Does anybody have a room painted dark grey?

[BedHog]

Our bedroom needs painting, and I'm thinking about using a mid/dark grey. I've seen it used a lot on tv room sets, mainly for glossy American dramas and sitcoms, and when done right I think it looks dramatic and classy. Plus it's neutral so I'll be able to use all sorts of different colours for the bedding, pictures, accessories etc.

I suspect it's a tricky colour to get right though, so I'd like some advice about choosing which grey to use. I want to avoid the room looking like a battleship or a bleak cold-war-era Hungarian prison. I'd like white woodwork, but maybe a chalky white rather than brilliant. The floor is wooden and it's a Victorian house with high ceilings and fancy cornicing, if that makes any difference. I realise dark rooms need good lighting so I've bought an amazing large contemporary ceiling light for the room, and will add other lights as necessary.

Does anybody have any recommendations for grey paints that will give me the desired effect, or chalky whites, or recommendations about paint finishes - satin, matt, gloss etc., or any other advice?

Thanks!

[FellatioNelson]

I find that all the F&B colours have a chameleon like quality and change depending on the time of day Damedoom.

[BedHog]

Thanks everybody!

[BedHog]

I'm going to have a look at all your suggestions on the colour charts and then get some tester pots I think. As a few of you have said, much depends on the room so best to see them in situ.

Really? Grey the new magnolia? I think I've only seen it in one house. Lots of white and magnolia round here, or whatever the middle class F&B equivalent of magnolia is! My own house is a mixture of reds, blues, gold, purple, with metallics and glitter, so neutrals are new to me!!

[MaitreKarlsson]

A friend had a beautiful dark room and said it was painted in 'bowler hat' - was amazing but very dark at night...hth

[noddyholder]

I have been house hunting and grey is everywhere you are right. It was hugely popular about 4 years ago but does look a bit magnolia. Thats interiors though.

[TheCatInTheHairnet]

I'm so bored of grey. It's everywhere at the moment and, even though I think it looks lovely, it always makes me sigh a bit. It's like the 2012 Magnolia.

[DameDoom]

By the way Downpipe looks different colours at different times of day. Sometimes it's petrol blue, others deep teal. It's very velvety and rich looking ... not at all battleship.

[DameDoom]

My living room and kitchen are both downpipe by F&B - including all woodwork and ceilings. Go onto designer Abigail Ahern's website - she has a fantastic blog with amazing photos. I'm in process of painting hall and stairs in F&B railings. Come over to the dark side -it's so chic and cosy.

[noddyholder]

That sounds lovely

[wilkos]

My north facing bedroom is dove grey by Dulux, was the first room I have ever painted a dark colour and I did have a little wobble after the first coat but now I love it. Its really cosy!

The ceiling and cornicing are bright white with wooden floorboards and the contrast is great, I have dark grey textured curtains, a black metal bed and a black Hemnes chest of drawers from Ikea, and an oatmeal rug on the floor.

It looks mighty fine as far as I'm concerned

[InNeedOfBrandy]

I really really like it but I have a small flat with lots of doors for rooms and inbuilt cupboards but if I had a huge house with a lovely square hall I'd so have it.

[noddyholder]

yes brandy its great in the right house.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Does anyone like the American type of look with dark grey skirting and doors?

[noddyholder]

Ooh yes i love that!

[Littlefish]

Ooh yes. Brinjal is gorgeous! Noddy - do you think it would go as a contrast with Cinder Rose?

[noddyholder]

Brinjal is also lovely if you are after dark.

[noddyholder]

I think with dark you have to go for it and if you feel you need lots of light things to brighten it it almost loses its intensity. You have to go with it. I had it in a living room once and it was great at night with a fire lit. I have gone completely the other way now and am carrying around swatches of shell pink for my next bedroom

[EverybodysSnowyEyed]

We hae little green French grey with lead white wood and ceiling

The grey is lovely because it takes on different hues depending on the light - sometimes its pink and sometimes blue. Very happy with it

[Littlefish]

Pavillion grey is definitely quite light. I've got it it my bedroom and it's beautiful, but not an intense colour. We've got Green Smoke in our dining room - I would say that the grey equivalent of that would look wonderful (I mean the same depth of colour equivalent if you see what I mean). I can't find my F&B colour chart at the moment, so I don't know what that would be.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

Mine is slightly plummy, you couldn't tell till it was up on the walls. Luckily it goes really well with my plummy curtains cushions and rug.

[FellatioNelson]

I think most pale grays are beautiful but you need to be very careful when choose deep/dark greys. It's hard to find one that is a true neutral - most of them will lean towards blue, brown, plum or green, and once on the wall in a big solid slab they can completely different to how you envisaged. Some of them look very 'battleship' which is harsh and depressing, and can sap all the life and light out of a room.

The ones that are blue/green and stormy really work better in a mid depth - too dark can look really depressing and gloomy, whereas plummy, smokey dark greys look more sumptuous and sexy. Ones with lots of brown are usually warm and easy on the eye. Think about which way your window faces. Your bedroom colour needs to look lovely first thing in the mornings and cosy and inviting and relaxing at night, and in artificial light. the way the light comes into the room will have a huge impact on the colour you choose.

[InNeedOfBrandy]

My living room is a dark grey colour, I love it although it needed 3 coats to look right.

Best suggestion is a light floor and light wood furniture to brighten it up.

[Gingersstuff]

Our bedroom is Plummet by F&B, a gorgeous dark grey tho not as dark as downpipe. I love the colour but really disappointed in the paint quality (we got the local paint shop to match the colour in Crown trade). Like yours, high ceilings, off-white woodwork and cornicing. Looks very dramatic and it's a south-west facing room but to be honest I'm now thinking I'd like to go a bit lighter, maybe a green-blue kinda stormy colour.

[motherofluvlies]

Not a dark grey but "clouded sky" by dulux authentic range in our bedroom.We love it with white ,wooden floors and white furniture.Good coverage and quality.

[diddlediddledumpling]

I used a Homebase dark grey in our kitchen, one wall. I love it.