Probably the most frequent question I get is “what color is your (insert inanimate object here)?”  I always try to respond back in the comments section where the question originates but, ultimately, I realize that’s not a quick and easy way to get information on paint colors used in my home.  So, I’m sharing my paint colors with you in a full post today.

The majority of our home is painted in Valspar (Lowe’s) Bonsai.  It’s a light, airy gray that changes throughout the day.  In the afternoon it takes on a greener hue and at night a taupe-y hue.  It’s the color of our main living space:  family room, kitchen, dining area and sunroom.  It’s the color of our 2-story foyer and bedrooms also.

3 of the 4 walls in our multi-tasking living room are painted Dry Riverbed also available from Lowe’s.  It’s a darker, muddier gray than the Bonsai.

Our powder room is painted one shade darker than Bonsai…Lowe’s Magic Spell. 

The 2 lighter stripes on the TV wall in our family room are Lowe’s Wet Dock.  The other ‘stripes’ are actually just the same wall color as the rest of the family room, Bonsai.

The mini-mudroom and laundry room are Glidden’s (Home Depot) Gentle Tide.  It’s a gray-blue-aqua that looks great in small rooms…the color of a perfect sky.

As I mentioned, the foyer wall is Bonsai (I tell you, it’s everywhere here!) and the cherry blossom art is Valspar (Lowe’s) Elkhorn Cactus.

All wall paint finishes are done in eggshell.  It’s a nice matte (gloss can enhance imperfections) but easily wipeable.  The exception to this in our home are our kitchen cabinets and island that we painted.  They are Sherwin William’s Greek Villa painted in a semi-gloss for added wipeability (not a word, I know).  It’s a nice, clean white but not too stark.

So, there you have it.  A little run-down of the major paint colors used in our home.  I try to stick to grays and taupes.  When I’m feeling a little risky, I’ll pick an actual *color* but in a muted and grayed-down tone…like Gentle Tide.  It’s not that bold colors are wrong, it’s just what I like to live with.

With all the snow, sleet, rain and more snow here in the Midwest lately, I’m really looking forward to warmer weather.  I don’t mind winter and all that it brings (okay, so maybe I detest horrible road conditions when I have to work and how the bottom 2 inches of my pants get all slushy) but I wouldn’t complain if it only lasted, say, 6 weeks total.

However, I’m trying to look on the bright side… and, ironically, I discovered the bright side of winter is actually gray.  And I love gray.  (Or “grey” depending on how you choose to spell it.)  If you’ve ever been inside my house you know this.  Almost every wall is painted gray.  Lowe’s Valspar Bonsai, to be exact.

Some people think of gray as dismal, sad or – dare I say! – boring.  But I enjoy the way our gray walls change throughout the day.  Green to light gray to almost white to warm gray.  And it feels different in every room depending on what other colors or textures are introduced.  I like to pair it with greens and blues.  In fact, gray makes me happy.  (I wear a lot of gray clothing, too, which is a good indicator for a color scheme in your home!)  Here are some of my favorite gray rooms, courtesy of decor pad.

Plus, gray works in any room:  living, dining, bath, bedroom…even kitchens!  So, if winter wraps up early and spring decides to pop up, my house will always be gray.  Until I change my mind.