What Color Would a Designer Choose?

Sometimes an expert opinion is your best bet for success. I don’t normally go for the ideas in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, but I feel like these designers’ favorite wall colors was something that needed sharing, especially because they start with gray, and continue with lots of grayish shades!

A room in "Classic Gray"

•  Classic Gray: Gray is becoming the ultimate neutral because it looks good with almost any color. Classic Gray (Classic Gray 1548 by Benjamin Moore) is a modern neutral that creates a light and airy feeling yet adds more warmth to a room than basic white. “When you hear ‘gray’ you think dreary, but this is a wonderful gray that has a lot of light in it, especially when paired with white trim. Even on a dreary day it looks good. Plus, it’s a color that works well with so many other colors. It’s absolutely beautiful with peacock blue accessories.” – Mary Hickey, Minneapolis designer.

•  Blue Arrow: Blue is a popular wall color because it goes with almost any wood tone. Blue Arrow (Blue Arrow 5001-3C by Valspar) is a versatile color that is calming without being boring. “Easy on the eye, easy to live with. It’s a robin’s egg blue-green with a bit of muddiness to it. I always like my colors a little muddy.” – Melissa Birdsong, Lowe’s vice president of trend design and brand.

•  Sea Salt: Gray-blue is a color that’s both modern and classic. It has the versatility of a blue and the contemporary cool of a gray. Sea Salt (Sea Salt SW 6204 by Sherwin-Williams) will look great with almost any accent. “This pale gray-blue is soft and soothing. It’s kind of like sea glass where it can look blue or green – and it works with both. And it’s great with neutrals or cream. I’ve used it in a beach house, a traditional home, a sorority house – so it has a lot of flexibility.” – Janie Hirsch, Atlanta designer.

•  Clay Beige: Beige works well in any room and with any accent hue. Clay Beige (Clay Beige OC-11 by Benjamin Moore) is an off-white hue that suits any environment. “This is my go-to whenever a neutral, but not boring, background is needed. It’s a chameleon color. It has the amazing ability to read either warm or cool and never fails to make its surroundings elegant in any light.” – Mandy Lowry, Atlanta designer.

This dining space was painted in "Savory Beige".

•  Savory Beige: Just like any great neutral, Savory Beige (Savory Beige 3002-10C by Valspar, also sold in some regions as Churchill Hotel Ecru) looks good everywhere and with everything. “This is the perfect cafe au lait that puts just enough color on the walls to warm them up. Even the biggest color-phobes can commit to this pale tan.” – Elaine Griffin, New York City designer.

•  Gervase Yellow: Yellow is a popular wall color because it brightens rooms and is versatile enough to go with almost any style of furniture or accent. Gervase Yellow (Gervase Yellow 72 by Farrow & Ball) is a muted hue that has these attributes yet isn’t too intense for rooms with lots of natural light. “When I’m using a color rather than a neutral for walls, I pick in the golden range. With a little tone of green peeking through, this yellow is not so intense that it’s overly dramatic. It’s warm and embracing – not one of those overly cheerful yellows. It’s a subtle yellow you’ll never tire of.” – Barry Dixon, Washington, D.C., designer