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The Best Shades of Gray Paint for a Home Exterior

The best shades of gray for your home exterior are easy to identify with help from color expert Kate Smith.
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, DaVinci color experts are available to guide them. We have helped hundreds of homeowners choose the right synthetic shake or imitation slate tiles in all 50 colors available. Of the nature-inspired roof color options, gray is always a favorite because it blends beautifully with virtually all the most popular home exterior colors.Most popular gray roof colors

Behr Grays

  • Gateway Gray MQ6-22
  • Anonymous 780F-5
  • Porpoise 790E-3
  • Mined Coal PPU18-18

“In the past, homeowners thought of the color 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 surfaces without competing with other design features.”

— Erika Woelfel, Director of Color Marketing at Behr Paints

Best Gray Paint Color from Benjamin Moore Palette 1

Best Gray Paint Color from Benjamin Moore Palette 2

Benjamin Moore Grays

  • 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

Best Gray Paint Color from Benjamin Moore Palette 3

Full Spectrum Paints Grays

  • 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

Best Gray Paint Color from PPG Paints Palette 1

Pittsburg Paints Grays

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

“Whatever you put against it, gray works and feels melded together.”

— Dee Schlotter, Sr. Color Marketing Manager, North America, PPG Architectural Coatings

Pratt & Lambert Grays

  • 28-26 Gig 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 an essential color for the home exterior. Grey transcends architectural style, regional preferences, historical record, culture, nature, seasonal changes, and the list goes on. When I 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 greys tend to be warm. My 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

Best Gray Paint Color from Sherwin Williams Palette 1

Sherwin-Williams Grays

  • 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 the exterior.”

— Jackie Jordon, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

Valspar Grays

  • Polished Silver 4008-1B
  • Voyage 4006-1B
  • Urban Sunrise 4004-1B
  • Woodlawn Colonial Gray 6004-1B
  • Oatlands Subtle Taupe 6005-1B

“With increased consumer confidence in the housing market, there is a desire to shed the previously popular beige quo; 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. Just as brown shifted its identity from mud to luxury, gray shifted from industrial to intelligence.

“Grays can take on many personalities that vary depending on their undertone, whether violet, blue or green. It is also a solid neutral that can support surrounding colors within a space without losing its true personality.”

— Sue Kim, Valspar Color Strategist

The Best 50 Shades Of Gray For A Home Exterior PDF
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Have you seen The Best 50 Shades of Gray Infographic? Check it out now…

This blog was originally published in February 2015.

About the Author

Kate SmithKate Smith Headshot is an internationally recognized color expert, consultant, and designer.  She is a skilled colorist & a color consultant who, for more than a decade, has lent her expertise to DaVinci Roofscapes. Kate helps YOU select colors you will love for many years.