There are at least 50 million shades of gray. Which one will look best on your house? We asked members of our Architect/Designer Directory to reveal their favorites. Here are the 10 exterior gray paints that they most often turn to:
Deciding between gray and white? See 10 Easy Pieces: Architects’ White Exterior Paint Picks, also chosen by members of our Architect/Designer Directory.
Swatch photographs by Katie Newburn for Gardenista.
Above: Top row, left to right: Benjamin Moore [product id="621665"]Sag Harbor Gray[/product]; ICI [product id="621672"]Grey Hearth[/product]; Dunn-Edwards [product id="621673"]Vulcan[/product]; Benjamin Moore [product id="621666"]Graphite[/product]; Benjamin Moore [product id="621662"]Bear Creek[/product]. Bottom row: Benjamin Moore [product id="619925"]Iron Mountain[/product]; Benjamin Moore [product id="618439"]Gravel Grey[/product]; Sherwin-Williams [product id="621670"]Peppercorn[/product]; Farrow & Ball [product id="621669"]Down Pipe[/product]; and Benjamin Moore [product id="621664"]Graystone[/product].
Above: Los Angeles-based SIMO Design painted this house in Dunn-Edwards [product id="621673"]Vulcan[/product], a cool blue-gray. It’s the bluest of the shades in our top 10.
Above: LA designers Nickey Kehoe Inc. had this house painted in Benjamin Moore [product id="619925"]Iron Mountain[/product], a dark gray with a rich brown undertone. The same shade is also a favorite of Geremia Design and Klopf Architecture, both based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Photograph by Amy Neunsinger.
Above: Chatham, NY-based architect James Dixon chose Benjamin Moore’s [product id="621665"]Sag Harbor Gray[/product] for this Hudson Valley farmhouse. A light green-gray, it’s part of Benjamin Moore’s Historic Color collection.
Above: Ana Williamson Architect, based in Menlo Park, CA, used Benjamin Moore [product id="621666"]Graphite[/product] on the siding of this modern house. The color is a true dark gray with just a hint of blue. For the trim, Williamson chose Benjamin Moore [product id="621667"]Gunmetal[/product]; the stucco was integrally colored to match Benjamin Moore [product id="621668"]Timber Wolf[/product].
Above: SF Bay Area-based interior designer Kriste Michelini chose Benjamin Moore [product id="621662"]Bear Creek[/product] as her favorite gray. Rich in brown tones, it’s lighter than Iron Mountain but darker than Grey Hearth. Photograph via Pinterest.
Above: Both LA-based DISC Interiors and SF-based Nicole Hollis picked Farrow & Ball [product id="621669"]Down Pipe[/product] as their top exterior gray. The popular color is a complex mix with hints of blue-green. Photograph via Farrow & Ball.
Above: NYC-based architect Alex Scott Porter has used Benjamin Moore [product id="618439"]Gravel Gray[/product] on several projects, including this cabin on a Maine island. Gravel Gray is the darkest of the shades recommended here.
Above: LA’s Kevin Oreck Architect painted this new house in ICI [product id="621672"]Grey Hearth[/product].
Above: Interior designer Laura Clayton Baker of LA-based The Uplifters Inc. used Sherwin-Williams [product id="621670"]Peppercorn[/product] on this Washington, D.C., house. The truest gray of those listed here, Peppercorn pairs well with the other shades Clayton Baker used on this exterior: Sherwin-Williams [product id="621646"]Pure White[/product] and [product id="621671"]Tricorn Black[/product] for the trim, and Benjamin Moore [product id="621663"]Vermilion[/product] in a high-gloss finish for the door.
Above: SF-based Klopf Architecture has used Benjamin Moore [product id="621664"]Graystone[/product] on several house exteriors; the shade is appealing in all kinds of light.N.B.: For more tips on how to increase curb appeal, see our Hardscape 101 design guides. Don’t miss:
- Exteriors & Facades 101: A Design Guide.
- Facade Facelift: Everything You Need to Know.
- Find lots more designer-approved outdoor paint picks for your house at Palette & Paints.
- Trying to get up the nerve to paint it black? Read 10 Modern Houses Gone to the Dark Side.