When DaVinci Roofscapes customers need answers to their roof color questions or advice to help guide them through the process of choosing a roof color blend to beautifully complement their home I am available to guide them. I have helped hundreds of homeowners to choose the right synthetic shake or imitation slate tiles in all of the 50 colors available. Of all the nature-inspired roof colors, gray is always a favorite because it blends beautifully with virtually all of the most popular home exterior colors.
I know the top six gray roofing colors -- Weathered Gray, Chesapeake, Slate Gray, Castle Gray, European, Smokey Gray -- but also wanted to know the top gray paint colors for a home exterior. So I asked the experts at seven popular paint brands to reveal their favorite gray paint colors. Here is what they shared:
Behr
- Gateway Gray MQ6-22
- Anonymous 780F-5
- Porpoise 790E-3
- Mined Coal PPU18-18
"In the past, the color gray was thought of as cold or flat. The grays of today incorporate a variety of color undertones that lend to their versatility. A gray exterior provides a sleek backdrop for the landscape and hardscape features of a home. Grays add an inviting, balanced feel to exteriors without competing with other design features." -- Erika Woelfel, Director of Color Marketing at Behr Paints
Benjamin Moore
- Stonington Gray HC-170
- Thunder AF-685
- Storm AF-700
"Grays are typically preferred for historic homes. People tend to use gray on the outside of the home because they look at nature and the existing colors. For example, gray can be extracted from the pavers and stonework. We've seen a trend of homeowners using gray so the house blends into the existing landscaping. While gray can be subtle and understated, it makes a statement. Twenty years ago gray was mostly used for industrial spaces. Now it's chic and modern and people are using different gray tones to create a monochromatic look." -- Ellen O'Neill, Benjamin Moore Creative Director
Full Spectrum Paints
- Ash
- Dove
- Driftwood
- Putty
- Smoke
- Spanish Moss
- Thundercloud
"What I love best about gray is that there's an endless variety of undertones. It's the perfect neutral for a roof or exterior paint because it's easy to find a shade that marries well with any surroundings. " -- Ellen Kennon, Creator of Full Spectrum Paint
Pittsburgh Paints
Light Gray
- PPG1001-2 Aria
- PPG1001-3 Thin Ice
- PPG1009-1 Tundra Frost
- PPG1013-1 Raddison
Medium Gray
- PPG1004-5 Pewter Mug
- PPG1008-4 Gray By Me
- PPG1009-4 Gray Stone
- PPG1013-4 Silver Charm
Dark Gray
- PPG1001-5 Dover Gray
- PPG1009-5 Phoenix Fossil
- PPG1010-7 Zombie
- PPG1013-6 Gray Flannel
"Gray is arguably the new "It" neutral, having sneaked up on beige and white. Whatever you put against it works and feels melded together." -- Dee Schlotter, Sr. Color Marketing Manager, North America, PPG Architectural Coatings
Pratt & Lambert
- 28-26 Gig's Grey
- 28-17 Lava
- 29-26 Armory
- 29-19 Monumental
- 33-10 Zephyr Hills
- 14-25 Whale
- 33-30 Gray Moire
- 32-20 Flint
- 18-18 Graphite
“Grey is a truly important color for the home exterior. Grey transcends architectural style, regional preferences, historical record, culture, nature, seasonal changes...the list goes on. When I color style grey exteriors, I like to use a variety of cool and warm shades, in combination with bold, exciting colors for door and shutter. If I had to pick, my favorite grey's have a tendency to be warm. In fact, my own 100 year old house is painted Woodwitch 32-22, with Designer White trim & front door Mesa Tan 7-20.” -- Susan Wadden, Color Marketing + Design Manager – Pratt & Lambert
Sherwin-Williams
- Agreeable Gray SW 7029
- Mindful Gray SW 7016
- Anew Gray SW 7030
- Amazing Gray SW 7044
- Worldly Gray SW 7043
- Dorian Gray SW 7017
- Mega Greige SW 7031
Gray for exterior works so well with many of the natural stone colors used on homes today. The warmer side of gray blends well with the natural environment and surrounding landscape in many regions of the country. Anew Gray and Mega Greige are two of the most popular for exterior." -- Jackie Jordon, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams
Valspar
- Polished Silver 4008-1B
- Voyage 4006-1B
- Urban Sunrise 4004-1B
- Woodlawn Colonial Gray 6004-1B
- Oatlands Subtle Taupe 6005-1B
"With an increase in consumer confidence in the housing market, there is a desire to shed the previously popular "beige” from walls and explore a more contemporary aesthetic. To do this, consumers are looking toward the cool side of the spectrum for inspiration and gray is proving to be the perfect transitional hue. Similar to the shift in identity of brown from mud to luxury, the meaning of gray is shifting from industrial to intelligence.
Grays can take on many personalities that vary depending on its undertone, whether it’s violet, blue or green. It is also a strong neutral that can support surrounding colors within a space without losing its true personality." -- Sue Kim, Valspar Color Strategist
Download The Best 50 Shades of Gray For A Home Exterior PDF
To make it easy for you to save the information that is in the free infographic above, I put the same information into an easy-to-read PDFs for you to download to keep as a reference. Click here to get The Best 50 Shades Of Gray For A Home Exterior PDF 100% Free.
Please Visit These Companies That Provided The Paint Color Recommendations:
- Behr behr.com
- Benjamin Moore benjaminmoore.com
- Full Spectrum Paint ellenkennon.com
- PPG Pittsburg Paints ppgvoiceofcolor.com
- Pratt & Lambert prattandlambert.com
- Sherwin-Williams sherwin-williams.com
- Valspar valsparpaint.com
Let me know which are your favorite of the best 50 shades of gray by leaving a comment below.
Have you seen The Best 50 Shades of Gray [Infographic]? Check it out now...