Thursday, October 25, 2012

Considering Paint Colors for the Kitchen.

I mentioned it recently that we are doing a kitchen refresh. Not a makeover, but rather just a few changes. One of those changes involves painting the walls. When I painted those walls, over 4 years ago, I wanted a soft blue grey. I used ICI Souvenir and while I still look at that chip and think it's pretty, it is very blue on my walls.


It actually it one of the things that is most frequently commented on in my home. Everyone seems to love it. However, I am ready for a change and more importantly the walls need a coat of paint - it is time!

So.. onto colors. The kitchen is the one room in the house that does not get a lot of natural light. Therefore, I'm thinking light and bright. I like some of the barely there grey colors out there and have a few of them posted on the wall in the kitchen.

BM Horizon:

BM Titanium:
This one might be leading the race right now.


Source: indulgy.com via Deb on Pinterest

BM Intense White:
Source: houzz.com via Tammy on Pinterest

BM Moonshine:
Via Young House Love. Their home always feels so fresh. But at the same time I would have said blue if you asked me their paint color. Hmmm.



BM Gray Owl:
This is the darkest of the shades I've shared today. I've used this several times. Once with a client, my mom and dad have it and my sister. It's beautiful but it's definitely blue, in my opinion.

Here is a shot of my kitchen now. (Sorry for the dark photo. It was taken back before I had my new camera. Taking photos this time of year is challenging because there is no more natural light when I get home from work.)


Greys are tricky because deep down they really want to be blue. Put them on the wall and suddenly your grey paint is little boy blue! It's tough! The amount the light in the room, the time of day, the furniture in the room. All can influence the color.

If you have any suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them. I'm really open to anything! Also, you must read the lovely Emily Henderson's post about the best grey paint colors according to Ryan Gosling. It's worth the read... whether you want paint advice or not:)

23 comments:

  1. I just painted my living room a light blue/grey (BM's Watercolour) and I love it! However, I have Grey Owl in my office, and find it really leans towards lavender! I agree that Titanium looks beautiful!

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  2. ooooh i love the titanium- it's got a nice warm glow to it!

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  3. I like the baby blue. I want a soft green for the walls though.

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  4. The exact same thing happened in our living room/dining room - I thought I was going with a light blue/grey, but it's really blue! Luckily, I love it, but sometimes I wish it was the grey I was originally going for. Can't wait to see what you choose - live the titanium!

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  5. I'm going to say maybe try a warmer gray, like BM's Edgcomb Gray, Elmira White or even Pale Oak. Maybe this will take care of your blue problem. Good luck! Stop by and enter my Novica giveaway if you get a chance!

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  6. Right now I am loving Sarah Richardson's Para Paint colours.... I am painting our home Cashmere SR13, it is a soft gray that is warm. It will be paired with Peppercorn SR 14 for the doors and Dreaming for the trim along with Escape SR 41 and Sapphire SR 70.... will have to see as I am well known for changing my mind.
    Best of luck with your colour choice.

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  7. Our living room is titanium and I do love it. It does read soft blue in some light though. If you want a true gray, may I suggest BM's Revere Pewter? There's not an ounce of blue in it. We painted our bedroom Revere Pewter (and have titanium on the ceiling) and it's very light and airy. I agree, grays are tricky!! Good luck deciding!

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  8. Hi Jane,
    I have used revere pewter numerous times with clients. Most recently in a bedroom. It is without a doubt grey. Another one I like is Edgecombe grey which I recently used in a client space- bathroom and hallway- both by Benjamin Moore. Can't wait to see what you decide.

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  9. I am having the same issue too. I am also looking for a light gray. Not a cold blue/gray. Kind of what you are looking for. I tried a sample of titanium and horizon, and they both looked more beigy green to me and to my husband too. Ugh! Its driving me crazy. I heard that repose gray and mindful gray by sw are nice but I stll think they are more taupey gray. As i am typing this I have a stack of paint chips on my counter. I truly do not think that there is a true gray. They all will have either a blue, green, or brown undertone. Good luck!

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    Replies
    1. Have you tried classic grey or edgecomb grey? They are both nice, without the blue tones.. unfortunately they don't work in my space!

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  10. Well I happen to have 2 of those colors in my house at the moment-- so... good choices! I have Horizon in my bedroom and bathroom-- it definitely reads as "blue" more than grey. Both rooms get little natural light... but even when fully lit I still think they're more on the blue side. But-- I really really love the color.
    I have Intense White throughout the main parts of my home (living room, kitchen, dining room, hall, and entry) and I really really like it too. I wanted a very light grey-- and it's what I got. In rooms that get the morning sun it looks like a cooler grey-- almost white... but in the afternoon sun and in rooms that aren't light as well it is more of a warmer grey. It's probably one of my fav color's I've used so far! So, good luck choosing! I really love the look of the room painted in Titanium-- and actually, I feel like that room looks a lot like my house does painted in Intense White. Yay for new paint!

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  11. Oh yes I can attest to the blue comment. When we moved into our house 3 years ago I needed to choose a colour for the whole house fast so I chose 'grey' (I can't remember what it was called). The painters were done 3 of the 4 bedrooms and I realized it was blue! That 'grey' was supposed to be carried through the rest of the house. I quickly chose another grey for the rest of the house because I didn't want blue throughout! Glad I caught it!

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    Replies
    1. btw the colour I chose second was cement grey from BM I believe...

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  12. We recently painted our bedroom BM Intense White, and it's really lovely. I wanted a barely-grey colour...and not blue. I think that's what I got.

    A couple others to consider would be BM Thunder and BM Wish (both part of the Affinity Colour Collection). I currently have Thunder in my hall/kitchen/dining area and Wish in the living room. I love both. They're warm greys that seem to stay true in varying light. I've used Edgecomb Grey and Revere Pewter in the past and had problems with them turning purplish on me.

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  13. In our current apartment we used BM Gray Owl and it turned out quite a bit more blue than we wanted (a light icy blue). In our new place we've just used BM Rockport Grey. LOVE IT! It's more of your classic light gray.

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  14. i'm loving the antler/fireplace one as well as the darkest/last one.

    we use driftwood grey from martha's line. it def has blue in it but it changes as the day goes. everyone compliments it and i just adore it. grey is my favoritest color ever... is that weird?!

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  15. Hard to tell the difference in the shades on screen, but I like where you are heading. How can you go wrong with light gray in the kitchen?

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  16. My kitchen is a beautiful pure grey, CIL Zeppelin. It's rich without being dark and there are no blue or lavender undertones. Everyone who sees it asks what colour it is because they are on the search for the perfect grey! Good luck.

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  19. Hmm…This is a tough choice! I wonder which one of these photo-inspirations won. But if you’re gonna ask me, I would go with the BM Titanium. Since the space is not exposed to natural light, a lighter shade of paint would help lighten up the space. And it would look immaculate and incandescent during daytime. Maybe you can check out this pin too for some inspiration: http://pinterest.com/pin/250372060506274301/

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  20. The color white is always a magnificent and elegant color for interior design. It complements well with almost anything. Looking at the Intense White paint, it definitely shows.

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  21. I'm a little late here but Cornforth White and Elephant's Breath are really nice colours both paints come from Farrow and Ball.

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Love hearing from you! Thanks so much :)