17 Paint Colors That Totally Make a Room

Should you use a versatile neutral or a bold, unexpected color? We're sharing 17 of our favorite wall colors to help you figure out which hue is the one for you!

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August 29, 2016
By: Brian Patrick Flynn
Related To:
Color Materials and Supplies Paint Design Styles

Photo By: Photographer: Christina Wedge

Photo By: Photographer: Christina Wedge

Pretty in Purple

Plum tones are great for using violet in a more muted manner. For an unexpected twist, try pairing this tone with touches of tangerine, as seen in this vibrant space by Erika Ward.

Try This Hue: SW 6542 Vesper Violet

Serene Sleeping

Baby blue is not just for nurseries! Bring a classic, sky-like look to your sleeping space by pairing this color with something energetic like deep orange.

Try This Hue: SW 6506 Vast Sky

Going Gray

If you find beige and tan too neutral or impersonal for your own home, muted grays may be a much better fit. For versatility, choose grays with hints of blue or white that will pair well with orange or green.

Try This Hue: SW 6514 Respite

Tranquil Tones

Gray-greens are used in spa-like settings and tranquil spaces aimed to keep people relaxed. Try various shades of gray-green in bedrooms to help induce relaxation in your own home after a long day.

Try This Hue: SW 6212 Quietude

Bright + Crisp

Apple green tones are happy and fresh. If you're planning to work with shades of apple green or electric green, it's important to know that they may take up to three coats in order for their colors to read true to value.

Try This Hue: SW 6718 Overt Green

Comeback Kid

Mauve was super popular in the 1980s and has gotten a bad rap ever since. When choosing mauves, stick with those that are lacking in beige undertones and consider pairing them with black. The outcome will look like a deeper shade of lavender.

Try This Hue: SW 6262 Mysterious Mauve

Be Bold

Red is tricky when used on walls because of how much it bleeds. In order to get red right, first add a tinted primer to your walls, followed by two thick coats of red.

Try This Hue: SW 6866 Heartthrob

The Right White

With over 100 shades of white to choose from, it's not the easiest color to choose for your walls. Since white is easily influenced by any colors it's surrounded by, it's best to choose ultra-white tones that read as pure white. This color is lacking in both beige and brown undertones which makes it excellent for pairing with bold and dark colors.

Try This Hue: Behr Frost 57

Earth Inspired

Orange is one of the most complicated colors in the spectrum to work with due to its plethora of different personalities and how intense the color can be to the naked eye. Try taking the earth-tone route with pumpkin tones that have enough brown in them to keep them from becoming overwhelming.

Try This Hue: SW 7703 Earthen Jug

Winning Duo

Taupe and gunmetal are two new neutrals that have great versatility for use in a wide variety of rooms. Here, the two colors were used to add horizontal stripes to a master bedroom lacking in architectural interest.

Try These Hues: SW 6250 Granite Peak and SW 7018 Dovetail

A New Blue

Periwinkle is a color not often used outside of children's rooms, but if you've got a bright, open and airy space suited for entertaining, it may be the perfect choice. This shade of periwinkle has just enough gray to keep it from looking juvenile. For a modern twist on Americana, try pairing it with deep reds and whites.

Try This Hue: SW 6528 Cosmos

Tactful Teal

Teal is a tough color to use without completely overwhelming a space. But if you stick with teals that are close to the aqua family, you'll find them rather versatile.

Try This Hue: SW 6775 Briny

Going Deeper

Want to add drama with masculine flair? Try deep midnight blue tones, and then brighten them up with accents of apple green. This shade of midnight blue is rich and packed with depth, and works well with neutrals as well as other bold colors like yellow or red.

Try This Hue: SW 6503 Bosporus

Delicate Pink

Beloved by designers worldwide for its irreverence, blush is a muted shade of pink that works well with a wide array of other colors. Due to its mix of peach and pink hues, it's important to keep blush paired with pure white rather than beige or tan, as those tones will cause it to read more as a flesh tone than an understated, sophisticated shade.

Try This Hue: Glidden Barely Blush 98RR 80/078

Coastline Blue

Looking to go bold and cool? Try this tone for a fresh take on Caribbean style. Pair it with salmon or hot pink for a classic combination, or put a more unique spin on it with touches or orange or blush.

Universal Hue

If you're looking for a spa-like feeling, try muted greens with more gray undertones than white. This color is fresh, understated and really evokes a feeling of cleanliness. Skip popular kid tones like pink and blue, and instead try shades of aloe which work well in spaces for boys and girls alike.

Try This Hue: SW 6464 Aloe

Many Faces of Lavender

Lavender is a hard hue to get right. With too much blue undertone, it can fall into the lilac family and evoke spring-like, feminine or juvenile characteristics. The best lavenders to choose are those with very gray bases. Depending on what it's layered with, lavender can take on a royal personality, look more masculine, or even serve as a new neutral.

Try This Hue: SW 9066 Agapanthus

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