The 9 Best Greige Paint Colors (According To Experts): a house log

“Greige” is that sweet spot between gray & beige, giving you a paint color that is both trendy and timeless. In fact, we have been on the greige bandwagon for nearly 20 years – well before we’d even heard that term! But finding the ideal greige can be daunting. There are 100s of neutral paint colors that could be considered greige, so we have waded through dozens of expert round-ups to see what colors come up over and over again. Yes, I made a spreadsheet. And yes, I liked it.

It is no surprise that our go-to greige paint showed up on these lists. But the greige color that ranked #1 was a bit of a shock to us!

What Is Greige?

Greige is an umbrella term for any color that dances the line between gray and beige (gray + beige = greige). These paints might also be called “warm gray” or “cool beige.” For many homeowners, these greiges looks less dated & drab than beige, but more contemporary & cozy than gray. So in short, you get the best of both worlds!

Traditional cool gray paint colors seem to have fallen out of popularity lately because they can sometimes look sterile or cold. Likewise, beiges can skew too yellow or antique for some people. Greige paint colors dodge both of these pitfalls, which is why they’ve become so popular. They are strong options for walls, ceilings, cabinets, and even as a whole house color scheme. Heck, once we found a greige we enjoyed, we gradually repainted nearly every room in our last house that color!

Pros of Using Greige Paint

Greige paints are a strong choice for anyone seeking a versatile neutral color. Here are some reasons to consider it:

• You hate white walls but are not ready to commit to a color
• You are trying to create a subtle contrast between white trim & your wall color
• You want a classic, timeless color that does not look dated
• You want something truly neutral that goes with warm & cool decor
• You are looking for a soothing color to create a relaxing space
• You’ve considered gray walls, but worry it’ll be too cool or sterile
• You prefer a flexible backdrop for your constantly evolving decor & design style
• You are paralyzed with paint indecision and need an straightforward and trusted option

Cons of Using Greige Paint

As much as we enjoy greige, it is not right for every person or every space. So here are some drawbacks to keep in mind before you paint:

• You want a bold or statement-making paint color
• Your room does not get much natural light, which can skew greige into a darker beige territory
• You cannot stand being accused of “boring” design choices and want something risky
• Your furniture & decor is mostly greige itself, which can result in a flat look (monocromatic can also look strong though! So it truly depends)

That second to last one is likely the biggest criticism of greige paints – or any neutral wall color. Greiges have become especially popular among home builders, realtors, and even Airbnb hosts because they are crowd-pleasers. But to some, this makes them too generic. Personally, we’d say do not let that stop you from going greige if you want to! You will discover that your house will feel the most like “you” and the most welcoming to you when you follow your own instincts. And as you will see, there are plenty of reasons that greige can be a smart & stylish choice.

What Are The Best Greige Paint Colors?

Here are the 9 greige paint colors that get cited over and over AND OVER again. And yes, simply like for our Best White Paints analysis, making a spreadsheet kept me organized. We have listed them starting with the one that appeared on nearly every list we reviewed. It is a color we have used (and enjoy!) but were surprised to see it float to the quite top.

Note: The swatches in this post are taken directly from each paint manufacturer’s website. These are imperfect digital approximations of each paint color, but they are the best apples-to-apples way to discuss paint online. We encourage you to view physical swatches of any color before painting.

1. Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter (HC-172)
2. Sherwin-Williams Agreeable Gray (SW 7092)
3. Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (OC-23)
4. Sherwin-Williams Anew Gray (SW 7030)
5. Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige (SW 7036)
6. Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray (HC-173)
7. Sherwin-Williams Worldly Gray (SW 7043)
8. Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray (SW 7015)
9. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist (OC-27)

We will talk a bit more in detail about each color in a moment. I will also list some “runners up” at the bottom of this post if you want to expand your sampling beyond these 9 paint colors.

How To Pick The Ideal Greige

Finding the ideal greige for your space can still be tough, even from this narrow list. The nuances between two colors can frequently be quite (and maddeningly) subtle. To assist distinguish them, we will talk a lot about brightness and undertone. These are useful terms to keep in mind when picking any color, but especially grays.

We also recommend viewing and testing paint colors in person before making a final selection. Screen colors are not true-to-life, so we have included links for pre-painted removable stickers for each color too (those are all listed & linked further down in this post). Large stick-on color swatches are a strong way to evaluate the true color without breaking out a paintbrush! Plus you can try them in multiple spots at distinct times of day to see how they change.

What is LRV?

LRV (Light Reflectance Value) is a standardized way to measure how bright a paint color is. It is represented by a number from 0 to 100, indicating the percentage of light that a painted surface reflects. The higher the number, the brighter the paint (100 = pure white, 0 = true black). You can see the LRV for a range of popular colors below:

Now let us look at where the top 9 greige paints fall on an LRV scale. You can see that there is quite a range: SW Anew Gray is the darkest (with an LRV of 47). And SW Classic Gray is the lightest (with an LRV of 74). Most of them cluster around an LRV of about 60.

You can typically find a paint color’s LRV scale on the manufacturer’s website. They can be helpful to know when you are comparing two colors, or while seeking alternative options of a similar brightness. Knowing a paint color’s LRV is also useful with white and gray tones because these swatches are not consistently displayed according to brightness like other colors in a paint deck.

LRV can also assist you pair two greiges together. For instance, we hoped to paint a complimentary, but deeper greige on the ceiling of our foyer. The walls were already BM Edgecomb Gray (with an LRV of 63) so we went with BM Revere Pewter (with an LRV of 55) on the ceiling. In person it was clear to see that the ceiling was slightly darker and a bit more moody.

What Are Undertones?

Undertones refer to the subtle secondary colors in most paints. They are typically grouped in terms of warm vs cool. For instance, a warm gray may have hints of yellow or red. A cool gray might look more blue or purple. These are frequently difficult to detect, especially on small swatches. They are also somewhat subjective and are influenced by other factors in a room like lighting, nearby colors, and wood tones.

By definition, “greiges” fall on the warmer side of the undertone spectrum, but not so far that they get called cream, ivory, beige, or tan. Most greiges on this list gained popularity because their undertones are extremely subtle – meaning they truly walk the line between gray and beige. Still, it is essential to understand them so you are not surprised when it goes up on your wall.

How To Test Greige Paint Colors

It is consistently wise to test paint colors before you finalize your decision. No matter how highly recommended a paint color is, it is ultimately up to how it looks to YOUR eyes in YOUR space.

Gather Plenty of swatches. You are eager to narrow your choices, I get it. But collecting extra swatches – even for colors that are darker, lighter, warmer, or cooler than you want – helps you better identify any differences in brightness or undertone. You also may surprise yourself and realize you hoped something warmer or cooler or darker or brighter than you originally thought!

Stick, do not paint. Once you’ve narrowed your options, use a site like Samplize to order large pre-painted stickers of your go-tos. They are about the same price as traditional paint samples, but do not require any painting (or repainting when you are done!). They simply peel off! This also makes them strong for moving around to distinct surfaces in the room so you can see the color on distinct walls in distinct lighting scenarios. Here are links to the 9 greiges on this list:

• BM Revere Pewter sample sticker
• SW Agreeable Gray sample sticker
• BM Classic Gray sample sticker
• SW Anew Gray sample sticker
• SW Accessible Beige sample sticker
• BM Edgecomb Gray sample sticker
• SW Worldly Gray sample sticker
• SW Repose Gray sample sticker
• BM Balboa Mist sample sticker

Give your samples time. Observe your stickers during the morning, afternoon, evening, and in artificial and natural light to evaluate how the brightness and undertone may change. Try them on distinct walls in a room too. They can also be stuck to cabinets, trim, or other surfaces you are considering painting.

The 9 Best Greige Paints

Now that you understand a bit about evaluating greige paint colors, let us take a closer look at each of the ones that made this list. We scoured many lists from color experts at Southern Living, House Striking, Elle Decor, and even Bob Vila. We also referenced fellow bloggers and crowd-sourced forums like Houzz and Reddit. We will start with the most frequently-cited greige:

#1. Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

We enjoy BM Revere Pewter (HC-172) and have used it more than once. But we were surprised to see it rank #1 because it is one of the darkest greiges on this list (LRV is 55). Still, it is one of Benjamin Moore’s all-time bestselling colors and it is straightforward to see why. It nails that blend of beige & gray, making it strong for fairly much any space.

We first used Revere Pewter in a swift makeover of our old bathroom (above). It was a little dark in that windowless room, so we preferred how it looked in our sunny foyer (below) where we painted it on the ceiling. That fact is in fact a strong example of how it is a chameleon color that shifts depending on other factors in a room.

Revere Pewter has quite subtle green undertones. Do not let this worry you. Plenty of these greiges have green undertones because that is what gives them simply the right mix of warm & cool tones.

#2. Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

Agreeable Gray (SW 7092) is one of Sherwin-Williams bestselling colors for many of the same reasons that Revere Pewter is for Ben Moore. It has an LRV of 60, which makes it slightly lighter than Revere Pewter’s 55. It is also a hair cooler, meaning in some lighting situations it can veer a little closer to gray than greige. As you can see in the room below, it certainly does not look like pure cool gray though – it still has that warmth to balance it.

Like its name says, Agreeable Gray is a strong team player and looks good with a variety of design styles and color schemes. Our friends used it when renovating their rental (above) because its a classic backdrop for their colorful furnishings and accessories.

#3. Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

Benjamin Moore’s Classic Gray (OC-23) is the lightest greige on this list, so it is a strong choice for darker rooms or areas where you want less contrast with white trim. Simply be warned that without a lighter color nearby, Classic Gray may look nearly white itself! But the barely-there undertones that it has (sometimes described as purple or green) make it a especially versitile warm gray.

#4. Sherwin-Williams Anew Gray

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Sherwin-Williams’ Anew Gray (SW 7030) is the darkest greige on this list. It is in fact on the same swatch as #2 on this list: Agreeable Gray, simply one shade darker. Like most others on this list, the subtle undertones tend to read as green or purple. This gives it a warm, nearly stone-like appearance. Consider Anew Gray for bright rooms where lighter greiges may wash out, or in darker spaces where you want to create a cozy, den-like feel.

#5. Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige

Like Agreeable Gray, Accessible Beige (SW 7036) is another one of Sherwin-Williams’ top-selling colors of all time. With an LRV of 58, it hits that 60-ish sweet spot that most colors on this list fall into. As its name implies, this color tends to skew a little closer to beige in some spaces. It is likely the warmest color on this list (and in a room without much natural light it’ll likely look even darker & warmer). So if you are finding these other colors too cool or gray for your liking, or you are trying to achieve a cozier sunny look, try Accessible Beige.

#6. Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

Edgecomb Gray (HC-173) is our hands-down go-to go-to greige. We even wrote a whole deep dive about why! It is another one of Benjamin Moore’s bestselling paint colors and in fact sits on the same swatch as Revere Pewter, simply one shade lighter (it has an LRV of 63 vs. Revere Pewter’s 55).

We first tried it out in our old bedroom (pictured at the top of this post) and enjoyed it so much that we slowly repainted nearly half of our house Edgecomb Gray. Our dining room, office, hallway, foyer, and powder room were ALL EDGECOMB GRAY. You can see more photos of it in our Edgecomb Gray review. We like that it perfectly straddles that gray / beige line, while being a bit lighter and brighter than Revere Pewter.

#7. Sherwin-Williams Worldly Gray

Wordly Gray (SW 7043) is quite similar to BM Revere Pewter, although simply a hair lighter and cooler. When viewed side-by-side, Revere Pewter may look a bit browner, so Worldly Gray is a strong option if you want to stay firmly on the “gray” side of things. Although we have not used Worldly Gray ourselves, we used a darker color on the same swatch (Anonymous SW 7046) on our old siding for a striking deep putty color.

#8. Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray

Repose Gray (SW 7105) is the coolest of the colors on this list, although it is still warm sufficient to classify as a greige in most spaces. We helped friends of ours select Repose Gray for the whole first floor of their house a few years ago. In our experience, it changed a lot depending on lighting and trim color. In their sunnier south-facing rooms it was firmly greige. In their north-facing rooms (like their living room below) it skewed grayer. It was truly striking either way and in short went with every furniture item.

You can also see Repose Gray in their kids’ homework room. That is another north-facing room and it also had a lot of cool white and blue accessories, causing it to look less greige.

#9. Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist

Benjamin Moore’s Balboa Mist (OC-27) is the 2nd lightest greige on this list with an LRV of 65 (Classic Gray is the lightest at 74). We considered Balboa Mist over Edgecomb Gray for our home and I think we would’ve been quite glad with either. It is a smidge cooler too, so it could be a good alternative if you worry Edgecomb Gray is too beige for your liking.

Runner-Up Greige Paint Colors

Here are 8 other popular greige paint colors that appeared across multiple lists we reviewed. They were not cited quite as frequently as the Top 9 above, but many designers still swear by them. You see from the grid below that they run a wider range of shades and undertones.

• Farrow & Ball Cornfroth White (No. 228)
• Benjamin Moore Natural Cream (OC-14)
• Benjmain Moore Pashmina (AF-100)
• Sherwin-Williams Ideal Greige (SW 6073)
• Behr Wheat Bread (720C-3)
• Benjamin Moore Gray Mist (OC-30)
• Benjamin Moore Wish (AF-680)
• Sherwin-Williams Colonnade Gray (SW 7641)

We have also personally used Sherwin Williams White Heron (SW 7627) with strong success, which is a lesser-known hue similar to Gray Mist above. It is quite subtle and light and striking (it was on every wall of our beach house).

Other Greige Paint Color FAQs

What trim color goes best with greige walls?

White trim is consistently a classic choice with greige walls. This keeps the color from skewing too beige or too gray, which could happen with off-white trim. You can paint the same greige on your trim for a tone-on-tone look, but without the contrast of white trim you may lose some of the greige color’s beauty. Some of our go-to white trim colors are BM Simply White, SW Pure White, and SW Extra White.

What ceiling color goes best with greige walls?

Greige walls work well with white ceilings, but can also be paired with other colors – including the same greige you used on the walls. We paired Edgecomb Gray walls with Revere Pewter ceilings in our old foyer. They are on the same swatch, meaning we knew they’d work well together. In our daughter’s old room we did a more playful pink ceiling. Simply test the colors first to be sure their undertones do not clash.

Is greige still popular in 2024?

Greige paints are a timeless choice that will not be going out of style anytime soon. One paint brand even picked “Rustic Greige” as their 2023 Paint of the Year! Greiges have been popular for a quite long time, so they may feel less trendy or cutting-edge than other colors that are having a moment.

What color is replacing greige?

In 2024, some experts are predicting the return of warmer beiges, yellows, and creams. Glidden even selected one for their 2024 Paint of the Year. This is likely a continuation of the trend away from the cool grays that dominated in the early 2010s. However, greiges are well-poised to outlast this fluctuation between warm and cool neutrals because they sit firmly in the middle.

What is the difference between greige and taupe?

Greige and taupe both refer to colors that are a mix of gray and beige, and the terms are frequently used interchangably. However they are technically a bit distinct. Greiges tend to favor green undertones, while taupes frequently have noticable pink or purple undertones. In fact, Sherwin-Williams’ 2017 Paint of the Year, Poised Taupe (SW 6039) is classifed as a purple in their database!

Where should I use greige?

Greige paints are strong on nearly every surface: walls, cabinets, ceilings, or even trim and doors. Greiges are also strong choices for exterior siding. Simply be sure to choose a darker greige for outside because colors tend to wash out in the bright sunlight. So a medium greige inside can literally look nearly white outside in all that sun.

More Paint Colors We Enjoy

You can check out more of our go-to go-to paint colors by touring our homes in the menu at the top of our journal. We have also written these detailed deep-dive posts about our go-to paint colors:

• The 12 Best White Paint Colors
• Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
• Benjamin Moore Simply White
• Sherwin-Williams Pure White
• Sherwin-Williams Extra White
• The 12 Best “Haint Blue” Paint Colors
• Every 2024 Paint of the Year
• Every 2025 Paint of the Year
• Every 2026 Paint of the Year

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