20 Basement Paint Color Ideas

Not all white paint is created equal. It’s important to select a shade that works with you rather than against you in pursuit of brightening your basement walls. Our advice for achieving an ultra-bright basement like the one pictured here by Caroline Kopp? Skip the creamy or yellow-toned whites because they tend to look dingy in sun-starved environments and stick to paints with neutral-to-cool undertones, instead. Recreate Kopp’s vivid white design with a few coats of Extra-White by Sherwin-Williams on your basement walls and add a kick of contrast with a moody hue like Pantone PMS 5395-CP on built-in shelving units or accent furnishings.

Energize your basement bedroom or lounge with a lively pop of color. Interior designer Lucy Penfield uses a bold cyan-blue to create a distinction between the sleeping quarters and the rest of the space in this open floorplan basement. The vibrant hue draws attention to the custom, floor-to-ceiling bookcase and the inviting Murphy bed. Use Pantone’s 2161-C to create a similar statement in your basement.

Airy gray paints are designer favorites because they brighten spaces without creating a stark or sterile feeling in the room. The soft-gray hue featured in this basement playroom brings dimension to the design and reflects natural sunlight into the room with ease. Achieve the same, fresh look in your basement with Sherwin Williams' Vessel.

Bring a crisp definition to your basement using high-contrast hues. Here, Thurman Design Studio uses a classic black-and-white color palette to emphasize the expansive bar wall and create clean lines throughout the open-floorplan space. Get the same striking results with Snowbound and Tricorn Black paint by Sherwin-Williams.