When you’re looking for a bold pop of color that won’t overwhelm a space, dark gray paint colors are a fantastic choice.
As professional paint color consultants, we love working with dark gray hues. Dark grays are most often used for exteriors (as you’ll see in our client photos throughout this post), but we also use them as interior accents like interior front doors, accent walls, or an accent room in a dark color drench.
Today, we’re sharing our favorite dark gray paint colors, along with real client photos, so you can see how these colors look in action before choosing one for your next project. But first, let’s get clear on what we mean by dark gray.
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What Counts as Dark Gray?
One of the most common questions we hear about dark gray paint colors is what actually is a dark gray? When does gray go from light to mid-tone to dark?
The simplest answer is that it depends on the lighting. A color that looks very dark inside may look surprisingly light outdoors in the bright sun. The photo below is a fantastic example of this, demonstrated with Benjamin Moore Britannia Blue paint (Article). Both blue walls in this image are painted with Britannia Blue, but the wall in the stairwell gets way more light and looks significantly lighter and brighter.
The more technical answer is that it depends on the color’s LRV, or Light Reflectance Value. LRV measures, from 0-100, how light-reflecting or light-absorbing a paint color is. The higher the LRV, the brighter the color. True white has an LRV of 100, while true black has an LRV of 0.
For dark grays, I’d say the darkest LRV should be about 10 (any darker and you’re getting closer to black) and the lightest LRV should be about 40, depending on the light conditions.
Undertones of Dark Gray Paint Colors
Gray paint colors (Article), including dark gray paint colors, can have one of three undertones: green, blue or violet.
- Green-grays are warm – what I describe as the color of cement.
- Violet-grays are the color people think of when you say gray – the color of elephants.
- Blue-grays are cooler – the color of thunder clouds.
These undertones aren’t always obvious, until they are displayed directly next to each other like in the graphic below.
14 Best Dark Gray Paint Colors (with Real Client Photos)
We’ve worked with dozens of dark gray paint colors in our paint color consulting practice over the years, and these are our favorites – organized by undertone.
Best Dark Green-Gray Paint Colors
Dark gray paint colors with green undertones are warm and versatile. They look especially warm and inviting in rooms with lots of natural light or exteriors.
Sherwin-Williams Anonymous
- LRV: 20
- Undertones: Green
Sherwin-Williams Anonymous (Article) is a dark greige with strong green undertones. It’s very neutral and super earthy. We love using this color as exterior paint because it shifts beautifully in different light.
It’s also flexible enough to complement different kinds of brick and stone and work with many other types of hard finishes for both exteriors and interiors.
Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal
- LRV: 14.61
- Undertones: Green
Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal is a deep green-gray that is warm and bold. It’s dark enough to look like a true charcoal gray even in bright sunlight but is definitely a true gray and doesn’t risk looking black.
The home below features BM Kendall Charcoal siding with Rockport Gray stucxo and Classic Gray (Article) trim.
Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
- LRV: 23.33
- Undertones: Green
Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray (Article) is a beautiful, complex, warm gray paint color that can be used for both interiors and exteriors of your home.
From kitchen cabinets (Article) and bathroom vanities to accent walls and even exterior trim, BM Chelsea Gray paint is a truly versatile paint color.
Even though it is fairly dark, it can help keep a room feeling warm and welcoming when used as an accent. It also pairs well with other warm colors and finishes, like natural wood floors and warm whites.
BM Chelsea Gray is the color of my lower cabinets in my kitchen, pictured below. Sherwin-Williams Attitude Gray is a very similar hue if you prefer Sherwin paints.
Sherwin-Williams Fawn Brindle
- LRV: 36
- Undertones: Green
SW Fawn Brindle (Sample) is a darker version of the very popular SW Gossamer Veil (Article), a warm neutral with green undertones. With an LRV of 36, this is one of the lighter hues we’re featuring in this post.
It is warm and earthy, and looks beautiful as an accent color in a home, such as on the bathroom vanity in the room below. This color would also work well as an exterior accent, where it would look much lighter than it does indoors.
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore
- LRV: 6
- Undertones: Green
Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore (Article) is right on the edge between dark gray and soft black, with an LRV of 6. It has almost invisible green undertones that keep it warm without looking overly green. Most people won’t see these. The only time I’ve ever seen them was in super-bright, high-altitude sunshine in the Colorado mountains.
We love to use this color for exterior front doors and dark exterior trim, where it looks more like a charcoal gray in the bright sunlight. Indoors, it tends to look more like a black.
On the home below, SW Iron Ore siding looks rich and lovely alongside red brick (Article).
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn
- LRV: 10
- Undertones: Neutral
Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn (Article) is another favorite dark gray paint color. It’s a very interesting and unique hue because it doesn’t really have an undertone. Sometimes people see a blue undertone and others see green. I grouped it with the green-grays because it is definitely a warm dark gray paint color. It is the only paint color I’ve ever seen with the same R/G/B (88/88/88) values. It’s interesting, and probably not random, knowing Sherwin-Williams.
With an LRV of 10, it’s light enough that it won’t look black, but deep enough to still look dark and moody in the bright outdoor sunlight.
Best Dark Blue-Gray Paint Colors
Dark gray paint colors with blue undertones are cooler than those with green undertones. True blue paint colors can be electric if not muted, so often we select dark blue-grays (Article) with strong blue undertones so they don’t look too bright.
These are some of our favorites:
Sherwin-Williams Granite Peak
- LRV: 14
- Undertones: Blue
Sherwin-Williams Granite Peak (Article) is often thought of as a muted, silky dark blue paint color. But it’s so muted it is really more like a dark gray paint color with blue undertones.
If there were a perfect accent wall blue color, Granite Peak would be it. It’s deep and bold without looking black, and muted and warm enough to feel cozy and inviting – even indoors.
Sherwin-Williams Gray’s Harbor
- LRV: 12
- Undertones: Blue
Grays Harbor (Sample) from Sherwin-Williams is a gorgeous, deep slate blue with subtle warm green undertones.
Its warmth makes it perfect for pairing with red brick – a combination we used for our client’s home pictured below, which features Grays Harbor siding, Fawn Brindle shingles and Egret White (Article) trim.
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
- LRV: 8.17
- Undertones: Blue
Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron (Article) is a gorgeous dark paint color perfect for interior and exterior applications. Much like Iron Ore, this color straddles the line between dark gray and black. It can be used for accent walls, accent rooms, black window frames, interior doors and even cabinets.
While its blue undertones are soft indoors, bright sunlight can really bring them to life. Accent walls are one of my favorite ways to use Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron interior paint. We used Wrought Iron accents throughout our client’s home for walls, entire rooms, and even a bold ceiling paint accent alongside Benjamin Moore Cloud White (Article) paint.
Best Dark Violet-Gray Paint Colors
Sherwin-Williams Gauntlet Gray
- LRV: 17
- Undertones: Violet
Sherwin-Williams Gauntlet Gray (Sample) is a lovely dark gray paint that is warm and inviting. I used this color on my own home in Colorado, which features Gauntlet Gray garage doors and dark accents, Dorian Gray shingles, and Agreeable Gray (Article) trim.
I absolutely love this color for exteriors. It’s a fantastic option for a charcoal gray that’s not too dark but still has plenty of pigment to stand up to the sunshine.
Sherwin-Williams Mink
- LRV: 21
- Undertones: Violet
Sherwin-Williams Mink (Sample) is a gorgeous gray hue that has a lot of violet in it. In the Photoshop rendering of the home below, Mink flows seamlessly with the stone, so the violet isn’t as obvious. The look creates a beautiful, earthy palette that is warm and inviting.
BM Willow Creek
BM Willow Creek (Sample) is a mid-toned gray paint color with cool, violet undertones. Indoors, this color may be a bit too dark for many interior projects, but it’s perfect outdoors – not too dark and not too light.
On the home below, the Willow Creek (Article) siding looks beautiful paired with BM Hale Navy (Article) accents and a deep red front door.
Sample The Best Dark Gray Paint Colors
We always recommend that you test paint colors (Article) in your home because lighting can completely change a color, both on interiors and exteriors.
In the old days, this meant we painted a large poster board with sample pots and a huge mess.
Now we have a better way to test paint, with Samplize Peel-and-Stick samples!
- Samples pre-painted with 2 coats of real paint from the manufacturer.
- Large 9” x 14” samples to see the color better in the lighting.
- Delivered overnight
- Colors are accurate
- Less expensive than painting a large poster board with sample pots
- No mess, and no toxic paint to dispose of
I use these in my color consulting practice for exact results. Discover Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples and sample all your favorite exterior house colors via the link below.
- Sherwin-Williams Anonymous
- Benjamin Moore Kendall Charcoal
- Sherwin-Williams Attitude Gray
- Benjamin Moore Chelsea Gray
- Sherwin-Williams Fawn Brindle
- Benjamin Moore Rockport Gray
- Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore
- Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn
- Sherwin-Williams Granite Peak
- Sherwin-Williams Gray’s Harbor
- Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron
- Sherwin-Williams Gauntlet Gray
- Sherwin-Williams Mink
- Benjamin Moore Willow Creek
Key Learning Points
Dark gray is one of the most versatile paint categories you can work with, but choosing the right one comes down to understanding how light and undertone shape the way a color actually reads. Here’s what to keep in mind:
- Lighting changes everything. The same dark gray can look moody and deep indoors, but noticeably lighter and brighter in full outdoor sun—so always test a color in the exact conditions where it will live.
- LRV defines the range. Dark grays generally fall between an LRV of about 10 and 40; go below 10 and you start drifting into black territory rather than true gray.
- Undertones set the mood. Every dark gray leans green (warm, cement-like), blue (cool, like thunderclouds), or violet (the classic “elephant” gray)—and those undertones become most obvious when colors are placed side by side.
Remember: NEVER, EVER use paint matches from a different brand than the one specified. Results are poor and there are no standards for the sheens. Even though your painter may truly believe it can be done, don’t do it. See results from paint matching here.
No matter what, always test your paint colors. It’s a standard best practice. Whenever I test my paint colors, they are perfect, and when I don’t test they turn out wrong. Learn how to test your paint colors here.
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Related Posts:
- Sherwin-Williams Anonymous Color Review
- Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn Color Review
- Best Dark Exterior Trim Colors
- Best Red Brick Home Color Schemes
About the Author
Hi, I’m Michelle Marceny, founder, owner, and Principal Color Designer at The Color Concierge. I believe a fresh coat of paint can completely transform a space. The Color Concierge was born out of my drive to help clients fall back in love with their homes. My clients trust me to help them find the perfect paint color for their home – whether it’s a whole-house paint color scheme or ideas for a single room.
Since The Color Concierge was founded in 2017, we have completed over 3000 color consultations, both online and in-person. I am a Certified Color Expert with 7 years of experience creating interior and exterior color palettes throughout North America.
We love your comments! Please note that the blog is meant as general advice, and it is not possible to give out specific answers to your paint questions. If you want more specific advice, our Online Color Consultations will help you pick your paint colours. Thank you for your understanding.
