Painting a house sure has its ups and downs, and the project comes with lots of questions. What colors are best for a bathroom? Should I paint neutral colors everywhere, just to make it easy? Won’t a yellow kitchen be beautiful? White walls are simple, right? Well, not always. But don’t worry. We are here to help! Today we are going to tackle some of the questions you will likely encounter when creating a whole-house color palette.

First, it is important to know what kinds of colors you love. Are you a bright and cheery, energetic person or a calm, collected, tea lover who enjoys meditation? While personality doesn’t always equate to colors, it often does help to minimize your color options. Once you have determined what kind of feel you want for your whole house, you can start breaking into color groups.

99 Designs has a great article explaining why certain colors evoke certain emotions. In the basic sense, warm colors (red, yellow, orange) evoke happiness and energy, whereas cool colors (purple, blue, green) evoke a more calming space. Of course, color is not the only thing to consider, but hue and tints are also important. A dark, earthy orange will be more calming than neon orange. Make it simpler by thinking about your rooms. Any rooms that are open to each other (usually kitchen, dining, and living areas) will need to be considered as a whole. Neutral colors work great in large areas, but consider an accent wall, or choosing a neutral color that has a tint to it. Grey is extremely popular in these types of rooms, and it is versatile too. Grey goes with everything. Yet, grey can have a slight purple or even green to it. Don’t turn away from neutrals just because you think they are boring. Neutrals can be very exciting because they provide a great backdrop for your furniture and photos.

Benjamin Moore has a great online tool for discovering color. Rainstorm paired with Urban Sophisticate and City Shadow makes an elegant, but powerful statement with blue hues hidden deep. Accent these colors with pure white, bright yellow, or red for a striking look.

For a warmer living space, choose Carrots, Cinnabar, and Crisp Linen. Not feeling the orange? Go to Benjamin Moore’s color overview, click on your favorite colors. The website will automatically show you different color palettes using that one color, and also gives you the option to upload photos of your home and see how different colors will look in your space.

As for closed rooms, such as bedrooms, bathrooms and laundry rooms, you have a little more leeway. Mostly, you want to consider the colors of the rooms that connect, and as long as they are cohesive, your home will be cohesive. You can use the same three colors throughout (the neutral colors for bathrooms and bedrooms, and a statement color in larger areas) or you can use different colors in every space.

While choosing a whole-house color palette, keep in mind that it’s about more than just your wall color. Your accessories will help keep the walls together. Pillows, vases, flowers, baskets, curtains, trays, rugs, and artwork can bring as much excitement as you want to your home. If you choose a beige color for your living room, but hang chevron pattern deep yellow curtains, and set up a large house plant, your room will be bright and cheery.



Contact us for more details on home decorating. We have a plethora of ideas to help you with every part of your home. Of course, every home starts with the building, and we are experts in that too.