A Favorite: Neutral Paint Pairing
We’ll share a little secret with you: designers use the same handful of colors over and over again. They know what works. Not only do they want to get it right the first time, they want to get it right every time, because wall color is so important.
WHY NEUTRALS RULE
Think of your walls like the canvas for everything else in your room. Neutrals don't go out of style or beg to be changed with the season. Regardless of whether you love whites, brights, deep hues or anything in between, choosing the right neutral foundation will allow your furnishings, window coverings and architectural details to do the talking.
THE BEST neutral paint colors
Dreaming of a space that feels light and airy but not stark? A space that feels calm and collected? This is the color palate for you. There is enough contrast from trim to wall, but not so much that all you see is woodwork. We’ve used this combo countless times because it really is the best.
Our go-to trim color is Benjamin Moore's Simply White, OC-24. It's not too cool, not too warm... it's simply white. And for a soft, creamy, "I play well with others" kind of wall color, try Benjamin Moore's Classic Gray, OC-23. Again — not too cool, not too warm. It doesn't push yellow or gray (despite its name!), but it looks beautiful with either. It's the truly perfect neutral.
CHOOSING A SOLID Paint Color COMBINATION
If our preferred combo isn’t your cup of tea, no hard feelings. Here's how to select your own:
Look for inspiration. There are many resources (Pinterest and Instagram are our faves) where you can find photos with paint colors listed. Select your top three and look for the common thread - are they all gray? All creamy? Somewhere in between?
Look at your existing furnishings. If you're in love with gray walls, but have all gold/yellow/cream upholstered furniture, it may be wise to compromise with your paint color. (Mixing neutrals is very "in" but tough to do well without an expert eye.)
Consider your lighting. If your room is flooded with natural light, you'll see the hue's truest color. Other lighting types/sources can draw out the warmer or cooler tones in a color.
Pay attention to undertones. This can be tough to identify in a lighter shade, so look at the darkest color on the swatch (within the same color family) for clues. Do you see cooler tones like blue or purple? Or warmer tones like brown or yellow?
Try samples on your wall. It's takes a little extra time and effort up front, but painting 3x3 "swatches" on your wall will give you a much better idea of which color you're drawn to, which looks best with your existing furnishings, and which looks best in your room's lighting.
For trim, select a color that provides contrast from the walls, but that maintains a similar undertone. For example, if you have a cool gray wall, ensure your white trim does not have a creamy yellow undertone. A "blue white" will be better suited. For ceilings, try the same color you used on your trim in flat sheen.