The Best 5 Blue Gray Paint Colors

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Blue gray paint is tricky to get right. The wrong paint shade can look all blue, gray, or mint. I am working on my kids’ bedrooms and they are interested in the color blue for their walls.

Finding a good bluish gray paint is important. I want the color to show neutral and give our kids the color they want in their bedrooms.

I used my Sherwin-Williams fan deck and swatches to narrow down our favorite colors, received great suggestions from friends on Instagram, and researched colors online to see how the paint colors look in rooms. Scroll down for pictures of my top 5 picks for blue gray paint and 4 more to check out, too.

This article contains affiliate links. If you click a link and purchase an item, I get a small commission at no additional cost to you. Full disclosure here. 


The 5 Best Blue Grey Paint Colors

#1: Sherwin-Williams Rock Candy, SW 6231

Rock Candy is a pale gray blue in the white & pastel family. It is a soft, refreshing color and would look great in a nursery or bathroom.

R: 222 G: 225 B: 223 below image source: Inspired by Charm


#2: Sherwin-Williams Misty, SW 6232

Misty is in the neutral family and is my favorite pick for kids’ rooms. The color feels like a light blue with gray undertones, and is one shade lighter than Samovar Silver.

R: 205 G: 210 B: 210 below image source: Duke Manor Farm

below image source: A Tween Boy Bedroom Makeover


#3: Sherwin-Williams Krypton, SW 6247

If you are looking to go a bit darker, Krypton is a great blue-gray color choice. Krypton is in the Neutral family and is a shade darker than North Star. It leans more toward a cool gray than warm gray.

R: 184 G: 192 B: 195 below image source: Thrifty Decor Chick


#4: Sherwin-Williams Online, SW 7072

Online shows like a light grey paint on the swatch but has a nice blue tone to it on walls. This color would go well in a living room or bedroom. It is in the Pottery Barn Spring/Summer 2018 collection.

R: 176 G: 181 B: 181 below image source: Welcome to the Mouse House

#5: Sherwin-Williams Upward, SW 6239

Upward is light and fresh, and leans more toward blue than gray on the swatch. This color would go well in a dining room or bedroom. Upward is in the Pottery Barn Kids Spring/Summer 2018 collection.

R: 191 G: 201 B: 208 below image source: The House of Smiths

Samplize offers 12” x 12” peel and stick paint samples for Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Farrow & Ball colors. It is a fun way to test paint colors, and the material is flexible so you can wrap it around corners. I’ve ordered from Samplize for clients in the past, and we found the paint samples really helpful! 


Looking For More Blue Gray Paint Color Options? Check out these colors:

  • SW 6217 Topsail 
  • SW 6246 North Star
  • SW 9138 Stardew
  • SW 6255 Morning Fog

I hope this article helped your home decorating process and you can narrow down the right blue gray for your living room, bedroom, nursery, or bathroom. The look of your new paint color on the wall will vary depending on how much natural vs. artificial light you get in the room each day.


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39 Comments

  1. Your kids rooms came out great. Thank you for posting these blue gray colors. This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.

    On my monitor I can’t really tell that Misty has any blue in it. It just looks gray to me. I had asked on another forum about paint colors and a professional decorator suggested Misty. But again in the photos that she shared it looked Gray and not blue-grey. Also, I went to the Sherwin-Williams website and looked up Misty and again it just looks Gray.

    Since I am looking for more blue than gray I went to Dunn Edwards.

    My painter uses Dunn-Edwards because we are located in the southwest and it is the best paint to use out here. I speak from experience on this. But anyway I realize I can use any color from any brand but the formula will be Dunn-Edwards.

    I’m having difficulty choosing two Blue greys for a condo we are purchasing. I am considering Harbor Afternoon DE55882 PB LRV 75 and Sidewalk Chalk DE55791 BG LRV 74.

    I will be getting samples of both of these colors and put them on foam board. What I’m trying to achieve is that each room looks more blue than just Gray. But I don’t want the blue to be screaming at me either. There seems to be a fine line between more gray or more blue.

    If you have any insights to these 2 colors it would be greatly appreciated.

  2. Thanks for posting these gray colors. Looks awesome. I’m thinking to use Misty in my living/dining rooms but would like to have an accent wall with blue. I would like a bold blue but still a happy color. Do you have any suggestions in Sherwin Wiliams? Thanks!

  3. This was so helpful! Thanks for narrowing down the blue-grays! We are going to try Upward, although I really like how Misty turned out for you.

  4. Hello if I use Misty in the bedrooms, what other SW soft grey / blue would be nice?
    I am thinking a little lighter.
    Misty is very nice for the master and my girls room but I will use the next color for the entire condo bathrooms and living room and dining/kitchen.
    My condo is 1000 sq feet so only 2 colors not to get to busy.
    Thank you for your expertise.

    1. Hi! If you just want to go a little lighter, you could request they mix SW Misty at 50% or 75% (with more white) to get a lighter color. That way it blends with the other colors in your condo.

  5. Hello have you heard of Ziron it is a SW greyish blue?
    I was thinking of that for my living room / dining/kitchen / bathrooms but
    do not know what to use this tone for the master and my girls room.
    I only want to use 2 colors in my condo, so I am looking for something that works with Ziron 7667 but a tiny bit darker but not by much.
    Your help would be appreciated, thank you.

    1. I looked up Zircon, it has a cool gray look to it (might come across as a blue depending on lighting, but I mostly see it as a gray). Hope that helps!

  6. you make Krypton look sooo good! Just like the day I picked it to paint the outside of my house. It is baby blue. Beware of this color! (Nevermind my painter who was supposed to hand brush it but showed up with a spray gun & had 2 sides “finished” before I could get outside. Also was his 1st time spraying a house. Also watered the paint down extremely too much. Also painted every window, screen, door, trim, brick, vinyl, roof, driveway, porches, bushes, fence… Also didn’t caulk 1 thing. Total remodel of my great aunts 90+ yr old Bungalow cottage completely ruined. AND it’s the most horrid color. I can’t even go outside & enjoy the porch plus I now have PTSD. True story). If it turned out like the last swatch pic with the other 4, that would be better, but I do feel it leans way more blue than it’s card appears.

    1. Thank you for sharing feedback on the color Krypton! With blue being the dominant color (over red & green) I could see how it shows up blue. And I imagine how much light the cottage gets on each side of the house impacts the color too.

  7. In the process of building and selected SW6246 North Star for my guest bathroom. I loved it so much, I had the painters paint the master bath, as well!

  8. Hi looking for paint color for my kitchen, have honey oak cabinets. Was looking at yellow or blue.please help

  9. Hello! I’m looking for the perfect gray blue exterior color. We just painted SW Aleutian and it is a bit of a disaster – not at all what I was expecting (it looks periwinkle (insert tears here)). Now I’m terrified about picking a color. I like the colors you have shown in this article. Would you recommend any of these as exterior colors, and any of them more than others? Thank you so much for any insight/recommendations.

  10. I am doing my family room walls. I have black couches so a lot of the blues I liked didn’t work. Wanted more of a deeper blue as I get a lot of light from my skylight. Do you have a suggestion? I am also considering a gray with a hue of blue but there are so many colors. Any suggestions of ones you have seen on walls? I am so confused–bought a lot of sample paint and I have large blotches of blue all over my wall and they look different from the chips! Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

    1. We have SW Misty on 3 rooms in our home, it is a color that goes blue or gray depending on lighting and time of day. Upward could be a good choice for black furniture & it would show more blue (less gray).

  11. Hi I have yellow cream limestone tile and was told my waslls look like my floors, so we began painting, it was suggested to go "off white" then add my color to warm up the house with decor, we listened and chose sterling white for our family room, and it is a very faint blue/grey, more blue than grey, the entry we have done in snowbound to have contrast and brighten the walk in. you pass the dining room and living room one on each side of the entry and then the kitchen. to the family room nook, thinking now i need to stay with blue/grey in the other rooms? I have dark cherry would cabinets throughout house and have no idea now what my color palette should be to warm up the house.. i was going to go with muted greens/browns/red and bluish aqua… help

      1. It is a Sherwin Williams color. (the sterling white) The limestone is throughout the entire downstairs, I think knowing that you agree the blue grey is a good contrast helps, coupled with your very detailed reviews of the colors. If I get stuck or hate what I do, I would love to do a virtual. Thanks

  12. HI…. from down the road….. in Burlington NC.
    We are starting a new build soon ( planning phase ) and I so appreciate reading all your comments and articles. Our to be house has tons of light and i like calm tones for living / kitchen /dining and am new to open concept living. Thinking w tons of light a rock candy w pure white molding.( muted enough?) – the rest of the house a step up to online or misty. Love your color ideas. the exterior choices are scary but a morning fog,w a white ? and rave red door are my thoughts.
    I am new to following you on instagram and just powered through many articles….thanks sooooo much. look forward to seeing more ideas before I need to " pull the trigger " thx SO MUCH
    chris

    1. Hi! Congrats on the new home. I agree Rock Candy is the lightest of the three and would look great in natural light. Online has a lower LRV score and will show darker than Misty. My email is [email protected] if you want to set up a consult and talk about colors in more detail!

  13. this is the most accurate picture of Rock Candy above i have seen. We painted most of our house in it.. It is simply gorgeous and brightens up the whole house.

  14. I am torn . Beach house w/ gray, blue white sofa w/ grayish blue tile . Lots of window, wainscoting half way up the wall . Torn if Rock Candy will get lost in the bright room OR Misty / Upward .

  15. I’m building a new home, open concept but it’s very small at only 1200sq ft. My kitchen cabinets are signature Pearl by Matrix white with a dark brown glaze in grooves. My quartz is calacatta white which has gray veins. I have researched and looked at so many grays, gray-blues and now I’m just frustrated. I only want two colors, the main kitchen/ living room in a gray-blue, the two bedrooms in more of a light blue. I have all gold faucets, champagne gold lighting with crystals. I love French country look, my only issue is my sectional it’s a dark blue with hint of gray. I have no idea which way to go! Any suggestions would help.

    1. Your home sounds beautiful! Keeping the colors light will make the space feel larger. In addition to the ones above–if you are open to Benjamin Moore colors….Graytint, Smoke and Pelican Gray are pretty gray-blues.

  16. I’m finishing m basement bathroom. It will have marble look porcelain tiles in the shower and charcoal hex tiles on the floor. There is no natural light in the bathroom. I was thinking of a light blue gray. Do you think rock candy will work?

    1. Rock Candy would work well, especially because it is a light color (LRV of 75). Keep in mind that with no natural light, the light bulbs you choose will impact the color a lot.

  17. What blue gray shade do you recommend on a west facing exterior? Krypton is our strong contender so far but will this show hints of purple at all?

    1. Krypton has more blue and green than red and would be a good exterior choice. The color will go warmer though with it west facing, can you paint a sample?

  18. Hi, Julia. Is there a blue-gray equivalent to sw sea salt? I have got stuck in my head that in my south-facing bedroom, I want to paint the ceiling a pale blue that coordinates with sw accessible beige walls, sw alabaster trim, white faux wood blinds, and turquoise and white floral ceiling-to-floor drapes. Or would sea salt go with the beige and white colors? I am looking to create a calm serene bedroom. Those blues you discuss such as Misty and Rock Candy certainly do look lovely. Guess I am asking whether to veer blue or green on the ceiling. Thanks very much

    1. With Accessible Beige, I’d encourage picking a color with more gray in it. Check out SW Conservative Gray or SW Fleur de Sel.

  19. Hi! I am painting my living room Aleutian and am looking for a gray color for the kitchen and hallway. I looked at Gravity but I would rather it be more gray than blue. I am looking at Stone Isle but want to make sure there’s a good (not too dark) contrast with my white cabinets and trim. Any suggestions?

    1. Hi! I’m not as familiar with HGTV Home colors. If you want a color that blends with Aleutian and goes toward gray, I would consider a color like Morning Fog or Lazy Gray. I also offer virtual paint consults if you want to discuss it further! https://www.tagandtibby.com/services

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