroom...any recommendations!

Also any suggestions on whether to do some sort of panelling/beading/details in this room? Because I'm not sure how it will work with a) the slope in the ceiling and b) centralising it with the flue (which is going to be plastered!)

Any design ideas gratefully received!

Featured Answer

Sonia

last year

Most warm greys seem to be more taupe or beige. Greys tend to be a very cool colour. However, pale taupe may be just what you are looking for, such as Dulux Egyptian Cotton or Farrow & Ball Skimming Stone (first pic below). Little Greene Slaked Lime comes in 3 shades and the last pic is the mid one.

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Comments (7)

Juliet Docherty
last year
last modified: last year
There's no such thing as a 'warm' grey per se as colour temperature can't be measured. Greys all have a hue, this means they are blue-ish, or greenish etc. A blue-ish grey will look much cooler than a reddish grey and so on. My advice would be to paint the room pure white (dulux trade) first, then you have a direction to go in. If you love how light the room then looks, you know that you want a paint that has a high LRV (light reflectant value). If the room feels very cold pure white, then you know to avoid anything that looks and feels a bit blue. If the paint you test feels bleak, then you might want something with more colour or saturation.

As the room has a sloping ceiling, my advice would be to paint the whole room the same colour which may mean somehting not too dark. I am really sensitive to colour temperature which means in terms of neutrals I would always opt for something that feels warmer than cooler, especially in less well lit rooms. I second Sonia's recommendations of Skimming Stone and Slaked LIme and would add Portland Stone (Little Greene) as another grey that can feel warmer than blue greys. Hope this helps.

In summary, colour temperature is relative and so a grey that is described as 'warm' is subjective, that 'warm' grey is likely to look cool in different rooms and likely to look cool next to a warmer grey, it constantly shifts. Avoid any greys that you think look blue is my advice.
Annie Barnes thanked Juliet Docherty
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Tia H
last year
I've painted my small north facing bedroom Crown Sail White and am really pleased. It's possibly not dark enough for your project if you want a true grey, but it's been a really nice not quite white not quite grey not quite cream when we were undecided on grey vs white.
Annie Barnes thanked Tia H
Annie Barnes
Original Author
last year
@Tia H that's really helpful - do you have any photos of Crown Sail White?
clarekelly2002
last year
School house white is beautiful imo
Tia H
last year
@Annie Barnes I'm not home just now but will post some later on. It's quite changeable through the day so sometimes looks very creamy other times looks warm grey. I'll try to get a few different times so you can see the change.
Tia H
last year
So as I'm posting I feel like you might find Sail White a bit more cream than you wanted, but for reference: first pic is taken about 6am, second around 8am, and third with the full bed in was about 4pm but back in May (so light will have been slightly different). I will say I think it looked more grey before we put the bed in and now looks less grey in comparison. Also, the final pic is taken in the doorway of the bedroom and our top landing which is small with no windows but is also Sail White and looks completely different so as others have mentioned it is going to depend on your space. Hope this helps!
Annie Barnes thanked Tia H

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