Can't find decent gray-green for room with extreme light changes

10 years ago

We live in the country, and our 'multipurpose room' undergoes quite a range of lighting throughout the day - with several windows, it is drenched with bright light on a sunny day, but can be pitch black at night (no outdoor lights here in the boonies). All the colors I have tried will look great in some of the light conditions (on a sunny day) but then just awful in other conditions (at night or on a cloudy day... or vice-versa!)

Here's the thing that surprised me most -- even the full-spectrum paint chips I have taped to the walls have been a bust. They actually changed color TOO much for my taste, looking like a solid green in the morning and then a dull muddy brown or flat gray in the evening! Or a nice green in the evening and then bluish-gray in the day. I don't want quite so much "chameleon", but just a solid grayed green that doesn't turn minty or blue.

A few specific examples that I have considered include the ever-so popular RH Silver Sage, several of Ellen Kennon's colors (Ashen Green, H2 Ahhh, Lichen, etc) and a ton of the Ben Moore colors such as Silver Marlin and Paris Rain. Any help would be much appreciated.

Featured Answer

trinkette1

10 years ago

Farrow & Ball makes beautiful gray-greens and blue-greens and they are packed with pigment. They WILL change with the light, as any paint will react to the environment, but hopefully you'll find the results pleasing. Try Dimpse, Mizzle, Blue Gray and Green Blue for grayish blue-greens; greigy - muted green and warm gray - Pidgeon; classic French Gray; and for greener gray-greens try quiet Lichen and earthy, elegant Vert de Terre which looks equally good in bright sunlight and interior candlelight.

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Comments (7)

eibren
10 years ago
I found your dilimma interesting, and found an example of experimental paint mixing that might inspire you.

The standard color chip paints seem to result from specific proportions of standard paint colors mixed together, so maybe you could design your own!

Good luck with your project.

Here is a link that might be useful: American Paint Company
dekeoboe
10 years ago
Maybe Behr Silver Sage. We had that color mixed by SW. Don't go by what it looks like on a computer though.
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gnancyanne
10 years ago
I just used SW Ancient Marble. It does change a lot with the light changes, but I've liked the colors so far. To start out, I had an old RH Sycamore Green color chip but I don't know if it was even accurate, but it pointed me in the direction. Ancient Marble isn't even a color I'd normally choose--I tend toward more yellowy greens, but for some reason, I was drawn to it so tried a sample, and splotched some on each wall. I looked at it over a day and night and thought it would work. Just a gut feeling that seems to have worked out.
AngelCowgirl
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you all for your suggestions... I will definitely look into these. I am not brave enough to mix my own, eibren, but that is a fascinating lesson at the link you provided! I do enjoy learning more about these things.

I was kind of hoping to just have one or two colors to paint the entire downstairs with (lazy, I know! lol) but alas, it looks like that is just not going to be the best option for my crazy little country house.
trinkette1
10 years ago
Stone White from Farrow & Ball is a color they've recently retired, but it can always be made-up for you. Anything but "white," it is most similar in nature to Ball Green (which F&B still has) and it's kind of a green-grey-taupe color that I've heard described as "gorgeous." On the wall, it is a quiet color with a grey undertone. However, like most of the colors I've listed, it is considerably deeper than pale Silver Sage.

Based on your preference for Silver Sage, I'd say Dimpse followed by Mizzle are probably closest to what you're looking for; however, like Silver Sage, they do have a lot of blue in them. Vert de Terre is closer to the color I think you desire and to Paris Rain, if it were only a bit lighter (and I'm sure you could have something mixed custom).
Michael
10 years ago
Behr Brampton Gray.