Warm Paint Shade Ideas We Love: Red, Pink, Orange, Yellow and More
Wow! What color is that? HGTV Magazine is here with some tips on how to use warm paint colors around your house.
The Paint
Red Ochre, Valspar
How You Can Use It
“The family heirloom dining chairs are a favorite feature in this home, so I chose a paint color to complement them. A crimson shade amplifies the warm wood tones throughout the room — it all feels very cozy.” — Tobi Wright, InsideWright, New York, NY
The Paint
How You Can Use It
"While I wanted a classic red front door, I was cautious — some reds have too much brown and wind up seeming dark and dull, more barn door than red wagon. This one is bright, happy, and just the right amount of preppy for my navy-and-white house." — Holly Mathis, Holly Mathis Interiors, Brenham, TX
The Paint
Fort York Red, Fusion Mineral Paint
How You Can Use It
“A bright barn-ish red felt just right for the farmhouse-y chest in my family room. It’s the perfect country red, no purple or orange. The amaryllis I put on top seems like it was made to match!” — Susan Handler, Saw Nail and Paint blog, Seattle, WA
The Paint
Cayenne, Sherwin-Williams
How You Can Use It
“My clients were divided when choosing a color for this living room. One liked the idea of a classic hue to match the style of the home, a center-hall Colonial, and the other wanted a fun, modern vibe. This dark orange is a nod to traditional red yet still unexpected — a perfect compromise.” — Stephanie Rapp, Stephanie Rapp Interiors, Weston, CT
The Paint
Habanero Pepper, Benjamin Moore
How You Can Use It
“Half bathrooms are perfect places to be bold. This orangey red with a spot-on name brings unexpected color to a traditional vanity.” — Robin Gannon, Robin Gannon Interiors & Home, Lexington, MA
The Paint
Exuberant Pink, Sherwin-Williams
How You Can Use It
"The original yellowy wood finish of this thrifted piece made it super dated. Then I put on a few coats of glossy fuchsia, and suddenly the brass pulls popped and the entire chest looked electric — instant glam!” — Crystal Lorraine Sutton, The Driftwood Home, Alexandria, VA
The Paint
Beauty Queen, Behr
How You Can Use It
“Playful dog wallpaper kicked off the redo of this bathroom, designed for a young girl. The black-and-white pattern paved the way for a big pop of color on the vanity. Fuchsia is vibrant and hip, and it’s a shade she won’t outgrow.” — Shannon Weller, Tracy Lynn Studio, San Diego, CA
The Paint
Dragon Fruit, Clark + Kensington
How You Can Use It
“I wanted to give my little girl a pink room in a shade feisty enough to match her personality. Magenta on one wall is all the color this space needs. I hung medallions before I painted, so it looks like a wall of flowers!” — Carmel Greer, District Design, Washington, D.C.
The Paint
Be My Valentine, Dunn-Edwards
How You Can Use It
“If a paint color could channel a spunky girl, it would be this flamingo pink. Everyone in her family did a happy dance when they saw it. While it’s a daring choice, balanced with white and natural wood, it works.” —Stephanie Lalley, Lucy Interior Design, Minneapolis, MN
The Paint
Captured Heart, Clark + Kensington
How You Can Use It
“The builder I worked with on this house thought I was crazy when I picked such a vibrant color. But I knew white furnishings would calm it down. It’s a kid’s room, it should feel exciting and happy.” — Anna Gaines Posner, Anna Gaines Interiors, Charlottesville, VA
The Paint
Roseland, Glidden
How You Can Use It
“Because this breakfast room is small, it needed a big personality. I like anything Old-Hollywood-inspired, and this glam salmon gets compliments from practically everyone.” —Charity D’Amato, Studio Chartreuse, Cleveland, OH
The Paint
She Loves Pink, Behr
How You Can Use It
“Painting my dingy red brick fireplace perky pink took only about an hour and a half, and the payoff was instant. First I cleaned the brick with a damp cloth. Then I applied two layers of satin-finish paint in a dabbing motion — to get all the nooks and crannies — with a 2-inch nylon brush, waiting 15 minutes between coats. For the third, I just brushed on the paint.” — Jenika Kurtz Cuadra, J. Kurtz Design, Los Angeles, CA
The Paint
Flamingo Feather, Behr
How You Can Use It
“A pass-through area leading to this home’s backyard is a space that could have easily been forgotten, but painting the walls infused it with character. This peachy pink makes the area feel bigger and brighter.” — Kerry Vasquez, Kerry Vasquez Design, Los Angeles, CA
The Paint
Cockleshell, Behr
How You Can Use It
“This shade of blush makes me happy because it reminds me of the dahlias in my wedding bouquet. It also really suits the room’s original black-and-white tile floor. I continued it up onto the sloped ceiling, which helps the space look larger.” — Emily Cosnotti, The Sweet Beast blog, Pittsburgh, PA
The Paint
Rose Ash, Pratt & Lambert
How You Can Use It
“When we finished decorating this guest room, meant for the homeowner’s grandchildren, she loved it so much, she wondered if we should turn it into the master bedroom. The aged pink makes the headboard’s fabric and the dresser really pop, yet it’s cozy, like being wrapped in a blanket.” — Jenn Feldman, Jenn Feldman Designs, Los Angeles, CA
The Paint
Cinder Rose, Farrow & Ball
How You Can Use It
“My house’s traditional taupe siding felt a bit blah, but I didn’t want to repaint the entire exterior. A dusty pink on the front door was transformative. It feels totally 2019 … pastel shades are really having a moment. And giving people directions is super easy — I just say it’s the pink-door house!” — Allison Crawford, Allison Crawford Design, Austin, TX
The Paint
Angelic, Sherwin-Williams
How You Can Use It
“This baby pink reminds me of the clouds you see at sunset. I paired it with light teals and white for a soft, pretty look in this little girl’s room, but it would be really striking next to navy or dark gray.” — Kirsten Krason, House of Jade Interiors, South Jordan, UT
The Paint
One to Remember, Behr
How You Can Use It
“Pink can be a tough sell, but one with a hint of orange keeps it from straying into bubblegum territory. This warm blush is a nice mix of modern and traditional.” — Kevin Francis O’Gara, Kevin Francis Design, Atlanta, GA
The Paint
Romance, Sherwin-Williams
How You Can Use It
“This is a warm pink, like the kind you see in sunsets, which is why it works in lots of different spaces. Here it adds a bit of fun in a mostly white bathroom. I could also see it pepping up an entryway or a small den.”—Jennifer Barron, Jennifer Barron Interiors, Houston, TX
The Paint
Fired Up, Behr
How You Can Use It
“My husband picked this burnt orange for our bedroom, and at first I wasn’t wild about it — with the dark furniture we had, it felt too earthy for me. Once we swapped in light-color furniture and yellow accents, though, it looked lively and fun. Now it’s one of my favorite colors.” — Amanda Louise Campbell, Amanda Louise Interiors, Greenville, SC
The Paint
Buzz-In, Behr
How You Can Use It
“I had a Goldilocks moment when choosing a color for the front door of my 1950s bungalow. One yellow was too pineapple-y, and another, too golden. This sunny shade gets it just right!” —Melissa Morgan, Melissa Morgan Design, Costa Mesa, CA
The Paint
Lady Ophelia, Valspar
How You Can Use It
“As much as I love incorporating family heirlooms into new spaces, the original dark wood of this china cabinet was too stuffy for my client’s crafting room. A couple of coats of citrus yellow paint cheered it right up!” — Amanda Louise Campbell, Amanda Louise Interiors, Greenville, SC
The Paint
Pineapple Mousse, Valspar
How You Can Use It
“Instead of blowing a bundle on new cabinets for this client’s kitchen, I brought the sunshine with paint. Prep is everything when you redo stained cabinets — if you don’t sand till they’re supersmooth and then prime them, the paint could chip. A satin finish is easy to wipe down and also hides imperfections that glossy ones tend to highlight.” — Amanda Louise Campbell, Amanda Louise Interiors, Greenville, SC
The Paint
Sunburst Yellow, Rust-Oleum
How You Can Use It
“I found this mudroom bench at an antiques shop, painted black with stenciled fruit — like an ’80s crafts project gone wrong. Bold yellow spray paint gave it instant coolness and energy, especially next to the dark blue and red wallpaper.” — Elizabeth Baumgartner, Little Black Door Designs, St. Louis, MO
How You Can Use It
Lemon Twist, Sherwin-Williams
How You Can Use It
“As soon as I saw the homeowner’s bright yellow dining room chairs, I knew I wanted to do an accent wall in a near-matching color. I love how it peeks through the open-back bookcase.” — Hannah Masterson, Woodland House Design LLC, Nashville, TN
The Paint
Babouche, Farrow & Ball
How You Can Use It
“The dining room in my New Orleans home doesn’t have windows, so I brightened it up with yellow. The shade reminds me of Sunday brunches with friends—I call this our mimosa room!” — Dabito, Old Brand New, Los Angeles, CA
The Paint
Glitzy Gold, by Sherwin-Williams
How You Can Use It
“We get a lot of gray skies in Oregon, and I wanted my dining room to have a sunny-summer-morning feeling all year long. Golden yellow did the trick — even friends who don’t like yellow like this one.” — Hannah Hacker, Adapt Design, Portland, OR
The Paint
India Yellow, Farrow & Ball
How You Can Use It
“A goldenrod shade that exudes 1970s nostalgia, applied just partway up a wall, made this bedroom in a New Orleans apartment unexpectedly cool and contemporary.” — Christina Higham, designer for Sonder, San Francisco, CA
