Will Farrow & Ball Pigeon work well in your home?
A true chameleon, Pigeon looks gray on the paint chip, but can look blue or even green depending on lighting or when paired with different finishes.
What color is Pigeon?
If you view inspiration photos of Pigeon online, you might think Pigeon is a soft green color, but you’ll be surprised to find out that it’s actually a blue gray paint color.
What’s even more confusing is viewing the paint swatch of Pigeon-as it reads like a greige paint color.
What are the undertones of Farrow & Ball’s Pigeon?
Now that we know Pigeon is technically a bluish gray color, let’s talk undertones.
Technically a blue gray, Pigeon has strong green undertones, which typically present themselves when natural light is abundant.
Very similar to another Farrow & Ball color, Mole’s Breath, Pigeon is much warmer and bluer shade of gray.
Where should I use Farrow & Ball Pigeon?
Sure, you could use Pigeon on walls, but we really love it when used on cabinetry. In kitchens or studies with a lot of natural light, Pigeon looks like a soft green gray hue–giving way to the perfect neutral backdrop to any space.
Here’s pigeon on cabinetry used in a laundry room. Isn’t it stunning?
Helpful tips when painting with the color Pigeon
Only order Pigeon from the Farrow & Ball website
Don’t get a Farrow & Ball color mixed at a paint store. If you go this route, chances are you will not be happy with the end result. Farrow & Ball’s colors come premixed, so there’s absolutely no room for error.
Instead of a paint technician using the tints available to that particular store and closely following a formula, when you purchase a can of paint from Farrow & Ball it’s mixed using their unique paint tones.
Test out this color on walls and observe your light
The problem with paint colors that are chameleons is the fact that they can look like two different colors altogether depending on where they’re used.
You absolutely have to test out Pigeon. You can either buy a sample can of paint from their website or you can use the peel and stick samples.
My vote would be to use the peel and stick samples and adhere them to a white poster board that you attach to the wall, using painters tape. Do not lean the poster board up against the wall–it must be directly attached to the wall to get a correct reading of the color.
Take a look at how you like the color at various times throughout the day and at night with overhead light on.
Pigeon will look like a green gray in rooms with tons of light that face the sun and will look like a gray blue in rooms opposite the sun. In rooms where there aren’t windows or have minimal light the color will look even darker.
What paint sheen finish should I consider when using Farrow & Ball Pigeon?
Farrow & Ball has very unique finishes. I’d choose from either their Estate Emulsion or Modern Emulsion when painting on walls. If you’re using Pigeon on cabinets, go with their Modern Eggshell finish–a 40% sheen that extremely durable, while also being wipeable.
What other paint colors are similar to Pigeon?
If you like the soft green look that Pigeon sometimes gives off but don’t have enough light to achieve that look, try Sherwin Williams Ancient Marble.
I was browsing Instagram one day looking for the perfect shade of soft green to use in our laundry/bathroom combo and I came across a shot of a bathroom with a green vanity that had been painted using Pigeon.
I tried that color out in my home and it was way too gray, not at all like the soft green I had seen in the photo online. Because our bathroom doesn’t have a window, natural light was not on our side.
I sampled some Sherwin Williams colors until I finally landed on Ancient Marble for the vanity. I am absolutely in love with the soft fern green gray finish!
Note that this color is much lighter than Pigeon, but it’s got a wonderful soft greenish gray, which is why a lot of people are drawn to Pigeon in the first place.
Is pigeon right for you? If you’re not sold on Pigeon, check out my other paint color reviews for inspiration.