Recommend a lovely blue/grey paint please

[clairedunphy]

It's for my DS's bedroom. It's quite large and square and south facing. I want a colour that will be neutral enough to last for several years, he's just about to turn 8.

I need to choose something that's not going to make the room seem cold and bleak, but I'm not good with colour and don't know how to choose a 'warm' blue/grey.

Any help much appreciated.

[clairedunphy]

Bump

[DustOffYourHighestHopes]

Dark/medium/light?

[NapQueen]

Do you mean bluey grey or do you mean a blue or a grey?

Our bedroom has just been painted Dulux Goose Down and it is the best grey (abd we have a LOT!), and I want to do the whole house.

[clairedunphy]

Sorry to disappear, this evening got a bit manic.

If anyone is still there, I meant a bluey grey, light and neutral.

I've have a look at goose down, thank you.

[sentia]

Little Greene bone china blue?

[Waitingfordolly]

Bone China Blue is much more blue than it looks as though it's going to be. I think this is a really difficult colour. I must have gone through about 20 testers! I gave up, but there's a Zoffany paint maybe called Flint that I think was the most bluey grey I found!

[originalusernamefail]

We have just painted DS2s room with goose down and a feature wall sapphire salute. I plan to put stars on the dark wall. Will try and attach a pic.

[NeonPinkNails]

We've jst done our room in Dulux Cornflower White (after testing a million other bluey greys/greyish blues!) I'm really pleased with it, very fresh and neutral.

[minipie]

Little Greene French Grey (comes in Light, Mid and just "French Grey" which I think is the darkest. I like this so much we have Light in our bedroom and Mid in our sitting room (both S facing).

Farrow & Ball Cornforth White - this one has slightly purpley undertones, so a bit less neutral than the Little Greene colour imo. A "muddier" colour.

[clairedunphy]

Thank you, lots to look at.

Out of interest original, what stars will you be putting on your darker wall? We've been discussing a space(ish) theme and did debate a darker wall. I'd sort of chickened out of the idea, thinking that one lighter colour throughout would be much more sensible. But now I'm wavering...

[clairedunphy]

Waitingfordolly, what did you go for in the end if you gave up on the elusive blue grey?!

[originalusernamefail]

Hi Claire, I was a bit worried about the darker wall to begin with as DS2s room is a small single and I was worried it would make it feel small, however I love it now it's done and I'm glad I was brave and went for it! The stars I've ordered are the confetti vinyl walk stars by a company called wallinkdesign on etsy. You get 170 stars for £10. I'm also looking at a Tardis poster that's in the style of a vintage travel poster, I may frame that and hang it on one of the pale walls.

[originalusernamefail]

Here are the stars and T.A.R.D.I.S poster. DS2 is only 8 months old and has no idea about Doctor who, I think it's mummy's room really!

[agapanthii]

Paint and paper library - lead.

[clairedunphy]

Those stars are great, thank you. It's star wars all the way in our house rather than doctor who, but similarly I have to remember whose room it is!

[Julju]

We used Dulux Polished Pebble in the kitchen and then again in DS's nursery because it's such a great neutral but somehow not insipid blue-grey. It also seems to go with every colour. Both rooms are west facing but it looks great in all lights.

Extra bonus is that it comes in their endurance range so if we get baked beans/baby food/crayon on the walls we just scrub it off.

[Waitingfordolly]

Claire I got wallpaper and used a Farrow and Ball off white, completely different!

[DustOffYourHighestHopes]

We have bone china in boy's room and it looks like pale blue. V disappointing, not very subtle as most little Greene paints are.

[LalaDipsey]

Laura Ashley Cloud is a lovely pale bluey-grey. It's one of those which can look more blue or more grey dependant on the light and/or what you accessorise it with.

[sentia]

Something else to consider is how warm the lightbulbs you use are. We have daylight LED bulbs, but I tested warm and cool ones as well - it makes a huge difference to how the paint looks.

[clairedunphy]

Well we'll be changing the light but I hadn't thought of that. Makes perfect sense, although I'm not sure how I'll know until I've done it?

[sentia]

If you have three tester light bulbs then you can change them while the swatch is up (I painted big pieces of cardboard with my tester pots so I could move them around)? Or use actual daylight, the daylight bulbs are close to the same kelvin value.

[user1471426401]

We went with dulux subtle orb... It's a bluey grey but lovely and bright;)

[clairedunphy]

Thanks all, loads to look at here. And thanks for the tips about lighting etc.

I think part of the decision will have to be based on what our local rubbish diy shops have in stock...