Gray is a safe color for nearly any room in the house, but it is particularly versatile in the bedroom. No matter your home decor style, there's a gray shade that will work for you. A color often misunderstood, gray is rarely depressing or one-note. Instead, gray paint colors lend a tranquil, soft, and moody feel to a bedroom.
If your room receives little natural light, you can fool the eye into seeing the space as airier and lighter with a soft, shimmering gray. If you crave a sophisticated, elegant style, look to the darker, cool tones. For any mood you want to set in your bedroom, gray can play well with other colors and create a deep, personality-filled space.
- Color Family: Gray; shades can be warm or cool
- Complementary Colors: Works with most colors because it's a neutral
- Pairs Well With: Many colors including pink, red, green, blue, and white
- Mood: Calming
- Where to Use: Bedrooms
Here are the 11 best gray paint color ideas that are guaranteed to look gorgeous in the bedroom.
Choosing a Gray Paint Color
When you decide to go gray, it's not as simple as choosing the first gray paint chip you come across. There are warm grays, cool grays, light grays, and dark grays, and understanding your room's undertones and lightings are key to selecting the right shade.
Consider whether your room gets abundant natural light or leans darker. With less natural light, you'll want to pick a warm gray to add life to the room, while a room that fills with sunlight throughout the day will look bright and crisp with a cool gray.
Then think about the other colors within the room. Do your floors lean cool or warm? Is there brass hardware in the room? Or is it silver? Let these existing elements guide your gray decision.
Best Gray Paint Colors for a Bedroom
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Best Dark Gray: Dutch Boy Ship's Anchor
If you're worried that a dark color will make your room feel smaller, think again. A rich hue like Dutch Boy's Ship's Anchor will actually make your bedroom walls seem to extend and disappear in a way that will open up your space. This shade adds endless depth to your space, whether it's cozy or sizable, and is a stunning accent wall color if you can't commit to the whole room.
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Best Greige: Farrow & Ball Pavilion Gray
Light enough to be considered a neutral, Farrow & Ball's Pavilion Gray is more of a greige than a true gray. This cool gray is a medium shade that works amazingly in contemporary or modern bedroom spaces. When painted on the wall, hints of its blue undertone shine through, allowing it to pair well with other cool hues and similar colors.
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Best White Gray: Benjamin Moore Graytint
Torn between gray and white? Consider Graytint your solution. This gray is light enough to be considered a dark white and is a brilliant color for bedrooms that lack natural light. It's misty, moody, and tranquil, creating an elegant hotel-like atmosphere in any bedroom once up on the walls. Pair with a white linen duvet for a space you'll never want to leave.
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Best Green-Gray: Magnolia Chime Gray
Magnolia's Chime Gray is a rustic, farmhouse-friendly gray that's nearly white with subtle green undertones. The green tint gives this gray a depth that feels homey and lived in. It also helps create a vintage vibe in any bedroom and looks great in a bedroom with dark wood floors. Pair it with bright whites or other muted colors for a stunning effect.
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Best Blue-Gray: Benjamin Moore Wolf Gray
If moody and calming is what you're after, check out Benjamin Moore's Wolf Gray. This dark shade has strong blue undertones and has a casual sophistication about it. It works well in all types of bedrooms. Pair it with muted dark tones like mustard or burnt orange or lighter cool shades of white or gray. This blue-gray shade also work well in coastal-style bedrooms that make use of ocean-inspired hues and nautical decor.
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Best Warm Gray: Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray
We typically think of gray as a cool color, but it doesn't have to be. Repose Gray is a warm light gray with a slight yellow undertone that feels lived in and cozy. Try this shade with deep warm colors such as rich red or mustard yellow, or with different tints of the same shade. Repose Gray works best in a room with average natural light and on walls with pure white trim.
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Best Cool Gray: Benjamin Moore Thundercloud Gray
Designers love Thundercloud Gray and for good reason. This cool, lighter gray is universally beautiful and a great choice if you want a fail-safe paint color for your bedroom. Match this hue with cool, crisp whites for a stunning combination that feels elegant and modern.
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Best Purple-Gray: Sherwin-Williams Sensitive Tint
Sherwin-Williams' Sensitive Tint is an unexpected color that lends loads of personality to your bedroom. This cool, muted gray is similar to a light lilac and is a great way to add a dash of color while maintaining a modern vibe. Pair this hue with deeper cool purples for a regal bedroom vibe.
Determine how much paint you need with The Spruce's Paint Calculator.
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Best Brown-Gray: Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray
Agreeable Gray lives up to its name. This Sherwin-Williams color is one of the most versatile, easygoing grays you can choose. It's a warm gray that reads neutral in most spaces, and it's neither too dark nor too light. This brown-gray shade has a beige undertone that lets it play well with warm colors, and it's Sherwin-Williams' best-selling paint color.
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Best Versatile Gray: Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
When you think of a true, classic gray, Benjamin Moore Classic Gray could be it. This light, bright shade of gray feels like a chameleon that can look cool or warm depending on its surroundings. It's crisp and fresh when paired with white trim, and it can be used as an alternative to a white or off white when you're looking at neutrals for the bedroom.
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Best Balanced Gray: Benjamin Moore Gray Owl
Benjamin Moore Gray Owl is a crisp gray that can lean blue or green when it's paired with those colors. It feels balanced and fresh, reading crisp rather than murky, and it's a favorite of designers looking for a timeless, pretty shade of gray. It's the perfect gray to use in a monochromatic bedroom full of shades of calming, relaxing gray.
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Is gray a good bedroom color?
Because gray can create a relaxing, serene look, it's an excellent bedroom color. Consider pairing it with crisp white or a palette of blues and greens for a calming bedroom environment.
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What is the most popular gray paint?
There's no surprise here, the versatile Agreeable Gray from Sherwin-Williams is the most popular gray paint.
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What color complements gray the best?
If you're using a cooler gray, blue, green, and white will enhance its soothing properties. However, if you've chosen a warmer gray, pink or brown can create a relaxing bedroom environment.