CP

Steel Gray & Emerald Color Scheme

A cool steel gray paired with a deep emerald green and a soft white, for a look that feels calm, grounded, and quietly bold. Every shade is matched to real paint you can buy.

By Emily Roberts · DIY Editor & First-Timer's Guide

Start with Cool Steel, a calm gray with the faintest green whisper in it. It’s the kind of shade that settles a space instead of shouting in it, soft enough to live with every day yet far more interesting than a plain neutral. As the dominant color it sets a quiet, grounded mood, the sort of backdrop that makes everything in front of it look considered and a little more expensive.

Against that steady gray, Deep Emerald brings the drama. It’s a jewel-toned green that feels rich and confident, perfect for trim, a door, or a single piece you want to draw the eye. Then Crisp White steps in to keep things breathing, a soft warm white that lifts the gray and lets the emerald pop without any harshness. Together they’re easy to live with anywhere, flowing from a living room to a bedroom, a kitchen, or right through a whole home for a look that’s both restful and quietly bold.

View palette in
Cool Steel
walls
Benjamin Moore Stonybrook · 1566
#8B9490
LRV 29
Deep Emerald
trim
Glidden Billiard Green · PPG1139-7
#305A4A
LRV 8
Crisp White
accent
Glidden Cotton Tail · PPG0998-1
#F2F0E9
LRV 87

Buy These Colors

Each color matched to the closest real paint in every brand, by ΔE2000. Tap a swatch for its full guide or + to save it — take any SKU to the store, they mix on demand.

Cool Steel
#8E938F · LRV 29 · walls
Sherwin-Williams · SW 9164 · ΔE 1.99
Behr · HDC-AC-19 · ΔE 3.18
Benjamin Moore · 1566 · ΔE 1.86
Valspar · 8004-34E · ΔE 3.61
PPG / Glidden · PPG0996-4 · ΔE 2.78
Glidden · PPG0996-4 · ΔE 3.03
Dutch Boy · 426-6DB · ΔE 3.61
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams · HGSW 1504 · ΔE 1.99
Dunn-Edwards · DEGR62 · ΔE 3.58
Magnolia Home · JG-146 · ΔE 3.68
Farrow & Ball · NO. CC7 · ΔE 4.13
Diamond Vogel · 0491 · ΔE 4.82
Hirshfield's · 0422 · ΔE 4.86
Rodda · CA191 · ΔE 2.7
C2 Paint · C2-968 · ΔE 2.26
Clare · PNT100-MD-14 · ΔE 2.08
Portola Paints · JULES · ΔE 6.61
Annie Sloan · PROVENCE · ΔE 12.48
Backdrop · BD-PW · ΔE 7.93
Rust-Oleum · 285141 · ΔE 3.07
Kompozit · 0422 · ΔE 4.86
Deep Emerald
#2C5A47 · LRV 8 · trim
Sherwin-Williams · SW 6461 · ΔE 5.44
Behr · S420-7 · ΔE 2.62
Benjamin Moore · CW-535 · ΔE 3.43
Valspar · 6009-5 · ΔE 3.49
PPG / Glidden · PPG1139-7 · ΔE 1.43
Glidden · PPG1139-7 · ΔE 1.42
Dutch Boy · 229-7DB · ΔE 2.5
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams · HGSW 2281 · ΔE 5.44
Dunn-Edwards · DEA177 · ΔE 3.48
Magnolia Home · JG-04 · ΔE 12.59
Farrow & Ball · NO. W55 · ΔE 7.95
Diamond Vogel · 0711 · ΔE 2.39
Hirshfield's · H0094 · ΔE 2.97
Rodda · R066 · ΔE 13.54
C2 Paint · C2-693 · ΔE 10.49
Clare · PNT100-DP-55 · ΔE 20.24
Portola Paints · LOST HIGHWAY · ΔE 17.2
Annie Sloan · AUBUSSON BLUE · ΔE 16.27
Backdrop · BD-NE · ΔE 8.73
Rust-Oleum · 391445 · ΔE 5.98
Kompozit · 0711 · ΔE 3.28
Crisp White
#F2F0E9 · LRV 87 · accent
Sherwin-Williams · SW 7100 · ΔE 1.53
Behr · PWN-15 · ΔE 0.8
Benjamin Moore · AF-10 · ΔE 0.5
Valspar · 7002-6 · ΔE 0.51
PPG / Glidden · PPG0998-1 · ΔE 0.77
Glidden · PPG0998-1 · ΔE 0
Dutch Boy · 020W · ΔE 0.7
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams · HGSW 4053 · ΔE 1.7
Dunn-Edwards · DE6253 · ΔE 0.47
Magnolia Home · JG-107 · ΔE 0.21
Farrow & Ball · NO. 239 · ΔE 1.84
Diamond Vogel · 1265 · ΔE 1.89
Hirshfield's · 1265 · ΔE 1.41
Rodda · CA013 · ΔE 1.98
C2 Paint · C2-820 · ΔE 0.97
Clare · PNT100-LT-24 · ΔE 2.98
Portola Paints · ORIGAMI · ΔE 1.27
Annie Sloan · OLD OCHRE · ΔE 13.48
Backdrop · BD-TR · ΔE 1.84
Rust-Oleum · 285140 · ΔE 4.74
Kompozit · 1265 · ΔE 1.41

Questions

what colors go with steel gray?

Deep, saturated greens like emerald are a natural match, and a soft warm white keeps the pairing from feeling cold. Brass or aged-gold metals also look lovely against this combination.

is this combination too bold for a small space?

Not at all. Keeping the gray on the larger surfaces and saving the emerald for trim or one feature lets the green read as a rich accent rather than taking over the room.

what undertones should I watch for here?

Cool Steel leans slightly green-gray, so it sits comfortably next to emerald. Just keep your whites soft and warm rather than stark blue-white, or the gray can start to feel chilly.

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