Blue and grey is a calm pair for a bedroom, and these shades come from real paintings. You get two blues, two greys and three companion colors to tie the room together.
Quick answer
Use the soft cream #E9DECF on the walls, the grey #9D9D9D on the largest furniture and the blue #4A7283 for bedding or one deep accent wall.
Every color on this page was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
Blue and grey
#4A7283LRV 15
Deep harbor blue
A deep cool blue at LRV 15 from El Greco's Saint Martin and the Beggar. It suits an accent wall or a headboard wall; the closest match measured is Sherwin-Williams SW 9149 Inky Blue.
A mid-tone cool blue at LRV 30 from Alfred Sisley's The Bridge at Villeneuve-la-Garenne. Use it in curtains or bedding, where it is lighter than the deep blue.
The same paint reads differently in cool north light, warm south sun and under evening lamps. Find the column closest to your room.
Color
Neutral daylight
North light
South light
Evening lamps
Soft denim blue
Warm stone grey
Neutral mid grey
Soft cream
Try these colors in a room
Pick which color goes on the walls, the big furniture and the bold piece. Floors, shadows and trim follow your choice.
The framed picture on the wall is Saint Martin and the Beggar.
How do I choose between these blues and greys?
Start with the depth of the room. The blue #4A7283 has an LRV of 15, so it is deep, and the blue #719AB7 at LRV 30 is lighter. The greys sit at LRV 25 and 34. Use only one deep color per wall, or the bedroom will feel closed in.
The warm stone grey #8B8880 and the neutral grey #9D9D9D look different side by side. One has a yellow undertone and the other none. If your bedding is cool blue, the warmer grey will soften it.
A useful rule is to pick one blue and one grey for the biggest areas, then use the other two as smaller touches in curtains, rugs and art.
If you are unsure, hold the four main samples together on one board. The pair that looks calm next to your bed linen, and not just next to each other, is usually the one you will enjoy at night.
What should I pair with blue and grey in a bedroom?
The companion colors come from the same painting as the deep blue, so they belong with it. The cream #E9DECF is the lightest at LRV 74 and suits walls, ceiling or trim. It stops blue and grey from reading as a cold, flat pair.
For wood, the dark mahogany #4B3E34 gives a warm base. It works on a bed frame, a nightstand or a floor stain. The olive #3E4725 has an LRV of 6, so a little goes a long way.
For the ceiling, use the cream or a shade lighter. For the floor, a natural or mid-brown wood suits the warm colors here better than a gray stain.
Keep the bedding simple. A cream or soft white duvet picks up the wall color #E9DECF, while the denim blue #719AB7 in a throw adds the second shade without making the bed look busy. Brass or black metal on lamps both suit this group.
How will the room look in different light?
North light is cool, which will deepen the blues and make the cream look closer to beige. If your bedroom faces north, favor the warm grey #8B8880 and the cream to keep the room from feeling icy.
South light is warm and strong. It makes the blue #719AB7 look cleaner and the cream glow, so you can use cooler greys with less risk.
In the evening, warm bulbs pull blue toward green and make grey look slightly yellow. Because most bedrooms are used at night, check your samples at that hour as well.
If the room gets sun only in the morning, check the samples at that hour too. Blue can swing from soft to bright in a few hours, so a quick check at three times of day will save you from repainting a whole wall.
How do I test the colors before painting?
Paint a large board or a two-foot square on the wall, and look at it at morning, midday and night. Tape the cream and the blue next to each other to see how they relate.
Test the blue beside your actual bedding and floor, since a fabric can change how a color reads. Look at the samples with the lights you will use, and with the curtains open and closed.
If you cannot decide between the two blues, pick the lighter one for a smaller room. The paint matches listed for each color are the closest measured, so ask for a sample before buying a full can.
Live with the sample for at least two evenings before you buy. If it looks right at night with the lamp on, it will almost certainly look right in the morning. Remember that the paint matches given for each color are the closest measured, so they may differ slightly from your sample.
FAQ
What shade of blue goes best with grey?
A cool blue such as #4A7283 or #719AB7 pairs well with the warm and neutral greys here, because the greys keep the blue from feeling too cold.
Is a blue and grey bedroom too cold?
It can be if both are cool. Here, one grey has a warm yellow undertone and the cream and brown companions add warmth.
What color should the bedroom walls be?
The cream #E9DECF is the suggested wall color at LRV 74. You can also paint one wall in the deep blue as a feature.
What color furniture goes with blue and grey?
Dark warm wood such as the mahogany #4B3E34 works well, because it contrasts with the cool colors.
Which companion color should I use sparingly?
The olive #3E4725, at LRV 6, is best in one small piece like a chair or a lamp.
Save these colors
A card with every color on this page, its LRV and the paintings it comes from. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Art Institute of Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, public domain (CC0).
Colors measured by Light & Pigment. Paint names belong to their brands and matches are approximate. Colors look different on screen than on a wall, so always test a sample.
From Saint Martin and the Beggar, Domenico Theotokópoulos, called El Greco
