When I was asked to pick one paint color to use in every room of every house that Express Homebuyers rehabs and sells, I knew exactly the shade and tone I wanted – a warm gray.
Why? Gray is the one color that delivers it all. It combines elegance, style and warmth. It can be high class or casual. It coordinates with many other colors. And it can look completely different depending on how the light comes into a room.
Our journey with gray originally started with Sherwin William’s 7641 Collonade Gray. This is a fantastic shade. But due to issues with our vendor and other logistics, we were asked to switch to Glidden. Glidden’s A1836 Fossil Grey has the same warm, delicious effect. And Behr’s Toasty Gray N320-2u works well too. Benjamin Moore and Ralph Lauren also offer fabulous shades of gray.
To punch up a room with your personal style, add accents of art, pillows and accessories in shades of gold, yellow, blue, green, brown, purple or red. Paint an accent wall in your chosen color or in a darker gray. You can even paint your ceiling in a light gray for an amazing effect!
Want to add more visual interest? Use the same shade of gray in two different finishes to create vertical or horizontal stripes, marking out the space with painters tape.
No matter the brand, a warm gray can make any room in your home shine. Whether you want a more beautiful living space or you want to sell your house fast, a warm gray will always get you where you want to go!
Tracy Kay Griffin is a member of Express Homebuyers Design Team. She was the Series Designer for HGTV’s “Get It Sold,” a Guest Designer for HGTV’s “My First Place” and the Lead Stager for Washington DC’s premier staging company, Red House Staging & Interiors.