The best grey paint for low light rooms

All shades of grey (paint).

Grey paint is a very popular paint colour, but getting the right shade of grey can be challenging, especially if you’re working with a low light room – the colour is sensitive to different types of light.

The key here is the grey paint’s undertones; to achieve the right atmosphere and the right shade, we need to start thinking about what else is in the paint colour other than black and white.

Rooms which don’t get much natural light are often cold so you’ll want to warm them up with some yellow undertones, however, you need to be cautious here as it can look green under lots of artificial light. Testing pots and swatches will be essential.

If you do achieve the right grey then your low light room will feel warm, bright and even bigger – greige and brown-grey are a great choice for this.

Read more: the best wall paint colour to hide dirt: paint colour for high traffic areas

If you want to create a lot of drama in a low light room, then a charcoal grey would do just that. Often, working ~with~ the low light rather than against it, creates a better atmosphere than trying to make it bright.

Now you know the kind of grey you need, here’s some grey paint colours for low light rooms to get you started:

Elephant’s Breath – Farrow and Ball

Mid-grey with a touch of magenta to heat things up.

Elephant's Breath Farrow and Ball

Arquerite – Little Greene

A warm grey shade, but still with lots of silvery undertones.

Arguerite - Little Green Grey Warm Paint

Grey 03 – Lick

A warm grey with a cosy lavender base tone.

Lick Grey 03

Grey 14 – Lick

This grey has a drop of pink to warm things up.

The best grey paint for low light rooms Grey 14 - Pink Grey Lick

Grey 09 – Lick

A deep dramatic grey that’s moody and warm.

The best grey paint for low light rooms Grey 09 Lick

Margot – Coat

Subtle, warm and enticing with its yellow undertones.

The best grey paint for low light rooms Margot Coat Paint

Sunday Soul – Coat

A warm taupe with subtle grey and brown undertones.

The best grey paint for low light rooms Sunday Soul Coat Paint

Big Timer – Coat

A powerful, deep and warm grey.

The best grey paint for low light rooms Big Timer Coat paint

What colour paint is best for dark rooms?

You could play this either way and go light or dark with your paint colour for a dark room. However, make sure they have warm undertones like pink, yellow, red or lavender – it’ll stop the room feeling cold and uninviting.

What colour will brighten a dark room?

Pale shades of grey, blue, yellow and terracotta will brighten a dark room. Avoid a brilliant white, it will look muddy and dull without any natural light to reflect.

Farrow and Ball is a very popular paint brand and they have a huge range of grey paints, but Skimming Stone is their most popular grey colour to date.

Which shade of grey is best?

This all depends on the characteristics of the room you’re painting; for example, if the room gets lots of light then cool undertones will work, but if it’s dark then a warm grey is best.

What is a good warm grey paint colour?

Pebble Shore by Dulux is a good warm grey paint colour.

What is the lightest Dulux grey?

Polished Pebble is one of Dulux’s lightest grey colours.

Which grey paint for a north facing room?

Any warm grey paint will work for a north facing room to help the room feel warm and inviting.

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