8.19.2010

On the Hunt...

...for the PERFECT gray...

HELP! 
A girl can go crazy searching for the perfect gray

I want gray in my half bath downstairs and for the master bedroom... 

I was SO excited when I came across this picture:

This is EXACTLY what I have been looking for. 
To make it even better- the picture came from BHG WITH the name of the paint used underneath it. 
Sherwin Williams Requisite Gray. 

So off I went. Bought it. Tested it. NOTHING like the picture. I know computer screens aren't very accurate but it was NOTHING like it. It came out brown-taupe. I tried it in a different room with natural lighting. Same thing. So dissapointed. 

I have never had such a hard time picking out paint! Gray is so easy to go wrong. Comes out too silver, too purple, lavender, blue... there are so many tints to gray. 

Any suggestions?

11 comments:

ROSE VINE COTTAGE said...

Have you looked at Dreamy Whites blog? I'm sure you have but she has her home painted in a pretty gray.

ROSE VINE COTTAGE said...

Me again, I wanted to tell you that Cote De Texas blog, she just posted about the color gray and I think she was the one who listed some pretty gray paint. You can find them both on my blog if you need to (;

Hardin County Keepsakes said...

Find a piece of fabric the color you want and have it mixed at your local hardware store.
It is how I get the colors I want.
Is grey one of the colors ,like red, you have to under coat?
judy j
http://hardincountykeepsakes.blogspot.com/

Victoria said...

I don't have any advice for you but wow, who would've thought that grey had so many varieties! I hope you find the perfect shade:)

Rebecca said...

Tracy, I came across your blog a few months ago and love to stop in from time to time-I was awarded the Versatile Blogger Award by someone and am passing that award along to you. Your baby is a doll and thank your husband for me for serving our Country!
Rebecca

Donna Lynn said...

Wow, I know what you mean, go to Martha Stewart colors, her's are really great! Love the grey in the photo, but how the heck do you ever match that??

Amanda said...

ok... i have to thank you for posting about this. i am the worlds worst when it comes to choosing paint colors (self voted by the way) and let me tell you, being a HUGE fan of gray walls, it sure can become stressful, time consuming, and not so budget friendly to try to get it right. i chose a color for our kitchen which looked tan-ish, and it came out gray! a good soft gray! and i love it. so of course i intended to use it in a few other rooms in the house. including my sons. painted a square of it on his wall last week and, WRONG, not so perfect. i looks lavender in his room. NOTHING like the kitchen. so i'll be checking back for all of the advice i hope you receive so i can use it too. :)

in the meantime, i see someone else mentioned "Dreamy Whites" having a gorgeous shade of gray in her home. it's "gray pearl" by Martha Stewart and although i dont think they any longer make that color swatch... any Home Depot should still have the formula in their computer system. Also, Holly from Life In The Fun Lane recently used a gorgeous gray from Pratt & Lambert called Wyndham Grey. i sure hope you find one you love... so all of us in the search for a good one can use it too. :)

Tracy said...

Such a great advice! I am excited to get samples of all the colors everyone has mentioned! I will definitely let everyone know what I find!

Heather said...

Also, try this color as used on 71 toes blog.
http://71toes.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2010-08-30T10%3A41%3A00-07%3A00&max-results=7

Silver Fox by Dunn Edwards

Thanks,
Heather

Miranda @ Pressing On said...

I just painted my living room SW Zircon and it's a great gray. I don't have pics of mine yet, but you can see it in action in Kristin's Master Bedroom at http://myuncommonsliceofsuburbia.blogspot.com/ Good luck. I totally understand where you're coming from. I spent weeks trying to find the right gray.

Anonymous said...

european gray from home depot, i think it is behr paint.... love it in my bathroom. very soft, goes with everything....
karen