Benjamin Moore Horizon: the perfect soft gray hue

A soft neutral hue, Horizon by Benjamin Moore is a very light gray is a popular choice for bathrooms and bedrooms.

Thinking about using Horizon in your next project? Here’s my full color review.

Is Benjamin Moore Horizon warm or cool?

Horizon tends to lean more towards the cooler side of things, thanks to its blue undertones.

What trim colors work well with Horizon?

Many people love Chantilly Lace for it’s crisp white, nearly undertone free white-white, so if you’re looking for a stark pop between Horizon and a trim color, Chantilly Lace is a good option.

Of course, I’m going to recommend one of my favorites, White Dove, as it also works well with Horizon. White Dove is technically an off-white paint color, but also has some gray to it, so it’s not as yellow-y as some other off-whites. Just for reference, when I say off-white, I don’t mean cream. I just mean it’s not stark white like Chantilly lace!

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What are the undertones of Benjamin Moore Horizon?

Horizon has undertones of blue. While some grays with blue undertones are very apparent (for example, I recently reviewed Boothbay Gray, which is another gray with blue undertones, and you can very clearly see those undertones), Horizon’s blue undertones are not so apparent.

Many, many people fall in love with Horizon in the paint store because when you just look at the paint chip it looks like a soft, fairly undertone-free warm gray. I can’t tell you how many people have said that they unknowingly chose a gray paint color with a blue undertone, only to discover this once the paint is up on the walls and looks very, very blue.

The easiest way to spot undertones of colors is to compare colors to other colors. I love those peel and stick paint samples for this reason. If you’re convinced there’s no blue undertone in Horizon, order a sample and compare it to a sample of Edgecomb Gray, which is a gray color with a green undertone). I promise, the blue will practically jump off the page at you!

Horizon coordinating colors

You’ll need to pay special attention to the undertone in Horizon before choosing coordinating colors. Here are my picks for some good options:

Coventry Gray– a much darker gray with the same blue undertone, Coventry Gray is a great accent color to pair with Horizon.

Wolf Gray–An absolutely stunning paint color, Wolf Gray is dramatic, in a good way. A charcoal blue hue that will work perfectly with Horizon.

Keningston Blue-If you want a more navy blue to pair with Horizon, check out Keningston Blue.

Tips for painting with Horizon

Make sure you follow these guidelines before you consider using Horizon:

Test a sample

Horizon is a tricky one. Don’t go off a paint chip, and certainly don’t go off of inspiration pictures online. Inspiration online is a great starting point, but you won’t have the same fixed elements in your home and chances are your lighting (natural or artificial) will be different.

Paint two coats of Horizon on a 12 x 12 sample on a piece of white cardboard and tape directly on the wall.

Alternatively, you can use peel and stick paint samples to test out the color in multiple spaces of your home without running to and from the paint store.

Pay attention to your fixed elements

Perhaps one of the most overlooked aspects of painting is making sure it works with your floors, cabinets, and furniture.

Horizon looks really nice with that bright white marble that has blue undertones in it, but looks horrible with brown/beige granite.

Same goes for floor–don’t pair horizon with pink beige tile or carpet. The undertones of your fixed elements need to go with the undertones in Horizon!

What to try if Benjamin Moore’s Horizon isn’t right for you

If after reading through this post you’re not sold on Horizon, maybe you should try Wickham Gray–that’s a gray with a green and blue undertone, which doesn’t make the gray quite so cold.

If you really like the blue undertone in gray, as opposed to a green undertone, why not try Nimbus? It still has a blue undertone but it’s far less pronounced than Horizon. Check it out!

Or maybe you’ve decided a gray with a blue undertone isn’t for you. If that’s the case, try grays with green undertones. A few I’d recommend are Revere Pewter, Edgecomb Gray and Classic Gray.

Perhaps you want something a bit darker than Horizon but still in the same color family, undertone-wise, then check out Repose Gray.

Horizon not quite for you? Check out other light blue grey paint options.