Partner post: The Top 8 Light Paint Colours for Home Staging
To be honest, I’m not a consultant who believes that all homes sell better when painted light, neutral colours. In fact, many homes sell faster and for more money because their colours resonate on an emotional level with buyers.
So, this blog post is about COLOURS. Colours that my clients (and home buyers) seem to fall in love with at first sight. Colours that might help YOU add some emotional and ACTUAL value to your home.
Oh sure, it’s a beautiful colour – but it won’t appeal to as many people as a cool colour
But before we get started, there is ONE thing you might notice when perusing the colours below – none of them are warm. Why? Well, warm colours just aren’t selling homes right now. Sure, in the lighter NEUTRAL range there are a few beauties, but when it comes to paint colours with a bit more personality and depth, warm colours don’t make the cut with the majority of home buyers…but their time will come.
1. Sherwin Williams Sea Salt SW 6204
This is definitely one of the more popular paint colours on the market! Sea Salt is a beautiful light green with a decent gray backdrop, but be warned – it also loves to flex into blue!
Read more: Paint Colour Review: Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
Sea Salt has an LRV of 63, a GORGEOUS depth for the average room (read more about that HERE). It handles itself reasonably well in low-lit and brighter light, but like I always say, ‘if you don’t have enough artificial or natural light, there’s no paint colour that will save you’.
Sea Salt is great for…
- potato chips
- a master or guest bedroom
- bathroom
- beachy vibe
- I also had mad love for Sherwin Williams Rainwashed and Benjamin Moore Palladian Blue
Read more: The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colours with LRV
2. Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172
Revere Pewter is a lovely warm soft gray. Sounds contradictory, right? While many grays pick up a blue or purple undertone, Revere Pewter is more likely to pick up a faint earthy-green that makes it look warmer than the average gray.
Read more: All About Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
With an LRV of 55, Revere Pewter has a bit more depth and undertone than the average ‘home staging paint colour‘. But let me tell you, it has HUGE mass appeal and suits MANY styles of homes.
Revere Pewter is great for…
If Revere Pewter has just a BIT too much meat on its bones for you, check out Benjamin Moore Rodeo.
3. Benjamin Moore Steel Wool 2121-20
Steel Wool is AWESOME. It’s a medium-dark toned charcoal gray with a decent blue undertone. Blue loves to lean either green or purple, and this one leans slightly purple.
In fact, I used Steel Wool in our LAST home and it got RAVE reviews (and yes, the house did go into multiple offers).
Steel Wool has an LRV of 19 – BOOM! It’s certainly got some visual weight to it but NEVER looks black, even in a darker space.
Steel Wool is great for…
- a bedroom that is reasonably well-lit
- a family room
- as a feature wall
- Benjamin Moore Trout Gray and Sherwin Williams Software are also wicked gorgeous
4. Benjamin Moore Gibraltar Cliffs 1587
Gibraltar Cliffs is HANDS-DOWN one of the prettiest gray-blue paint colours.
Sherwin Williams Anonymous on the left, Gibraltar Cliffs and Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray on the right
Gibraltar Cliffs has a reasonable depth with its LRV of 30. And not only is it a blue-gray blend, but it also has a soft green hiding in it as well.
Gibraltar Cliffs is great for…
- bedrooms
- small bathroom
- feature wall
- cabinets
- also check out Benjamin Moore Mount Saint Anne
Let’s take a quick break to talk about paint samples…
Undoubtedly, you’ll be heading out in the near future to grab paint samples – stop right there! I want you to check out SAMPLIZE. Samplize offers peel and stick paint samples that are more AFFORDABLE, EASIER and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY than traditional paint pots. Here are just a FEW reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients…
- Samples arrive ON YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, depending on location
- At $6.99, they’re more affordable than the samples pots/rollers/foam boards that are needing for traditional paint sampling
- If you keep the samples on their white paper, you can move them around the room
CHECK OUT SAMPLIZE HERE
5. Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray HC 168
Looking to make an impact? Then check out Chelsea Gray. This medium-toned gray colour makes for a striking feature or accent wall or can completely envelop a room in its loveliness! Is it brave?HECK YA, but if you have the right room, you can make a great statement with it.
Keep in mind that while it’s SAID to be a warm gray, Chelsea Gray usually looks cool (like me in aviators) and can pick up a minor green undertone.
Read more…
The 4 Best Gray and Greige Paint Colours for Cabinets
Paint Colour Review: Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
With an LRV of 22, Chelsea Gray has some serious meat on its bones. But, time and time again, it holds up well, even in darker spaces (when you want more of a moody look vs light and bright).
Chelsea Gray is great for…
- feature or accent walls
- media rooms
- cabinets
- I also LOVE the slightly darker Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray and the warmer Sherwin Williams Dovetail
Click HERE or on the above image to see available packages!
6. Sherwin Williams Silver Strand SW 7057
Silver Strand is a light, but not a washed-out blend of blue, green, and gray. It’s also a bit of a chameleon as it seems to change its look based on WHO’S LOOKING AT IT! Some call it a blue-gray, others, a blue-green, but NOBODY calls it boring.
Read more…
The 8 Best Blue and Green Paint Colours
Paint Colour Review: Sherwin Williams Silver Strand
With an LRV of 59, Silver Strand is a great way to get some colour on your walls and contrast with white trim, without overwhelming a space.
Silver Strand is great for…
- bedroom or bathroom
- a restful, relaxing look
- a bit of colour without going TOO far
- you should also check out Benjamin Moore Gray Cashmere – super pretty
7. Benjamin Moore Anchor Gray 2126-30
Anchor Gray is STUNNING. And while not every home can handle a strong navy blue, Anchor Gray is a great way to get the navy look, without going overboard (get it?).
Anchor Gray is great for…
8. Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue HC-147
Woodlawn Blue is a GORGEOUS blue paint colour. As mentioned earlier, blue can lean either blue-purple or blue-green – this lovely one leans lightly into blue-green.
Woodlawn Blue is great for…
OH WHAT THEY HAY, LET’S DO A FEW MORE…
9. Sherwin Williams Dorian Gray SW 7017
I LOVE DORIAN GRAY! Dorian Gray’s LIGHTER version, Repose Gray, is definitely one of the more popular LIGHT warm gray paint colours, but for me, I love the body and contrast that Dorian Gray offers. When it comes to undertones, you’ll find this soft, medium-toned warm gray can pick up a very vague purple undertone that can sometimes flash a TINY wink green (vague).
Dorian Gray is great for…
- a kinky Friday night (50 Shades of Gray reference, for those in the know)
- entire rooms that are reasonably well-lit
- feature wall, if the other walls are off-white
- small bathroom
- painted cabinets
- I also love the slightly warmer Sherwin Williams Mega Greige
10. Benjamin Moore Arctic Shadows 1559
Arctic Shadows is one of the only true greens on this page. Why? Blue has WAY more mass appeal, whereas the wrong green can actually date a space.
Arctic Shadows is a green-gray blend. So while you get COLOUR, you aren’t smacked upside the head with it, which is one of the reasons why it’s popular.
Arctic Shadows is great for…
NEED HELP?
Check out my Online Consulting and Paint Colour services!
Chat soon,
READ MORE:
Home Staging for Mass Appeal
The Best Light, Neutral Paint Colours for Home Staging
Home Staging Tips – 5 Key Rooms
Originally written in 2015, updated with new info and photos in 2021!
