All about Farrow & Ball Pigeon and the best paint dupes. One of the most popular green gray paint colors of the year
Move over white walls, there is a new kid in town and it’s name is COLOR. We’ve seen color take a back seat for the past few years while white and gray walls took center stage.
In my personal opinion though, white walls will never go out of style. It’s timeless and a great base for adding color to your home with accessories.
(If you are bored, check out my favorite Behr white paint colors and my favorite Benjamin Moore white paint colors)
Lately though I have been seeing more and more color coming back….either on walls, trim and even on cabinetry. And I am here for it!
There is a huge trend happening right now that is bringing traditional colors and designs back into our homes. And I am here for that too.
I jumped on this traditional band wagon so quickly.
I can write a whole post just about this “new” trend but I’ll hold off for now. Just know that walls are going to be getting some color slapped on them…and it’s not going to be gray either.
Lately I have been hearing more and more of Pigeon by Farrow & Ball. So many designers and bloggers have been incorporating this paint color into their homes.
For a while, I did not pay too much attention to this color. I just didn’t think a green/gray paint color was on my design radar.
I was wrong.
Once Chris Loves Julia painted their new family room Pigeon I became very intrigued.
So what does a curious blogger do?? She orders samples from .
And now, I am highly, highly, highly considering painting my living room and dining room pigeon.
I just need someone to double dog dare me.
I am also very indecisive so I just ordered more paint samples to add more confusion to my life. Who really knows what paint color will end up on my walls
Back to Pigeon though…let’s answer some frequently asked questions (that no one has asked me but google says you would like to know these answers)
Is Farrow & Ball Pigeon blue or green?
This is a tough question and the answer is…both. Pigeon is one of “those” colors.
A chameleon color. A paint color that changes with the lighting in your home and with the time of day. It can look blue, green and gray.
If your room gets lots of natural light, Pigeon will look lighter than in a room without much natural light.
I always suggesting sampling your paint on your walls in the morning and evening. And I really suggest sampling Pigeon on your walls since it is one of those chameleon colors.
What are the undertones of Pigeon
Much like the answer to the above question, depending on your lighting, Pigeon has undertones of blue, gray and green.
In a room with lots of natural light, the green undertones in Pigeon will show up more. In rooms with less natural light, Pigeon can look more of a blue/gray
Is Farrow and Ball Pigeon warm or cool
Pigeon is definitely a warm color and works best with warmer colors and warmer whites. Sherwin Williams Alabaster would be a great paint color to pair with Pigeon since is it a warmer white.
Where can you use Pigeon
This is an easy answer….everywhere.
I’ve seen Pigeon on kitchen cabinets recently…
Regan from Blooming Nest painted her cabinets Pigeon
On walls…
Chris Loves Julia family room is so warm and cozy with Pigeon on the walls and trim
And on trim…
If you follow Erin at Kismet House, she just painted her in-laws bedroom with Pigeon on the trim and Light Blue by Farrow and Ball on the walls. The combination is so unexpected and amazing at the same time.
Can you color match Farrow and Ball colors?
If you guys know me at all then you know I am a huge fan of Behr paint and I color match anything and everything to Behr. Now some will tell you that you will not get the exact match.
I have yet to have had any problems with having my colors matched at Behr. This is a personal decision.
I have also heard that Farrow and Ball paints are harder to color match.
I have never used Farrow and Ball paint before and I know it isn’t too wallet friendly so sometimes color matching is just the smarter way to paint.
Farrow and Ball Pigeon Dupes
If you are afraid to color match Pigeon and would rather pick a paint color from either Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore or Behr I have some dupes for you.
What Sherwin Williams paint color is similar to Pigeon
Acacia Haze or Rushing River are two good options for dupes.
Here is a sample of Acacia Haze and Pigeon next to each other. They do look very similar. Acacia Haze has a touch more depth to it.
What Benjamin Moore paint color is similar to Pigeon
Benjamin Moore Arctic Shadows
Benjamin Moore Oil Cloth
What Behr paint color is similar to Pigeon
Behr Woodland Sage is very similar to Pigeon
How to choose the right paint color
Start with inspiration:
I talked a little bit about this in this post but I’ll touch on it again. Picking your paint color for your walls should be one of the later things you do when designing a room.
Find a large focal piece (rug, art, window treatments) and look for colors in those pieces that catch your attention. Get on Pinterest and look at magazines. Get some ideas of what you like. It is your house.
Decide on the mood of the room:
Do you want your room to be light and bright or dark and moody? If you home doesn’t get a whole lot of natural light, stark white walls might look dingy. I would consider a paint with some color to it.
Grab your swatches and bring home samples
Bring home some swatches and ideally some sample paints if you feel extra ambitious. You can order samples from or use large foam boards from the dollar store and paint sample boards. Test them in every room. Remember each room gets different natural light. See how they look in the morning and at night.
You can also order large free swatches from Benjamin Moore here
Consider everything in your home…your trim, your floors etc. My floors are Brazilian cherry (aka very red) and I knew I wanted a color just a tad cooler to play off the warm red tones of the floor.
Is your trim bright white, or creamy white? Very cool gray colors might not play well with very warm white trim.
Get what I am saying?
If you want to see the undertone of color, look at the darkest color on the paint color strip. If you love a paint color but fear it can be too dark, ask them to cut it with 25% or 50% white.
Keep a list of your home paint colors
It’s always a good idea to keep a list or spreadsheet of the paint colors you have used in your home. I can’t tell you know much it has helped me.
DIY Painting Supplies
I listed out some of my favorite items I use when painting…
(This post contains affiliate links.You can see my disclosure policy here)
Benjamin Moore Classic Colors Fan Deck: Just in case you want to be even more overwhelmed you can order all of the Benjamin Moore classic paint colors
Same goes for Sherwin Williams Paint Deck
Paint brushes: I love all of Wooster’s paint brushes but this one is hands down my favorite one to use. It makes cutting in so much easier.
Painter’s tape: I hate taping and I really try to avoid it but when I can’t I make sure I use a good tape
Drop Cloths: Yes, you need them and you need many. I have used trash bags and old shower liners before too.
Cleaning Cloths: These are amazing every day cloths for cleaning but work great for baseboards and walls before painting.
Paint Cup: This paint cup is brilliant and has a magnetic strip so your paint brush stays safe from falling in your paint.
Multi Position Paint Brush tool: The best tool you will ever use if you have tall ceilings or just in general. I used something similar to this to paint my 15 foot ceilings in my family room and it was a life saver.
Paint Edger: This might get a bad rap but if you do it right, it has been a nice helper for me. Especially when trimming around windows and along baseboards.
Touch up cup: Nothing is worse than having to pull out the whole can of paint for a little touch up.
Good luck and happy painting!
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