Q: First of all I love your site. It inspires me to fix up my own home (you make it look so easy!). But if there was a class called Paint Picking 101 I would be getting a big fat F. So far every room I’ve painted in my new house is either too bright, too dark, too dirty looking and just plain ugly. I’m having the worst time finding a perfect tan tone and I’m even messing up colors like light blue and cream, which I never thought was even possible! Do you have any foolproof colors you can recommend? A favorite blue? Cream? Tan? White? Yellow? Gray? I know natural light and other factors can change the way paint looks substantially so it’s probably not 100% foolproof, but I’d love to know your favorite paint colors so at least I have a shot of living in a house that doesn’t make me feel like a total paint failure! Thanks so much for your help! – Meagan
A: Picking the right paint color can often be a doozie, so don’t get down on yourself! Take comfort in the fact that repainting, while annoying, is super inexpensive and it can instantly transform your room from wrong to oh-so-right in an afternoon. And thanks to the transformative power of paint, we’re the proud owners of an entire storage ottoman full of paint decks and swatches. Name any color or any brand- it’s all in our little paint chip library of sorts. But although we have quite a slew of selections we still find ourselves reaching for some tried and true favorites again and again when it comes to doling out room recommendations.
As you mentioned, paint colors can look very different under different lighting circumstances, but for the most part there are a bunch of practically error-proof tones that we find ourselves recommending again and again. Some of them are bright and fun (better suited for only one wall or even a punchy piece of furniture) while others are classic and serene- perfect for an entire room or even an entire home. Here’s the swatch suggestion scoop:
White- Benjamin Moore Decorators White, Glidden Dove White, Behr Cascade White, Sherwin-Williams Alabaster.
Cream- Glidden Antique White, Sherwin-Williams Creamy, Benjamin Moore Muskoka Trail, Benjamin Moore French White, Benjamin Moore Natural White.
Red- Benjamin Moore Million Dollar Red, Glidden Red Delicious, Behr Firelight, Valspar Fabulous Red (great for a front door- might be too bright for inside).
Pink/Coral: Sherwin-Williams Comical Coral (shown below), Benjamin Moore Wild Aster, Sherwin-Williams Animated Coral, Behr Be Mine, Behr Silk Sheets, Behr Coquette.
Brown- Benjamin Moore Branchport Brown, Benjamin Moore Woodacres, Benjamin Moore Stampede, Sherwin-Williams Cobble Brown, Sherwin-Williams Van Dyke Brown (shown below), Behr Traditional.
Yellow- Benjamin Moore Hawthorne Yellow (it is the be-all end-all of yellow paint, which is notoriously hard to get right).
Green- Glidden Fennel (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Glidden Celery Sticks, Benjamin Moore Mosaic Glass, Benjamin Moore Hibiscus (great for a cheerful kid’s room with white trim and brown furnishings), Benjamin Moore Soft Fern, Benjamin Moore Silken Pine, Benjamin Moore Sweet Pear, Benjamin Moore Dune Grass, Sherwin-Williams Lime Granita.
Purple- Glidden Silver Plum (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Glidden Delicious Plum (amazing eggplant color for a front door), Glidden Black Tulip (the deepest moodiest purple-black that’s dripping with drama) Benjamin Moore Nosegay, Benjamin Moore Violet Pearl, Benjamin Moore Iced Lavender.
Blue- Glidden Gentle Tide (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Benjamin Moore Quiet Moments, Benjamin Moore Saratoga Springs, Restoration Hardware Silver Sage (it has green undertones but looks blue-gray in most rooms), Behr Pensive Sky, Behr Flint Smoke, Behr Grand Rapids.
Navy- Benjamin Moore Spellbound, Benjamin Moore French Barret, Benjamin Moore Hudson Bay, Sherwin Williams Grays Harbor, Sherwin-Williams Naval.
Black- Glidden Onyx Black, Benjamin Moore Graphite.
Tan- Glidden Sand White (no longer available for swatches, but still in the computer so they can whip it up for you), Glidden Water Chestnut, Glidden Cafe Latte, Benjamin Moore Baja Dunes, Benjamin Moore Davenport Tan, Behr Harvest Brown.
Orange- Benjamin Moore Beverly Hills, Benjamin Moore Lion Heart, Benjamin Moore Corn Husk, Sherwin-Williams Marquis Orange, Sherwin-Williams Mandarin (shown below).
Gray- Benjamin Moore North Hampton Putty, Benjamin Moore Light Pewter, Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray, Benjamin Moore Nantucket Fog, Glidden Silver Dust.
Beige- Benjamin Moore Clay Beige, Benjamin Moore Green Brier, Sherwin-Williams Ancient Marble.
Greige- Benjamin Moore Tapestry Beige, Behr Ocean Pearl.
Oh and a word of warning: you don’t want one of each of these colors in your house! Here’s how we learned that a tighter color scheme can make your home feel bigger, more open, and a lot more cohesive and welcoming. Of course it doesn’t have to feel expected or monochromatic since you can bring in different accent colors with art and accessories in each space to make them feel unique and interesting!
And a second word of warning: Paint colors look different in every room (due to lighting and other ever-changing factors) so we just suggest grabbing a bunch of the swatches above and bringing them home to see which ones look best on your wall. We can’t recommend a specific color for your specific situation with any great accuracy since we have no idea how it’ll “read” in your home (your eyes will be much better than ours since we’re not right there in your space). Just tape up a variety of swatches and pick the one that looks best to you (and get a few test pots of paint if you’re still not sure)! That really is the best way to get it right every time.
What about you guys? Any words of warning or paint color advice? Do you have some favorite hues that have worked out wonderfully for your casa? Any that were terrible that you’d love to warn others about? Let’s all help Meagan out by dishing the paint picking dirt.
Lauren says
I like the soft, serene approach- thanks! And you think painting the kitchen cabinets the same color as the trim could work?
One more thing- to paint a door (full door, not cabinet door) do you leave the door hanging or take it down?
Actually, one more- gloss paint for trim?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lauren,
Oh yeah we have white trim and white cabinets and we love the effect! As for painting doors, we leave them hanging but carefully cut in around the hinges (you can tape them off if you’d like) just to keep things looking clean. Hope it helps! Oh and we like semi-gloss for the trim. Wipeable but not too shiny. Good luck!
xo,
s
renee says
Hi Youngsters-
Just finished painting my living room Sand White and love how fresh it looks! I chatted with the paint guy about the beloved 2″ angled brush and he was a fan as well. So…thanks for all the painting tips; it has sure made that a much more enjoyable chore!
Question: have you done a post on how you organize and store your painting equipment? I just read your paint can post (which thrills the professional organizer in me!) but I’m wondering about your brushes, sandpaper, etc. Is it all in those kitchen cupboards with your other tools?
Thanks a million….sending love from Minneapolis :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Renee,
Yup, the entire bottom drawer of the cabinet in our kitchen (featured in this post) is full of painting supplies like rollers, blue tape, cleaned and dried brushes, paint trays, stir sticks, etc. It’s a nice big drawer so it works perfectly for us. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kathleen says
Wow I am so amazed and envious that you know so much about color and specifics of so many brands! We are building ( and the builder uses BM) and I love love BM Beach Glass and Quiet Moments and either would look wonderful in our bathroom/master bedroom. I need a creamy color to use as our main color in the living/hallways/powder room though. I think I like BM Rich Cream or Desert Tan. I want it to be neither yellow nor brown, but actually both, but more on the yellow side. Of course, I need it to go with the blue/greens…Can you help? The dining and entry hall then the living will flow from one to the other.
Can’t thank you enough!
YoungHouseLove says
Both colors that you mention are great choices, but we would go with the Rich Cream. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Roxane says
Hi. I am in need of help painting the downstairs of my home. Whwn you walk in the back door, you are in the bright family room with cathedral ceiling. It is open into the kitchen which has cherry cabinets with stainless backsplash and black granite countertop. All woodwork is also cherry. I would like the rooms to blend more than they do now. Leaving the kitchen through a small doorway, you enter the dining room which is connected to the living room by a larger doorway opening. These two rooms are darker and have chestnut trim. It is a very old house and I do not want to paint the trim which is in original condition. I have no idea what to do with them!
Just wanted to let you know I used the Hawthorne yellow and Lime Granita upstairs in the bedrooms and I love them! Thank you.
Roxane
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Roxane,
In this post we recommend a lot of nice greens which would look amazing with your cherry woodwork and the natural trim! We love a soft sage color with wood accents so just snag a few of the green paint chips we recommend and see which ones look best in your space! You could also go for something more neutral (try bringing home some of the tan or cream tones we recommend) since you already have green and yellow upstairs. Rich golden tan tones also look great with natural wood and cherry. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Roxane says
Thank you for your suggestions. I’ll let you know how things turn out.
Roxane
Lynnette says
Where do you recommend using these colors? I have a large dining/living combo and want to use a rich gray/brown color on the wall with white crown molding and chair rail. It gets lots of western sun (mostly windows on west side). Any recommendations?
YoungHouseLove says
All of the colors we suggest can work in a wide range of settings and lighting situations. So for the best result we’d suggest bringing home a few swatches that we’ve listed above in each of the color categories that you like (ex: gray and brown) and holding each of them up in your space at all times of day to see which ones work best with the chair rail and the lighting in your room. Easy peasy!
xo,
s
Amy says
Hi guys! I need a painting tip, then I promise to send some great before and after pictures! We have an awesome fireplace redo that you will love! Can you suggest a paint color for a kitchen with white cabinets, tropical brown granite (mix of brown and black) and tan-ish tile floor? We were going to use Harvest Brown, BUT we used a color called Barnwood in our family room and it is just a little to close to the Harvest Brown. We have used Behr Gobi Desert at 50% for the majority of the house, but are trying to mix in some color now here and there and the kitchen is stumping us. We have brown carpet, so we just don’t want to overdo the browns and we also have a lot of green, so no more green! Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, how about something that’s a soft blue-gray like our kitchen? It has brown floors and white cabinets so you can imagine that the brown counters and white cabinets in your kitchen will go very well with it as well. It’s called Glidden’s Gentle Tide but it has been discontinued in some stores (just ask them to look up the formula on the computer and they should be able to whip up a gallon or two for you). Oh and we know from personal experience that it goes will with colors like Gobi Desert and Barnwood so it’s practically foolproof! Hope it helps.
xo,
s
Amy says
Oh, and Behr or Glidden paint would be best!!!
Lina says
What Gray would go well with Glidden Sand White and Glidden Antique White?
YoungHouseLove says
We love Glidden’s Polished Limestone. It has a hint of blue in it but it’s mostly a gorgeous light and airy gray that will definitely work with Sand White and Antique White. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Samantha @ Mama Notes says
this is great, thanks!
I am trying to decide right now what color to pain my sons room. He has mostly dark wood furniture. I think I want to incorprate some orange into it.
ALso our bedroom. We have a king size bed with white sheets so we need some COLOR!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Samantha,
Just try bringing home a bunch of the orange swatches we recommend above and we’re sure you’ll find one that looks great with crisp white sheets and dark wood furniture. It’ll look amazing!
xo,
s
Katie says
We just moved into a new house and I’m totally lost as to what color to paint the kitchen, living room, and hallway. It’s a small house so as you suggest, I’d like to keep the colors light.
I think I’m confused because the house has cinnamon maple hardwood floors. They are beautiful but the red/orange tint in them makes picking a paint color confusing. Plus, the trim around the floor and windows is almost the same color.
I would so appreciate any advice you may have. Thanks for taking the time to read this! I’m so excited to paint and really make this new house feel like home!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Katie,
Soft greens and taupes and tans would look amazing with the floor (to counterbalance all that cinnamin maple) so grab a bunch of the taupe and tan and green swatches that we recommend and take them home to see which light and airy ones look best. You might find that you love sliding up or down on the color swatch to keep things cohesive (the kitchen can be tan and then you can slide one color down on the swatch to an even lighter taupe color that still coordinates for the hallway). Then the living room can be lively with a soft green color that complements the tans and taupes in the nearby rooms and also works with the floors. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
eleanor jeck says
I am not a color person…art on the walls provide my color. Our newly purchased contemporary house has travertine tile(white grey, egg shell and some tan in it). I like clean, bright and light. I am considering Dunn Edwards -swiss coffee. It is safe, clean, the tint in it is quite subtle(beige?) and fits the southwest /Arizona. However, it seems a bit too safe/boring. I do not like whites with any obvious color tints(white w pink, beige, grey etc) I considered DE”whisper”, but it was really bright. I have seen the most basic white- Behr Pre.” ultra pure white” and Dunn E. Suprema tintable white in contemporary homes and loved it. I am concerned that the tile might look dirty against a clean white and yet most homes have lots of diff. whites in furnishings and so forth that seem to work. I want liveable, bright, clean, and contemporary. Dunn Edwards appears to be the brand of choice for painters here. I prefer a shelf available color-no special mixing. Can you help me?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Eleanor,
Well you already have a number of good choices that would all work in your space! We love Dunn Edwards Swiss Coffee but also think Behr’s Ultra Pure White would be fantastic with art and layered furnishings in the room. There’s no need to worry that clean white walls could make other things like tile look “dirty” since many white on white rooms are actually made up of different tones and shades of white that layer in on top of each other for a dimensional and sleek effect. You really can’t go wrong! Good luck…
xo,
s
Cheri says
Help! I’m at the point where all paints have blended into one big superball of paint and I’m just standing, frozen in terror, STARING at the orb of paint trying to glimpse the perfect color. This staring technique has resulted in one too many ugly swatches on my wall. To preface, I’m renting my very first home, and, to brighten it up my boyrfiend and I painted pretty much the whole house Behr Calm Air, which came out slightly more sunny than calm. It really helps the white trim pop though! Then, for the study right off the master bedroom, we painted it Behr restful (also a bright color). Now I’m having the hardest time picking out the bedroom color (thought about gray’s, behrs ocean pearl, or browns). The problem is even though most of the house is calm air, it and restful are so bright, I feel a little like kiddy land. I know good prints and furniture will anchor the color, but I’m left at a loss for the bedroom color. Any thoughts on color? Or maybe any ideas for toning down bright paint when you’re not quite ready to repaint? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Cheri,
We love Behr’s Ocean Pearl so that’s definitely a great option to add calmness to your home (and balance out the brighter hues). We also love Glidden’s Water Chestnut which is a nice warm neutral sandy tone that will instantly feel serene and restful. Just go with whichever one you’d like (they’re both winners) and see how everything looks once your entire home’s color scheme is more balanced. We’re betting you won’t need to repaint anything- especially once you bring in furnishings, rugs, curtains and accessories to further neutralize each room. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Katie says
Hi Sherry,
Thanks for your help on my previous question as to what color paint would match the cinnamon maple hardwood floors in my new house. Your advice really helped and we painted the living room Glidden Celery Sticks. It looks great and we are really happy. However, one more questions (and then I promise it will be my last! :) ) What color should the furniture (tv stand, end tables, coffee table be?) I love a dark espresso color but does that match the cinnamon maple floors? In my mind, it doesn’t, but what do I know?? We have a new baby in the house so glass won’t work. I’d love to have your opinion on this. It will help when we start looking for a dining room table, too.
Also, what (bolder) colors would be good accents for Glidden Celery Sticks.
Your website has been such a huge help to me. Thank you for all your help and your daily updates. I feel like I have a friend in the interior design business!
Thanks again!
Katie
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely go for the dark espresso furnishings! It’s actually what we would have recommended even if you hadn’t mentioned it yourself (so your instincts are right on!). We love a layered and textured look so darker and browner tones of wood for the furniture (as long as they all relate to each other while the floor stands on it’s own) will completely add up to a fantastic and cohesive end product. Making everything matchy-matchy from the floor to the furniture would look flat and a little too “perfect” to feel inviting, so by going a few shades deeper and richer will definitely let the floors shine while all the furniture feels cohesive for a gorgeous end result.
xo,
s
Cheri says
I am thinking about using a light gray in the bedroom, I see that you suggested some above, are any of them a light gray?
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, just grab a bunch and see which swatches work for you! Benjamin Moore’s Sterling is also a great light gray along with Light Pewter. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
sz says
Help, I need a beige color to paint the wall right on top of my new countertop. The countertop color is alaskan slate, it is a formica countertop. I know it’s tough without seeing the counter but I would appreciate any suggestions… It’s the first one in this link – http://www.formica.com/publish/site/na/us/en/index/laminate/collection/honed_finish.html#
YoungHouseLove says
Hey SZ,
We have a list of our favorite beige colors in the post above! Just snag as many of the paint chips as you can from our list and take them home and hold them up. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary says
Hi Sherry, We are painting our living room, which gets a lot of natural light and I am looking for a yellowy tan color. The only problem is that some of the swatches I have look too peachy. Do you have any recommendations? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, lighting definitely differs from place to place but we’ll take a stab in the dark for ya. Why not try Benjamin Moore’s Da Vinci’s Canvas, BM’s Gold Leaf, or even BM’s California Hills. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Mary says
Thanks for the advice, Sherry! It must be all the natural light we get that makes the swatches, like BM Rich Cream or Oklahoma Wheat look so peachy. I will get some swatches of your suggestions and try them out.
Denise Scandiffio says
I am looking for a deeper green for my bedroom. It is presently painted BM Fernwood Green and while I like it, I sometimes feel it can be too “pastelly” I don’t want to change the bedding so I want to stay with green. I was thinking about BM Rosemary Sprig, Olive Branch, but worry the later will be too dark or muddy. I have dark cherry furniture, but get alot of light from the west (French Doors with two adjacent windows). Also considering Farrow and Ball Vert de Terre, but it’s not as deep as I would like. I want something cozy, calm and comforting.
Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh we love BM’s Olive Branch. It’ll be the perfect non-pastelly answer for your bedroom (the dash of “muddiness” that you see will be chic and subtle). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Denise Scandiffio says
Thanks for your vote of confidence in Olive Branch. That’s exactly what I want…chic, subtle, and sophisticated. In my old age, I have become more “daring” with colors. I came from a home of BM “off whites” and slowly have been going deeper. Is it okay that the crown molding, doors and trim are a light stained wood?. I would prefer white trim but my husband refuses to paint over good wood.Since he has done all the renovations over the years, I let him have his woodwork, but I am still working on it! Do you think it will look okay without white trim?? I do have off white silhouettes on all the windows and french doors.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, green tones are actually the best complement to wood trim so it’ll look great!
xo,
s
Les Vyhnalek says
I am a REALTOR with RE/MAX in Cleveland. I have a client who is repainting a home she just bought. She got a color for the kitchen which she thought was on the tan side but it appears oddly muted pink. What color could we add to change it to a tan/beige (without springing for a new can of paint)? I have created custom colors before with leftover paint but I am not sure what color added would give us a reasonable solution.
YoungHouseLove says
Eeks we have no idea! Since we haven’t encountered this specific problem we’d suggest consulting a paint pro at your local home improvement or paint shop to see what they recommend. Probably something a bit cooler and more brown (like a charcoal-ish chocolate drop of paint or two) but it’s really not a foolproof system so see what they suggest and cross your fingers. Good luck!
xo,
s
Terrie Foster says
Love you website! I’m painting our Master Bath this Friday. I want it dark brown. All the trim and cabinets are white so there is very little actual brown in the room. I was looking at Benjamin Moore French Toast or Kaffee its so dark I’m scared. I don’t know if I should go lighter like Mocha. Also there is a separate room for the toilet and don’t know if I should go the same color since there is a LOT of wall in there and may feel like I’m in cave (there is a window). If you can think of coordinating colors for brown. I want it rich and sophisticated and nice for my husband.
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely go for Benjamin Moore’s French Toast. It’s a gorgeous color and you could slide a shade or two lighter on the swatch for the toilet room if you want to bring some mocha in there instead of something as dark as the French Toast. To ensure that it’s coordinating you can also ask them to just “cut” the French Toast with 30% more white for the toilet area for a more mocha result. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachel says
Hi Guys! I really enjoy your website. I am renovating my house and find myself searching your site every time I have to make a decision. I love your kitchen, and would like to paint mine the same color. I am having white cabinets and counters, and dark floors, too. However, My painter uses Benjamin Moore and although I’ve seen you recommend Quiet Moments as an alternative to Gente Tide, I was wondering how I can get a more exact match. Is there another color that is closer, or should I have the store mix a can of the Glidden paint and bring that to Benjamin Moore.I am amazed that you respond to all your comments – you guys are the Best!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Rachel,
If you can get your hands on a swatch of Glidden’s Gentle Tide they can definitely color match it exactly at Benjamin Moore. You could also beg your painter to just use Glidden instead of BM (usually people doing a paid job for you want to make you happy in the end even if it’s not their first paint preference!). And if all else fails Quiet Moments is extremely similar. As in, we can’t even tell the difference sometimes- and two of our rooms are Gentle Tide. It’s a great match! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kristy says
I found your site a couple of months ago and decided (thanks to your inspiration) to repaint my living room currently Benjamin Moore Louisberg Green. I have an open floor plan and my kitchen is Benjamin Moore Stuart Gold. We have medium golden stained wooden floors and a dark green marble fireplace surround. I am looking for a good creamy/beige color for the walls. My ‘accent’ colors are a deep maroon and black and I have white trim. I can’t afford to change furniture or curtains. Do you have any color suggestions? Please?
YoungHouseLove says
Just check the list above in this very post! We have a bunch of our favorite creamy beige colors and you can just snag a couple of those suggested swatches and hold them up to see which ones look best with your lighting and the other colors in your home! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Keeley says
We just painted our MBR silver sage this weekend! I was thrilled to find out that Behr at Home Depot makes a silver sage identical to Restoration Hardware (it’s part of their paint + primer collection). I used the Restoration Hardware version a few years ago for our bathroom. I love it even more in the bedroom and the Behr color is exactly the same! I love silver sage! We’ve used it at my mother’s home, as well.
Katie says
I love love love your site and it gives me inspiration every day! I spend a good amount of my day sifting through bedroom, living room, dining room etc ideas for things I can use in my own home. In choosing paint colors I have found that so many rooms are shown w/ white trim and looks amazing! My dilemma is that our house has 100 yr old original woodwork thats in great shape. It’s a dark wood color and we want to keep it original so really don’t want to paint it. Anyone have good ideas for color schemes that look good w/ a darker trim? Its almost impossible to match furniture to our color so is it ok to mix and match white furniture etc. ? Help please!! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Almost every shade of green or warm tan/beige/gold/amber looks amazing with dark wood trim. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Laurie says
Just discovered your site and am looking forward to exploring it more thoroughly! We just bought a house that has an open floor plan w/cherry hardwood floors, cherry kitchen cabinets, a light greenish-gray counter top, and a fireplace with different colored stones. The walls are currently greige with cream trim, but we’re interested in painting to add a little color. Any suggestions on what colors would work well? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Subtle greens (and even a few pops of fresher brighter green) will really complement the wood floors and since you have a greenish-gray counter it’s a perfect fit. You could also go for anything warm and tawny (like a soft wheat, honey, tan, or mocha) since neutrals layer together to create a sophisticated and dimensional palette when they’re varied like that. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Diane Tavares says
Hello, im new to this site and hoping for some help!! my fiance and i are in the process of building a house. we are at the stage of picking paint colors!! Its probably the hardest thing we have had to do!! sooo many colors so hard to choose!! the only color we have now is a autumn leaf from benjamin moore color up against cranberry cherry cabniets and we love it but i dont know where to go from here! its a open floor planbut im not sure to pivk color to make it all flow or can we have a deep color in a dining room opposed to neutral colors everywhere. we have brazillian cherry floors. our master bath is espresso cabniets and our full bath is cinnamon!! im at such a loss when it comes to paint!!! please help any words of encouragement???
YoungHouseLove says
You’re in luck! You’ve already found one color you love (Autumn Leaf) so you can just grow and expand your whole-house color palette from there. We would definitely slide up and down that color swatch to see if you want to use that color (or a shade lighter or darker) in another part of the house for cohesion and flow. Then layer in some soft neutrals (cream, tans, grays, soft mochas, etc) so your color scheme feels welcoming and balanced without too many conflicting tones that break up your house. In fact, here’s a post that should help you develop a full color scheme that’s varied yet cohesive to keep things interesting but not too overwhelming.
https://www.younghouselove.com/2007/12/watching-paint-dry/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lynn says
I am in a decorating dilemma. We have pine yellowy/caramel stained trim throughout our home. I have painted the living/dining room and main hall BM Summer Harvest. I am looking for a kitchen colour (visible from LR) to go with pine cabinets, white appliances. Also a bathroom colour which will go with the pine trim. I would really appreciate a suggestion as I am at a loss.
Sincere thanks for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
Have you tried sliding higher or lower on the BM Summer Harvest swatch card? That’s what we would suggest. Go with a shade or two lighter in the kitchen since it’s visible from the LR and then have some fun in the bathroom and try going a shade or two darker for a nice varied and rich look that’s cohesive and dimensional. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Marie says
Hi My friend Roxane recommended your site – she loves it. My paint dilema is for the living/dining room and an upstairs balcony at my house at the beach. It has a northern exposure with not much direct sunlight. I’d like to use a yellow and have narrowed it down to Benjamin Moore’s popcorn kernal, Hawthorne yellow which Roxane used or ohlahoma wheat which I have in my house and love in this setting. Colors in the beach house bedrooms are – BM’s wedgewood gray 146, airway 828 and malton 1073 the trim and ceilings are atrium white. What do you suggest? Thank you so much. Marie
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, that’s tough because all of them are great colors and it really depends on the lighting situation in your place but we would suggest the Oklahoma Wheat for your situation. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
ann says
Hi = If I paint my walls in my guest bedroom Hawthorne yellow – will it go with my curtains – green and comforter which is green and purple? thanks
YoungHouseLove says
It depends what specific shades of green and purple you have going on. Just grab a Hawthorne Yellow paint swatch and bring it home and hold it up next to your comforter and curtains to see how it looks. It sounds like it could be really pretty. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Barb says
We are putting hardwood throughout our one story bungalow. The trim is pine stained golden oak which is quite orangey. The main area is painted a creamy yellow. What colour of hardwood stain should we go with? Or is it going to be way too much wood? Should we look at alternatives to the hardwood?
Thanks love your work!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Barb,
There really aren’t any hard and fast rules or tried and true answers to your question. Decorating is super subjective so it’s all about what appeals to you! It’s definitely a personal choice. If you want a modern and elegant look, dark mocha wood floors are always glossy and handsome. If you’re looking for something to complement the pine stained trim you have, you could go with something either the same exact shade or a bit darker. If you’d like to explore alternatives, cork and bamboo flooring are interesting and diverse options. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Barb says
Thanks, I will give it some thought. How durable are cork and bamboo? I have a 100lb dog who is not careful when running across the floor!
YoungHouseLove says
You’d have to do some research and ask around (you might find some helpful reader comments on this post) but some people swear that bamboo and cork are more durable than hardwood. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Marie DiMatties says
Thank you for responding to my question about a yellow for my beach house. I am still torn between Popcorn Kernel and Ohlahoma Wheat. What would help me decide on either one????
Also I have a This End’s Up Dining Table in great condition but need to find 8 chairs to use with it – theirs are way to big for my space. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance Marie
YoungHouseLove says
Here’s a post all about sources for items we love (like chairs for your table): https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/01/our-go-to-list-of-go-to-sources/
And as for the colors, we always just tape both swatches up next to each other and compare them in the morning, noon and night. It’s always pretty simple to pick a favorite when you compare them side by side. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Marilyn says
What color of white would work well with replacement windows. An interior decorator once told me her favorite white was “Atrium White” but I’m not sure about that next to the windows. Should I try to match the replacement window color and trim?
YoungHouseLove says
We would just go ahead and match the trim. And we love Benjamin Moore’s Decorators White since it’s not too harsh or too muddy. It works with almost anything!
xo,
s
Danielle says
Hi, I love this site, its helped me out tremendously!! I have a question for you. So I have so far painted 2 rooms in my house. The living room and bedroom. I started out trying to paint the bedroom in Red (Glidden Red Delicious) Bad idea… Changed and went to Behr I think its called Granite Gray. Its a medium to dark gray.
The living room we painted a Mocha color – cant remember the brand off the top of my head and I HATE it! It has like a purply tone to it and does not match my living room decor. Anyways, I love the modern and kindof “spa” feeling of the gray color and would like to paint the rest of the house similarly, maybe going with a lighter-medium gray in the living room and a whitish-gray for the hallways… are there any you can suggest for a good color scheme, and other colors that would go well with grays? I noticed there arent many gray colors on your list of favorites.
Thanks so much,
Danielle
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Danielle,
Gray colors are hard for us to “universally endorse” since they can look dramatically different depending on the lighting in your home. We’d suggest bringing home a bunch of swatches and holding them up in front of the walls that you want them to coordinate with (and in the rooms that you’ll be painting) to see what looks best in person. If we threw out suggestions they would probably be too dark or too yellow or too purple so the best way is really just to grab swatches and see what looks the best. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Wendy says
Here I am in the final stages of finishing a full kitchen remodel and I am finding it difficult picking a paint color. The kitchen is fairly big after tearing down a wall. We have chosen a Russet brown (cherry wood) for all the cabinets along the walls and a painted maple maize putty color for the island cabinets. Cambria Quartz Countertops (Brownhill) for the wall cabinets and a Black tone granite for the island. Tile floors in two different shades and shapes(mostly neutral, but the 6×6 tile has a hint of red.
I was looking at the Mocha (6067) from Sherwin Williams. This color would go across the wall from all the cabinets with a bay window and sliding patio door. I thought that this color picked up the colors in the tile and the counter tops well. The rest of the room I was thinking of Sand Dollar (6099). My other two choices would be Nuthatch (6088) and Lightweight Beige (6092). My only concern is would the room be too dark due to the wall cabinet color and the Mocha. Should I just choose one color for the entire room. Just for thought: these colors would carry into a hallway. I wish I could post a photo that would help better.
Thanks for the help.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Wendy,
Colors really look different in different houses with different lighting situations so although we could encourage you to go for the Mocha tone which sounds great along with the Sand Dollar it’s really your best bet to hold up the colors in the room and evaluate them in a way that we never could online. It really sounds lovely though. Good luck!
xo,
s
Carolyn Bell says
I clicked onto your site because it showed up in the context of a plum or eggplant color front door. But here I am and no clue how to find a picture of a plum or purple or eggplant front door. Any suggestions?
Thanks.
Carolyn Bell
YoungHouseLove says
I don’t know that we actually have any photos of a plum or eggplant door (and may have just mentioned it in passing) but you could always use google to search the term and click the “images” tab to see pictures instead of words. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
erica says
i just have to say that i’m obsessed with your site! i can’t get enough! my bf and i are currently starting to renovate our new condo and we are stuck on a paint problem. for our bathroom, i wanted to make a tiled frame around the mirror as our main focal point because i found this tile and just fell in l-o-v-e.
this is the tile: http://www.flickr.com/photos/eri58/4351138535/
we were thinking for cabinets, thomasville coffee color w/a light creamy white countertop, but we’re stuck on the wall paint. i really want the tile to pop and take centerstage, but all the colors either seem to muddy the tile color or just blend w/it and not make it stand out.
this is a picture w/the cabinet and our original paint choice, but i think it’s too golden for the tile…
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eri58/4347317830/in/photostream/
i would appreciate any sort of advice you could give me. i feel completely overwhelmed!
thank you! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh we really love the golden paint you picked for the tile, but if you think it’ll be too intense try something a bit lighter (less saturated) that still has the same warm undertone. It’ll look lovely. Off the top of our heads maybe try bringing home these Benjamin Moore swatches to see how they look with everything:
-Crisp Khaki 234
-Oakwood Manor 1095
-Sea Urchin 1052
Oh course lighting can change them dramatically so be sure to check them out at all times of day on the wall to see which one you like best. Hope it helps!
xo,
erica says
omg. you are quick! thank you so much!!!
Susan says
I can’t remember now how I found your site, but I absolutely love reading about your projects! We are currently in a rental house, we might buy it, but not quite sure yet. There are fake wood beams on the kitchen ceiling, with a popcorn ceiling by the way, (totally 70’s) and I want to paint it all. I am leaning toward Water Chestnut for the walls in the kitchen and living room as they are one big area, but what in the heck should I do about these beams and funky ceiling? Any suggestions? You have such great style! Thanks for sharing your ideas!
YoungHouseLove says
We painted the beams and the ceilings in our den crisp white and we love it! It’s classic and timeless and the ceilings feel so high!
xo,
s
Leigh says
I love the look of Glidden’s Sand White in your house, but since it’s no longer available I can’t get a swatch of it to take home. I found Glidden’s Najavo Sand though. Do you that’s a comparable color to Sand White?
YoungHouseLove says
Glidden’s Water Chestnut is a bit more comparable and still available. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
erica says
hi youngsters! i’m back w/another paint question…we are renovating our apartment and we’re going w/dark hardwood floors (really dark brown/almost black.) and our furniture is sadly black leather (very bachelor pad-y)…but our walls (due to feng shui reasoning…my mom insists we follow what the feng shui master suggest…crazy, i know) our walls have to be a shade of blue. we tried 7 shades of blue and i’m not crazy about any of them! we tried benjamin moore silver marlin, smoke, & quiet moments, valspar dew drop, glidden’s clear blue sky, sea spray, and quiet rain…..the one we’re liking most is benjamin moore’s smoke, but i still think it’s too dark…what would you suggest???
also, what would be comparable to the paint you used in your bedroom?
thanks so much, i’ve been staring at blue paints so long i think i’m going crazy!
YoungHouseLove says
The crazy thing is that Quiet Moments is nearly the exact same color we used in our bedroom and kitchen (it’s actually Glidden’s Gentle Tide but they discontinued that so we recommend Quiet Moments since it’s so similar). Maybe you can go a shade lighter if you think that’s too dark and try BM’s Healing Aloe? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
erica says
i really wanted to like quiet moments! i wonder if it’s because my bf painted it on super weird and messy?
if you have time, this is my blogpost about the swatches…
http://sixthfloorapartment.blogspot.com/2010/02/color-conundrum.html
should we go lighter? darker? augh, i’m so overwhelmed! i don’t know how you guys do it! hahaha.
YoungHouseLove says
Quiet Moments and Silver Marlin look perfect to us! You don’t want anything too light blue and super clear (aka: devoid of any muddy gray undertones) because it looks like a little boy’s room once it’s on every wall. We would definitely go for one of those two colors and once you see it on a larger scale with crisp white trim and furniture in the room you’ll love it!
xo,
s
erica says
ok! thank you so much!!!
you guys are super speedy responders!
we’re gonna go back and look at the wall again tomorrow.
good point about the little boy’s room!!!
thank you so much again!
you 2 are lifesavers!
Stancie @ Fig+Sage says
Hi Sherry!
This post is AWESOME! Love it – thank you, thank you, thank you :) I have two questions for you:
1). Home office: I picked up swatches of your recommendations today after I painted large areas of my home office (and cut in almost the entire room) in Olympic’s Premium No-VOC “Violet Shadow” yesterday and I just don’t know if its the right color. It feels a bit to powdery or Easter egg-ish, but I am covering up a light gray so perhaps my eye is comparing the violet with the gray and it just seems off (maybe little girl’s room-esque). I’m going for a non-little-girl’s-room lavender / violet color that is chic, calming and will look great with lots of white (shelves, desk, etc.), some light furniture and pops of red, orange and green for accessories. I have swatches of BM Violet Pearl and Iced Lavender taped up now. Violet Pearl looks too pink in the room (for me) – I’m really leaning toward Iced Lavender. I know you recommend it above but can you tell me what your experience has been with Iced Lavender and what kinds of rooms you’ve seen it in? Also, does it tend to lean gray or pink? Its so difficult to tell from the little swatch :/
Note: By the way – I love Olympic’s Premium No-VOC paint (bought at Lowes). It has no odor, covers really well and its eco-friendly! It was highly recommended to me by the owner of an art gallery. That’s all she uses in the gallery and they re-paint frequently, so I trusted her and she was so right! Just thought I’d let you know its worth a try :) And its totally affordable at $22 a gallon!
2). Master Bedroom: I’m trying to pick a color for our Master Bedroom, which is a pretty good size room that is the entire upstairs of our 1939 home. I have to work with the existing carpet, a new-ish cream/beige color with just a bit of taupe and gray in it. I’m on the hunt for a light, airy and sophisticated taupe, gray, tan or greige that will look great with white trim/baseboards, black or espresso furniture. I’m trying to go for “hotel suite chic” that is calming and relaxing (leaning towards a light greige)…lots of creams, whites, brushed nickel lamps and hardware. There are also a lot of weird angles in the room (angled ceiling, bumped out closets, etc.) and I’m wondering if I should paint the entire room all the same color (including the ceiling) so not to break up/confuse the eye or if I should paint the angled ceiling white. (Ceiling is 11 ft tall at the highest point).
Any input would be greatly appreciated!! I loooove your home and I’m a huge fan of your blog – I read everyday!
Thank you so very much for any help :)
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Stancie,
I wish we could help you more with paint but one of the big color mysteries is that it performs differently in different lighting situations (we have the same paint color in our bedroom and our kitchen but they look totally different because one gets northern light and one gets southern light). Our best advice is to tape up multiple swatches and trust your eye since you’re lighting sitch is different than ours or any other house we’ve seen a color in. For that reason if you’re leaning towards Iced Lavendar we would say that it’s probably best for your space so we’d say go for it!
And as for Olympic’s Premium No-VOC paint, we love it too. We color match so many things to it (in fact it’s what we used to paint our newly renovated bathroom and our nursery mirror just to name a few things).
When it comes to your second question, of course lighting is again a huge factor, but we’d suggest Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter (color matched to Olympic Premium No-VOC paint if you’d like). It’s a sophisticated soft platinum gray (like the underside of a cloud) and it’s super hotel chic and calming (plus it’ll go with all the furnishings and tones that you mentioned). We’d also suggest bringing it all the way up onto the ceiling so every plane of the room is that color which will keep things from looking too choppy and interrupted. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stancie @ Fig+Sage says
Hi Sherry!
You’re great!! I totally “hear” you about the office paint color. I need to just look at it in different light throughout the day and follow my instinct! You’re so right.
Oh whoops! I thought you hadn’t used Olympic Premium yet, but I think that was because I was reading older comments above. Glad you like it too! I absolutely love your new bathroom and the mirror in your nursery is so cool!
Thanks so much for the Light Pewter suggestion. I’m going to go look at the ton of BM swatches I brought home today and see if its in there – if not its back to the paint store tomorrow for me :)
Thanks again and keep up the amazing work!!
Jen says
HI guys!
I absolutely love your rooms that are Sand White. I found this blog after seeing one of your more recent ones and i just happened to notice the paint because I am ready to paint the main living area of my apartment. it is open floor plan and the main wall goes the whole way from our front door back to our patio doors. and then the small front wall. We have a huge red brick walled fireplace in the living room area and I want something neutral and fresh and still compliment that and the rest of our furnishings. We get a lot of natural light (2 skylights in the living area, + 1 for each bedroom). and I love color. but since my bedrooms are each painted bolder colors (bright green in my sewing room and a bluish grey in the master bedroom) i wanted this room to be a little more calming especially since it is the main room of our apt. My colors are lighter and punchier blues and i have a light apple green accent throughout. I was also thinking to paint a recessed wall we have (where our desk sits) a bright punchy coral color, i though it would work well w/the turquoise type blues… but that’s for later! LOL
I am sitting here staring at some swatches i got taped on my wall, and my favs are Behr sandstone cove, Glidden cappucino white and Glidden natural linen. Do you have exp with any of these colors? i have water chestnut sitting here but i think it may be a little too warm? for what I want. I’m going to ask home depot if they could make me a sample of Sand White, but just wondering what undertones you thought would be best for what I described above. cooler right?
thanks a ton!
love you guys!
Jen
Jen says
Oops I meant Glidden Natural Wicker not Natural linen.
-Jen
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, you want a cooler undertone with the scheme you describe (or at least a middle-of-the-road neutral that doesn’t skew warm). And although we don’t have experience with any of the colors you mention we’re sure they’re all great choices so just trust your eye (since the lighting in your space is unique anyway, so every color will look different under different lighting situations). Hope it helps! Happy painting…
xo,
s
Jen says
Thanks Sherry!
that is what I thought and I’ve only looked at the swatch cards on the wall for a few hours but I already have a favorite! I’m waiting for my boyfriend to get home and to make sure I see them in different light! You are absolutely correct in that every swatch looks different in everyone’s room, but some are reading too golden/warm to me right away (like water chestnut)– I’m assuming this is the way to go. ones that look true neutral- no golden or even “tan”- if that makes any sense. The current issue of Better Homes and Garden page 43 has the “citrus” toned paints. both my boyfriend and I are leaning toward Ulta Orange by Valspar for knock out bold or possibly Sweet Tangerine by Ace Hardware if interested in checking out some punchy color or just reading!! Hopefully these will work with the color I pick out!
YoungHouseLove says
Sounds like fun! Good luck and send us after pics!
xo,
s