Would you please recommend me a shade of ... grey?

[EarlyInTheMorning]

Floors are dark oak, both south facing bedrooms. I'm thinking walls will be best in some sort of chalky grey paint and then can add colour with bedding and rugs. But, I don't know what shade of grey paint to go for. Help please?

[mum47]

We used Lady Jane Crown matt paint in our living room. It is lovely, very soft and warm.
Farrow & Ball have lots of nice chalky greys from very light todark - have a look at their website for colour inspiration.

[steppemum]

my bedroom is grey (well, nearly, half painted) after many match pots we went with crown whisper of dramatic, which is a light silvery grey and very pretty colour. Unfortunately they discontinued it just as I had decided to buy it, so I rushed round and got the last 2 tins (not much help I know!)

If anyone has a spare tin sitting around, I would be interested....

[nemno]

I've got various shades of grey in different rooms which was dictated by the amount of light. The same samples looked different in each room. I ended up with Dulux Egyptian cotton in the lightest room, Homebase Putty in the darkest, a steely grey (forget its name but can look it up) in the kitchen and my favourite Crown Lady Jayne in the hall. Apart from the kitchen paint these are all greys without any green, lilac or blue in them, they are more griegey.

I am now looking for a greenish grey for my new shower room if anyone can recommend please. Tiles are slate and there is a lot of chrome and glass.

[mum47]

Farrow & Ball French Grey is a greenish grey nemno I have used it to paint a cupboard - it is one of those colours that can look either quite green or grey and quite dark/light depending on the room. Crown Lady Jayne is the one I used in living room - I love it!

[nemno]

Thank you mum47 I've been trying to avoid F and B but you've overcome my reluctance and I've ordered a sample and colour chart. My decorator has quoted based on a Crown paint! How do most people do F and B? Does the decorator buy it or do you supply it yourself?

[EarlyInTheMorning]

Nemmo, careful with F&B if you have kids as it really isn't very durable and can't be wiped cleaned. I have it everywhere downstairs and it's just dirty.
Thank you for your suggestions, I'll start checking those shades.

[BellaBearisWideAwake]

I have Dulux (I think?) Almost Oyster, but it's come up a bit pink (still lovely though. I wouldn't describe it as pink but on the red rather than blue side of grey, iyswim)

Also used Crown paint 'snowfall', which I adore.

A friend has the Lady Jayne colour all over her house and loves it

[mum47]

F & B is more expensive, and I have heard other people say it is not durable - I have mainly used it to paint furniture and panelling. Have a look at Craig & Rose - not sure what grey colours they have but I have used their chalk white in panelling in our bathroom and it has a lovely soft finish (not grey tho). I also used Craig & Rose Eau de Nil in our kitchen - lovely soft pistachio colour with nice matt finish.

[wendybird77]

I quite liked Dulux Egyptian Cotton when I was searching for greys. In the end we went with off white walls and dark grey trim throughout. However if you want a dramatic look, we've gone with Little Greene Dark Lead in our bedroom with Little Green Clockface on the trim. It is really, really nice.

[MelanieWiggles]

F&B Blackened - I have dark oak floors and it in a south facing room and it is beautiful.

[Nicnocknoo]

We have just painted our lounge in Crown Stoneware - we thought it was clearly a shade of grey - the whole room is now a shade of lilac, it is not grey, avoid Crown Stoneware. (We're going to live with it though as I can't face re-painting ).

[purpleprincess]

We have chic shadow (dulux I think) in lounge which is south facing. We have been on house for nearly 7 months and had the same colour in last house as well. We have dark red and dark brown sofa. The dark red matches very well. HTH.

[Honestyisbest]

We're going for Georgian Grey for our kitchen cabinets, Dulux heritage range. Being painted next week.

[herethereandeverywhere]

We have F&B cornforth white in our east facing bedroom (which has walnut wardrobes) and I love it, warm grey definite colour but not too imposing. We also have skimming stone (more of a neutral, pale greige) in the west facing family room - actually johnsons paint scanned copy in the family room to be wipeable and durable.

[AvrilPoisson]

F&B Hardwick White (not white at all...)

[krazipan]

I have dulux just walnut in my south facing living room with dark teak floor. It looks lovely! Just a subtle grey

[Likesshinythings]

We've just painted our living room F&B lamp room grey, which looks fab. We also did the Johnsons paint scanning thing -colour is an exact match but cost considerably less and is more hard wearing.

[Karbea]

I've fb skimming stone in an ensuite and elephants breathe in a bedroom, both look great.

[AvrilPoisson]

Where does one buy Johnsons paint then please?

[Ginformation]

We have Dulux Quartz Grey in the hallway- soft, not cold. The big bonus with Dulux is you can get any shade in endurance finish which is matt but scrubbable at the mixer counter (and places like B&Q frequently have DUlux on 3 for 2 at Bank Holiday weekends). Dullux Heritage range is vastly superior to F&B imo

[Ginformation]

Avril there is a Johnsons decorating centre near us, maybe google it?

[itsmummynotmum]

I have just chosen a grey F&B paint by coincidence!
it is called Elephant's Breath no 229 and is a lovely soft grey, am taking the swatch to the local paint mixing place as a they should be able to match it!

If you look on the Jim Lawrence moodboard you can select a wall colour from F&B, little greene etc - link is on their home page - on the strip at the top of the page - very handy :)

[VivaLeBeaver]

Dulux mercury shower is lovely. Comes in 5 different tones, we went for 4 in our dining room.