Amherst Gray is a warm, slate gray that gives a classic, traditional air. With a LRV of 17.12, it’s a little lighter than most charcoal grays, which gives you more freedom to use it without overwhelming a space. Its warmth amplifies the natural beauty of rich brown leather, stone, and hardwood floors. Grizzle Gray by Sherwin Williams In this article we’re going to pop open the paint can on 11 of the best charcoal gray paints and find out what they’re made of, and how to put them to their best use. In case you haven’t seen it before, one concept I’ll be referring to a lot is the light reflectance value, or LRV, of each color.

Metallic colors are all fabulous options that look bright and snazzy against charcoal gray. Silver is especially nice. You can use gold, and even golden yellow paint colors, if you like a bold contrast option. Kendall Charcoal is a dark, cool slate gray that shows more green undertones than blue. Its LRV is 12.96, which makes it best suited for accents, trims, and focal walls, unless you want to pull out the stops and go bold. It looks beautiful balanced with a white ceiling and decor in a cool palette. Web Gray by Sherwin Williams

Our Favourite Grey Paint Colours of 2023

Graphic Charcoal is a dark, cool charcoal gray. It’s great for open floor plans, focal walls, and entryways. Graphic Charcoal has blue undertones, and a LRV of 11. It works well with lighter grays. City Shadow by Benjamin Moore In general, cooler tones tend to work perfectly with charcoal. Icy blues are a brilliant pairing, while navy can deliver a more dramatic finish. If you don’t feel like adding something from the blue spectrum to your palette, you can instead use blue soft furnishings and decorative elements. Peppercorn is a popular neutral charcoal gray that’s made it into at least four different collections over at Sherwin Williams, including their Top 50 Colors. This color is perfectly balanced between its red, green, and blue components, making it a true neutral, and thus easy to coordinate with your favorite colors. But it still works wonders for simple, crisp whites. Peppercorn has a LRV of 10. Charcoal Gray in Real Homes Front Door Forget the idea that neutrals are boring! Charcoal gray is a neutral that is bold, sophisticated, and on-trend. Whether you use it as a sharp accent or go all-in, charcoal will repay your investment by making a statement anywhere you use it. The blonde woods in this office showcase how well charcoal grays play with the brown and beige side of the neutral family. Colors That Go Well With Charcoal

The charcoal focal wall draws this entire harmonious bedroom together and gives the eyes a place to rest.The balanced character of Grizzle Gray makes it a sturdy neutral on which to base your palette. It’s neither particularly warm nor cool, so you can choose your own adventure when it comes to coordinating colors. If you’re looking for something fun, Sherwin Williams suggests Foxy as a place to start. Grizzle Gray has a LRV of 13. Peppercorn by Sherwin Williams Calligraphy is an elegant dark blue-gray with green undertones. At a LRV of 12 it sits on the darker end of the spectrum. Try this color in a kitchen or a bathroom; it complements metalwork and appliances beautifully. If your room doesn’t get a lot of light, flip the script and use Calligraphy on the cabinets with a light-loving color on the walls. Amherst Gray by Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore describes its City Shadow as “smoky” and “leathery”. It’s part of their Aura Color Stories collection, which means it’s exclusively available as an interior paint color. Its LRV is a fairly dark 12.64. Try this cool gray color with pale blues like Patriotic White, pictured in this kitchen, which is a white with the palest wash of blue. Thunder Gray by Sherwin Williams Alternately, you can play up charcoal’s bold side with deep jewel tones, rich woods, and luxe metals. Kitchen/Dining Room

What Colours Work Best With Charcoal Shades?

While coordinating with charcoal grey shades is fairly straightforward, you’ll need some inspiration. A relatively easy route to take is to use other greys. If you’re using an intense charcoal, go with darker greys to create a more atmospheric interior. If your space needs to feel airy and open, keep it low-key with lighter shades. For a more neutral interior, choose charcoal grey hues with brown or green undertones. When choosing interior paint for a living area, you’ll need to consider those undertones carefully. Hints of tan or red will bring essential warmth. Even lilac or violet notes can be used to bring a subtle touch of warmth.

There's so much choice out there when it comes to paint and it can be difficult finding the right colour and finish for your home. There's also a whole range of brands to choose from including Dulux paint, Farrow & Ball colours, Valspar and our own GoodHome range. Now that you’re up to speed, let’s take a look at those gorgeous grays! Best Charcoal Gray Paint Colors Iron Ore by Sherwin Williams Pure white is another timeless pairing with charcoal. It’s an ideal choice for a more contemporary space, while you can also incorporate off-whites and grey-tinged neutrals for complexity.Web Gray is a dark slate gray with blue undertones. It’s a popular gray that coordinates well with other neutral colors, including greiges and beiges. Web Gray has a LRV of 13. It is part of the Urban Outlook collection. Calligraphy by Behr Most charcoals are cool colors, but there are even a few warm ones out there, just as there are warm grays or warm greiges, which means you can find just the right charcoal color to suit your palette.