I don’t think anyone here would disagree with me if I said choosing paint colors is hard. There are just so many options, and they usually look very different on the wall than they do on a little paint chip. Saying you’re “just going to paint it a neutral color” doesn’t make things any easier either…even though it may sound like giving up. Neutrals are hard to choose because their undertones are all over the place and they change so much from house to house, room to room, and even depending on the time of day. A neutral that looks great in you living room might look like the most awful color in existence in you bedroom, and just because you find a color you love in a friend’s house or online doesn’t mean it will look anything like that in your house.
In our current house I went a little crazy with color. I love color after all, the walls have been (or are) saturated greens, blues, oranges, browns, and purples. I’ve found that decorating those rooms can be challenge, and most of the things I put in them tend to be white, tan, or brown. Accessories should be fun, and mine aren’t…becasue all the “fun” is on the wall. So in the new house I am (mostly) taking the color off the walls and going very neutral. I’m actually a little nervous about it, but I think it’s the right direction. After looking at a lifetime worth of inspiration photos on Houzz I narrowed my neutral color choices down to three categories….
2. Light Neutral (but not gray) – I want a really light neutral, nothing too heavy, and not gray. I know gray is all the rage these days, but I just can’t get into it. I like a bit of brown in my neutrals… not enough to scream “builder grade beige”, but enough so that it doesn’t look like cement on my walls. You also have to be careful to stay away from anything with a pink undertone or your going to and up with a house that immediately looks like it needs to be remodeled. Going greige is probably the best bet, and long as it’s still brown enough and doesn’t cross over into gray territory, or an off white is good too….as long as it doesn’t end up looking too white on the walls and still defines the white trim. Basically, I’m neurotic and now you all know it.
Anna says
April 19, 2016 at 9:09 pmI am so in love with your color palette! If I could redo my entire house I think I would have chosen the same. We recently bought a flip and every single wall is the same uninteresting, but also unobjectionable beige. Can’t wait to see the end result! I know those lower cabinets will look awesome.
Lizz says
April 20, 2016 at 9:28 amYour colors are so NEUTRAL compared to mine! Haha. I have Carribean Blue in my living room (3 walls) and laundry room. The main wall in my living room is a really light gray with a very slight bluish tint because Hubby says the big tv looks better with a gray wall behind it. I totally agree and it breaks up the very very blue of the other walls. My kitchen is Dark Purple! (My FAVORITE of the whole house!) I loved it so much I used it for 1 wall in my bedroom too. (Best part other than the amazing happy color is that it was $5!) The other 3 are Dolphin Gray (kinda dark gray). My son’s room is just plain ol’ gray. (His choice. Boys are kinda boring sometimes when it comes to color :P) Daughter’s room is a Magenta-y purple on 2 walls and a teal blue on 2 walls. SO PRETTY & also each gallon was only $5!! And the part of the house right up the stairs is a lightish yellow (and the boring builder whitish color because we can’t reach the wall above the stairs :/ ) Painting is such a pain. Literally. I think we need to get one of those sprayers for our next house!
I’m so excited to see how your house comes together! I wish I could come over and help you do everything! :)
Emily says
April 20, 2016 at 12:08 pmI love the colors you picked. I love color and when we first moved into our house I had color on all the walls but I slowly realized that all my colored furniture and accessories were competing with the wall color and everything was overwhelming and busy. Went back to white and now I can change anything else about the room I want, still have plenty of color and have a room that looks pulled together. Love seeing the progress!
Jan Elizabeth says
April 20, 2016 at 3:18 pmI think your colours are very classy and grownup – but also will provide a lovely airy background for your textures, fabrics and accessories. I can’t wait to see it all come together. :) We are attempting to paint. First up is the ceiling, which is overwhelming because Sharon is disabled and I get dizzy every time I tip my head back. Then we want pale grey for the main area, but the samples we bought look horrible – purpley-bluish like old white-person skin that has lots of blue veins. Blech! So we have learned it needs to be a warmer grey. I like greige too, but S does not. Our office is light blue, and I love it.
Devon says
April 20, 2016 at 8:06 pmAre you triple-sure about Herbal Wash? We painted big swatches on our great room walls and were sure it was the perfect neutral tan color…and then it went up as a very sagey green. Also, you probably already know this, but you’ll need two Shoji White touch-up cans, since interior paint is different from exterior paint.
Ashley says
April 21, 2016 at 8:17 amI want the cabinets to be plainly and undoubtedly green, (without looking like something from a box of crayons) and I think Herbal Wash is perfect for that.
Maria from Oz says
April 20, 2016 at 9:04 pmI love the Silvermist! Grey but with blue. I need something like that for my kitchen cupboards. SOOOO hard to find something here in Oz that is that tone. Good to see you and hubby are on the same page in colour liking!
Tiffany Harvey says
April 21, 2016 at 11:32 amWhile I don’t object to neutral colors, we’ve lived for at least 15 years in dorms or rentals where every wall was white & you couldn’t change it. Now that we have bought a house, I’m painting the walls bright & bold!! Perhaps in another 15 years I’ll be longing for white walls, haha.
Though I did just finish painting one small wall area light gray, and of course it ended up with a slight purplish tint. Not great next to the yellow decorations! One day I’ll find something a little warmer, but now that shelves are hung, we won’t be re-painting it any time soon.
Laurie says
April 23, 2016 at 8:57 pmI so get your thinking through process because there is real truth in all that you say. Looks GREAT!
Aniko says
April 25, 2016 at 8:33 amExcellent choice. ☺I choose the same colours. Shoji white(ish as we have a different brand on) for our living room-kitchen-study-entry and very pale blueish-greyish for our bedroom. Before that, I had a light green living room-etc and a very dark brown, then very Facebookish blue in the bedroom. ☺
The painters actually gave me a second chance to change my mind over Shoji white(ish) as (in their opinion) the difference between the white ceilings and this could hardly be seen. (I always paint the ceilings white.)
Well, I stick (sticked?) to it no matter what and I was so right! The colour works perfectly with everything, is elegant but family-friendly. Rugs, textiles, decoration: so much freedom and room to play. :))
[email protected] says
April 28, 2016 at 10:18 amColors look great! Nice choices indeed. Love everyone of it.
Petunia Evans says
May 10, 2016 at 1:21 pmI’ve been thinking of repainting the interior of our home, but I’m hitting a brain blockage in picking the right colors. I like the idea of having white walls, however I just have drywall and I don’t think it’d be as visually pleasing. But I really love the “Light neutral with a Blue Undertone”, so perhaps I can give that color a go! Thanks for the help.
Morgan says
May 19, 2016 at 1:31 pmYou’re so right! Choosing the right color is always so tough because there are so many different routes you can go to help create the perfect look. You give some really good tips here for deciding what colors would look best in your home. This post is really helpful, so thanks so much for sharing!
Morgan says
August 25, 2016 at 10:48 amI love the neutral color scheme. Grey is my favorite color for wall paint, as I think it leaves so much room for a wide variety of room decor. Nice suggestions! Thanks so much for the info!