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I hate gray

workhurts

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 5, 2006
Messages
277
Location
VA
Can't find it. I want light gray for the garage walls, but when I go light the color changes completely depending on the light conditions. The undertones of most colors I've tried come out either brown, green, blue or purple.

I just want a simple gray. I've hit mostly HD and Lowes, the BM and SW stores are a bit further away and they're always closed whenever I want something.

I don't expect someone to help me with color selection over the net so just venting. On the off chance you know what I'm talking about, feel free to share a color you used.
 
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retfr8flyr

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Joined
Mar 7, 2013
Messages
756
Location
Providence Forge, VA
I have used the Olympic shade D46-2 Centurion, with good results. It's a light gray but not too light and seems to hold it's color in different lighting.
 

rockchucker

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Joined
Mar 27, 2010
Messages
1,764
Location
Seattle WA
Sherwin Williams Aloof Gray. I also use Uncertain Gray from SW.

I used Uncertain Gray for my Shop Exterior color but I was a little uncertain about the color. =)


 

GRX

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Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
2,032
Location
MD
"Nimbus Grey" block sealer from Home Depot (Behr) in my garage.
 

ABADWILLYS

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Joined
Nov 16, 2012
Messages
738
Location
Hudson Valley, NY
Im in the same boat, My walls im now doing are 8' white metal interior liner, but the bottom 4' im doing in OSB, and i want it gray but not dark gray, Ive already been to Blowes and Home Cheepo, didnt like what they had either.

^^ even that Sherwin Williams rockcrusher has , nice but to dark for what i want

i'm gonna check out that Olympic paint

Let me know what you go with.
 

Jay Sco

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Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
1,744
Location
I.E. SoCal
I got two light gray gallons for free. One was apparently Cool Gray, one was Nickle. I didn't know this till I tried to tie in two walls and fix a couple spots.
I'm not repainting and I think some of you are going to lose sleep over it......it don't match.
 

Jack90210

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Joined
Nov 2, 2009
Messages
304
Location
VA, USA
Fawn Phantom, it's a slightly warm gray. Great neutral-gray (slightly tending towards reddish-brown) that looks good both in sunlight and under incandescent or warm deluxe fluorescent. Of course, colors also vary based on what is next to them ... :D
 

retrobuilder

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Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
408
Location
Alpharetta GA
Grey (Gray) can be either warm gray or cool gray. I had same problem with color too warm (yellowish) or pinkish or lavender. You need to cool high K rated CCFL bulbs or natural white light traditional bulbs. I recommend checking out Sherwin Williams colors.

Adding more white or black will not improve the color if it is not the warm or cool hue effect you want. Take to color code and ask paint counter if it is cool gray or warm.
 

NUTTSGT

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Staff member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
50,940
Location
Northern Central Ohio
This is what I picked up to repaint the lower gray in my garage.

Behr exterior satin, 780F-6 Dark Granite

It's not light but more of a medium gray that I put on the lower section of my walls with white above. It's much too dark to do the entire wall with it.
 

wssix99

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Joined
Mar 2, 2011
Messages
5,160
Location
Chicago, IL
I've had a little unwanted experience with this lately planning for a new house and the architect has given me an unwanted education in gray.
:supergay:

Within the gray paints you will find at the store, there will be a tinge of red blue or green. You'll want to match up that tinge with your accent colors. If you don't, they will "clash."

Personally, I can't tell the difference, but the people who can tell me that you should pick the grays in the color section that aligns with your accents. If you pick a gray color from the blue or purple section of the color wall, you should be happier.
 

Bender78

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Joined
Mar 8, 2008
Messages
1,422
Location
Northwest CT
This is one of those times where my color blindness is an asset. Grey is grey. So are a lot of other colors to me........:lol_hitti
 

FlyBy

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 26, 2008
Messages
407
Location
NE Ohio
Sherwin Williams Aloof Gray. I also use Uncertain Gray from SW.

I used Uncertain Gray for my Shop Exterior color but I was a little uncertain about the color. =)



I'm in the process of painting my garage in Uncertain Gray and it looks GREAT in all kinds of light, best at the end of the afternoon.
 
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ddawg16

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Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
21,005
Location
S. California
I got my gray from HD.



I made my cabinets out of gray melamine....took a slice to them and had them mix up a batch to match..

 

GuyllFyre

Banned
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
Messages
378
Location
Scotia, NY
I did my kitchen in gray and white.
The wall paint is Home Depot Glidden but it's a Valspar 4007-1B Autumn Fog in Semi-Gloss.
SDC11639.jpg
SDC11581.jpg

I also used it for the trim in the master bedroom.
SDC11441.jpg
SDC11442.jpg
SDC11443.jpg

I like it quite a bit.
 

ichabod

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Joined
Oct 18, 2013
Messages
440
Location
minnesota
this is a nice homey color

PENITENTIARY GRAY

imagesCAU9UFVG_zps3aa4a486.jpg


I actually like the color gray, my truck and one of the bikes is gray
 
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Todd.Brock

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Joined
Jul 15, 2008
Messages
4,250
Location
Cincinnati
I used a nice SW gray for my shed. It's called mindful grey. I painted a room for the people who bought our house called amazing grey. It's from SW as well. Mom painted her house with a SW color called network grey. It's a bluish grey. Here is a photo of my shed in the process of being moved

e2ybequ2.jpg
 

JKennedy

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Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
179
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
Everything my shop ends up painting is rust-o-leum "smoke grey".
It's the industrial standard grey and it's premixed at Home Depot/lowes near the spray paint. Great color!
 

Colin Len

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Joined
Jan 30, 2013
Messages
1,233
Location
Long Beach CA
I hate all the off white, yellow & beige tones for walls that have been in every apt I've ever rented, so upon buying my first house I knew I wanted to start with more cooler tones and opted for gray. I have to say I couldn't be happier.

Living room walls are Behr "Dolphin Fin" which is light enough not to make it feel like a dungeon. Bedroom I chose a darker gray (Behr "Granite Boulder") with a blue accent wall. It took quite a long time to find a nice neutral gray that wasn't too dark and didn't look green, blue, purple...etc

Here's a quick pic after the living room was painted
 

Nowater

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Joined
Nov 29, 2011
Messages
744
Location
Southwest Florida
Buy Home Depot mismatched tan paint. It is always an ugly tan that has been returned or whatever. Add some black tint until you are tired of stirring.
 

bushmechanic

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Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
4,820
If you want a gray that will remain gray no matter what you do, you are after an achromatic gray.
 

kenfath

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Joined
Oct 17, 2006
Messages
358
Location
Upland, CA
I went through the same process selecting the grey/gray for the garage project. Wound up with HD Behr semi-gloss French gray. This color was selected through the process of realizing they were all looking quite similar. It was a good choice. The garage has, when viewed during daylight, at least six variations visible depending on where you look and the natural and artificial light which is shining on it at any given time.

As a suggestion, when trying to make a selection try to view all the paint samples outdoors on a bright clear day.

Now, don't want to come across as a smart-***, but have you had your eyes checked for cataracts? Cataracts make a big difference with color perception because of the density and color of the growth through which you are viewing. Case in point: I was at the MD's office for my one-week follow-up following cataract surgery and to determine if it was going to be done on the other eye. During the 'waiting room time' I found myself comparing the corrected eye vs the other. The building on the other side of the parking lot, which I'd thought was in need of paint, turned out to look so much improved with the corrected eye. Brought this observation up with the MD and she explained it was not my imagination.
 

madmanmerc

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Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
149
Location
montreal
I to am having the same problem (if I may vent also) Seems I cant find the right grey for the lower portion of my soon to be revamped single (thread to follow)
 

southalabama

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Joined
Jan 10, 2011
Messages
5,537
Location
Brewton AL
If you are friendly with your local art picture framer go in and look at their mat corner samples.

The take the corner sample to the paint store and get them to duplicate it.

Dad used a mat color called black watch for the doors and porch furniture for his lake house. It's a dark green color. It's a real popular mat color.

We do own the frame shop in town but depending on where you live and how well you know them your local frame shop may be the place to. Check out.

Mat samples cover the entire range from pinkish gray to dark blackish gray.
 

OnAir

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Joined
Feb 5, 2012
Messages
196
Location
Vancouver
Wow! There must be at least 'Fifty Shades of Grey'! :lol:

Myself, I'm leaning towards Benjamin Moore's Harbor Gray.
 
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