Internal Grey Doors

Grey is the compromise finish, and that is meant as a compliment. It brightens a room the way white does without the clinical edge, it hides marks better than white, and it works against both warm timber floors and cool tiles. This collection holds 65 grey internal doors from LPD and Deanta, from £118.15 to £796.50, split between light and dark tones.

Light grey or dark grey

44 of the doors here are a light grey and 12 are noticeably darker. The choice is not really about taste, it is about how much daylight the room gets. Light grey behaves like a softened white and is safe almost anywhere, including hallways and landings with no window of their own. Dark grey behaves like black, in that it needs pale walls and decent light to read as deliberate rather than heavy. If in doubt in a corridor, take the lighter tone.

Grey is also a cool colour, and it can pull green or blue against a warm cream wall. If the walls are a warm white, a warmer grey or a light grey with a brown undertone will sit better than a true neutral. This is the one finish where it is genuinely worth seeing a sample against your own wall.

Finishes in this range

More than 45 doors arrive fully finished and 19 are laminated. Laminate is the practical choice for grey in a busy house, because it is the hardest of the common surfaces and resists the scuffing that shows badly on a mid tone. Fully finished doors give a slightly softer, more painted appearance. Because almost nothing here is supplied primed, the colour is set at the factory and consistent across an order, which is the main advantage of buying grey rather than painting white doors grey yourself. The guide to internal door finishes explains what each surface does.

Designs

Vancouver and Montreal are the most stocked designs in grey, with Torino also well represented. Flush grey doors are the plainest and the easiest to keep clean, and there are grooved and vertical inlay designs where a shadow line is wanted. Several doors specify a lipping, which gives a crisper edge and a little more trimming allowance. 11 of the doors are glazed, which is the answer in a dark hallway. See glazed internal doors and unglazed doors.

Grey fire doors

24 of these doors are fire rated, including 16 FD30. A rated leaf is 44mm rather than 35mm and only works as a complete assembly with the correct frame, intumescent seals and three fire rated hinges. See grey fire doors and our fire door guide.

Matching grey doors to the rest of the room

Grey doors ask a question of the skirting and architrave. White trim against a grey door gives a crisp outline and keeps the room bright. Trim painted the same grey makes the opening recede and suits a minimal scheme. Both are legitimate and both are stocked at skirting and door architraves. Handles in satin steel or brushed nickel are the safest match, and matt black gives a sharper modern contrast, from door handles.

Flooring matters too. Grey doors sit comfortably above grey toned wood and vinyl, which is why the combination has become so common in new build interiors. See flooring and the grey wood floors guide.

Sizes

Standard grey internal doors are 35mm thick, with fire rated versions at 44mm. Imperial widths of 686mm and 762mm at 1981mm high cover most rooms, with metric 2040mm heights common in newer housing. Confirm against our door size guide and how to measure a door.

Common questions

Will grey doors date?

Grey has been the default new build interior colour for well over a decade, which cuts both ways. A light grey behaves like an off white and ages quietly. A strong mid grey is more tied to a particular period of taste. The best grey internal doors picks out the designs that hold up.

Can I paint a white primed door grey instead?

You can, and it is cheaper, but matching a factory grey across several doors by hand is difficult and the finish around the handle will wear faster. See internal white primed doors if that route appeals.

Do grey doors show dust?

Less than black and more than white. A laminated surface is the most forgiving.

Which walls suit grey doors?

Pale warm whites and soft greens work well. Strong beige and magnolia tend to make grey look blue.

What else does the order need?

Hinges, a latch or lock and a handle set per door, plus a lining and architrave on a new opening. Plan your doors sets it out, and the full range is at internal doors.