My husband’s grandmother always said to pick your color and then move two shades lighter on the color strip and then paint that color because it is more intense when it is the whole room. This has served us well. Our dilemma is that I prefer neutral walls with colorful accessories and hubby prefers every room painted a different bright color!
I will certainly read this post again when we move into our new house in October. We have just sold our house and all viewers hated the bright yellow wall I have loved for many years, haha.
The living room in our new house is quite narrow and long. Sunny at front, no direct daylight in the middle section and facing north towards the backyard. As to the walls I worry a bit about chosing right. I think about blue. Will it be to dominant? To cold? Does it do right to the 117-years-old house?
Oh man! Wanna come decorate my home? I found pinterest really helpful when choosing my green wall. I learned that when I'm just choosing paint chips, I'll choose something much brighter and cleaner, but matching the pinterest pics with chips, I realised that the colours I was drawn to are actually much greyer and bluer. Now I'm finding it hard to do the next part. Artwork, curtains, ceiling fans. I keep making quilts instead because it's nice and familiar and less risky. 😝
I would love to come decorate, LOL. Do you mind buying the airfare? ;). But honestly, I love buying artwork, choosing curtains and fixtures. Once I have the paint color chosen, the rest tends to come easier. I hear you on choosing paint colors that are brighter and cleaner than actually looks good. I'm a big fan of Farrow & Ball because the colors are all nuanced enough to live well.
Interesting post. I'm terrible at picking colors for walls for all the reasons you go over. (As a saturated color background quilt person, I tend to go overboard and overwhelm a room with color. Would love to see before and after pics for what you end up with. Just read about a new outdoor paint that goes from dark to light in response to temperature to help maintain internal temps. Thought that was very cool. Inspired by mood rings, remember mood rings? (https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/style/color-changing-paint-joe-doucet-dfi)
What a thought-provoking and helpful discussion! Oddly, I'm much more at ease choosing paint colors than I am quilt colors. (I will re-read your post in reverse, lol, and consider matching my next background fabrics to my actual walls whose colors I adore.) AND I'm 250% more at ease choosing colored paint than neutral paint. When it came time to repaint the entirety of our (long story) temporary second home in white, I found a lifeline in Kylie M Interiors (google search that to find her blog) who deeeeeeeeeeeep dives into neutrals and their undertones and reflective values and more. I thus found a bright warm white that is exactly right.
Oh, how interesting! It's fascinating that you do well with choosing colored paints as opposed to neutrals. I just chose a white for our ceiling that is from the Farrow & Ball card. It was the easiest choice of all, hahaha, especially since they recommended a few whites to compliment the color I am putting on the wall. Let's see if I love it when it's painted.
Helpful, and a nice summary, thank you. I think something I need to figure out about myself on room paint colors is the difference with fascination and what I can live with. I think dramatic is so eye catching and interesting, but my comfortable place is white/low volume… Sometimes a certain room, like a bedroom, just really needs a feature wall like behind the headboard, but deciding on a color stumps me, so I don’t do it, and just live with white…
Very good advice on how to think about paint. An interesting post. I am looking forward to seeing how your new/old house turns out. Good Luck! It's an adventure.
Great advice. Our present (old) home is not painted horribly, but one real estate agent suggested painting the entire house "agreeable grey" Now that does not sound terrible, in most areas, but honestly, I think it will look pretty horrible here in the kitchen with the white cabinets and the old corian countertops. The corian is kind of ... well, the color of the inside of a banana. Kind of beige. At present I have the walls painted sage green. I like them.
We are so lazy.... Next week I hope to have three painting companies come out and get an estimate on painting. I do not think I will go with what the real estate agent suggested, completely, okay, yes, I will paint the bathrooms agreeable grey.
I went on the wild painting spree about 20 years ago, and that was a blast. I did not do anything really dark and bold, but each room got a color of something. It was a blast. So, I guess first thing we need to do is get the furniture out of here..... why are we taking so long? that is complicated. My older daughter is coming next week and she will be a burst of moving inspiration.
We have always used neutral colors too. I have a gigantic amount of art work and also persian rugs.
The new house, I am going to wait but I understand when moving into a previously owned house with colors that are undesirable, you need to paint quickly.
I will get some good painting companies (I have three in mind) to give me some of their advice and take it or leave it.
I really love your advice. I like paint, and you can paint over it.
My husband’s grandmother always said to pick your color and then move two shades lighter on the color strip and then paint that color because it is more intense when it is the whole room. This has served us well. Our dilemma is that I prefer neutral walls with colorful accessories and hubby prefers every room painted a different bright color!
Oooh, it's hard when partners have different basic color preferences. Life is a constant compromise, I guess.
I will certainly read this post again when we move into our new house in October. We have just sold our house and all viewers hated the bright yellow wall I have loved for many years, haha.
The living room in our new house is quite narrow and long. Sunny at front, no direct daylight in the middle section and facing north towards the backyard. As to the walls I worry a bit about chosing right. I think about blue. Will it be to dominant? To cold? Does it do right to the 117-years-old house?
I think I better use your canvases method. 👍🏻
Oh man! Wanna come decorate my home? I found pinterest really helpful when choosing my green wall. I learned that when I'm just choosing paint chips, I'll choose something much brighter and cleaner, but matching the pinterest pics with chips, I realised that the colours I was drawn to are actually much greyer and bluer. Now I'm finding it hard to do the next part. Artwork, curtains, ceiling fans. I keep making quilts instead because it's nice and familiar and less risky. 😝
I would love to come decorate, LOL. Do you mind buying the airfare? ;). But honestly, I love buying artwork, choosing curtains and fixtures. Once I have the paint color chosen, the rest tends to come easier. I hear you on choosing paint colors that are brighter and cleaner than actually looks good. I'm a big fan of Farrow & Ball because the colors are all nuanced enough to live well.
Interesting post. I'm terrible at picking colors for walls for all the reasons you go over. (As a saturated color background quilt person, I tend to go overboard and overwhelm a room with color. Would love to see before and after pics for what you end up with. Just read about a new outdoor paint that goes from dark to light in response to temperature to help maintain internal temps. Thought that was very cool. Inspired by mood rings, remember mood rings? (https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/style/color-changing-paint-joe-doucet-dfi)
Okay, so you know we're going to have to see your painted walls now!
Definitely! I'm working on it. Yesterday I was literally painting!
What a thought-provoking and helpful discussion! Oddly, I'm much more at ease choosing paint colors than I am quilt colors. (I will re-read your post in reverse, lol, and consider matching my next background fabrics to my actual walls whose colors I adore.) AND I'm 250% more at ease choosing colored paint than neutral paint. When it came time to repaint the entirety of our (long story) temporary second home in white, I found a lifeline in Kylie M Interiors (google search that to find her blog) who deeeeeeeeeeeep dives into neutrals and their undertones and reflective values and more. I thus found a bright warm white that is exactly right.
Oh, how interesting! It's fascinating that you do well with choosing colored paints as opposed to neutrals. I just chose a white for our ceiling that is from the Farrow & Ball card. It was the easiest choice of all, hahaha, especially since they recommended a few whites to compliment the color I am putting on the wall. Let's see if I love it when it's painted.
A clay color to Bancha is quite the shift! I'm eager to see your new spaces as you make them your own.
Helpful, and a nice summary, thank you. I think something I need to figure out about myself on room paint colors is the difference with fascination and what I can live with. I think dramatic is so eye catching and interesting, but my comfortable place is white/low volume… Sometimes a certain room, like a bedroom, just really needs a feature wall like behind the headboard, but deciding on a color stumps me, so I don’t do it, and just live with white…
This is a good point, Pam. There can be indeed a difference between what is lovely to look at and what feels good to live in.
Very good advice on how to think about paint. An interesting post. I am looking forward to seeing how your new/old house turns out. Good Luck! It's an adventure.
Great advice. Our present (old) home is not painted horribly, but one real estate agent suggested painting the entire house "agreeable grey" Now that does not sound terrible, in most areas, but honestly, I think it will look pretty horrible here in the kitchen with the white cabinets and the old corian countertops. The corian is kind of ... well, the color of the inside of a banana. Kind of beige. At present I have the walls painted sage green. I like them.
We are so lazy.... Next week I hope to have three painting companies come out and get an estimate on painting. I do not think I will go with what the real estate agent suggested, completely, okay, yes, I will paint the bathrooms agreeable grey.
I went on the wild painting spree about 20 years ago, and that was a blast. I did not do anything really dark and bold, but each room got a color of something. It was a blast. So, I guess first thing we need to do is get the furniture out of here..... why are we taking so long? that is complicated. My older daughter is coming next week and she will be a burst of moving inspiration.
We have always used neutral colors too. I have a gigantic amount of art work and also persian rugs.
The new house, I am going to wait but I understand when moving into a previously owned house with colors that are undesirable, you need to paint quickly.
I will get some good painting companies (I have three in mind) to give me some of their advice and take it or leave it.
I really love your advice. I like paint, and you can paint over it.