I'm sitting here in MY space with the BM Classic fan deck and thinking that if Horizon is too dark, you're really looking for a tint of white.

Hopefully Lori will pop in and offer some advice, here.

Try Graytint.

OP here. Horizon may not be too dark afterall but does not appear to be a pale blue-grey. Looks more beige-grey. Anyways, hoping for a pale blue-grey that is not a pale purple. Thanks for the suggestions so far - will take a look!

Looked at Mt Rainier Grey. It is next to Silver Cloud, which looked purple. Is Mt Rainier Grey more blue-grey? Might be nice if a bit paler than that. Thanks!

Similar to Patriotic White but darker - but not as dark as Horizon.

Mountain Air SW 6224

Quicksilver SW 6245

You're not going to find anything similar to PW, just a little darker in Benjamin Moore.

**Don't look at these swatches online.

Paint colors in general do not render true to life on device/computer monitor but colors from the hue family you're lookin' at ESPECIALLY do not render well. You have to get real-life chips.

Yes you are right Lori! But I looked at the samples on the paper and then bought actual paint samples- of Silver Cloud, Lily White, and also Palest Pistachio, all in BM, and they didn’t look anything like the paper sample in real life paint in my opinion. All appear different shades of purple in my opinion. Any recommendations for pale blue-grey in BM? Again, not purple. I tend to prefer BM over SW. BM Patriotic White was the best of what I tested in real paint but also may be a bit purplish too. Thank you!!

Many gray colors tend to purple in some light. It has to do with the rods and cones in our eyes, and the age of the eyes as well. The light source and it’s reflection also affect your color perception. .

Which is why you have to move away from the blue grays, and into the grieges, in order to get grays that don’t look purple.

BM, and they didn’t look anything like the paper sample in real life paint in my opinion.

In your space, in your light did the paint chips match the painted sample?

I didn’t put the paper samples right up against the paint samples. But based on what I recall, the paper samples definitely looked more blue-grey and not purplish and that is why I selected them to test in real paint. Should I steer away from the grey section in the Color Preview colors and maybe head more to Classical Colors around Polar Sky 1675 and Polar Ice 1660? I also tried Icy Blue and too blue-green and tried Icy Moon Drops at 50% and terrible too (too strong baby blue still). Just getting tired of picking paint samples, getting the actual paint and being excited to see it in real life but then it not matching what I see in the samples. Any tried and true soft blue-grey BM paint colors? BM Beacon Grey might be a good one but fear again it may run too purple. Thanks everyone. Sorry for this but just feel a bit discouraged and probably spending too much time on this.

Correction to most post immediately above - it was not Icy Moon Drops at 50% but rather Tear Drops at 50%. Anyways still bad and would prefer to just get a soft pretty color at regular strength rather than decrease by % anyways.

Grab a chip of Glass Slipper, Silver Crest, and Lookout Point. See what you think.

Great suggestions - thank you!

Benjamin Moore Arctic gray

Master Bathroom – Coyote Song Model – Fall Parade 2014 · More Info

Try BM Marilyn’s Dress. It looks light blue on walls but not as blue as BM Patriotic White. Marilyn’s Dress does not look purple at all to me as many other light grays do, and I’ve used it with success in two different homes.

If you want to go darker you could try BM Bunny Gray.

Don’t ask me how many sample paint cans I’ve bought searching for the perfect light gray...

I didn’t put the paper samples right up against the paint samples.

So, the issue isn't that the painted samples didn't match the chips.

The issue is that the colors that look blue-grey under the store's lighting where you're choosing the colors shift purple(ish) when you get them home and sample them in your space, in your light.

Marilyn’s Dress looks good too and glad to hear it is not purple!

Thank you Lori for putting all the colors together in that list. That is so helpful! What is the most purple on that list? This will help organize them for me and make my life easier. Thank you!!!

The most purple looking is at the top of the list.

The least purple looking is at the bottom.

... that is in your space under your light. You're probably not going to see the gradation from most purple to least purple in the paint store.

Thank you Lori! You are so wonderful!!!

Lori - Based on that chart you provided, looks like I should be focused on the BG color family, which I presume stands for Blue Grey. Any other pale blue-grey BM paint colors you would recommend in that BG color family with an LRV of about 72 and up - preferably higher LRV? Thank you!!! Sorry, this has been hard because don’t want straight grey, not too purple, not too green either, but a soft blue-grey. Thanks again for your help!!!

BG is Blue Green. So you're moving more toward the green as you head down the list. So - try Marilyn's Dress, Glass Slipper, and Lookout Point. The G is "Green" color family, which might be getting a bit too green for your purposes, but you won't know for sure until you bring them into YOUR light.

I would suggest BM HC-170 Stonington Gray.

I have to say picking colors by looking at written postings on this thread seems very odd to me.

It helps narrow it down and then can test the actual paint colors in the lighting. Also BM Polar Ice 1660? Thanks.

Lori’s advice to compare paint chips against each other to appreciate subtle differences in similar colors is very helpful.

Since you already ruled out Silver Cloud, I would look at Marilyn’s Dress and Glass Slipper next.

The closest color to Marilyn’s Dress in BM Classics is Fanfare (874). I tried Fanfare but it looked too purple to me. (And Blue Veil 875 looked even more purple.)

Following

I have to say picking colors by looking at written postings on this thread seems very odd to me.

The list is ordered according to the color's hue angle.

You want to look for patterns.

In this case, 3 colors from 186 ° to 236 ° shifted in situ and looked purple-ish.

Based on those results, we can assume other colors from that hue family region will also shift.

So, the answer is choose colors from a different hue family neighborhood.

You can't keep doing the same thing and expect to get a different result. The only way to know that you're doing the same thing - choosing colors over and over from the same hue family neighborhood - is to organize the colors by attributes so you can see where you've been in terms of hue family and where you need to go to get a different result.

Organizing color by attributes is the tactic to achieve the desired color strategy for the space which is a blue-gray that doesn't look purple-ish.

Without color strategies and tactics, you're just shuffling paint chips hoping you stumble on the right color. Throwing darts in the dark. Looking for a needle in a haystack.

Thanks again Lori! Very helpful!!

I'm sorry...but getting written paint names from strangers over the Internet, as opposed to begimining with a paint deck in the actual space, and followed up with larger paint samples, ending with larger brushed-on samples in the space, just seems like a complete waste of time and effort.

On the other hand, if one does not have a reliable color sense or ability, or confidence in their personal choices, a local designer might be the best decision For on-site help.

All the expert and well-intentioned help here still requires the OP to make decisions, which she seems reticent to do.

I learn a lot from Lori’s posts explaining color theory, and appreciate the time she takes to help people. The OP has already expressed her gratitude as well.

Patriotic White/blue undertone. Perfect for west light.

Yes the Patriotic White is pretty good. In my situation it would be in a southeast facing room so might not be as good there as in a west facing room.

It sounds like you know exactly what the colour should look like. If you have a good BM paint store you can take a colour that is close to what you want and ask them to customize it, ie ' a little less purple, or a little less saturation'. I wanted a light blue gray, but not too gray lol! Started with Beacon Gray, ended up at 50% with a few colour additions to get the perfect shade for me. If you are trying to match a colour in a linen , or a piece of artwork take it to the BM store and ask them to match it for you.

I'm sorry...but getting written paint names from strangers over the Internet, as opposed to begimining with a paint deck in the actual space, and followed up with larger paint samples, ending with larger brushed-on samples in the space, just seems like a complete waste of time and effort.

If that worked so well then no one would ever be posting on this forum about their color dilemmas. Anybody can shuffle aimlessly through a stack of color chips and default to just guessing.

Well...Or they can default to the suggestions of complete strangers who have never seen the spaces in question, eh?

If all one can do when it comes to picking colors is to ask complete strangers or "shuffle aimlessly", perhaps it's time to find a designer who knows colors and visit the space with him or her...

I think the real issue, Virgil, is you don't understand how color works or the science behind it.

While it's clearly outside of your comfort zone, that's not the case for everyone.

following

Virgil is correct - one needs to see a color where it is being used. Light affects color dramatically!!! A color that looks great in one GW poster in her East-facing kitchen, may look awful in a kitchen or another rooms, facing West - even South. And then there's North - totally different there!

If you find a gray you like on a paint card, go to the place where this paint is sold and ask them if the formula contains any magenta or maroon. Many gray paints do to prevent the color from going "green" in certain lights. Unfortunately, this means that it may read "pink" or "mauve" in other lights!

I discovered this in my own kitchen. My Shiloh cabinets are SW Repose Gray. I finally had the sense to take a sample door to the SW store and have it scanned and that's when I discovered that it has a TINY bit of maroon in it! It was too late to do a custom color with Shiloh as the uppers had already been painted. So what I did was:

I used a VERY stark, bright white paint for the woodwork in this room. I've always kept all woodwork the same on the same floor, but my woodwork is creamy and this made Repose Gray sort of "Greige". I wanted a nice, crisp light GRAY!

Second, I realized that "reflected color" can help immensely. I painted my walls Repose Gray HALF-STRENGTH plus I had them remove that tiny bit of maroon when they mixed the color. Only rarely, and then only on a couple of lower cabinets, does my paint read "pink" and I can live with it.

Finding out what colors are IN the paint is what will make the difference!

Virgil is correct - one needs to see a color where it is being used.

And where exactly do you think the homeowner is?

I have used BM Beach Glass and loved it but it's probably more blue-green than you're looking for. I have also used BM Half Moon Crest at our last house and this current house and it is definitely a blue gray. This is what it looked like in our master bath:

"...I think the real issue, Virgil, is you don't understand how color works or the science behind it..."

My dear, my understanding of color, color theory and application is probably just as experienced as yours, or more. But then...how would you know?

Obviously, the OP has little understanding of color or she wouldn't have needed this thread.

My dear, my understanding of color, color theory and application is probably just as experienced as yours, or more. But then...how would you know?

Because if you did have a working knowledge of color, color data values and how they're applied wouldn't be a foreign concept to you. You'd have a better argument than defining architectural color specification as shuffling through a fandeck while standing in a room at some random time of the day.

And also because I've been doing this a really long time and this an old conversation for me. Doesn't matter who's on the other side. It's always predictably the same. Every. Damn. Time.

Oh Lori, I'm so sorry you don't understand. You just don't.

My reference to a color fan deck was made as the preliminary initial step to look at a wide range of carefully considered hues, values and temperatures as a first step in a process of selection.

This is for the lurkers: fan decks are an easy first step to select, compare and evaluate a range of potential colors for a given space. But it's only a first step. It's a starting point, not the end point.

Larger paint swatches, and even larger brush on samples are the follow-on steps.

Lori, I understand and respect your knowledge and experience.

But there are others of us who have just as much knowledge and experience, or more, and see things a little differently.

Of course, I'm the one who doesn't understand.

I bet no one saw that one comin'.

Wow - I guess I shouldn't have turned off notifications on this thread :)

To the OP (and for the benefit of any lurkers) you say you want a pale blue-gray, although it seems like you really want white or off-white (and definitely don't want something with purple undertones). But, you haven't provided any additional information about your space that would lend to helpful suggestions on an online forum. The right color for your space will be the color that best relates to the hard finishes and furnishings/décor.

And, while super light "neutrals" and whites are very popular right now, keep in mind that most of the inspiration images that use white are rooms that are flooded with natural light, have strong architectural elements, and are fully decorated by professionals. The average house does not have all of these elements and would struggle to pull off white walls without looking like the homeowner just hasn't picked a color or painted the walls yet. (Not judging/guessing whether the light color will work for you as I don't know anything about your space, but putting this out there for the benefit of any lurkers).

Best of luck in choosing your color and hope that you'll post after pictures!

BM's Marilyn's Dress or Feather Gray. Here are two rooms we've done in each:

8th Avenue · More Info

Exbourne Avenue · More Info

Feather gray (was stop light for us but didn’t look purple to us). We chose Gull Wing Gray which is a hair darker. Pilgrim Haze is a bit more blue. Those are probably too dark for you but you could look down that color strip...

I’ve enjoyed recommendations from other posters and very helpful advice from Lori to help understand why I like some color and not others in MY space. With their support I’ve been able to narrow down my options and make a decision much quicker than if I had just gone through chips after chips (which I also did with no success)

To OP- I hope some of the suggestions from posters above will help guide you in the right direction. Keep on asking.

Thank you Jennifer and of course thank you Lori for your excellent advice. You are so incredibly kind to so thoughtfully respond with such helpful advice and feedback. And thank you to all who have provided suggestions - I am going to test some with real paint in my space! Thank you!