Which Paint Colors Go Best with Gray Floors?

An informative blog by Theflooringgirl

Best wall colors that will complement your gray flooring – gray hardwood, gray carpet, gray tile or slate, gray laminate or LVP

Gray floors have become very popular and super stylish over the years, so naturally, many of my customers ask my recommendations for the best paint shades for the gray floors or carpet. When you have very dark or very light floors, it’s easy to find paint colors that match (especially grays), but it’s a bit more challenging when you have gray as the base for you floors.

I’m going to give you my best suggestions here for colors that work, but please note that the best shades will vary based on the undertones of you gray floors, your lighting and of course your taste. Please always test the paint shades in your own home. You can start with the paint swatches, but it’s best to get real samples after you’ve narrowed down.

Try to avoid medium to light grays for the walls

Before I get started with the best paint color families to use, I want to warn you to stay away from gray paint colors when you have gray floors, whenever possible. Why? Well first, it’s just way to easy to pick the wrong gray. There are hundreds of grays and they each have their own undertones. And floors (especially natural wood) has a lot of variations and chances are they will clash.

Second, gray on gray is just too monochromatic and depressing (and boring). I mean seriously there is no better way to create a depressing atmosphere in your home. Think of the movie, “The Joy Luck Club” when one of daughters lives in a “home” like that – gray everything. It looked like a dungeon or prison and that’s how it felt to her. And, yes I have been in one of these homes in my local area – gray floors, gray walls and gray furniture. It was so depressing and unfriendly. I couldn’t wait to leave. Don’t do this!

Here are my top paint color selections for gray floors

1- Blues, especially blue grays (or dusty blues)

Blues are my favorite choice with gray floors. They are cool and soothing and almost always go with gray flooring. As long as you stay with a cool blue (light, mid or dark) you will be fine. So think blue blues (I made that term up) or blue grays (also called dusty blues).

Avoid aqua or turquoise blues as those have too much green in them.

My favorite blues from Sherwin Williams for gray flooring include:

• Upward (SW 6239) and it’s accompanying accent wall colors of Aleutian, Daphne and Bracing Blue. You can get a sample of Upward and/or the other blues here so you can see it in your own home and own lighting.

• Mild Blue (SW6533) – This is a light and subtle blue. Sometimes it’s perfect (especially with darker grays), other times it may look too washed out and similar to the gray flooring, so test them next to each other. Get a sample here.

• Icelandic (SW6526)…goes with the next 3 and they can be used by themselves or as accent walls).
• Blissful Blue (SW6527) – The swatch below shows Blissful blue, and to the right, the lighter shade is Icelandic, and to the left, one shade deeper is Cosmos.
• Cosmos (SW6528). Get a sample here.

• Rhythmic Blue (SW6806)…goes with the next 3 and they can be used by themselves or as accent walls). Get a sample here.

• Wondrous Blue (SW6807).
• Celestial (SW6808) – shown below and the 2 lighter colors to the right are Rhythmic Blue (the lightest) and Wondrous Blue.

• Downing Slate (SW2819), an often overlooked color as it’s in the Historic Section. But this darker slate blue gray is very chic and stylish and perfect as an accent wall.

2- Whites

Of course whites will always work, especially if you want a light, clean and airy look. But be sure to stick with white whites or cool whites, No yellow or pink/peach undertones.

My top Sherwin Williams picks are Extra White (SW7006) and Pure White (SW7005), followed by Snowbound (SW7004). Generally a flat finish is best for this (if not, use matte). Same goes for the other colors, but it’s even more important with whites that reflect light…including the color of the floors).

You really want to get a cool white and avoid any warm whites (i.e. ones that may have yellow or beige undertones. It’s always best to see the samples in real life and in your own lighting. You can get real paint samples here at Samplize. For extra white, click here, for pure white, click here, and you can find Snowbound here.

Paint Samples
Now, let’s talk about samples…

It’s always best to test the paint colors in you own home and own lighting. The colors do look different pending your lighting and can even look different room to room.

You can definitely go to your local painting store to buy some samples (and a brush…be sure to paint with 2 coats), but I have a MUCH EASIER way for you. Check out SAMPLIZE.

Samplize offers 12” x 12” peel and stick paint samples that are EASIER, AFFORDABLE and more ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.

Here are a few reasons why I recommend Samplize to my clients:

• Samples come right to YOUR DOORSTEP in 1-3 business days, pending on location.
• At $5.95, they’re more affordable than the samples/brushes/foam boards than traditional samples…and of course easier and way less messy.
• If you keep the samples on the white paper, you can move them from wall to wall and room to room.

They are amazingly accurate as they are made with 2 coats of real paint, so they are color correct.

3- Navy

Navy goes really well with gray floors. It’s super stylish right now. Navy can work well in man caves but sometimes it’s just too dark for a whole room. So I have 2 solutions for that. The first one is easy. Choose one of the above whites and then use a Navy for an accent wall.

The 2nd solution is use some sort of wainscoting or bead board on the bottom and paint that with a semi gloss white and then use navy on the top part of the wall. Alternatively you can use a white chair rail and do navy on the bottom third of the wall and navy on the top 2/3 (or vice versa).

Here are my favorite Navy shades that work well with gray flooring or carpeting:

• Commodore (SW6524) – this one is a bit bluer and less dark than your typical navy. You can get a sample here.

• Dress Blues.
• Salty Dog.
• In the Navy.
• Naval.

You can find Dress Blues and the other 3 navy shades here…just scroll down on the page to see the rest.

4- Green grays (or dusty greens)

I find that most of my customers are either into greens or blues, but rarely both. Some green work well with gray flooring, especially the gray greens. Think sage or pale greens with gray mixed in.

Avoid olive greens (as these are too yellow), minty greens, bright greens, forest greens, and make sure there isn’t too much blue or turquoise as these tend to look too bright and childish.

My favorite grayish greens to go with gray floors are:

• Sea Salt (SW6204) (my favorite as it’s light and so neutral). You can find a sample for this here.

• Sage (SW2860)
• Ancient Marble (SW6162)
• Liveable Green (SW6176)
• Rainwashed (SW6211). (sometimes this is a bit too dark. If so, try Sea Salt)

5- Dark Gray

In general, I’m not a fan of gray on gray as it’s too monochromatic when paired with gray floors. But, sometimes doing 1 dark gray accent wall paired with whites on the other walls can really work. Use the whites I suggested above. You just need to find the right undertone, pending on the color of the floor.

So here are some awesome choices for dark gray dramatic accent walls:

• For a cool dark gray with subtle brown undertones, go for Cityscape (SW7067) or Grizzle Gray (SW7068) if you want even darker. Get a sample here.

• For a cool gray (but not too blue), I’d recommend Software (SW7074) or Web Gray (SW7075) if you want even darker. Check the samples here.

• For a warm gray, I’d try out Gauntlet Gray (SW7019). Get a sample here.

What about bright and wild colors?

Sometimes, people like to go wild with a pop color such as fuchsia, bright yellow or bright orange. These colors are fun and often work best as accent colors for area rugs, pillows and/or 1 accent wall, so if that’s something that interests you, go for it.

Helpful tools if you are going to paint yourself

These painting tools may come in handy if you’re going to do the painting yourself. The products below can be found on Amazon and delivered straight to your door.

• Painting brush – this one costs a bit more, but it’s totally worth it. It will help you paint faster and more accurately. If you’re going to paint yourself, don’t skimp here. Incidentally, this is Amazon’s Choice as well.
• Painter’s tape – a must have. Use for all the trim as well as ceiling area
• Paint roller kit – this includes a tray. Use the brush for the edges and the roller for main areas of the wall (and ceiling).
• Drop cloths – Yes, you’ll need them for sure. Some people have some on hand, but often not enough if you are doing many rooms.

And, here’s a helpful video from Sherwin Williams with some super useful DIY painting tips. It’s just 2 minutes and covers types of brushes and painting techniques.

Concluding thoughts on best paint colors for gray flooring

I wanted to provide a breadth of paint shades that work with gray hardwood floors since flooring often covers multiple rooms and different people have different tastes. The one common theme you’ll find is that all the wall colors are on the cool side and that’s what tends to work best for gray floors.

Choose the paint shade that you like best, and that goes with your floors and that makes you feel the best. And, don’t forget to get testers.