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.
Katy says
Awesome list! I believe I will be using it to pick a new living room color as soon as I know what I’m doing…quick question:
My kitchen is Benjamin Moore’s Nantucket Gray, which is a darkish gray-green. I love it to pieces; it looks great with all the white cabinets, etc. However, since painting it, we knocked out the wall that seperates the kitchen from the living room, opening up the kitchen to a big great room space. I really don’t want to paint my living room that Nantucket Gray also, because it’s a tad dark to do that much of. The two rooms still have their own defining walls, so can I do a sandy white color in my living room. Does that “go” with green? I don’t want it to look all choppy. (50s ranch home here, too)
thanks!!! I value your opinions.
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, a sandy white would look lovely, just bring some swatches home and hold them up to see which ones are most compatible. And we have had tones of luck with halftones (and were actually going to recommend that as another option) so be sure to check that out as well. Either way you can’t go wrong. Good luck!
xo,
s
Katy says
P.s
Do you ever recommend having the paint made to a halftone?? I’m thinking maybe if I have it made to a lesser tone of Nantucket Gray, it will work for the living room.
Our contracter said it usually doesnt work. He is no help with paint colors though.
thank you again.
Katy says
wow, thanks for the speedy reply. I appreciate the help.
Gretchen says
We are painting our kitchen/dining room, which is half wood paneling and half old-school flowery wallpaper. We’re hoping to find two shades of olive green — a dark one for the wood paneling below the chair rail, and a light one for the wallpaper above the chair rail and two walls made of paneling from floor to ceiling. Our house is naturally dark, not much light comes in, so we’re hoping that this color scheme will help it look more airy. I’m struggling with a couple of things:
One wall is taken up almost entirely by a woodstove surrounded by red brick. I have been banned from painting the brick or the very nice, dark-honey-colored wood trim and chair rails that run throughout the house. I think a light olive green would complement the brick, but I wonder if the wooden chair rails will look odd in the middle of the two greens. And what to do about it if it does look odd.
We have ugly old radiators breaking up the wooden baseboards. If radiators can be painted, what type of paint should we use? I wish we could take them out, but that would ruin the baseboards.
We also can’t take down the wallpaper, so we’re painting overtop of it. Do you have any tips for that? Are there issues that we might face? I’d love to take it down first, but that stuff will not budge. The previous owners meant business when that was put in!
I love the work you’ve put into your house, and the crisp white of the trim. But since I can’t paint ours, I’m running into some mental roadblocks of what to do!
YoungHouseLove says
Green tones actually look great with wood trim and brick tones so your plan should look fantastic. We say go for it! And it’s only paint, so if at first you don’t succeed, you can always try again. As for painting the radiators, just ask your local home improvement store what they recommend. We think semi-gloss latex paint should do the trick but you might want to see what the experts say.
And when it comes to painting over wallpaper, we NEVER EVER recommend it. As long and annoying as wallpaper removal is (tip: renting a steamer helps) it’s much much much more of a long-cut to paint over it (as in, not a short cut- AT ALL). This results in peeling and bubbling and a terrible seamed looking finish. It’s never good! And then it’s even harder to remove the wallpaper since you’ve painted over it so you’ll definitely do yourself a huge disservice. You can google around for different ways to remove wallpaper (scoring it and spraying it with hot water, steaming it as we mentioned, etc) but it’s worth the effort! Good luck.
xo,
s
Gretchen says
Oh boy. I was afraid you’d say that about the wallpaper.
It will be a massive chore to remove it. It’s the best, most thorough wallpaper job I’ve ever seen — too bad it’s hideous paper.
It wraps under the tops of the kitchen cabinets and behind the appliances and chair rails/trim. If we have to take down the cabinets and trim to get the wallpaper down, this will have to be a project for another time and more money.
I always assumed that a steamer would work fine for areas where the wallpaper is already peeling. Are you confident that it will get down this super-special bonded-to-the-wall junk? We’ve both taken down tons of wallpaper in the past with a scorer, but that is not going to come close to cutting it in this kitchen. I so don’t look forward to this!
Thanks so much for advising on this. I’m glad you approve of the green! :o)
YoungHouseLove says
As confident as I can be. All the people with the toughest wallpaper challenges swear by it!
xo,
s
Gretchen says
I’m shopping for a steamer now, then! I’ll send you a couple before/after photos when it’s finished. Thanks again!
Lisa says
Hi! I think what you have done to your home is fabulous! It gives me great inspiration!
I do need a little help picking a paint color for my office, I am a lia sophia jewelry advisor, so I have many girly girl things set up in my office as well as a large display of jewelry. My furniture is white and I have black and cream wire displays with some red and pink accessories. What color would you suggest for the walls?
Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Lisa
YoungHouseLove says
Benjamin Moore’s Wild Aster is amazing, so that’s an idea (it’s sort of a soft pink tone with gray undertones- very chic and livable). You also might just want a soft platinum gray color without any pink at all, so try Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter as well. Good luck!
xo,
s
Crystal says
Hi. I am having great difficulties choosing a creamy yellow color in Sherwin Williams (painters choice). I had something similiar to banana cream in my last home, but on the walls in this home it has a green tint and is a bit garish. The wall color at present is beige w/gray undertones. No matter what we put on top of it, the color changes. We’ve chosen yellows w/red undertones to counter balance the green we’re seeing. Other than priming the walls white, which would cost an additional fortune, any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
We wish we could be of more help but since you have experienced firsthand how a color can change depending on the amount of light that a room gets we hesitate to toss out any suggestions since you can just hold swatches up and get a better read on them yourself. We’d grab a ton of paint chips and tape them up and see which one you like best (it helps to compare them, and you can branch out to other paint manufacturers since SW can color match anything you like). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Crystal says
Thanks for the comment. We have tried other manufacturers. I’ve purchased at least 14 samples from various stores and picked up twice that many chips. None of the chips match what comes out when the walls are painted. The colors look peachy in the Kitchen/FR but the same paint looks more of a yellow (at least closer to the creamy yellow that I’m looking for) in the Master Bath and the LR. What to do, what to do??!!!
YoungHouseLove says
So sorry! We feel your pain. Perhaps going with a soft cream in both spaces to sort of neutralize everything is the way to go? Good luck!
xo,
s
Kathy Catalano says
I have white washed cabinets and fireplace white washed wood.Status bronze or warm stone in family room (sherwin williams) Any suggestions for a kitchen color. I NEED HELP SOON. WE HAVE A WEDDING SOON. Also need to paint the adjoining hallway. Thanks for any suggestions.
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kathy,
Picking a paint color is all about personal preference, and certain colors that look great in one house might not look so hot in the next one (depending on the lighting situation). That’s why we put this tried and true list together of many of our favorite colors that usually look great in a variety of situations (and included a lot of suggestions in each category so there’s bound to be at least one that’s perfect). So just look at the color categories that appeal to you in this very post and snag a bunch of our recommended swatches. Then take them home and hold them up in your space (against your whitewashed wood and cabinets) to see what looks best. Good luck!
xo,
s
Linda says
Hi – I need your help! We need to make a decision about a solid color stain color for our contemporary cedar house. Right now it has a tan/beige color, which I kind of like except that it has a bit too much of a pink undertone for me. I would like one that doesn’t reflect pink or red – any ideas? Want a medium shade color. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Unfortunately we don’t have any go-to stain colors that we can recommend, but the most improtant thing is to bring home some small samples and paint wood that’s a similar tone to your house and hold it up in all times of day to be sure you go with something you love! It’s so worth the time up front to pick the right stain color (seriously, it’s waaaay easier than redoing the whole house). Good luck!
xo,
s
Kate says
Hi!
Question for you… My husband and I are really considering painting the inside of our house a light grey color. We want to wallpaper one wall, either in the dining room or living room with this http://www.romo.com/collections/wall-coverings/kimura-wallpapers/inari-wallpaper.html (a little expensive, but reasonable for one wall, big impact etc.) My only concern is trying to keep the house feeling warm, using grey on the walls. I think the room with the wallpaper will seem warm but we want to continue the color through out the livingroom, kitchen, and dinning room, and hallway, just for a continuous color. Any ideas on how to keep the rooms feeling warm, while still using grey?
THANKS,
Kate
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Kate,
We definitely suggest picking some warmer color for accents or accessories to complement with the gray, and working that hue in throughout the house so things feel cohesive and inviting. For example, mocha woods feel warm and would look lovely with that wallpaper, or you could even bring in yellow pillows, vases, and other accents (art) to keep things feeling happy. Yellow and gray is one of the chicest color combos these days. Other ideas would be warm amber accessories, or even a few bold pops of red or orange. There’s really no right or wrong answer so just layer in things (even jute rugs and sandy tan curtains, etc) to keep your space feeling balanced, lovely and anything but cold. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
nancy says
I LOVE the color of the cabinets in the kitchen picture. Do you know what color that is???
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Nancy,
Bummer, we don’t. The picture is from Benjamin Moore’s website so maybe you can find that info over there? Or you could try Benjamin Moore’s April Showers (which is a similar light greeny-gray tone). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Angela says
What are your thoughts and ideas on colored wainscotting? We are building a new home and I love the look of white wainscotting with blue for the 1/2 bath but I am thinking of doing yellow with wainscotting painted gray for the upstairs full bath. Is there a particular paint that should be used in bathrooms to prevent mold from growing and such?
Thanks, I love your site!!!! Thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
Love the gray and yellow color combo idea- a soft gray wainscotting would look great. Just be sure to grab semi-gloss latex paint (which is wipeable and water resistant – perfect for bathrooms. Good luck!
xo,
s
Funmilayo says
HI YHL, I need your help too :-s. Bought our house last year, and picked paint colors under-pressure,and basically hate them. Need help picking a new color of our open living room+ formal living& dining. (they are all connected, we have a really open floor plan :)).
Our furniture is all combinations of dark brown wood & tan/beige (this is out sectional http://s7ondemand5.scene7.com/is/image/roomstogo/lr_rm_ashbury?$RoomCCM_412x288$).
I am having the hardest time deciding on a color. Any ideas, what might go with our colors? thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Soft blues and greens can be surprisingly neutral and work gorgeously with all of your existing furniture (just grab some swatches from each category that we recommend in this post). You also could go with warm wheaty tan tones or even a super soft platinum gray so those categories would work as well. Good luck!
xo,
s
Funmilayo says
Thanks a bunch! I wouldn’t have thought of soft Blues & greens. Yeah I was leaning towards some kind of tan, but was concerned that it would make my furniture blend into the walls, but I guess it could instead compliment what we have. Now, Gray, isn’t something that I thought of either…I’ll look into that as well.
Thank you again!
Would you recommend getting those paint samples of the colors you suggest, or are the swatches a more economical way to go?
Happy pre-mothers day to you btw :)
YoungHouseLove says
Definitely grab just the paint swatches to start out with. In your space you’ll be able to tape them up and see what works (in the store they can look totally different). Good luck!
xo,
s
Amanda says
HI-i love the color blue around the fireplace under the “blue” section what color is that around the fireplace?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Amanda,
That’s Behr Grand Rapids. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sylvie says
Hi,
In one of your mood boards (https://www.younghouselove.com/2008/08/sharons-surprise-design-dilemma/)their living room looks almost exactly like ours. You recommended Glidden “Satin Sheets” as a wall color. However, I think it’s been discontinued. Can you recommend a similar color? I’ve been looking for something to work with our living room and this looks promising!
Thanks a bunch!
YoungHouseLove says
You can actually ask at the paint counter if they can look up the formula for you (even if it’s been discontinued) and whip up a batch- so that’s one option. Something similar (although not completely identical) would be Benjamin Moore’s Sterling. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
I love this site! Just found it last week and find myself loggin in as soon as I walk in the door. Email checks can wait. You two have such a gift and Im so inspired by all ur comments! Congrats on that little angel coming ur way. Not sure if you’ve had her yet, but I think ur due date is just around the corner. God Bless your family.
We love the PB look. I think I may have too many colors going on in my living room. Denuim Sectional, Mexican Tile floors (terracotta), tradition yellow walls. From looking at ur house, We love the simplicity and cleaness of it; with the “pop” of accents w/ color. Can u recommend a BM color to maybe simplify all the colors going on and let me focus with some accent colors? Have throw pillows with orange and yellow with little bit of denium but think its too many color jumping at me.
The walls in our kitchen are BM wedgewood gray thats seems to flow w/ the yellow in the LR but I love the Kitchen color. THanks so much. I’ve got the photos uploaded and ready to send them when u guys are able to accept more work. I dont believe either of you sleep.
Enjoy that bundle of Joy.
Thanks so much for helping those of us “clueless”.
Stephanie
YoungHouseLove says
Have you considered carrying the Wedgewood Gray into the living room? The effect will be cohesive and it’ll allow the walls to fall away so some of the other colors in the furnishings and accessories can be the star. If not, sliding one tone up or down on that paint swatch will keep things interesting and dimensional but still tied together and cohesive. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Im sorry, Not sure I mentioned I was asking for a new Living Room BM wall color.
Thanks again,
Stephanie
Stephanie says
Wow, I never thought about that color in there. I definately think its an option.
Thanks for the quick response.
Steph
Jenn says
Hello – hope you’re feeling comfortable!
So, after spending the last few weeks OBSESSING over paint colors, formulations, low-VOC options with a baby in our house, and budget, I’ve finally come to a conclusion that I want to use BM colors color-matched to Olympic premium. At least, I think so. I was ready to go all-out with BM paint, but the price tag threw me (we just bought a house and we are painting EVERYTHING.)
The other thing that threw me was the release of the new Martha Stewart paints at Home Depot. The line is so new that I’ve had a hard time finding reliable reviews about it, and I’m not loving the fact that there is no ‘virtual fan deck’ available online. I’ve brought the baby to Home Depot (he loves it there) and stood in front of the 280 colors. Love the size of the swatches, love the price, love that they are low-VOC/low-odor. However, I’ve come to rely on the advice/experience of others in this process, and beyond hearing Martha describe what a great product it is, I haven’t heard a lot (yet.)
I know that you likely have not used this paint at all, but I DO know that you are familiar with many lines, and that you spend plenty of time at Home Depot, so you’ve probably seen the colors? Do you have any kind of impression of the line (specifically, the colors?)
Just wondering – hope you are well!
YoungHouseLove says
We’ve actually heard great things about her new line of paint- everything from praise for the colors to compliments on the quality and coverage. As for not having a virtual fan deck, we never think those things are very helpful anyway (the only way to evaluate paint is to bring the swatches home and hold them up in your lighting situation to see what you like). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Jenn says
Oh, I hear you on that…in fact, I found that the color samples looked INCREDIBLY different at home. I was just so darn excited to SEE the colors (even an electronic hint) that I hated to wait for a trip to HD! But is that really even a problem? Probably a not. ;-)
Liz says
I have painted my family room a silver sage and have offset the fireplace wall with a darker shade of green, my fireplace brick is a dull grey….what color would you suggest to offset the silver sage?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
Since lighting can change how colors interact with each other, we would recommend bringing home a bunch of swatches of darker green and even charcoal or medium gray to see what looks best in your space. Happy hunting!
xo,
s
Jaime says
Hello YHL!
I want to paint an accent wall (the one behind my bed) and I am thinking some sort of gray. I just got a new bedspread from Ty Pennington’s line in Frost( http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_096B8602000P?vName=Bed%20&%20Bath&cName=BeddingEssentials&sName=Various%20Coordinates&psid=FROOGLE01&sid=IDx20070921x00003a ) and plan on using vintage-y white decorations. Can you offer a couple suggestions for my to bring home and look at?
Thank you!
Jaime
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jamie,
We love the idea of gray for the accent wall. Just grab the gray swatches that we recommend above in this very post (they truly are our favorites) and bring them home to see what you like. Holding them up in your space is the ultimate test (since your lighting will be different than ours) so that’s the best way to find something perfect. Good luck!
xo,
s
Angela says
Hello! What is your thoughts on chalk board paint and do you know if you can paint over it afterwards? I would like to use it in the children’s playroom and possibly on the front of a few storage drawers I have in the pantry. I know that down the road I will probably want to paint over it in the playroom once the kids are older.
Thanks.
Angela
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Angela,
We love chalkboard paint, and you can totally paint over it if you’d like afterwards. We think you have a great idea (to use it on the front of a few storage drawers) so we say go for it!
xo,
s
:aurie says
My entry, formal living/dining and family rooms are painted Glidden Barely Jade. I have white trim. Now my problem. The kitchen is smack in the middle. Do I continue using the Barely Jade or choose a different color? I have shiny white cabinets with a strip of apricot on each (formica). My floors are all tile, a terra cotta color. My counter and back splash are tumbled stone, natural color. Help.
YoungHouseLove says
We would continue the Bately Jade. It’ll look cohesive and open. Good luck!
xo,
s
Kathy says
I need color advice. My living room has a 2 story terra cotta fireplace ( cream black and br accents on brick). Ceiling is pickled fir with dark walnut stained beams.
My sofa’s are light creamy taupe and my flooring is natural maple and also the trim is natural maple.
What color do you suggest for the walls.
Thank you in advance
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds like with all those safe and classic colors, your walls could stand to add some dimension and interest to the space. Anything from a gray-blue to a soft khaki green can be considered a neutral these days, but they’ll still add some serious style. Why not try grabbing a bunch of the green and blue swatches that we recommended in this post and see what you like when you hold them up in your space with the other colors and materials going on? Good luck!
xo,
s
MelissaG says
Do you have any ideas for painting a tri-level home? I am desperate to get rid of the white paint but am so confused by “cut off” points. There are very few actual cut offs. For example, LR, DR and kitchen are all on one floor and I don’t want them the same color….ugh. Is there a resource for painting/decorating this style of home? I’m having a heck of a time. Not my first choice of house style but it has a lot of space and big yard for our 3 guys! Thanks and congrats!
YoungHouseLove says
Accent walls might be your friend! You can paint all those rooms that open to each other the same color (a neutral tan for example) but you can add a bold red accent wall in the kitchen and a soft buttery amber one in the living room to differentiate the spaces (and that’s just one example). Just google around for “accent walls” to see what other inspiration you can dig up. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Robin says
Hi again! I commented yesterday about the bamboo shades / drapery treatment with my 10′ ceilings. I did that yesterday and it looks awesome!! Thanks!
So I thought maybe you could help me with paint. My house has a really open floorplan, with the 10′ ceilings. We also get tons of natural light. Right now the living room is painted Behr’s Gobi Desert and it is just awful. I can’t really put my finger on what’s wrong with it, but it is just so blech. I want to stick with a neutral because we are probably going to sell our house next year and I don’t want to repaint it for that.
My kitchen is painted green (it has white cabinets and white counters.) Since it’s all one big room it’s kind of like half the room is beige and the other half is green, which doesn’t bother me, I just wonder if it would look better all the same color.
Should I paint the living room and kitchen the same color? Any recommendations for a prettier neutral. My trim is white, sofa is medium taupe chenille and dark wood furniture. Carpet is very neutral light beige and kitchen tile is light grey with almost pink undertones. And your awesome window treatment. I’m doing new accessories, so those don’t matter.
Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
So glad the drape hanging went so well yesterday! As for your paint scheme, that stuff really comes down to personal preference. Personally, we usually like adjoined rooms (like your living room and kitchen) to be either the same color or a different shade of the same color. So one idea would be to slide up or down on the green colored swatch that you used in the kitchen for a softer or deeper tone for the living room. Although you might not think of green as a neutral it will immediately wake up your blah living room walls and it’ll feel fresh and open- which usually appeals immensely to potential buyers. You could also go with a softer neutral (we love Glidden’s Sand White or Water Chestnut) but with the dark wood furniture and the taupe sofa you might love an actual color (even if it’s muted, like a soft gray-blue or a golden-green tone) to add dimension and style to spare. And of course you can pull a number of the paint swatches that we call out in this very post as our favorite and hold them up in your space to see what you like. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Robin says
Thanks Sherry!
That really helps. I’ve actually been looking at SW Ancient Marble, which you have listed as a beige, but on my paint chip looks greenish. So I was thinking about doing that in the living room and then doing either grassland or svelte sage from that same swatch in the kitchen.
Thanks again for the help. Your blog has really helped to get me over some decorating blocks.
YoungHouseLove says
That would be gorgeous! Go for it!
xo,
s
Cari says
To paint the ceiling or not to paint the ceiling….that is the question I have. In our Master Bedroom the walls are a light mocha color and we love the sereneness that that gives us but the ceilings are bright white. So, should we continue the mocha color onto the ceiling or leave it?
YoungHouseLove says
We would slide one swatch lighter on the paint chip with the mocha that you used for the walls and paint the ceiling a slightly lighter tone so it feels airy without looking stark like the white ceiling. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lisa says
Hi,
We are in the process of having our basement finished. It will be two rooms with an open doorway between them. One is a small art/crafts room for the kids and the other is a large family/playroom. Any thoughts on paint colors? I would like to use Sherwin Williams. I’ve been searching for days but am not in love with anything. Any thoughts you have would be greatly appreciated!
YoungHouseLove says
Try keeping things light and airy since it’s a basement! Just grab a bunch of the cream, tan, greige, soft green, subtle blue, and other light colors that we recommended in the post above and see how they look in your space. Then just get the ones you like color matched to Sherwin Williams paint if you’d like. Good luck!
xo,
s
Colleen says
This is such a great post!
We’ve just bought a house and the painter would like to use Sherwin-Williams. Do you have suggestions for a yellow and tan in the SW line? If not, do you know how I might find out the formula for the BM paints you recommend?
Thanks and congratulations again on becoming parents!
YoungHouseLove says
You can try Full Moon (yellow) and Sand Dollar (tan). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Julie Mison says
Hi…I love your site! Hoping you can help with my 9 year old daughter’s room. We are redecorating it and her furniture will be white. Her quilt has fun colors of green, blue, orange, pink and purple. We are thinking of painting 3 walls a green, one wall either pink or blue and maybe “pop” her favorite color, orange, on her closet doors only. Looking at BM greens….what are your thoughts on apple, pear or grape green or spring meadow green????
Thanks in advance!
YoungHouseLove says
Our favorite BM green is Dune Grass (a more neutral khaki green) but our favorite overall green from any paint brand is Glidden’s Celery Sticks (which is perfect for a 9 year old girl’s room and will work with all of the other colors you’re considering). You can grab the Glidden swatch at Home Depot and get it color matched by Benjamin Moore if you’d like. Hope it helps! Otherwise we’d pick Spring Meadow Green from the ones you’ve tossed out. Good luck!
xo,
s
Angela says
What is your preference of paint brands to use?
YoungHouseLove says
We love Glidden, Behr, and Valspar for their affordability- but nothing beats Benjamin Moore for quality. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Emily F says
Sherry you are a GEM and your John & Burger are adorable! I hope your little one was born with the same style sense as her mama!
I’ve tried to be a good student and read this blog post and all of it’s comments to see if you’ve already covered this, but I didn’t find it. We love Gentle Tide and we’re using it for the kitchen, but our completely white living room and white crown molding is a bit of a question mark.
It doesn’t get much sun.
It has a small foyer (3.5’x4.5′)
A bay window
A huge chestnutty brown fireplace with black marble hearth.
And wall to wall white bookshelves.
We’ve inhereited chunky black Pottery Barn media stand, library table and black/glass endtables/coffee table (like yours)
The question: Assuming we settle on a color combo that works with the Gentle Tide kitchen…do we take our LR wall color and then go a shade darker (to bring in the dark furniture?) in the foyer, on the ceiling of the bay window and on the back wall of the white bookshelves? Or a shade lighter? Or neither?
Thank you for making the world beautiful, one room at a time!
-Emily
YoungHouseLove says
There’s really no right answer… so many solutions will work flawlessly! You could go a shade lighter or darker for a seamless and open look or you could cut all the blue with a gorgeous sandy neutral like we did (our living room is Sand White and our adjoined kitchen is Gentle Tide). As for the hallway, our instict is to recommend going lighter there since it’s a smaller space and you want it to feel more open and airy (you could also carry that lighter tone onto those other areas you mentioned as well for a seamless look). Good luck!
xo,
s
MsB says
Great post. We were going to paint our bedroom gray. But hubby and I can’t agree so I’ve decided to paint our bedroom cream. Our trim is atrium white. The kitchen photo above is a lovely color . It says it is BM Natural White. But I can not find a color called natural white in my fan decks or at the benjamin moore site. Help! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Perhaps it was discontinued? We would call your local BM dealer and ask for their help hunting it down. And if there’s no way to get your hands on the formula, why not try some of the other cream colors that we called out as our favorites (you can even have them color matched to BM paint if that’s what you’d like to use). Good luck!
xo,
s
MsB says
I’ll definitely give my BM dealer a call. Maybe it has been renamed.Thanks
Natalie says
This is a great post – I keep coming back to it. This is my first time writing a comment, though I have been following your website forever. I have been agonizing over a paint color for our small, darkish guest room. The window treatment is a made from West African indigo fabric, and bedding is indigo-colored too. Bed is the Morocco headboard from West Elm (dark wood). There are a couple of framed prints (shades of blue & silver in white frames and mats). I’ve tried a million paint samples and just can’t come up with any that I really like. I was originally envisioning something that reminded me of the desert at sunset, but at the same time restful enough for a bedroom. Anything too orange or red seems to contrast too much with the indigo. Lighter colors that I’ve tried look so fleshy. The colors I’ve liked best so far are Behr gentle doe or BM bourbon street – but they are SO dark in that room. I’d like something other than taupe, green or yellow, as that’s what the rest of the rooms are painted and I’d like to do something unique in this room. Looking for something fun but not jarring. Thinking gray is too drab? Now I am even considering lavendar or pink (though I don’t know if I the hubby will accept). Would you guys have any suggestions? I would be most grateful!
YoungHouseLove says
We hiiighly recommend Benjamin Moore’s Light Pewter. It’s a soft gray but it’s not cold at all, and it would look lovely with the tones you’ve mentioned. Just grab the swatch and see what you think. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Natalie says
Thanks so much – I really appreciate the suggestion! I will take a look at it first thing tomorrow when there’s good light!
JAIME says
Hi, I have a large light filled bedroom. It is very bright! Our bed is a medium wood headboard from sundance. The focal point of the room, our bedding is Pine Cone Hill’s Uma Resist in Indigo, paired with off white matelasse. What color do you recommend for the walls? Our trim is bright whote. Right now we have Cedar Key which is beautiful but so bland. I am having a hard time finding the right shade to go with the blue.
YoungHouseLove says
We love Water Chestnut by Glidden with blue tones like the ones you describe. Soft gray-blue walls also look great with other blues (like Glidden’s Gentle Tide). Just pull a lot of the swatches that we call out as our favorites in this very post and hold them up to see what looks best. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
I want to paint my bedroom a blue gray color on all three walls and a dark brown on the fourth wall. I am having a hard time picking out the blue though. I don’t want it to be too blue and look like a children’s room. I really like the belgian sweet brown by behr. Any suggestions for a blue/gray?
YoungHouseLove says
Benjamin Moore’s Quiet Moments. It’s the best.
xo,
s
Rach says
Argh! I’ve seen that deep turquoise color on your blog, i think, but I am trying to find it and am having no luck. Any ideas? It looks SO great with white trim!
YoungHouseLove says
Benjamin Moore’s Rendezvous Bay is an amazing deep turquoise color. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lindsey says
I asked last night about a blue grey that would work for my bedroom. You suggested a benjamin moore color. I was at home depot today for some other things and happened to find a behr color that i thought i would get your opinion on. I am going to use Behr’s belgian sweet on one wall as an accent wall. The blue grey that i found is also behr pewter mug or behr gray timber wolf. Which would you suggest using, and would it match well with the brown as an accent wall? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually don’t have those colors on hand but we’re sure they’ll look great. Just pick the one you like best! Our tip would be that with a gray-blue you almost want it to look too muddy and gray, because anything that’s too blue ends up looking like a little boy’s room. Feel free to run out and grab that Benjamin Moore chip we recommended to see what we mean. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Andrea says
Hi!
Love your tips on painting and your house is beautiful! We recently bought a ranch-style house and I’m having a hard time deciding on the color to paint the fireplace room. We have more of an open floor plan where you can see the living room, dining room, and then you step right down to the fireplace room. We are painting the living room/dining room a soft beige color, but wanted to have a different, more warmer green in the fireplace room. I decided to go with dry sage from Benjamin Moore, but I’m afraid it might be too dark and contrast against the beige. We also have a great wall above the fireplace that is framed in by wood and I’d like to paint that a different color than the dry sage.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’m at a loss and I need a suggestion or two. :)
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Our suggestion would just be to bring home a bunch of swatches (either those that we recommend in this post or others that you love) and tape them up in the room. Then evaluate them in different lighting situations until it’s clear which ones you love for each area. Remember you can always slide up or down on a paint swatch to land on coordinating colors that are a shade or two lighter or darker than each other. Or you can paint open spaces all the same color (ex: all beige) and then accent the wall above the fireplace with the contrasting color (like Dry Sage). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Christa Molan says
Hi,
Congratulations on your beautiful baby girl! I Love, love, love your site! I find everything so helpful. I just have one problem though. My friend Rachel from Houston got me onto this site. I grew up in Houston but have lived in Australia for the last 10 years. My husband and I have just bought our second house, which needs lots of work to say the least. I love to paint and love your helpful paint suggestions….but we do not have the same paint brands here in Australia as what you have mentioned above. This is probably a stupid question but was wondering if you are familiar with any of the paint brands here? Do we have any similar to your at all?
Christa
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Christa,
We actually don’t know anything about the paint brands in Australia but we wish we could help you out. Perhaps asking the paint pros in your area if there are similar or identical brands (or if they can look up American formulas and color match the paint) is a good place to start? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Karen says
Hi Guys – just came across your site and LOVE it!! Just wondering if you have any suggestions for a BM green color for a master bedroom w. vaulted celings, and the connecting master bath. The trim is Valspar white. Current color on wall is MAB cabbage – don’t know what it is but it’s too much for me. Hubby likes it though. Thanks for any input!
YoungHouseLove says
We love Benjamin Moore’s Dune Grass. It’s soft and soothing- and it really looks amazing with white trim. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Chacy says
My bathroom went through 5 different colors yesterday, and I’m unhappier now with it than before we started! I desperately need some help. The tile is a light, grayish blue from the late 50’s. We aren’t in a position to retile at the moment, and have been trying to pick a color for the top half (untiled portion) of the bathroom to compliment the existing tile. It started white, but seemed too cold and dated. We then went with a mahogany we had in the garage, which looked great to me but was entirely too dark for the theme of our house (mostly shaker beige and white trim.) Then we tried Lake Geneva by ACE .. was supposed to be a smoky blue but ended up being too bright on the wall. Then, Baja Dunes … too bright and fleshy on the wall, didn’t pair well with the blue tile at all. Finally, Van Dyke brown, but now it’s almost shockingly dark, and in this small room just isn’t working and it really doesn’t look like the chip at all … that’s the biggest problem I’m having is that all these colors are looking MUCH different on the wall, (but they are perfectly mixed.) What may be at play is that the walls are textured (not the popcorn style, a smooth knocked down type.) Other colors in the room are a neutral/warmish tile floor, mahogany vanity and white window/trim. Could you help me get my sanity back and suggest a direction to head in?
YoungHouseLove says
With those walls you’ll need to get sample pots of paint (they’re just few bucks and they’ll save you a ton of work). Just grab three to five and paint them all on the wall. Evaluate them morning, noon, and night before making a final decision. Good luck!
xo,
s
Chacy says
Here is a picture I found that closely resembles the color of our tile and floor. The differences are just that our tile stops half way up the wall, we have mahogany vanity and white trim.
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/oldhouse/msg0715500927154.html