Now that we’re settling into our new home, we’ve been figuring out exactly what we want our paint color palette to look like as we continue moving forward with room updates and refreshes.
This seems like a simple topic, but we want to make sure our home works and blends well together. We want it to feel cohesive from the moment you walk in the front door.
I have a little process I like to follow to make sure I’m thinking things through when it comes to paint, so let’s tackle that first!
MY PAINT COLOR PROCESS
First things first, I choose anywhere from 2-5 paint colors that I love that I also feel will work well together.
I choose my main paint color from those — the color that will be throughout the house (think main wall color). For me, this is usually a neutral and almost always a white to help ground all the other colors, styles, and elements in our home.
From there, I choose any secondary color I might want (think doors and trim). This color is usually another neutral to ensure it can flow throughout the home. I’m still working on deciding what I want this color to be!
And the rest become accent colors of some variety.
Okay, now time for some real examples – the paint colors I’ve chosen for my home (so far) and how I’m incorporating them!
THE 3 MAIN PAINT COLORS I’M INCORPORATING INTO MY HOME (& HOW)
PAINT COLOR #1: CHANTILLY LACE
This color is by Benjamin Moore and is the definition of perfection. This is probably my favorite white paint color out there.
It’s soft, sweet, and subtle. It’s a little on the cooler side which I prefer, but it’s also nice and delicate and gives off a vintage white vibe.
It adds a layer of serenity to any room, especially when compared to a stark, pure white.
This timeless color is a no-brainer for any project, but in our case, we decided to paint every wall in our house this color.
This isn’t to say that we won’t paint a feature wall here and there or that we won’t have wood accent walls. Trust me, we will, but this color is the perfect clean slate kind of color that we can build on over time.
There’s nothing more classic and timeless than white walls.
PAINT COLOR #2: SEA SALT
Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams is such a pretty blue-green-gray color. It plays nicely with Chantilly Lace because of their underlying tones, but it also brings in some color in a nice, understated kind of way.
I will say that this color, while it looks very neutral here, does tend to change depending on the light. Sometimes it leans really blue, other times green, and other times gray.
Make sure you test it out in your space before committing to it to make sure it’s the color you want!
We are using this color as an accent throughout our home, starting with the inside of our front door.
I never like paint colors to only exist in one place in the home, though (with the exception of kids rooms), so I always like to have a plan to balance it out.
For this color, I’m thinking the cabinets in my laundry room would be fun in Sea Salt, along with some accent in the basement. That way, it has a way of balancing and being a stand-out accent on every floor.
PAINT COLOR #3: GATHERINGS
If you know me, you know I love this color! It’s a great beige-gray-green. In some light, it looks really tan, and in others, it looks like a subtle green.
This is another color we’re using as an accent, primarily on the main floor of our home.
Our home is pretty open concept, with the living room, sunroom, dining room, kitchen, half bath, and office all on the same level.
Because of that, I wanted small things accented with this color in every room.
For example, so far we’ve painted the half bath cabinets, doors in the kitchen and living room, and a wall planter in the sunroom with this color to help tie the space together.
BONUS PAINT COLOR: RACING THE RAIN
Bonus! This is the color we went with for the outside of our front door! Why? Because it’s a nice warm gray-blue that looks great with our gray brick!
But also because outdoor lighting is way different than indoor lighting, and your colors will appear different depending on if you’re painting inside or outside.
That’s why it’s so important to test them out during various times of the day to make sure you like them in every light!
So this color likely won’t be incorporated in our home in many other ways, but it is still ties in with the other colors in our home. After all, you should ideally be able to get a sense of the inside of a home by looking at the outside!
GET TO PAINTING!
Now that you know my tips and tricks, time to create a color palette of your own! Start with your main wall color, move to trim and doors, then choose your accents!
Keep them in the same or similar tones so they flow well together, balance your home with our accent colors, especially open concept kinds of spaces, and most importantly – have fun with it and do you!
Which one of these colors is your favorite?
Did you paint all the trim and doors the chantilly white or a different color?
Hi Shantell! I actually haven’t officially chosen a trim and door color yet! We plan on using a warmer white that goes well with Chantilly Lace like White Dove by Benjamin Moore. Right now, they’re the same color as when we moved in!
Do you have a good white color you suggest for exterior paint?
You could use Alabaster by Sherwin Williams, Oyster White by Sherwin Williams, White Dove by Benjamin Moore, Simply White by Benjamin Moore… but I think it all comes down to the kind of white you want! I would grab a few samples and test them out on your exterior first to see which one you like best at all times of day!