{"id":3856,"date":"2022-05-07T16:46:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-07T20:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/diywithchristine.com\/?p=3856"},"modified":"2024-02-28T11:11:17","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T16:11:17","slug":"how-to-pick-whole-house-paint-colors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/diywithchristine.com\/how-to-pick-whole-house-paint-colors\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Pick A Whole House Paint Color (To Decorate Easier)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Wondering how to pick a whole house paint color? Well, look no further because I have your answer!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When picking a whole house paint color, choose a light, neutral color such as white, gray, beige, or a muted color in a satin sheen. This lets the furniture and decorations be the bold and unique features in the room, which are easier and cheaper to swap out as the seasons and trends change than repainting.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s break into the details a little further so you can easily choose a color that will complement your entire house and make decorating a breeze.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s dive in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Quick Navigation: Rules Of Thumb For Picking Whole House Paint Colors<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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  1. Why Do People Paint Their Whole House One Color?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Rule One: Choose A Lighter Shade Of Paint Than You Initially Think<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Rule Two: Choose A Neutral Paint Color<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. Rule Three: Choose A Satin Sheen Paint<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. Best Whole House Paint Colors<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Pros & Cons Of Painting The Whole House One Color<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Other FAQs About Choosing Whole House Paint Colors<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

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    Why Do People Paint Their Whole House One Color?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Before I dive into the rules of thumb for picking a whole house paint color, we first need to discuss why you should pick one, neutral color for the house (instead of a different color for each room or bright, bold colors).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    I know it\u2019s tempting to paint your walls the latest color of the year that seems to be in everyone\u2019s homes, but here\u2019s why I (and many professional interior designers) think you shouldn\u2019t. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Sticking to a very light neutral paint color that will go with any color, and instead, adding bright and bold colors in your decorations will give you way more decorating flexibility than the alternative. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Many people choose to put the bright blue (or other trendy) paint color on the wall and get overwhelmed when they also try to add blue or another color to their decorations.<\/p>\n\n\n

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    \"\"
    This room looks beautiful, but the teal walls are very overwhelming. If instead, the room was accented with teal and the walls were white, it would appear larger and be easier to change up later. Photo by Max Vakhtbovych<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    This is a design flaw because colors and seasons change so quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    And your walls are such a large part of your home, that the color you choose can easily overpower the furniture and other decorative pieces in the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plus, it is time-intensive and can be expensive to repaint your home often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Instead, it is easier and cheaper to swap out the decorations (throw pillows, blankets, wall art, etc) when you\u2019re bored of the color or trend than it is to constantly paint your walls or purchase a new couch. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can still choose to have an accent wall, but keeping that a more neutral color helps minimize the amount of work you have to do as well because it will also go with any color decorations you want. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Plus it helps the room look clean, light, and airy and helps all of the furniture colors and decorations look more cohesive as you walk from room to room.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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    This picture does a fantastic job of demonstrating how powerful putting color in your decorations and leaving the wall neutral can be. This room can get a whole new look by simply swapping out the throw pillows and rug whenever the owner wants to change it up.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Now that we’ve got the why covered, let’s go over how to choose a whole house paint color!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Rule One: Choose A Lighter Shade Of Paint Than You Initially Think<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    The first rule of thumb for picking a whole house paint color is to choose a lighter shade of paint than you think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Paint swatches lie, especially paint swatches looked at while under store lighting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    They never give you an accurate representation of how the color is going to look on the wall and how the color will look at different times of the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Whatever shade you choose, the color will almost always look darker once it’s on the wall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    You can help minimize this problem by doing two things:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Choosing the lightest shade on the paint swatch<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Putting a sample on several walls throughout the home<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Choose The Lightest Shade On The Paint Swatch<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      When looking at a paint swatch from the store, they usually have 4-5 different shades of color that you can choose from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      To determine if you like the color and its undertones, look at the darkest shade (the bottom color) on the swatch.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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      Photo by RODNAE Productions<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Here’s an example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If you are looking for the perfect white and you want to make sure it doesn’t have strong yellow undertones, then looking at the darkest shade on the swatch will help show what undertones are going to appear in the lighter color in certain lights.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Or you might be looking for a greige that doesn’t have too strong of purple undertones. Again, the darkest color on the swatch will make the undertone much more obvious than the lighter color will.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Once you find the paint swatch with your favorite color and undertones, move all the way up the swatch to the top lightest color. THAT is the color that you want to get a sample of.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      By now, you know that you like the undertones and the overall color. And you know that lighter colors are best for whole house paint colors because all other furniture and decoration colors can go with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      So all that’s left to do is put a sample of it on several walls throughout your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Put A Sample On Several Walls<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Once you find a color or two you think will be perfect, you need to put it on your walls in your home in several different rooms with different lighting to help determine if it’s THE color.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      My favorite place to get paint samples is Samplize<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Instead of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n