What color should I paint my walls?

This is probably the 2nd most asked question I get. The answer is definitely it depends because everyone has their own opinion about what they like and with a seemingly infinite number of color choices, it can feel very overwhelming for sure.

I can say with certainty though that if you need to paint some walls for staging, I typically suggest just a small number of colors that really work in all situations. They are all griege (warm beige gray) neutrals that appeal to the widest audience and are warm in tone so they have a cozy home vibe regardless of the furnishings. They work with white and slightly off white trim and ceilings as well. Here are the top 3 I think work best:

1. Balanced Beige (Sherwin Williams 7037) is absolutely my first choice. It has worked in every situation I have ever recommended it being painted. It is a beautiful warm gray in the daylight that changes to a nice warm deep gray beige in the evening. It looks great with a mix of furniture (wood and white) and with woven accessories and baskets. I usually try to keep it simple and just leave my clients with one color and this one is it.

2. Accessible Gray (Sherwin Williams 7036)

Accessible Gray is on the same card as Balanced Beige which means that it has the same undertones as Balanced Beige but to the eye we would say the color looks lighter. I like using Sherwin Williams paint colors because of the way the card decks are laid out. You can see from the darkest color what the undertone of every color on that card will be. The grays on the cards with deep browns will have the warmest undertones. This helps you avoid choosing one that will “look” blue or green or purple. This is hard to tell if you are simply looking at a single color swatch.

3. Revere Pewter (Benjamin Moore HC 172)

To me this is similar to Accessible Beige but some people love to use Benjamin Moore colors. This is a wonderful warm greige that just works with everything as well.

If you are painting to stage, there’s typically not much time and you need to get it painted and get the house on the market. I would say with confidence that you could choose any of these and they would work. However, if you are painting your house for you, I always recommend getting a sample, trying it in a few places, looking at it in different light, and choosing the one you like best. Sherwin Williams offers the most sample for your buck as you get a larger sample for under $10. You can also have any color color matched at either Home Depot or Lowes. Just tell them the color or number you could like and they can color match it for you. I would recommend using the same paint as the sample though. So if you get the sample made at Sherwin Williams, buy the paint there and vice versa. There are slight differences but overall the colors are very similar.

Please follow and like us: