Gray is THE color these days I guess

[cinnaminny]

I like anything that is neutral when it comes to paint. Grey, beige, I don't care, just let it be neutral. Then again, when I moved into my current house it was painted every color of the rainbow. When you walked into my house if you stopped and counted paint colors from that spot 6 would have been the magic number. Brown, Red, Yellow, Orange, Blue and Purple...why??? That was just from that one spot, there was more to come. lol At least it was thoughtfully coordinated and well done. Now everything is neutral with pops of color.

 

[wenrob]

We removed the hideous wallpaper from the kitchen in our first house and painted it butter yellow. Even on the dreariest winter day, I felt enveloped by sunshine when I went into the kitchen.


MY painter usually uses 1-2 coats of Killz and then switches to tinted primer if more coverage is needed.

We used Kilz specifically formulated for dark paint. Still bled through three coats. This grape was not going away quietly. We probably would have been better off retexturing the walls and starting fresh. This woman liked to paint. Unfortunately for me she liked really deep colors and was really bad at it. I literally peeled off layers of old paint in the bathroom downstairs.

 

[tzolkin]

I would never paint my house on the prospect of a future sale many years away. Painting is easy. I do get why they advise people not to go with colors like red, black, navy blue etc. They’re really, REALLY hard to cover up. People don’t want to deal with that and will walk away on an otherwise great house. When I sold I painted the entire house a solid off white before I even put it on the market.

That said I bought this one and my youngest DD’s room was glossy, GRAPE purple. It took me three days (and some frustrated tears) to cover it up. In contrast it took barely half a day to do my DS’s same size room that was powder blue. Our master bath is a hideous glossy, navy blue. I love to paint but I’ve has a 5 gallon bucket of primer sitting in the closet up there for three years because I know it’s going to be a nightmare.

We are in the process of selling our home and I was worried about repainting one of the kid's rooms before we put it on the market. One wall is a huge chalkboard square and another was a giant black Tim Burton-esque tree (that also extended onto the ceiling). I was actually shocked at how easy it was to cover up. (I had the same experience as you with painting over dark colored rooms in our previous home so I was expecting a nightmare.)

I had bought the cheapest flat white paint Home Depot had (like $12) to do the ceiling and was surprised at how thick it was. (Previous paint that didn't cover was more than double the price from Lowes). When I finished the ceiling (two coats over the black portions) I did a quick one coat with the roller over the black tree and was absolutely shocked that it was pretty much completely covered once the paint had dried. One coat of a light grey and the wall is perfect. You cannot tell at all that there's a glossy black tree underneath.

We have been using the same cheap paint for all the ceilings in our new house, so I will check the name for you.

 

[willowsnn3]

When I saw the subject line, I didn't realize it was for paint.

Maybe TMI but...
I'm dressed all in gray today. Gray capris, shirt & undies, lol

 

[KPeterso]

My office is remodeling and has painted the walls gray. It feels like a jail gray to me and I hate it!

My cousin has gray in her home, but it is a very soft taupe type gray and really pretty with her furnishings. She also has a lot of windows so it feels light and bright. I wish my office was a similar color.

I think if done right gray is ok, but it can also not be great...

 

[Christine]

My office is remodeling and has painted the walls gray. It feels like a jail gray to me and I hate it!

My cousin has gray in her home, but it is a very soft taupe type gray and really pretty with her furnishings. She also has a lot of windows so it feels light and bright. I wish my office was a similar color.

I think if done right gray is ok, but it can also not be great...

I think gray/grey needs a lot of light or it can look institutional. I experimented with gray in my basement bathroom. It was a very light, cool gray. It's okay, but looks institutional to me. Been too lazy to redo it. But I think the problem is that there is no window and no natural light.

I've thought about doing some rooms in my home gray. My house was built in the 90s with natural oak floors with heavy poly finish. Over time, the floors have taken on a very warm, but yellow cast. I can tell you for sure, that is the ONE thing gray does NOT work with. Looks AWFUL.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I think gray/grey needs a lot of light or it can look institutional. I experimented with gray in my basement bathroom. It was a very light, cool gray. It's okay, but looks institutional to me. Been too lazy to redo it. But I think the problem is that there is no window and no natural light.

I've thought about doing some rooms in my home gray. My house was built in the 90s with natural oak floors with heavy poly finish. Over time, the floors have taken on a very warm, but yellow cast. I can tell you for sure, that is the ONE thing gray does NOT work with. Looks AWFUL.

Yes. And I think if you have a lot of older furniture that was meant to go with brown tones, with the grey, it also has a drab look. If you're starting anew and coordinate everything, then I think it can look great.

 

[DisneyOma]

Lol, I was just thinking about this! Gray is very trendy right now. So much so that my friend, who is 11 years younger than me and having her first baby, has the entire nursery decorated in gray--for a baby girl! Gray paint, gray linens, gray baskets on the changing table, all different, coordinating shades and it looks cute, but I was surprised when she showed me her finished nursery.

Gray is such a horrible color for a nursery, IMO. babies need sharp contrast at first - they see black and white, then red, etc, as their eyes develop. I hope the new parents get lots of brightly colored toys and stuffed animals, mobiles and artwork as gifts to brighten up that room!

 

[amcnj]

A relative who does house painting just happened to mention the other week that they are still seeing a lot of gray out there. I’ll have to pay more attention. Most of my time beige was the neutral color, and grays were mainly in commercial buildings. I guess most people I know have been in their homes a really long time, and they too are still in color schemes from the “olden days”!

 

[Meriweather]

I love gray. My rooms are not painted gray in this house. They were in my last house.
This house has tan That's the way it came. When it needs painting, I will definitely change them. Not sure it will be gray.
Doesn't really go with a lot of my things anymore.....but some rooms might be

 

[Julie's Haircut]

When I saw the subject line, I didn't realize it was for paint.

Maybe TMI but...
I'm dressed all in gray today. Gray capris, shirt & undies, lol

I have many gray items of clothing too, including undies.

 

[donaldbuzz&minnie]

Most of our house is painted a very, very pale creamy yellow. It feels cheerful and welcoming and works surprisingly well as a neutral. I don't personally care for grey, but whenever we sell, we'll paint the whole interior whatever the current popular color is, even if it's purple. Until then, we'll enjoy what works for us.