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pandang81

Warm grayish color for whole house! Need help! Paint experts??

7 years ago

I have been going back and forth for weeks on which color to paint the new house we are building. we have to go with Pittsburg paints so I found a few that I like , I just dont know how they will look on the whole house! The trim will be a bright white. Ceilings and walls will be same color so I don't want to go too dark Or too light. I like Whiskers and Storms Coming paint colors by Pittsburg paints because they are both warm gray/almost taupe. I want a gray that will go with browns, golds, beiges, tans ....warmth. The new house has a ton of natural lighting so my fear is that I pick a paint color that will look too washed out with all of the natural lighting. The ppg whiskers paint has lrv of 60 and Storms Coming las LRV of 59 so both very similar. If you have used either of these paint colors please post pictures and comments!!!! Or any advice on other colors...

Comments (47)

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    IMO choosing a wall color needs to be a job with the space it will go in . Get some samples paint a couple of boards of each and check them out inyour space in the daytime and at night with the lighting you have. I suggest you go with LED lighting in the 3500- 5000k range if you do not want the yellow cast you will get otherwise.I like a very light gray/ green for neutral when you have to decide before the space is finished.Castaway would be a nice choice if you have wood tones throughtout and I would do the ceiling just cut 25%

  • 7 years ago

    Thanks, I've already done sample boards and for me sample boards aren't enough to give me an idea of what they will look like in the whole house. I will have led lighting. PPG paints are hard to choose since there are not a lot of examples/photos of them in a room found online like there are of Sherwin Williams & BM paints. I may have to roll the dice & hope for the best.

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  • 7 years ago

    Have you looked at Sherwin Williams Repose Gray? https://www.kylieminteriors.ca/all-about-sherwin-williams-repose-gray/



  • 7 years ago

    You may benefit from a color consultation. The color should be chosen in the context of your hard finishes and also furniture and decor. If you’d like a recommendation for an online consultation, please message me. Good luck!

  • 7 years ago

    Apolonia- I was going to mention repose gray as well! We used that for our mudroom, laundry room, and master bath. It seems like you could pair a lot of different colors with it!

  • 7 years ago

    I like agreeable gray , does repose gray lean warmer or cooler than agreeable gray?

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I like agreeable gray , does repose gray lean warmer or cooler than agreeable gray?

    The only way to determine color temperature is by comparing colors. Color temperature is defined by context.

    There are two kinds of context. Context of the room and context of hue families in a color system. A balanced quality of light is assumed for both.

    When we plot colors on The Color Strategist Color Wheel that you see below, we're answering the question how warm or cool is this color in context of a color system of about 1,700 colors. In other words, compared to 1,700 other colors is Agreeable Gray warm or cool, is Repose Gray warm or cool?

    It's very useful to be able to analyze color in context of hue families and a color system because where the color falls in terms of warm or cool can help you anticipate how the paint color will render in the space AND the resulting atmosphere and *feel*.

    By looking at the colorographies below, we can see that Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray are both warm near neutral paint colors that belong to the yellow hue family..

    Since Agreeable is closer (just by a hair) to the hottest point on The Color Strategist Color wheel, which is 10R, Agreeable Gray is warmer than Repose Gray.

    .....And since the color data values spell it all out for you, and you can analyze the two colors using the colorographies below, you know what you're looking for when you actually compare the two colors side by side.

    ......And since you know what to look for, it only takes a few seconds to see it for yourself and visually confirm what the data showed you --- you can see it all holds true when you isolate the two color chips and compare them in context of just each other.

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Or any advice on other colors...

    Never, ever cut or monkey with paint color formulas. Don't believe what you read online unless they can show you the color they had cut and you can see what it looks like. And even then, you need to be super cautious because colors on a device/monitor do not render true to in real life.

    Know if you go down the rat hole of cutting paint color formulas you could spend a lot of time and a lot of money and never get the color you want.

    In my experience - which includes a lot of fixing color messes made by other consultants who recommend cutting formulas and it doesn't work - is near neutrals like Agreeable Gray and Repose Gray do not cut or adjust gracefully. The result you get is an odd, unbalanced gray that's just not pretty.

    One of the most popular request for services in my inbox is "I tried cutting the formula and I hate it. How do I find the right color for {whatever}."

  • 7 years ago

    Thank you so much Lori! I was hoping you would comment! Can you show the charts for where Whiskers and Storms coming (both PPG paints) are in comparison to Agreeable gray as far as Warmth?

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Yes, not today tho. I don't have those made.

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Are you aware that any paint from any manufacturer can be made to match the colors from any other paint manufacturer? You can pick a Sherwin Williams paint color and have it made from Glidden, or any other manufacturer such as Pittsburg Paints. Just go to you local paint store and ask them.

    When it comes to selecting actual colors you've received some good advice. The first step is to do brush on samples which will be visible in direct light, indirect light and shaded areas. Do the samples in large enough areas so that you can get a good sense of the differences. Seeing the samples under the type of artificial lighting you will use is also a very good recommendation.

    Some folks are very good at color and some are not. That's because color has a variety of characteristics: hue angle (or color bias), which is sometimes referred to as temperature; saturation or neutralization; and value, i.e., light versus dark. These characteristics are how "fans" of paint colors are typically organized.

    A final comment: it's been proven that our perceptions of colors is greatly influenced by the setting or environment in which we "see" the colors. Colors affect and impact other colors. For example, your choice of a "bright white" for trim will impact your perception of the wall color. Using the same color on both walls and ceilings will impact your perception, since one plane will be lighter than the other. My suggestion: pick your will color and trim color together, don't just automatically say the trim will be "bright white", since there are a gazillion white hues and temperatures. And it may be that you may have a better solution with a lighter value on the ceiling than the walls.

    If all of this is confusing, a color consultant can be a big help in just an hour's time or so!

    Good luck!

  • 7 years ago

    Advice on thinking about any 1 room you might want a richer, a bold color. A good read from Houzz:


    https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/query/whole-house-palette

  • 7 years ago

    I would suggest reading these blog posts and then either doing a consultation or selecting the right neutral based on the context of your hard finishes and furniture/decor. I agree with Lori about comparing colors to one another, but they also need to be compared to the existing elements in your home.

    http://www.mariakillam.com/mainneutral/

    http://www.mariakillam.com/perfectneutral/

    http://www.mariakillam.com/joanna-gaines/

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Take some time and read and think - reduce frustration probably....

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I agree with Lori about comparing colors to one another, but they also need to be compared to the existing elements in your home.

    Yep, as I mentioned in my post: The only way to determine color temperature is by comparing colors. Color temperature is defined by context.

    There are two kinds of context. Context of the room and context of hue families in a color system.

  • 7 years ago

    There are two kinds of context. Context of the room and context of hue families in a color system

    Yes! So, to the OP, all these comments you are receiving about this gray versus that gray mean nothing to you without us knowing what flooring you have, cabinets, counter tops, backsplash, couch, rugs, artwork, etc, etc.

    I want a gray that will go with browns, golds, beiges, tans ....warmth

    If your primary elements are browns, golds, beiges and tans, then gray is probably not the right color for your home.

  • 7 years ago

    Thank you for the blogs to look at, I read a lot. Also the right warm grays go very well with browns and tans. Especially the brown and tans in natural wood. I see it all over home magazines and the internet. Farmhouse look with warm grays mixed with tan leathers or paintings & and natural wood is everywhere these days. I have narrowed down the grays that I like and maybe am just over thinking them since they are pretty similar ( whiskers, storms coming and agreeable gray). In a house that is being built I cannot view the colors all together like I want to so that makes it all more difficult to envision. If I could see everything together it would be easy for me. I am hoping that someone has used these colors and could give more insight.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Beware of colors being mixed to match other brands. My sister wanted BM's Raccoon Fur (a dark gray) for her kitchen island. The painter decided he wanted to use SW paints, and went ahead and painted it after so-called matching it. It was blue. Sadly, there are no blue raccoons and my sister made him re-do it in the the proper paint.

  • 7 years ago

    I have PP in home & they matched BM colors spot on for me.

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    Also the right warm grays go very well with browns and tans. Especially the brown and tans in natural wood. I see it all over home magazines and the internet.

    Stained hardwood floors can be treated like a pair of jeans that will go with just about anything when choosing colors. A color palette of browns, golds, beiges and tans where you have chocolate brown leather furniture, gold granite, and tiles with gold, yellow (and/or pink) undertones would not be the best match for gray, even a warm green gray. Normally a color palette described as browns, golds, beiges and tans is from the Tuscan brown trend which now a lot of people are trying to "force" to work with gray or white walls given their current popularity. I now understand that is likely not what the OP meant by "browns, golds, beiges and tans" but am including for any other readers who might have that scenario.

  • 7 years ago

    All of my colors coordinate and have with grays, tans browns. Which is why I want a warm gray. For inspiration, these are similar to what my colors look like.

  • 7 years ago

  • 7 years ago

    This is ppg storms coming...does it look warm gray? Or more ivory-ish taupe?

  • PRO
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    A color palette of browns, golds, beiges and tans where you have chocolate brown leather furniture, gold granite, and tiles with gold, yellow (and/or pink) undertones would not be the best match for gray, even a warm green gray. Normally a color palette described as browns, golds, beiges and tans is from the Tuscan brown trend which now a lot of people are trying to "force" to work with gray or white walls given their current popularity.

    :D Um, that makes it a lot more complicated than it really is or needs to be. And it's kinda not accurate.

    You can find a "gray" from every hue family in the visible spectrum. All you have to do is choose a "gray" from the same hue family as the fixed elements you have to work with. Simple. Done.

    So, you absolutely can have a grayed near neutral paint color with browns, golds, beiges. What many refer to as the "Tuscan Brown Trend" is just another day here in the Southwest, lol! It wasn't a trend, it isn't a trend. It's simply the regional aesthetic here, past/present/future. Altho it's typically called Spanish Med or just Mediterranean. Since I've lived and worked with the aesthetic for the past 7 years, I probably have a different perspective on what it is and what to do with it.

    And speaking from first-hand experience in my own home, a crisp, clean white with the brown/gold granite colors and Travertine tile looks absolutely divine. This is my mater bathroom in El Paso - loved every speck of bright white in that space; it was the perfect foil to all of the warm stone colors. The white is SW Extra White and the walls are Nomadic Desert.

    An off-white or a creamy color would have been too much, too monochromatic, dead, flat and boring. And harder to execute taboot because you'd have to "match" a cream from one of the stones (floor, wall or counters). The White didn't have to match anything but the tub and sinks. In a super slow market with a limited number of buyers at this price point, the house sold in less than 30 days.

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    Thank you so much Lori! I was hoping you would comment! Can you show the charts for where Whiskers and Storms coming (both PPG paints) are in comparison to Agreeable gray as far as Warmth?

    They're all very close in terms of hue family and color temperature. Based on these notations, the order from warmest to coolest is Agreeable, Whiskers then Storm's Coming. Put the chips in that order and you should be able to see it.

    The biggest difference between these three colors is the chromaticity.

    Whiskers and Agreeable are about the same. Storm's Coming has a bump more chroma. What that means is Agreeable and Whiskers are closer to a true neutral gray than Storm's Coming.

    Since your painter wants to use PPG paint, just go with Whiskers since it's so close to Agreeable anyway. That way you can avoid all the custom color matching gymnastics.

    pandang81 thanked Lori A. Sawaya
  • 7 years ago

    Great thanks Lori! Pittsburg paint store actually told me that whiskers is their equivalent to Sherwin Williams Agreeable gray so that makes sense! So excited to see it on my walls!

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    @alley2007 I was simply including the information for any other readers who might have that scenario because there are more options for them than you implied.

  • 7 years ago

    Update, we painted the whole house PPG Whiskers which is their equivalent to Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray (although I do see a tiny difference, slightly less blue in whiskers) with PPG commercial white trim and I LOVE it! It's not too dark, not too light and not too cool gray yet not too warm gray that it looks beige. It's exactly what I hoped for.

  • 7 years ago

    Some photos of the paint! Came out just how I wanted. Now trying to figure out which color for the flooring.

  • 7 years ago

    Ugh so we just noticed they used eggshell finish when our purchase contract says satin finish (per my husband's request). My husband is especially upset because in his experience eggshell finish is extremely hard to remove stains from & keep clean. We have had eggshell finish before in our old house & ended up painting everything satin ....we have 3 toddlers and their hands are messy at times, plus 3 dogs. Should we make them paint it all over again at no expense to us? Our contractor has been great & I don't want to make this difficult on him since he is a small business doing a few custom homes a year...will eggshell fiunish be a pain to keep clean? What should we do?

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    What brand and grade is the eggshell paint? You do know gloss levels are not consistent from brand to brand. Some brand's eggshell is as shiny/glossy as another's satin.

  • 7 years ago

    PPG whiskers, not sure which line/ grade they used. I will check tomorrow. The paint cans are still at the new house.

  • 7 years ago

    I am hoping the eggshell they used is consistent with the satin that we are used to... (scrubbable, durable, slight sheen)

  • PRO
    7 years ago

    FWIW, PPG's Pure Performance in eggshell is one of my favorites. Not too flat, not too shiny. Wipeable but easy to touch up too.

  • 7 years ago

    We have PP Eggshell in 75% of our house. We have 2 young kids & it is GREAT!! Super easy to wash & touch up. We’ve had it for 1.5 years & it still looks fresh & new. We painted over SW flat which was awful.

    pandang81 thanked mark_rachel
  • 7 years ago

    Great thank you, that gives me hope that the eggshell will work out!

  • 7 years ago

    Gray. Yuck.

  • 6 years ago

    Update! We kept the eggshell finish, been living with it about a month & a half now & although it is not as wipeable as the satin finish, I like it & not worth changing. We got all flooring & most decor up now & here are some photos of the finished product which I love!

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    Wow. Looks amazing! So glad you're happy.

  • 6 years ago

    Thank you Lori! Glad that I went with whiskers walls/commercial white trim, and your advice & color charts were so spot on! Thank you!

  • PRO
    6 years ago

    You can say PPG's Commercial White is Delicate White's cousin. Commercial White is a smidge grayer than Delicate White. But they're close and both are really good "go-to" whites.

    Even tho I dislike the concept of "go-to" colors, these two really are the white workhorses of color palettes.

  • 6 years ago

    Old thread, but I've been searching PPG paint colors with very little success. Everything is about SW and BM, but our builder uses PPG. Thanks for sharing your final colors, it looks great. I am considering Agreeable gray too, but feel it is too dark. Whiskers it doesn't look dark in your home at all so I might have to get a sample of that one. I was looking at Silent Smoke with Delicate White cabinets too.

  • 4 years ago

    Did you go with silent smoke? Can you share a picture?

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    My friend just built a house (2021) and painted it all in SW #7029 Agreeable grey with pure white ceilings. Here are some pictures. The darker colored pictures are captured with an iphone with the can lighting off and the lighter colored ones are from the professional photographer's listing pictures, possibly with a filter. Lighting makes all the difference!

















    2021 House Listing