5 Brilliant Neutral Paint Colors That Will Beautify Your Home
When you’ve been in the home industry as long as Steve and I have, there are certain inquiries you just come to expect. It is probably no surprise that questions about paint colors top the list.
Especially this one...“Sarah, what white should I use?”
Whether clients are shuffling through a pile of paint chips they collected at the showroom, scrolling through white room inspiration on Pinterest, or standing in their kitchen staring at blank walls, the process of choosing a white paint seems to throw people into a temporary paralysis... leading to the above question time and time again.
Because white paint chips tend to look so similar, it can be very confusing for an untrained eye to decipher the undertones and nuances present in each available color, therefore leading to fear, frustration, and oftentimes, inaction on the part of the homeowner. (Or painter’s remorse when you choose the wrong white!)
To help, today we are taking a deep dive into the world of whites and other wonderful neutrals that will beautify your home, whether you want a home you’ll love for years to come or one that will sell fast on today’s market.
But First, Why NEUTRAL Walls?
Great question. Not only are neutral walls very on-trend and timeless in the interior design industry, but they are also the go-to when preparing a house for resale. You see, a luxurious white or other light neutral is incredibly versatile:
They perfectly complement almost any design aesthetic and allow for creativity with furniture and accessories.
These colors provide a fabulous backdrop for artwork, setting the stage for a show-stopping gallery wall.
They are also the ideal blank canvas if you’re showing your house to potential buyers.
The applications of these stunning neutrals are almost as vast as the number of paint colors available to you. But in an effort to ease your mind and narrow the field, I’ve created an edited, comprehensive list of the neutrals that I’ve used in my own homes as well as in the houses of my valued clients.
You truly can’t go wrong with any of my “top 5” below. And I think you might be surprised to see that they are look more greige than true white. But once they’re on your walls, you won’t notice! Come take a look…
#1. Wonderful “Worldly Gray”
I’ve used this color in countless clients’ homes for walls in hallways, living rooms, dining rooms, and laundry rooms. It’s the perfect canvas for all your main spaces.
It falls in the “greige” realm (meaning a color between beige and gray) of warm, creamy grays with even a hint of green to the well-trained eye. Here’s an example of Worldly Gray in action:
This color looks lovely with a variety of marble and stone tiles, like this kitchen we renovated. The warm undertone of the Worldly Gray pairs beautiful with the cool tones of the counters and backsplash. As a neutral canvas, we were able to use a pop of color in the bar stools we selected, further enhancing the creamy quality of this greige hue.
This room, too. As we did in this living room, one of my favorite things is to paint the ceiling a different color from the walls (in fact, we were recently quoted in Redfin, suggesting this very same thing). Even with a neutral, like our Worldly Gray, the subtle undertone makes the white trim pop, giving the room a greater sense of separation and spaciousness.
#2. Chic “City Loft”
In our Florida home, we chose to use City Loft on all the walls throughout the house. Upon entering, our friends and family were surprised that we didn’t choose to put more “color” on the walls, but as soon as they saw the views from our expansive windows, they understood the choice.
We wanted the ocean landscape to take precedence, so a single neutral throughout the space was the right decision.
Since City Loft is a warm greige, it works well with the warm gray tones we selected for our kitchen and bathrooms, while also complementing the warm and cool woods throughout.
And those views? I’d say the wall color we chose is the perfect backdrop for the blue skies and crashing waves we get to look at every single day.
#3. Sophisticated “Shoji White”
When preparing our Marietta, GA home for resale, we painted the walls in the entire house with Shoji White in an effort to brighten, update, and neutralize the space.
Honestly, the finished product looked so nice, and the coat of fresh paint added such a clean feeling, that we wondered why we hadn’t painted our house in this gorgeous color sooner.
Shoji White is neither a true white nor an off-white. In fact, it isn’t even a creamy white. Instead, it is a very light greige that works wonderfully with warm finishes. This made it the ideal choice for our Georgia home, which had a lot of browns and cream colors in the tile and flooring.
Knowing that any cool gray would clash with the fixtures and finishes, Shoji White married the on-trend look of light, bright walls with the warm undertones of our flooring and countertops, which, I’ll be honest, were a bit dated.
Instead of being turned off by this, the home buyer felt that the finishes were completely up-to-date, thanks to this transforming wall color we chose. (This paint color also works wonders when updating any 90s Tuscan-style room of your home.)
#4. Practical “Pure White”
Finding the right white for trim throughout a home is so important—too yellow or too pink and you have a problem that extends to every room in the house.
Select Pure White, however, and the problem is solved. As a clean, bright white, it creates a crisp contrast to any wall color, even if that wall color is also a light neutral like City Loft or Shoji White. In fact, we chose Pure White for the trim in both our Florida and Georgia homes.
Painting the trim and fireplace in this vibrant white color quickly updated the look of our Marietta home as we were preparing to sell. With warm wooden walls and flooring, this was no easy task, but the right paint color (coupled with the cool Mindful Gray mantle, more on that next), took our well-loved living room from a bit dated to delightfully on-trend.
This Mindful Gray and Pure White combination provided just enough contrast to give appreciation for the mantle, but not too much that it took away from the star of the show—the artwork.
#5. Magnificent “Mindful Gray”
Our final greige, Mindful Gray is my go-to for rooms that are ready for a linen color that will work with both grays and creams. Plus, this slightly darker hue makes white trim really pop.
We recently used this color for the large fireplace in our Dunwoody renovation. Since painting the whole fireplace in a deep color would have overpowered the room, Mindful Gray was a stunning compromise, lending just enough color to bring attention to the detail of the elaborate mantle without detracting from the gorgeous architecture of the rest of the space.
Notice how it works just as well with the black metal accents in the room as it does with the warm leather chairs and natural wooden chest. This greige is versatile and vibrant all at the same time.
There you have it — our favorite neutrals for all occasions.
If you’re looking for a designer that can help you select the perfect paint color for your project, give us a call. Whether you’re located in the Pensacola area and would benefit from an in-person consultation, or are anywhere else in the world seeking some virtual assistance, we are here and happy to help.
Warmly,
Sarah