What colour walls go best with grey flooring?

Sep 19, 2025

So you’ve opted for some modern grey floors; clean, bright, and the perfect neutral foundation for a room. By choosing a lighter colour, you’ve made an easier job for yourself to find a wall colour or wallpaper that will match well with your floors. 

Whether you’ve gone for modern laminate floors that will last you for years or pretty grey vinyl floors for an authentic feel, there’s a wall colour out there that will match perfectly, making your home feel homely and cohesively put together. 

However, depending on whether you’ve opted for lighter grey or darker grey floors, there will be wall colours that are best suited for each option. Today, Mersey Flooring has pulled through with some interior design ideas, so you can create a room that is pleasing to look at.

At Mersey Flooring, we have a range of high-quality flooring brands to choose from at a great price, so you don’t have to spend thousands on a floor that will bring out the best in your home.

Quick decision

Do you just want us to spark some inspiration in you without going on and on? Sometimes, all you need is a straightforward, simple answer; we’re here to give it to you. 

Lighter colours, such as clean white/off-white, greige/beige, soft sage/green, and powder blue, go well with most grey floors. 

However, if you want your walls and floors to contrast, then add navy/ink or deep green on one wall and keep the rest light. This is especially beneficial for those who have gone with a light grey floor, as it helps to make the room pop and keep things interesting. 

What to consider before you pick a paint

It’s not just as simple as going to B&Q to pick out a paint colour that you like and hoping for the best (although we wish it were). 

Choosing the best wall colour to complement your grey floors comes down to more than just the shade of grey you’ve chosen. 

1. Undertone of your grey floor

Some grey floors lean warm (with a whisper of brown or taupe), while others lean cool (with a hint of blue). Before you jump straight into buying a wall colour, it’s best to test the undertone first. 

You can do this by holding a plain sheet of white paper against your flooring; this will immediately reveal the undertone.

Paint brands and interior designers repeatedly recommend this match-or-balance approach for grey-based schemes, so you’re not taking a shot in the dark.

2. Natural light and room orientation 

Often, people forget that the colour of your interior can appear completely different when the sun is shining on it compared to when it’s not.

North-facing rooms make colours look cooler, so icy whites and blue-based shades can appear a bit flat. In that case, yellow-based whites and warmer neutrals tend to uplift the space, creating a more harmonious look.

While south-facing rooms receive plenty of warm light, cooler whites, soft blues, and greens help keep the space balanced and prevent it from feeling over-bright at midday.

3. LRV (light reflectance value) and finish 

Light Reflectance Value tells you how much light a colour bounces back.

Higher-LRV colours bounce more light around, which helps in darker spaces and box rooms. However, for areas like bedrooms and living rooms that you want to keep cosy, a quality matte hides little wall ripples for a calmer atmosphere. 

Some UK paints are actually designed to boost reflectance, which is useful when you’re trying to keep things bright without jumping straight to pure white. 

4. Sample first

Before you buy a paint, ALWAYS get a few samples to test out first. You might think that you’ve settled on a colour, but once you take it home, it just doesn’t feel right with your interior. 

Test big (with A4 testing swatches if possible) and place the colour tester against the wall under different lighting conditions so you can see how it looks during the day, at night, and under artificial lights. 

Pop a sample right against your flooring and next to the skirting to check whether the undertones agree. 

Best wall colours by the tone of your grey floors

So, now it’s time for the fun part. The good thing about this is you can take inspiration from our post and experiment with a few ideas until you find the one that just feels right. 

Or, you could use this to learn what you don’t like and come up with your own creation! Either way, you’ll leave this blog with an idea of the best colour choices for your grey floors!

Light grey floors

Best colours:

• Clean white/soft off-white
• Powder blue/blue-grey
• Greige/stone-neutral
• Soft sage/gentle green
• Muted blush

If you’re someone who prefers a softer, more comforting home interior, then a light grey floor really brightens up the space without overdoing it. 

It’s also the perfect base to build upon. You can keep things airy with pastels and nudes or add a little depth without it feeling heavy. For an uplifting atmosphere and clean look, pair light grey laminate or LVT with crisp whites and soft off-whites. This way, you can start adding colour or darker wooden furniture for a bit of contrast. 

Powdery blues and soft greens also look beautiful next to light greys, as they shine in natural lighting and make the room feel more open. If you’re looking to add some warmth, reach for greige or stone-neutral paints. 

Navy or inky blue is also a classic choice for those who want to create an accent wall, adding a luxurious and mature feel to any room.

Mid-tone grey floors

Best colours:

• Clean white/off-white
• Greige/warm neutral
• Muted blue/blue-green
• Blush/dusty pink

If you’ve gone for mid-grey floors, then you’re probably someone who likes a bit of depth and cosiness without overdoing it. Plus, mid-greys give you a broad palette to work with; since they don’t lean too much towards either end of the spectrum, both lighter and darker shades pair well.

You can opt for a clean, crisp white, or off-white, or even an eggshell colour, to level the playing field and make the room feel more expansive. If the undertone of your floor leans more cool, warm neutrals like greige can counterbalance the blue cast of your grey floors for a harmonious look. 

Muted blues and blue-greens sit naturally beside mid-grey, while blush/dusty pink adds a gentle dash of colour and a sweet touch.

Bonus tip: You could even go with a monochromatic look and pair a light grey wall with a mid-grey floor. It’s bound to add intrigue!

Dark grey floors

Best colours:

• Crisp white/stone white
• Pale linen
• Deep/hunter green
• Navy blue

Stone white is the go-to for a classic contrast with dark grey floors. It helps to balance out the darkness without creating too much noise and is the perfect backdrop for colourful furniture and eye-catching wall art.

For a more characterful and playful touch, you could even create an accent wall; for example, opt for one navy blue wall or one in hunter green. It’ll give shape to the space without it feeling too enclosed or overwhelming. 

If you have south-facing or big windows, opt for lighter-toned walls and add in darker colours through accessories and furniture. It’ll keep the focus on your grey floors if you want to make them the main feature of the room. 

Easy picks

Grey floor tone	Wall colour ideas	Best orientation
Light grey	Off-white/stone white, pale blue, or soft sage	Off-white/greige for north-facing rooms and cool whites for south-facing rooms
Mid-grey	Clean white, greige, blush, muted blue/green	East- or west-facing rooms
Dark grey	Deep green, crisp white, or navy/ink	South-facing rooms

How to add visual interest

Do you want to do something a little more adventurous? Choosing one paint colour for your wall is all well and good, but if you have the opportunity to get artsy and create a fun design, why not do it?

We’ve listed a few simple ideas that won’t take too long. These are bound to change the whole trajectory of the room:

1. Colour-block the lower third: Paint the wall from the skirting to roughly one metre high in a warm, neutral colour, such as greige or clay. Keep the top half white for a smooth blend.
2. Picture rail effect: Mask a straight line 20–30cm down from the ceiling and paint the top half white and the bottom half a fun colour. You could go for light yellow, lavender, or even a peachy orange!
3. Frame the room with skirting and doors: Instead of defaulting to everything being white, paint doors and architraves one tone darker than the walls. This will add dimension and frame the room for a subtle effect. 
4. Use a textural paint: Limewash or a soft mineral finish paint adds gentle movement to the room and works well with the flat plane of a grey floor. Pick a warm grey-beige for north-facing rooms or a cool misty white for south-facing rooms.
5. Vertical details: Create wall panels using MDF beading or slim battens. Then, paint the wall and trim one colour (or different colours for a unique touch). The vertical lines draw the eye up, while the grey floor grounds the space.
6. Paint the ceiling: Many people leave the ceiling as it is, which is typically plain white or beige. In bright rooms, try a whisper of colour overhead, such as a pale blue-grey or sage green, for a calming touch. 

Create a look you’ll love with Mersey Flooring

If you’re laying new grey laminate or LVT, we’ll help you choose matching underlay, skirting boards, and scotia trim to tie the whole room together.

If you’re looking for grey floors with an eye-catching design, then our herringbone floors will add dimension to any room. For those renovating a bathroom or kitchen, our grey tile-effect floors add sophistication while remaining in great condition even under high moisture levels.

Order online for fast nationwide delivery or pop into our Liverpool showroom to sample before you buy.