Are Gray Paint Colors Still Trendy (Cabinets, Walls & Exteriors)?

IS GRAY STILL IN STYLE in 2023 (& 2024)?

While gray was once the GO-TO shade for interior walls and cabinets, things are slowly shifting into the warmer end, and we’re seeing much more greige, taupe, beige, and cream.

So does this mean gray paint colors are OUT and the warmer shades are in? Drum rollllllllll….

HECK NO! We’re not there yet…but we’re gettin’ darn close.

Gray is still kickin’ it in many parts of the world, and I get requests for it daily in my E-Design adventures. However, while three years ago, eight out of ten consults were on gray paint colors, these days, I’m hitting four out of ten…on a good day, which means it’s slowly on its way out the door.

Here’s the thing…

I’m not here to tell you NOT to paint your walls or cabinets gray. 

But if you’re reading this blog post, something tells me that you’re a bit worried about doing so (or you’re just here for my charm and wit, which is cool too). I’m here to give you some well-intentioned advice geared almost ENTIRELY towards RESALE. If you plan on living in your home forever and ever OR long enough that previous trends are irrelevant and your whole home will need updating anyway, then don’t worry – DO WHAT YOU LOVE; it’s your home! In fact, I’ll TELL you which grays are the most beautiful!

On the other hand, if you read the above and are still concerned, keep on readin’…

ARE GRAY WALLS OR CABINETS TRENDY IN 2023 (2024)?

I have pretty strong feelings about wine, Cornuts, Ryan Reynolds, and trends. If you LOVE gray and have ALWAYS loved gray, regardless of whether it’s trendy, paint your walls gray. If your home ONLY SUITS gray and no other color – paint your walls gray. However, keep this one magical word in mind…

RESALE 

IF YOU PLAN ON SELLING IN THE NEXT TWO+ YEARS & ARE PAINTING YOUR WALLS NOW

If you plan on selling in the next 2+ years, want to paint NOW, and don’t plan on repainting before you sell, don’t paint your walls gray. By the time you list your home, the world will be THAT MUCH CLOSER to the warmer end of things, and gray will make your home look dated compared to more UPDATED homes on the market – gray is NOT timeless or trend-proof. Instead, choose a warmer neutral that suits the finishes in your home (hopefully), or at the very least, find your home’s best white.

Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White is a popular off-white beige

Sure, if you want to do one or two rooms, it’s cool beans with me, but I’d think twice before doing an open layout or your WHOLE HOME in a gray paint color.

This living room was updated from the rich beige trends of the early 2000s with a soft greige paint color

I will say, though, that any time spent in a home where you don’t love the wall color is a LOOOOONG TIME. So, if you love gray and aren’t selling for a few years, consider painting your walls gray – definitely, but when it does come time to sell, consider repainting your KEY ROOMS a more modest warm neutral (I’ve included some great tips near the end of this blog post).

Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray & High Reflective White

IF YOUR WALLS ARE ALREADY GRAY & YOU’RE SELLING YOUR HOME SOON

If your walls are already gray and you’re selling soon – don’t worry; it’s all good. Gray is still popular enough that your home won’t look outdated. However, if you have a room or two needing freshening up, I suggest transitioning into a more modest neutral or a good white paint color.

How to Make a Cool Gray Room Look Warmer

Sherwin Williams Colonnade Gray

Sherwin Williams Light French Gray

Why You SHOULD or Shouldn’t Follow Today’s Trends

IF YOU’RE STAYING IN YOUR HOME & ALREADY HAVE GRAY OR PLAN ON USING GRAY

I’m with you! I have four different grays in our home right now, and THREE aren’t going anywhere (the fourth is up for grabs). I say – FILL YOUR LIL GRAY BOOTS! I’ve written dozens of blog posts on the best gray paint colors to help you on your way!

I would suggest WARM GRAY paint colors over cool ones as if you’re at all concerned about resale; warm grays will have waaaaay more life.

The 8 Best Warm Gray Paint Colors: Benjamin Moore

But hold tight if you’re considering choosing gray tile, carpet, countertops, cabinets, OR wood floor with a gray wash. These finishes could limit you in the long term regarding either RESALE or REDECORATING.

SHOULD YOU PAINT YOUR CABINETS GRAY IN 2023?

HELLLLLLS NO! Wait, was that my inside voice? Now before all of you gray cabinet lovers burn me at the stake for the wicked lil Ginger witch that I am, hear me out…I HAVE GRAY CABINETS IN MY HOME!

Above – my client’s home

My home – see it ALL HERE

That’s right, I have gray cabinets, and I desperately LOVE them. When we remodeled our home four years ago, I knew I wanted gray cabinets, so I CHOSE gray cabinets. However, here are a few things to consider…

• If I were to re-do my kitchen today – four years later, I wouldn’t paint my cabinets gray; I would paint them white (or consider the greige/taupe/cream trend).

• I love change, and when I originally painted my cabinets, I knew that within the next five months years, I would be changing them to my next color fetish (which is in my New Year’s plan – don’t tell Tim).

I’m not here to blow smoke up your – wait, there’s a better way to say this…

I’m not here to tell you what you WANT to hear; I’m here to tell you what you NEED to hear.

And you need to hear that painting your cabinets gray will immediately peg them as being painted in 2016-2021. While the gray cabinet trend might get you through the next one to two years, I have my concerns beyond that.

Why?

Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray

Because more and more often, my Online Paint Color Consulting clients are looking for white cabinets or, at the very LEAST, warm greige, taupe, and cream cabinets. And what my E-design clients are looking for is what many of your future house buyers will be looking for in an updated home – again, gray is not timeless or trend-proof. THE SCALE HAS TIPPED; WE’VE REACHED THE TOP AND HAVE ALREADY STARTED DOWN THE HILL. Sorry to tinkle on your toenails; gray is slowly on its way out.

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM

See this SUPER BUDGET-FRIENDLY REMODEL

If you don’t CARE about trends, fill yer lil gray boots – it’s cool beans with me! But if you care about resale, you better think twice.

If you LOVE gray and have ALWAYS loved gray, regardless of whether it’s trendy, paint your cabinets gray. However, I bet your booty that your cabinets will be better painted a more timeless color.

Another consideration, if you have a mad love for gray cabinets, is to add more UNDERTONE. That’s right, rather than choosing any old gray, find one with a bit more meat on its bones, something like Sherwin Williams Uncertain Gray…

A time will come when this might not be in style. However, it has a bit more personality than the average gray cabinet and could give you a few more years – ESPECIALLY if you partner it with the right countertop and backsplash.

Are you feeling worried about your cabinets which are currently painted gray? Don’t be; keep on reading!

3 Steps to Pick the Best White Paint Color for Your Walls or Cabinets

ARE GRAY EXTERIORS STILL TRENDY IN 2023?

While walls and cabinets can be more finicky, when it comes to exteriors, gray is a color that will last LONGER than the average trend.

Why?

When it comes to exterior finishes like roofing, brick, and stonework, gray is often the BEST COLOR to suit these finishes. When the exterior of a home is well-coordinated, it will last longer. Exterior finishes also tend to have a longer lifespan in the trend world, whereas interior finishes get a GOOD five to ten years…if they’re lucky.

5 Steps to Picking Your Home’s Best Exterior Paint Color

However, there are a few things to be careful of when updating your exterior…

• Right now, it’s trendy to paint the trim and siding the same color (often dark gray) – this is a trend and will eventually be moved aside.

• A gray exterior will look outdated if gray is the WRONG COLOR for your home’s exterior finishes. In five years, it will just look like you tried to hop on the ‘gray trend’ but didn’t jump far enough and fell flat on your face instead.

• Dark gray and black exteriors are definitely trendy right now, but again, be careful as they won’t last (dark gray will last longer than black, for sure).

• Black windows might seem like a trend, as everyone’s doing them, but they’re a LONGTERM commitment. This means that people will stop installing them at some point, but they’ll still be a huge part of how we paint our homes because they’re on a home for the long haul. And this is where gray comes in, as it can look pretty sharp with black windows.

See the shocking before and after’s HERE

ARE GRAY-WASH WOOD FLOORS TRENDY IN 2023?

Hard no. In fact, it’s such a hard no; I’m getting a little excited…(wink wink).

Benjamin Moore Classic Gray

Gray wash floors are not trendy and started their downward fall a few years ago. While you’ll still see them used often in new construction and remodeling, you won’t see them for much longer (I hope).

Sherwin Williams Pure White & Balboa Mist

This is more of a whitewash, but the same idea. LOOK at how it makes the floor look violet-pink! 

Are there still people who love gray-wash wood or laminate floors, who see them as the epitome of an updated home? You bet, but as of the last few years, a gray wash won’t satisfy mass appeal (which is the goal if you want to sell your home at any time).

CHECK OUT MY ONLINE PAINT COLOUR CONSULTING, COURSES & E-BOOKS!

WHAT’S NEXT AFTER THE GRAY TREND? White, greige, taupe or beige?

As mentioned earlier, while I still get many demands for gray, GREIGE and TAUPE are definitely the ‘new grays,’ along with WARM WHITES (with even WARMER neutrals nipping at their heels).

Why?

Greige and taupe are great hybrid colors, bridging the gap between the cool look of gray and the warmer beige, tan, and cream end of things. And for the thousands of homes dressed head to toe in gray, we will NEED a hybrid to get us to the next step.

As for white, it’s often a great solution when a home committed to ONE trend won’t translate into another; often, the right white comes to the rescue!

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray

I’m also seeing more requests for MUTED tan, cream, and off-white paint colors – nothing deep or overly warm, but more like ‘polite nods towards the warm end of things.’

So, if you’re worried about longevity and aren’t sure if gray is the color for you, maybe you need to warm up to the idea of something a little warmer, or at the very least, consider a WARM GRAY paint color or WARM WHITE.

Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray lightened and Sherwin Williams Roycroft Pewter (fireplace)

Is Beige Back? Is beige…dare I say, TRENDY?

Are White Walls, Cabinets & Exteriors STILL TRENDY?

PEOPLE ALSO ASK…

WHAT’S NEXT AFTER THE GRAY TREND?

As mentioned earlier, trends are leaning warmer for the 2024 painting season. Gray is shifting to greige and taupe; bright whites are leaning to the softer, warmer whites and EVEN some beiges and creams. Long story short, cool is out; warm is in.

I JUST PAINTED MY WALLS OR CABINETS GRAY & NOW I’M WORRIED

Don’t be worried; it is what it is. This advice is for those who are THINKING about painting their walls or cabinets gray as a ‘word of caution’ (more like 1500 words of caution, really).

Benjamin Moore Collingwood

IF YOU’VE ALREADY PAINTED YOUR WALLS GRAY. Remember, painting a room is one of the least expensive updates. If you’ve painted your whole home gray and, down the road, need/want to make a change, even changing a FEW ROOMS can give your home the shift it needs.

Also, I’ll launch a blog post pretty soon on how to transition a home from gray to greige or beige. In the meantime, read this bad boy.

Benjamin Moore Collingwood

IF YOU’VE ALREADY PAINTED YOUR CABINETS GRAY. Don’t worry. Would it be best if your cabinets weren’t gray? Yup, but it’s okay if you sell in the next two years. Will there be people who don’t like them? Sure, but no product’s totally foolproof. Those who don’t like particular finishes will accommodate them in their future redecorating plans (but this CAN affect the offer they give you).

How to Make a Cool Gray Room Look WARMER

Similar to Benjamin Moore Amherst Gray (less green)

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, an AWESOME & flexible shade of gray

If you’re selling in the next three+ years, you’ll hit even fewer tastes, but again, life will go on, and some people would repaint/replace them REGARDLESS of what color they are (people like me).

CAN I STILL PAINT MY CABINETS OR WALLS GRAY EVEN IF IT’S NOT IN STYLE?

Use gray, just consider using it in moderation, for example…

PAINT YOUR SECONDARY ROOMS GRAY

Secondary rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms, and family rooms are great places to add a color you love without committing to it on such a large scale that you have an ENTIRELY GRAY HOME.

Basically, any room that isn’t in an open layout could be painted gray as it will be easy enough to repaint it down the road if needed. The KEY is to keep your hallways and open layout areas a color that moves FORWARD with the trends rather than backward.

Benjamin Moore Trout Gray

 3 Ideas to Update a Small Bathroom

CONSIDER A GRAY FEATURE WALL

Accent walls are an awesome way to add a color you love to a room without a full commitment, as feature walls are MUCH easier to change down the road.

Benjamin Moore Delray Gray

Where Should I Paint a Feature Wall & WHAT COLOR?

PAINT YOUR CABINETS WHITE & YOUR ISLAND GRAY

If you love the idea of gray cabinets, consider painting the ISLAND only. Repainting an island in five years is MUCH DIFFERENT from having to do the whole shebang.

Similar to Sherwin Williams Gris with High Reflective White

The 4 Best Paint Colors for Kitchen Islands & Bathroom Vanities

PAINT YOUR UPPERS WHITE & LOWERS GRAY

This isn’t one I recommend lightly as a) it’s a trend, and b) it doesn’t suit every kitchen. However, if it suits you, it’s a great idea!

PAINT YOUR BATHROOM VANITY GRAY

If your bathroom finishes suit gray, the vanity is another great place to get a dose of gray without committing to a huge project that is hard to redo in a few years.

Similar to Sherwin Williams Gris with High Reflective White

The 6 Best Paint Colors for a Bathroom Vanity

WARM GRAY VS COOL GRAY – WHICH IS BETTER?

The BEST gray is the one that suits your finishes. However, if you’ve got room to move, warm grays will be in style longer than cool grays (in lighter shades). As for darker shades, warm grays are still reasonably popular, but DARK COOL grays, especially gray with blue undertones, are still kickin’ it as cabinets and feature walls.

Paint Color Review of Benjamin Moore Balboa Mist

There you have it! I hope this blog post gave you the answers AND INSPIRATION you were looking for!

READ MORE

The TOP Warm Neutral Paint Colors that AREN’T BEIGE! 

Why You SHOULD or Shouldn’t Follow Today’s Trends in Paint & Design

How to Make a Cool Gray Room Look WARMER

Is Beige Back? Is beige…dare I say, TRENDY?

NEED HELP?

CHECK OUT MY E-DESIGN, E-BOOKS & ONLINE PAINT COLOR COURSES! 

Chat soon,