How to Choose the Best Gray Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore Gray Paints

While everyone is in love with gray paint colors it is often easy to get confused. Here is a short post on 9 of the best gray paint colors from Benjamin Moore. If you haven’t read the post on gray undertones, you might want to read that first. 

No matter which gray paints you love, when it comes to buying paint create a shortlist. Buy sample pots of each one and paint them on to white boards. Use these painted boards around your rooms to see how much light they absorb or reflect with your natural light levels and finally, which color tones they pick up from your furniture and artificial light.

Painting each one on your walls can show you the different undertones but doesn’t allow you to move them around the room or see what they look like against furniture. Stick to boards if you can. They don’t have to be big, just big enough to get a clear comparison.

Benjamin Moore gray paint colors – Left to right: Gun Metal, Iron Mountain, Granite, Amherst Gray, Kendall Charcoal, Bear Creek

This small amount of research is a great investment to get the best gray paint colors for your rooms.

9 Best Gray Paint Colors from Benjamin Moore

Chelsea Gray is a medium gray. If you are looking for a gray with minimal undertone, this is it. It works very well with other colors because of its neutral appearance. Chelsea Gray absorbs light so be mindful where you use it but it is a beautiful rich gray that is very popular. 

It works best in rooms with lots of natural light or else your rooms could feel much smaller.

Amherst Gray is similar to Chelsea Gray but darker. The rich heavy charcoal works well as a feature or accent wall. It is often too strong for an entire room if you don’t have strong natural light. But you can use it on furniture, cabinets or cupboards.

While Amherst Gray is a cooler gray, unlike Chelsea Gray, it can give off green undertones to look like gray green paint. Used in smaller amounts this paint adds drama to create show pieces.

Rockport Gray is also similar to Chelsea Gray but is a more muted, soft light gray paint. The undertones are gray, green and mocha.

This blend reflects purple shades, so be wary if that is not a paint undertone you love.

Revere Pewter is a slightly warmer gray. It has slight greige/green undertones. It is the opposite of cool grays with soft, pretty muddy tones. Green might peep through over time. This is a very popular gray paint color. The cabinets are Revere Pewter, and the island is Iron Mountain both by Benjamin Moore.

If it looks too dark for your rooms, you can lighten it up to 50% but no more.  Here it is lightened to 50%.

Stonington Gray is a cooler paint than Revere Pewter with blue undertones.

This blue gray paint feels fresh and clean and works well for south facing rooms.

Gray Owl is a light gray with very subtle blue and green undertones. This is a very popular paint color.

While it has green undertones, the blue counteracts the green, so you are left with a soft, fresh and light gray. This works beautifully in for both south facing and north facing rooms. This reflective paint makes rooms feel fresher and bigger because it reflects more natural light.

Collingwood and Balboa Mist – These gray paint colors appear as warm grays due to the warm purple and greige undertones. They work well in south or north facing rooms. 

Collingwood is slightly darker than Balboa Mist.

Classic Gray has a subtle warmth coming from the slightest, but unnoticeable, pink/purple.

It is a beautiful off white to use on its own or as a contrast by darkening it by 25%. 

Gray is still a very popular paint color because it can act as a neutral and go with so well with many other different paint colors. The best gray paint colors can add or remove natural light to your rooms, so investigating the right gray will pay off in the end.