The 7 Best Gray Exterior House Paint Ideas: Choosing the Best Color for Your Home

Gray has long been a popular exterior paint color. It's a timeless neutral that complements a wide range of house styles. It also hides dirt and wears well, making it a practical choice for an exterior. There are hundreds of gray paints to choose from, ranging from light to dark and warm to cool. We’ve compiled a list of the best exterior gray paint colors to help you sort through them and get inspired.

1. Light French Gray by Sherwin-Williams 

Light French Gray is a balanced gray that leans slightly cool. It isn't too light or dark, and it doesn't have any particularly strong undertones. Under intense, direct sunlight, Light French Gray achieves a brighter look rather than getting washed out like some other light neutrals. This effect can make a home feel fresh and new.

All these factors make Light French Gray a versatile exterior neutral that will work well on a variety of home styles. Try pairing it with white trim and dark roofing to create visual contrast.

Best for: Homes that see a lot of intense sunlight on the front of the house

2. Classic Silver by BEHR® 

Classic Silver is about as close as you can get to a true neutral gray. This light gray balances a mix of yellow and blue undertones to create a medium shade that looks very traditional and sophisticated. The color tends to look warmer in direct sunlight and cooler in shadow.

Its true neutral nature means you can pair Classic Silver with other traditional neutrals like black to create a classic-looking façade. Likewise, you can match it with bright colors for a more striking, modern look. Bold blues, mustards, and burgundies all pair well with Classic Silver on front doors, shutters, and window frames.

Best for: Homeowners looking for a color they can mix and match with various styles

3. Metropolis by Benjamin Moore® 

Metropolis is a warm but medium taupe gray that can give your home's exterior a cozy, inviting feel. Like the other medium grays on this list, Metropolis suits a wide variety of accent colors, giving homeowners many customization options.

 Lighting can make a huge difference in how Metropolis looks. If the front of your home sees a lot of sunlight at any point in the day, expect this color to become much warmer. You may even notice undertones of purplish plum.

Best for: Homes with warm accents, including stone, brick, and wood

4. Repose Gray by Sherwin-Williams 

Repose Gray has peaceful, warm undertones that reflect a lot of sunlight. These undertones appear as barely noticeable hints of beige, purple, and green, changing and morphing with seasonal surroundings. This means it'll appear different against the greens of summer, autumn golds, snowy winter whites, or overcast spring days.

You can use Repose Gray to create a more contemporary look by pairing it with a cool white trim or metal railings and accents. Alternatively, you can go for a more organic feel by pairing it with natural wood trim and doors and warm lighting fixtures. Repose Gray also works well in a two-tone paint palette.

Best for: Homes with bold accents, whether they're dark and contemporary or warm and organic

5. Peppercorn by Sherwin-Williams 

Peppercorn is a departure from the gentle gray shades on this list, being a much darker paint color. It has a softness and depth that can create a rich, classy exterior. Dark home exteriors are a growing trend. Peppercorn, in particular, creates a timeless look that's at once modern and classic on just about any type of home style.

Don't let the darkness of this color intimidate you! As with most paints, enough natural sunlight will lighten Peppercorn for a warm and welcoming look on your home exterior. Depending on the lighting and the shade around a home, Peppercorn gives the slightest hints of blue, red, purple, and green undertones.

Best for: Modern looks and homes with cedar shake siding, bold front door colors, and brick chimneys

6. Edgecomb Gray by Benjamin Moore® 

Edgecomb Gray is such a light gray that it often reads as an off-white. It works so well on home exteriors because it lacks the harshness of some white shades. Instead, it has creamy, warm undertones that play well with just about any accent color. It works beautifully against natural materials such as wood and masonry and looks great in heavily wooded lots.

Edgecomb Gray is a versatile primary home color that pairs with both bright white trim or dark blacks and off-blacks. This go-to neutral can be used effectively as a body color, trim color, or accent.

 Best for: Traditional home styles and homes with natural siding materials or accents such as exposed wood and masonry

7. Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore® 

Kendall Charcoal is a statement gray. This deep, dramatic shade is balanced out by its warm undertones, which shine through and make it appear like more of a dark greige in direct sunlight. It contrasts well with other warm paint colors, whether you pair it with white, cream, taupe, or light brown.

This paint also complements natural elements such as red brick, stone façade, or wood accents. It leans slightly green or brown in certain lighting, which you can play up with lots of lush, green landscaping around your home. Kendall Charcoal is a versatile neutral that pairs well with modern, contemporary, craftsman, and traditional home styles alike.

Best for: Homes with natural wood accents and lush landscaping

Choosing the Right Gray Exterior Paint Color

There are countless house paint colors to choose from. Simply searching for gray paints from one particular manufacturer will yield dozens of results. What's more, gray paint can range from warm to neutral to cool, with undertones that span the entire color spectrum. To help you narrow down a shade, use the following tips.

Look at Your Home's Current Features

Your roof, shutters, trim, doors, outdoor furniture, and even your landscaping will all impact how your chosen paint color appears. Look for warm or cool undertones in these features and focus on gray paint colors with matching undertones. For example, a slightly warm gray can complement a brick façade, while a blue-toned gray will pair well with cool metals.

Balance Light and Dark

Aside from tone, gray can also range in shade from dark near-black tones to bright off-whites. You want to choose colors that balance one another. If you opt for a light body color, you can make it pop with dark trim. Another option is to create contrast using natural materials. For example, pair a dark gray house paint with exposed wood columns or shutters.

DIY vs. Hire a Painting Pro

DIY enthusiasts may consider painting their home exterior. The larger your home, the more time it takes to paint and the more room there is for mistakes. Additional stories add the risk and complexity of scaling and painting from atop ladders. The cost to paint a home exterior yourself typically ranges from $500 to $3,000, depending on the size of the job.

Hiring a home exterior painter near you costs $600 to $7,500, or an average of $3,150. Pros have the skills, tools, and experience to ensure that your job is completed properly and lasts. Additionally, they often offer a workmanship guarantee covering the cost of touch-ups as needed. Pro house painters save you a lot of time, and a well-done paint job will increase your home's value and curb appeal.