Some shades that are elevated to “color of the year” status, such as Caliente, Benjamin Moore’s 2018 pick, are a tad too taste specific to have wide appeal. Others, like Pantone’s inexplicable Rose Quartz/Serenity combo of 2016, are just, well, odd. While Pantone’s annual announcement of its chosen color for 2019 – Living Coral – generated big media buzz, as it always does, the fanfare for Benjamin Moore’s pick was reserved for the design community, who went mad for the warm, neutral tone with real-world applications.

Meet Metropolitan Gray.

Equally at home in sleek urban condos and seaside homes, it’s a neutral-yet-on-trend hue that works well with virtually any décor. With summer weekends spent lounging on the Cape on our mind, we’ve paired it with soft blues and shades of sand for a sophisticated take on beach style.

1. A classic coastal color combo (top to bottom): Benjamin Moore’s Metropolitan Gray, Blue Heather and Simply White. 2. Mad Men meets the beach in this leggy loveseat from West Elm. 3. Elongated glass subway tile in a just-right shade of blue, from Jasper. 4. It would appear that the Mini Double Rachel sconce in Swedish Gray, from Dunes and Duchess, is made just for fans of Metropolitan Gray. 5. Dash & Albert’s Diamond rug: pure indoor/outdoor awesome. 6. Find beachy basket perfection with Serena & Lily’s bamboo Petaluma baskets. 7. Rumor has it wallpaper has made a comeback, and with fresh, fun options like these from Thibaut, we can see why. 8. If ever a basket could be considered iconic, the La Jolla from Serena & Lily would make the cut. The center images are the inspiration photos released by Benjamin Moore for Metropolitan Gray.

All photos via respective websites.