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Benjamin Moore Thunder

Warm paint colors are still very popular and today I want to share one that doesn’t get the love it should, Benjamin Moore Thunder. It’s a beautiful warm gray paint color that has a gorgeous depth of color that will leave you wanting to paint more rooms this color.

Thunder is part of the Affinity color collection at Benjamin Moore. What does that mean? Each color has been selected because it goes with one another. So no matter which colors you choose from this collection they will coordinated beautifully.

Here is how Benjamin Moore describes the Affinity Color Collection:

A sophisticated palette of harmonious hues designed to express your color vision with confidence. Our most recent introduction of 144 beautiful colors was designed expressly so that each color works seamlessly on its own or in combination with any other color in the Affinity palette.

Benjamin Moore
A swatch of Thunder with text overlay.

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What Color is Benjamin Moore Thunder?

Thunder is a very sophisticated color that will bring a lot of wow to your space.

Benjamin Moore relates that this color is both warm and cool which makes it very neutral. It’s very hard to find such a neutral gray but this color definitely it one. However, depending on lighting and other decor, the undertones can come through pulling the color one way or another.

Thunder has an LRV of 48 which makes it a medium toned color but I would say it’s moving a little bit towards dark. Because of this I recommend using it in a room with tons of natural light.

If you use it in a room with little to no natural light it might feel really dark and cave-like.

Just a little recap on LRV, it’s a scale from 0-100 with 0 being the darkest and 100 being the lightest. Since thunder sits at 48 it’s obviously right in the middle but it’s almost 20 points under what we would consider light. Just something to keep in mind.

How to know if a paint color is right for you?

The best way to judge if a color is good for you then you will want to put a swatch on the wall and look at it over a few days. Look at it in different lights and decide if you really like it.

You can do this by getting a sample from the paint store and using a brush put it up on the walls, but then you are left with a can that you can’t do anything with. Those samples are used with poor-quality paint and aren’t meant for use on your walls permanently.

I recommend going with Samplize. They are a company that will send you a 12X12 peel and stick swatch of a paint color that you can stick to the wall. When you are done just peel it off and throw it away.

It’s easy and much less messy!

Is Thunder considered a greige?

Yes Thunder is considered a greige. It’s a little darker than the popular Edgecomb Gray but like EG it is a greige color.

What does greige mean? Well it’s the combination of gray and beige. It’s mostly gray but has enough beige in it to be warm and cozy.

What undertones does Thunder have?

Since Thunder is a Greige the main undertone is beige so there are touches of green (which is what makes the beige so prominent).

There are also hints of purple in Thunder. You won’t notice the purple much at all unless you pair Thunder with other purple colors. This will make the purple shine through in the paint color.

How Benjamin Moore Thunder looks in different lights:

Which room you use it in and the natural light the room receives will really impact the look of Thunder. Because it is so versatile and can shift from cool to warm the lighting is extremely important.

North facing rooms tend to have cooler light so if you use the color in this room you will see more cooler tone and might even get some of those purple undertones shining through.

The opposite will happen in a south facing room. That type of light is warmer so the warmth in Thunder will shine through and you will see more of the greige color.

In both east and west facing rooms you will receive bright light at different times of the day. These lights tend to be warm so Thunder will shine in a room during those sunrise and sunsets. But during the opposite times of the day it will be darker in there so keep that in mind with this being a mid-toned color.

Similar Colors to Benjamin Moore Thunder

If you aren’t quite sold on Thunder just yet here are some very similar colors that yo might want to check out. These are all colors from Benjamin Moore.

Four colors that are very similar to Thunder with text overlay.

Himalayan Trek and La Paloma Gray both look a bit more gray than the others. Silver Fox has more purple in it as well. Shale seems to be a really good neutral but slightly lighter.

Get a sample of these colors today from Samplize!

Coordinating Colors for Benjamin Moore Thunder

Benjamin Moore gives us a couple of color variations on coordinating colors but I will suggest some as well. Here you can see one of the combos that BM likes.

We have Vapor which is a warm white color and Dolphin which is a darker greige. Dolphin has a lot of green undertones therefore that will make Thunder pull very greige.

Thunder compared to Vapor and Dolphin with text overlay.

Here you can see Thunder paired with both a warm and cool color. Cloud White is a warm white paint color and Smoke is definitely cool. As you can see Thunder looks great with both of these colors.

Thunder compared to Cloud White and Smoke with text overlay.

Now remember, Thunder is part of Benjamin Moore’s Affinity collection therefore it will pair nicely with all 144 colors in that collection. If you want to check out what other colors are in it you should click here.

Here are a few of my favorites to pair Thunder with:

  • Benjamin Moore Pashmina
  • Benjamin Moore Metropolitan
  • Benjamin Moore Storm

Get a sample of these colors today from Samplize!

The Best Whites to Pair with Thunder

Honestly just about any white will work with this paint color. You can’t go wrong with any of them. Since it’s on the warm side I personally like to go with a warm white for trim and accents but the cool tones look good too.

Here are my favorites to pair with Thunder:

Get a sample of these colors today from Samplize!

Benjamin Moore Thunder vs Revere Pewter

A side by side of Benjamin Moore's Thunder and Revere Pewter.

As you can see these colors are very similar but there are a few subtle differences that can make a tond of difference in how they look in your home.

Revere Pewter is 100% a warm paint color and is a greige. It has green undertones that make it thus. Thunder is also considered a greige but it has that touch of purple which keeps it from being as warm as RP.

Thunder is considered a neutral gray because fo these undertones where Revere Pewter is totally a greige.

Revere Pewter can look muddy sometimes because of it’s green and beige undertones. I can personally attest to this in my own home. Thunder doesn’t look muddy because it’s more neutral.

Revere Pewter has an LRV of 55.51 which makes it a brighter color than Thunder, who sits at 48.

Get a sample of Revere Pewter today from Samplize!

Benjamin Moore Thunder vs Wish

A side by side of Benjamin Moore's Thunder and Wish.

Wish is a spot lighter on the paint strip than Thunder. So it makes sense that it would be a brighter color and that is so with an LRV of 59.7. As you remember Thunder sits at a 48.

Wish has slightly different undertones than Thunder. Thunder has green and a touch of purple where Wish is a greige with slightly yellow undertones.

Get a sample of Wish today from Samplize!

Benjamin Moore Thunder Whole Home Color Palette

Get this free whole home color palette for Benjamin Moore Thunder and you will also be part of the At Lane and High Community! You will receive weekly newsletters on new posts and you can unsubscribe anytime.

Thunder used in Real Homes

A kitchen with Benjamin Moore Thunder on the walls, which cabinets and a white tongue and groove ceiling.
Source: Blackhawk Hardware

This gorgeous kitchen has Benjamin Moore Thunder on the walls. I love the combo of Thunder with the warm white on the cabinets and trim. You can also see how well it works with the hardwood floors.

What I love too is how nicely it pairs with the green in the window treatments and plants in the room.

A family room with Thunder on the walls, dark hardwood floors and neutral furniture.
Source: Favorite Paint Colors blog

This is the perfect place to use Thunder in a home, a room with tons of windows that receive a lot of natural light. Because of all the natural light the walls don’t even look like they have a mid-toned color on them. It’s light and bright and fabulous!

A two story house with Benjamin Moore Thunder on the siding.
Source: Brick and Batten

Here is a great example of Thunder on the exterior of a home. It works so well with the wood tones, black and stone on the lower level. Even the addition of purple in the plants looks good with this paint color.

A dining room with dark hardwood floors, a dark wood table and Benjamin Moore Thunder on the walls.
Source: Houzz

There is a little trick designers use in rooms that don’t get a lot of natural light and that is to place mirrors around the room to bounce around the existing light. It makes the room seem brighter.

This trick is used in this room. Yes there are windows and the room gets some natural light but by using this large mirror and the acrylic chairs the room seems even brighter! Perfect for the use of Thunder on the walls.

A kitchen with white counters, Thunder on the cabinets and gold hardware.
Source: Bilarasa

Here Thunder is used on the cabinets, which a great place to use this color! You can use it on cabinetry in kitchens or bathrooms. Here it’s paired with gold hardware which really brings out it’s warm tones.

It also looks amazing with the white countertops and warm hardwood floors.

If you plan to paint a room yourself then you need to check out my Must Have Supplies for Painting a Room Like a Pro!

Other Greige Paint Colors You Might Like:

A photo of Thunder on cabinets, a swatch of thunder and text overlay.

As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.

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Deb

Thursday 1st of September 2022

Thanks for reviewing a color that is not in the normal mix of used (possibly) overused colors. Thunder and Wish are really nice soft colors that I am now considering.

atlaneandhigh

Thursday 1st of September 2022

Oh Deb I am so happy to hear that you liked it. They are both great colors!

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