House exterior · Blue-grey · colors from 6 paintings
Blue Grey Exterior House Paint Colors and Schemes
Blue grey siding looks calm and works with almost any roof. These four exterior schemes were measured from paintings, so the wall, trim and door colors already work together. Roof colors are typical shingle, tile or metal tones.
Quick answer
For a classic look, use the mid-tone #798991 with the light trim #DAE4E4 and a navy door. For a darker house, use #556465 with a brown door.
Every wall, trim and door color here was measured from one of these public-domain paintings.
4 complete exterior color schemes
Walls, trim, front door and roof together. Each scheme takes its colors from public-domain paintings, so the pairings are ones a painter already put side by side.
Degas Blue and Navy
Walls #798991
Trim #DAE4E4
Front door & shutters #2E4964
Roof: charcoal
Harbor blue-gray walls, pale trim and a deep navy door and shutters under a charcoal roof. It is the most classic scheme and suits a two-story colonial.
Exterior paint is seen in much stronger light than a room. Full sun bleaches a color by a shade or two, while the shaded side of the house and overcast days pull it cooler and darker. Test a large sample on two sides of the house.
Color
Swatch
Full sun
Overcast
In shade
Golden hour
Harbor Blue Gray LRV 24
Deep Slate Blue LRV 12
Sea Glass Gray LRV 31
Fog Blue Gray LRV 39
Pale Frost Trim LRV 76
Try these colors on a house
Pick a color for the walls, the trim, the front door and the roof, and switch between house styles. Shadows and siding lines follow your choice.
Roof colors are typical shingle, tile and metal colors, not paint. Every other color comes from a painting on this page.
Colors for the walls
#798991LRV 24
Harbor Blue Gray
A mid-tone cool blue at LRV 24, a balanced blue grey for siding. It was measured from Portraits at the Stock Exchange by Edgar Degas.
Sherwin-Williams SW 6203 Spare White
Near-identical
Farrow & Ball No. 252 Pavilion Blue
Close
Front door and shutter colors
#2E4964LRV 6
Deep Navy
A deep cool blue at LRV 6 for a front door and shutters that stay in the same family as the walls. It comes from Portraits at the Stock Exchange by Edgar Degas.
A deep brown at LRV 8 with a warm red-orange undertone for a door against cool walls. It was measured from The Capture of Carthage by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo.
Which blue grey exterior house paint colors work best?
Choose the depth first. The lightest wall here is #A1A9AE, with an LRV of 39, and the darkest is #556465, with an LRV of 12. In between, #889C9D (LRV 31) and #798991 (LRV 24) are balanced choices.
The closest measured matches help you compare. #798991 is near Cold Steel from Behr and Blustery Sky from Sherwin-Williams. #889C9D is near Delft from Sherwin-Williams and Oval Room Blue from Farrow & Ball. #556465 is near Underwater from Behr.
Large areas of exterior paint look lighter than a chip in sun and darker in shade, so judge them on a big board.
Blue grey can lean toward green or purple in some light. Check each sample at dusk, when those hidden tints are easiest to see.
What trim, door and roof colors go with blue grey?
Light trim gives blue grey siding a crisp edge. The crisp light gray #E7E7E7 (LRV 80) is the brightest option, while #DAE4E4 and #E5E4DD are softer. Use the same trim on fascia and the garage door.
For the front door and shutters, deep navy #2E4964 stays in the same family, saddle brown #664728 adds warmth, burlap tan #AE9874 is softer and oakmoss green #65694E ties the house to the yard.
The roofs in these schemes are charcoal or black, which are typical shingle and metal colors. Charcoal is slightly softer next to lighter blue grey walls, while black suits the darkest wall.
A small amount of the warm tan #AE9874 on the door can make cool walls feel friendlier without a big change.
How do blue grey exteriors look in sun and shade?
Blue grey shifts with the sky. In clear sun, #798991 looks bluer and cleaner. Under an overcast sky, it turns grayer and quieter. In shade, #556465 can look almost black.
The lighter #A1A9AE is the most stable. Its LRV of 39 keeps it from darkening too much in shade, which makes it a good choice for a house under tall trees.
Warm elements such as brown doors and tan shutters stay visible in all three conditions and balance the cool walls. If the house sits in full sun all day, the deeper colors are less likely to look washed out.
Trees and lawns reflect green onto walls, so a cool blue grey may look warmer or greener in summer than in winter.
How do you test exterior blue grey paint?
Paint a sample board of at least two feet square and move it around the house. Check the sunniest wall and the shadiest wall, and look at it in the morning and at dusk.
Hold the board beside your roof, brick, stone and driveway. These fixed materials often have a warm or cool tone that changes how the blue grey reads.
Stand across the street and look at the sample from a distance. Place the trim and door samples next to the wall sample, since the contrast is what you will see most.
Ask neighbors or look around the street. Seeing blue grey on a real house in your own light is the best test.
FAQ
What is a good blue grey for an exterior house?
The mid-tone #798991 with an LRV of 24 is a balanced choice. Go deeper with #556465 or lighter with #A1A9AE.
What trim color goes with blue grey siding?
A very light neutral such as #E7E7E7 or #DAE4E4 gives a crisp look. The warmer #E5E4DD is softer.
What door color goes with a blue grey house?
Navy #2E4964, saddle brown #664728, tan #AE9874 and green #65694E all work. Choose one for both the door and the shutters.
Is dark blue grey too dark for a house?
Dark blue grey with an LRV near 12 is bold but common on well-lit houses. Pair it with crisp light trim so the house keeps its shape.
What roof color goes with blue grey paint?
The schemes here use charcoal or black roofs. Both are typical shingle or metal colors and suit cool blue grey walls.
Save these colors
A card with these house color schemes: walls, trim, front door and roof. Pin it, or take it to the paint store.
Painting images: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Art Institute of Chicago, 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.
