How to Choose Paint Colors Without Second-Guessing Yourself
Are you feeling overwhelmed by paint color swatches? Does your anxiety level rise every time you step into a paint store? Have you lost faith in your ability to choose the best paint color – second-guessing every possible option? I hear you. Choosing paint colors is enough to send you around the bend…or on a bender.
Light, dark, colorful, neutral, warm, cool – SO MANY CHOICES…so few walls. Luckily, you have me tucked in your back pocket (I pinch upon request).
Updated with new content and images in 2026
Whether you’re feeling stressed-out or just have situational anxiety from sorting through a bajillion samples, I’ve got tips and ideas to help you choose paint colors with confidence.
And when I said earlier that I hear you, I really mean it. You might find it funny/weird that I agonize over choosing paint colors for my own home. Seriously, though, my anxiety doesn’t just take a front seat; it hijacks the car and starts running over curbs. On the way, we knock over innocent pedestrians while hitting the liquor store for a six-pack and a box of wine.
Why? Because it’s personal – it’s my home. Which is just ONE of the reasons you’re having trouble choosing your perfect paint color. And let me tell you, I have nothing but empathy when my clients send me photos like this…
Mad respect for the fan decks taped to the ceiling.
WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE DECIDING ON PAINT COLORS?
There’s a buttload of reasons (look it up – it’s a real term).
OVERWHELM: There are way too many paint colors and choices – it’s overwhelming.
COST: It’s an expensive project, and if they don’t get it right, it looks bad AND costs a lot of money – many people don’t have the funds to do it twice.
IT’S A LOT OF WORK: It’s labor-intensive for those doing the painting themselves.
LACK OF CONFIDENCE: They second-guess themselves. Either they aren’t sampling properly, or they don’t have the right samples to start with. This leaves them second-guessing until the cows come home. Or until their partner comes home from the pub, which is probably where they want to go through all of this. What does THAT come down to? Color confidence.
OPINIONS: Rather than leaning on their gut instinct, they listen to uninformed opinions from their neighbor, sister-in-law, and the guy who picks up their dog’s poop bags rather than trusting their own opinion.
IT’S NOT THEIR JOB/AREA OF STUDY: Many people think it should be easy – they should just ‘be good at choosing paint colors‘. Ermmm, no.
Plus, we’re emotionally attached to our homes – it’s hard to see clearly when your heart is talking louder than your head.
Now, it’s time to dive in with some paint color choosing tips, ideas, and guidance. Unfortunately, this blog post doesn’t include 2 bottles of wine and a tranquilizer dart (we’ll save those for another day). And no, I don’t drink that much, it’s just a hobby.
HOW TO CHOOSE PAINT COLORS WITHOUT SECOND-GUESSING YOURSELF
While I can help YOU choose paint colors with a wink and a smile (because I don’t get emotional about it and am confident in my knowledge), I know first-hand how darn hard it is to choose paint colors for your own home.
Why is it so hard (that’s what she said)?
Well, if you’re like me, you might have…
- a tendency to overthink your own home, which causes you to doubt yourself
- a habit of asking others for their opinion about YOUR home, which only adds to the muddle
- ALL the feels (emotions that we have in abundance)
- a tendency to do too much research, overwhelming yourself with options
- difficulty making a big decision as it relates to your home – it’s so dang personal
COME TO MOMMA – I love this room (we painted it Sherwin Williams Natural Linen)
Luckily, I’ve learned a few key tricks (which is better than my job prospects when I was 20, which involved turning a few tricks) to make your paint-picking journey less painful. Wait, was that my inside voice?
1. DON’T LOOK TOO FAR OUTSIDE THE COLOR BOX
There are those who say that ‘crowd sourcing is the WORST way to pick a paint color‘. To which I say…
‘Huh?’
START WITH THE MOST POPULAR COLORS
If a paint color is popular and many people have used it, there’s a good chance it’s a good one to sample. THERE’S A REASON IT’S POPULAR! Paint colors don’t become popular because tens of thousands of people blindly follow each other (with exceptions).
Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray Color Review
They’re popular because they’ve been researched, tried, and tested in THOUSANDS (even hundreds of thousands) of homes with a wide range of natural light (exposure), interior finishes, and architectural features…and they’ve worked a lot of the time.
This doesn’t mean they’re foolproof (that doesn’t exist), but the most popular colors are often the best colors to sample and compare in your home – they’re the place to start.
The Best Teal Paint Colors for Cabinets
USE MY BLOG & CURATED COLOR BUNDLES
My blog features the best colors across most families and ranges (I also have curated color collections available upon request). If I don’t have a color listed, either in its own color review or in a group blog post, you might want to ask yourself why.
- Not only can you find the best, most popular, ‘great place to start (and usually end)’ paint colors on my blog…
- You can research these colors, looking at them in REAL HOMES with REAL LIGHTING.
I am a great resource – USE ME!
As for that ‘one color you can’t seem to find any good info on?’ There could be a good reason for that. Maybe it’s great, maybe it’s not, but this blog post is about STOPPING the second-guessing.
2. PAY ATTENTION TO THE HIERARCHY
I’m not talking about Prince Harry (although he’s not hard to pay attention to, and Megan’s a total babe); I’m talking about the hierarchy when choosing paint colors.
This home’s finishes WEREN’T listened to – not with paint colors or backsplash tile. I fix this kind of thing several times a day.
WHAT MATTERS THE MOST WHEN CHOOSING PAINT COLORS?
While there are always exceptions…
INTERIOR FINISHES
The needs of your home’s interior finishes (e.g., does your countertop better suit beige or gray?). Vertical finishes are most often bossier than horizontal ones.
TRIM COLOR
Your trim color matters a lot (if you aren’t changing it) – you’d be surprised how ‘original trim colors’ have killed a new wall color’s potential. Anyway, that’s a topic for another day.
SIZE, EXPOSURE, LIGHTING, ETC
The size of your room, the amount of natural light you get, the TYPE of natural light you get (exposure/orientation), interior lighting, and much more.
YOU
No, I didn’t forget about you; you just aren’t at the most important right now.
The most important of those are your interior finishes – they’re the boss – they call the color shots.
No matter how much a homeowner might love blue or violet hues, this backsplash and countertop TOTALLY DISAGREE!
While this hierarchy can shift depending on the situation, considering your home’s needs first is a great way to remove some of the emotion and add some logic. My brain spins TEN TIMES SLOWER when I take my heart out of it and put my head back in.
This is one reason I’m so good at helping you (and I’m modest, too) – the emotions aren’t there (I mean, I love y’all, but you know what I mean).
5 Reasons You Keep Picking the Wrong Paint Colors
And let me tell you, NOTHING will cause you more anxiety than realizing you didn’t listen to your home and you painted it the wrong color.
Damn, do my clients ever have good taste – I love this kitchen!
By the way, choosing the wrong color happens; that’s life. However, there are some ways to reduce the chance of this happening (other than hiring me, wink wink). Keep reading.
In this next photo, even if the homeowner doesn’t love purple-pink hues, their brick wall and wood flooring demand them. This makes Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray the wrong choice, as it can skew green (as shown)…
I bet they crowdsourced this paint color, for sure. But that’s not where they went wrong. They went wrong by not following through by SAMPLING AND COMPARING Agreeable Gray to other, similar shades in their own home’s lighting. If they did, they would’ve seen that it’s a bad match, but another, similar taupe-greige would’ve been PERFECT.
Stop fighting your home and start LISTENING to it.
3. STICK WITH 6-8 COLOR SAMPLES
Let’s say you’ve decided that taupe is the best paint color for your home. Don’t rush out and grab every taupe and slather your dining table in a hot hell of 48 paint samples.
Stick with the 6-8 most popular, commonly mentioned colors in your chosen color family.
If taupe REALLY IS the best paint color for your home, your taupe is likely in that group. If it’s not, you might need a not-as-common taupe, or it might mean you’re not in the right paint color family at all. After all, you aren’t a paint color expert, you’re just doing your best!
Sherwin Williams Egret White Paint Color Review
The challenge with the ‘not-as-common’ group is that it can lead to much more second-guessing. Like it or not, many of us really like knowing a color is popular, because it means it’s worked in many… many real homes, with a range of finishes and lighting conditions.
4. DON’T ASK FRIENDS FOR THEIR OPINIONS (insert gag reflex HERE).
We know what they say about opinions; they’re just like…well, let’s say that ‘everybody has one.’ The more opinions you get, the harder it can be to decide. And most opinions are swayed by personal tastes and perceptions—not actual knowledge.
Just like the great Britney Spears says, let’s hit that baby one more time…
Most opinions are swayed by personal tastes and perceptions – not actual knowledge.
If your friend doesn’t love pink undertones, they might tell you that Benjamin Moore’s Pale Oak is a bad color – even if it’s the best one for your space (as shown above)
Choose one or two key people to pitch your ideas to, but choose the people who you feel will have your and your home’s best interests at heart, rather than their own personal bias.
5. SAMPLE PAINT COLORS THE RIGHT WAY
This is such an important part of the process, as sampling the right way takes away so much overwhelm and indecision.
Sadly, this is where people get frustrated and think, ‘DANG, that’s a lot of work just to pick a paint color!’
You’re right, it is. But a) it really can be fun once you have a bit more color confidence, and b) if you DON’T sample carefully, you have a waaaay better shot at choosing the wrong color. Godspeed.
Seriously, take your time – do the groundwork so you can stop second-guessing yourself!
- Figure out the color family you want to sample, and select the best 6 to 8 colors within that range that ‘seem’ like they could work.
- SAMPLES: Either get paint sample pots or Samplize Peel & Stick samples of your choices (I much prefer Samplize for a billion reasons).
- FOCUS: Focus on 1 sample at a time; hang it next to your room’s bossiest finishes (backsplash, tile, TRIM, etc.). Put a bit of white paper around it to separate it from your OG wall color. If you don’t, you risk simultaneous contrast (where one color SEEMS a certain way compared to another). Some people use a particular gray for this (18% gray card, and you’re welcome to do that), but the average person really just needs a piece of white paper to see what they need to.
- KEEP SCORE: As you look at each color (that’s labeled clearly), write down what you like/don’t like/notice. Rating them on a scale of 0-10 for how they work with your finishes is a fun way to do it.
- TAKE PHOTOS: It’s really cool how our perception can change when we view something through a photograph.
- MOVE YOUR SAMPLES AROUND: Take each sample around your room. Put it directly next to different finishes, at different times of day, and at different wall heights (with a focus on eye level).
- MEDITATION AND MOJITOS: Always help when things get hard.
Once you know you don’t like a color, remove it from the equation. I don’t care if you recycle it, throw it in a pile for later, or light it on fire, singing ‘I Hate Everything About You’ by Three Days Grace – PURGE THE DEMONS and move along.
Sometimes indecision and second-guessing come from having TOO MANY DARN SAMPLES LAYING AROUND!
Like what you see? Here are their reviews: BM Pale Oak | SW Egret White
By following the steps above, you should be able to narrow things down. Look at your scores for each color and see which ones are on top. Then…
- Do the process again with fewer samples.
- Once you’ve moved them around, line them up in a row (vertical, alongside your finishes), with a small strip of white paper separating each. See if your finishes naturally lean into one sample over another.
- Then, take the white paper away and see how each color directly compares to the other. You might be surprised at what you see!
- Research each color (hopefully on my blog). Learn some of its best uses, as well as things to avoid.
WHAT IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?
If your paint colors aren’t naturally speaking to your finishes in a way that looks right, DON’T ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR’S OPINION.
YOU MIGHT BE SAMPLING THE WRONG TYPE OF COLOR
Rather than going out and again and sampling MORE colors in the same range, consider why these ones aren’t working with your finishes…
- Are they too warm, too cool? You might need to move up or down a color family in temperature (eg, taupe-greige to beige-tan).
- Are they too light or too dark? Some colors can be lightened or darkened, or there may be a similar color in a lighter shade that’s perfect.
- Maybe they’re too colorful or too muted? Consider whether you need a grayer or a more colorful version of what you have.
- Do they seem to clash or seem disconnected? You might need different undertones.
Listen to your home and its finishes – they should tell you what they like and don’t like.
The Best Blues & Greens For a Calming, Focused Home Office
YOU’VE CHOSEN A COLOR BUT STILL SECOND-GUESS YOURSELF…
You’ve found a color you love; however, because you aren’t an expert – this isn’t your job or hobby, you’re still second-guessing and can’t decide. It makes sense.
A great way to get the decision-ball rolling (once you’ve narrowed things down) is to commit to painting one wall or section that butts up directly with the finishes you’re trying to coordinate with.
2 coats – not from sample pots, either (that stuff is friggin’ terrible quality). 2 coats of the exact line/finish of paint you’ll use. Feather out those edges so you don’t get any lips.
Worst-case scenario: You hate it but are only out $25 and 25 minutes. Best case: You made a great choice and stop second-guessing yourself – YOU DID IT!
BE KIND TO YOURSELF; YOU’RE NOT A PAINT COLOR EXPERT
Or maybe you are, and you’re just here to learn more – I LOVE YOU, TOO! Really, though, most people don’t know paint colors as intimately and obsessively as someone who’s studied and worked hands-on with them for 24+ years.
The fact that I can get colors this close, first shot, from a computer screen, means this ain’t my first rodeo…
Ignore the shutter, it’s getting painted. LOOK at how that gray pulls that color from the stones around it – cool, eh? I love my job.
If you were a paint color expert (and good at it), choosing paint colors would be easier (unless you’re a dork like me, who still agonizes over your own home – IT’S FRIGGIN’ EMOTIONAL).
Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White Paint Color Review
Don’t beat yourself up for not being great at choosing paint colors (you’re only lucky or skilled if you can). While I might be able to fill my car’s tire with air (maybe), I sure as heck can’t change the tire – I’m not a mechanic. I can cook a mean Kraft Dinner (maybe), but don’t ask me for chicken and potatoes – I AIN’T NO CHEF.
Take a deep breath, and if all else fails, hire someone to help and let yourself off the hook.
Remember, you’re not saving lives; you’re just picking a paint color – let’s make it fun.
If you’re not ready to hire someone, here are some straightforward tips…
- Be patient. Your indecision isn’t your fault. This isn’t easy – you’re not ‘missing’ what everyone else sees – you simply can’t know what you don’t know. I’m not a chef, an accountant, a barista, or a mechanic – I’m a Paint Color Expert – you’re whatever you are, and you’re LEARNING about paint colors (with me, yay!)
- Do your research, starting with my blog and YouTube channel. If I haven’t reviewed it in some form, ask yourself why. Could your best color be ‘yet to be reviewed’? Absofriggin-lutely. But to keep the overwhelm and stress as low as possible, stick with the popular shades. If all else fails, look outside the box from there (or consider hiring me).
- Sample & compare. Sample paint colors as suggested earlier.
- Take the advice of the paint store employee lightly. Some are great, some aren’t. Many only see the paint color in the can and on the paint chip – rarely on people’s walls on a large scale. I’ve stood in many paint stores and bitten my tongue to keep from correcting what they’re saying (but I don’t, because I’m not THAT rude, although I am an opinionated lil’ Ginger).
Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog is amazeballs.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For any roaming quandaries and queries…
WHY DOES MY PAINT COLOR LOOK DIFFERENT ON THE WALL?
Oooooh, where do I begin?
- If you got a sample pot, they use cheap paint in there, and the color can be skewed. This is why it’s best to use Samplize, as they use each brand’s REAL PAINT (usually mid-line quality).
- If you’re comparing it to the color in the fan deck or the large sample you got at Sherwin Williams, those are printed versions and can look different from the real thing.
- If you aren’t done painting, it’s being directly compared to your current color, which is simultaneous metamerism. This means the way it looks can seem ‘a certain way’ compared to the other color.
- You’ve only painted 1 coat, and the old color is flashing through.
- It’s a different time of day, a change in weather, or different interior lights are on.
YOU’VE NARROWED IT DOWN TO 2 COLORS – NOW WHAT?
- It’s time to buy a quart. If you’re unsure which is the best and second-guessing both, buy a quart of each (same line/finish you’ll use on the full wall).
- Paint two coats, large scale, next to the finishes you need to coordinate with.
As mentioned earlier, WORST-CASE, you’re out a few bucks. Best case, you get confirmation you’ve got the right color and can paint with confidence!
QUICK SUMMARY
- Don’t get artsy-fartsy, start with what’s worked for a LOT of other people.
- Consider what matters the most. Your rooms’ finishes will have a hierarchy, often starting with the bossiest vertical finish. ‘
- Choose 6-8 similar colors to compare and sample.
- Don’t ask friends for opinions unless those friends are super knowledgeable and don’t have a bias.
- Sample your paint colors the right way in different lighting, spots, and with a range of finishes.
- Take your personal tastes out of the equation and focus on what suits your home’s finishes.
- Remember, you aren’t a paint color expert. If all else fails, you know where to find a cute lil’ Ginger Paint Color Expert.
READ MORE
How to Choose Your Room’s Best Paint Color
The 10 Best LIGHT & Calming Paint Colors for Stress & Anxiety
The Ultimate Guide to White Paint Colors
Get the best paint color and home update advice with Kylie M’s Online Paint Color Consulting.
Oh my word did I ever need to read this! We are picking paint colors for our forever home before we move in and it’s so hard! It was built in 2009 and is a well done Tuscan inspired home with an open floor plan. It has gorgeous high end oak woodwork, and I am on the struggle bus! Our current home is mostly White Dove and Sea Salt and totally my jam! I can use both calm and coastal colors and pull in fresh color too. My designer is not recommending the all white look in the new home, however, even though we are redoing the warmest surfaces (and taking down gorgeous wood plantation shutters). She is recommending a neutral like City Loft or Gray Mist so there is contrast with the painted white trim. The prob is I have a hard time with all neutrals and the the idea of the putty look over the whole space is making me twitch (and lose sleep). I have been reading your posts frantically searching for an answer to my paint color conundrum! I’ll admit I have seen some gorgeous photos of Gray Mist with Dove Wing though! I was conjuring up a muted, French palette vibe when my husband said, what about the SW Sea Serpant color for the island 😊!? I’m a boy mom and we all love blues! We’ll see what the space says it needs! Thank you for being so generous with your knowledge! Cheers!
Sooooo, I haven’t seen your home, BUT being a white lover myself, if there were one white I would consider with the Tuscan style for EVERYWHERE, it would be Cloud White. YES, it’s likely a touch more yellow than your main finishes, but being so light, you’re given some good forgiveness.
Short of this, Moderate White (WAY prettier in real-life than Pinterest, it’s pretty fugly on Pinterest) is often a GREAT CHOICE. I wouldn’t do Gray Mist – no how no way, it will clash with travertine. City Loft is lovely – compare it to Egret White and see if you prefer one over the other.
I know what it’s like to HAVE a personal style and crave it. If I thought Cloud White were a hard-no, I’d tell you, but I think it’s worth exploring :).
Is it possible that you meant Prince Harry, not prince Andrew? 🤔
Ahhhh, probably! I’m going to fix that!! Thank you 🙂
Great post, thanks for putting color choices in perspective….Noone will die if it’s not right….Anxiety can be paralyzing for overthinkers.
It really can be! I’ve made myself hyperventilate (proud moment ;). Sometimes it’s just taking that step back and a VERY deep breath.
Hello Kylie, I’ve spent hours rolling through your blog posts, thanks for sharing so much info!
I’m planning to paint our combined kitchen/living/dining in a few weeks time…
A self-confessed over-thinker, I’m going back and forth with my painted sample boards and am very worried about getting it wrong!
I can’t afford the time it will take to do this twice so I am determined to get it right…
My question is about changing the strength of the paint colour… full strength is too dark for what I’m after but if i take it down to 1/4, what happens with the known undertones?
Thanks in advance from an anxious overthinker 🤦🏻♀️
Hey Kath! It’s always fun to play with paint colours, so yes, try 25% lighter. The undertones CAN shift, but most times the shift is so small you can’t even notice it :). I do this ALL THE TIME when I want to get just the look I’m going for. And while 25% can be quite subtle, it’s often just the thing I need.
Hello
The following is some information regarding my dilemma.
Room Type – Basement Bar Sports Room 12×12, Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Theme with Memorabilia
Window – 93 Width x 18 Length with Light Grey Shade
Wall/Trim Colour – Soft Light Grey with White Trim
Lighting – Ceiling Light with Dimmer, Colour LED Strip Lighting under Bar Top and under Floating Shelves
Furniture – 74-inch Parota Wood Bar, Matching Bar Chairs with Black Iron
Wall to Paint – Back Bar Wall Facing Door Entryway. I would like this to be the accent wall in a different colour.
Items on Wall – 40-inch TV with 2 Acacia Wood Floating Shelves on either side of the TV
My thoughts – I was thinking Blue or Grey for this Accent Wall but unsure of shade. I am open to other colour suggestions also.
I am looking forward to your suggestions
Elaine
I’m going through this right now. We’ve been in our house 22 years, have painted the interior many times, and now are going from a super-dramatic gray to something lighter. I’ve always suffered from analysis paralysis but this time is hitting differently, prob because we’re doing several rooms and it will be very expensive. I want to get this right. After getting stuck repeatedly in the Repose Agreeable Light French Gray loop I hired a pro to help and am even more frustrated now. She criticized our current color choice (who does that?), ignored everything in my questionnaire and recommended colors a good two shades lighter than we wanted to go. Told her that and now she’s arguing with me about how what we want isn’t “the trend”. I feel like I’ve wasted money and now I’m even more anxious! lol
Hey Stacy, my apologies on the HUGE DELY, I have a hard time keeping up with my comment section. But I was flipping through and yours caught me. I’m sorry you had this experience. If you’d like, I’m happy to do a consult for you – no charge. I know how it is to feel unsettled and I’d like to help if I can! I also feel like I know who you might have hired, as I’ve heard this before.
I’ll be away a few days this week, but if you’d like to send me an email, reminding me that you’re Stacy from my comment section, then when I’m back we can get the ball rolling. kylie@kylieminteriors.ca
Cool beans?
I needed this post. I definitely feel better about the rest of the house but still my biggest struggle is the kitchen. Northern exposure. Bright white cabinet. Creamy white quartz with cool dark gray/purplish veins. I want to go blue or green but from reading your page with the northern exposure its going to look cold. The color they have now is a gray but it doesn’t match at all. Its definitely mindboggling. Your pages have helped me so much with the rest of my house and learn more about paint in general. Thank you!
Hey Sabrina! What’s interesting about blue and green, is that mixed together, they can look quite pretty in a north-facing room. OR, lean into the warm side of green, like Sherwin Williams Techno Gray, Grassland, Benjamin Moore Mountain Air. Blue-green mixes like Rainwashed or Benjamin Moore Gray Mist can also be pretty! It’s not that they add warmth, but when they have color, they have PERSONALITY!
I would so love some help. I just am moving into a rental that desperately needed some fresh paint. The kitchen, dining room, living room, and even the bathroom all flow into each other. I don’t want boring but I want clean and nice and versatile. It’s so overwhelming to try and pick colors from tiny squares from Home Depot lol. It’s an old farmhouse with uneven walls and even a shiny ceiling in the living room. Help!
ooo, it’s just so tough without seeing photos! Personally, I love BM Classic Gray and SW Egret White as they’re a passive warmth and pretty versatile!
Ahhh the over thinkers! 🙂 I can relate. I’m getting my house ready to sell and I hired a designer to help because I was stuck!!!! And I continue to be in analysis paralysis. I thought – I’ll just do what she says and it’ll be great. The counter has been installed – awaken by Hanstone. The cabinets are decorators white, the paint color she picked is useful grey but sherwin Williams but it is reading so green to me. Looks fresh but like a light green almost. Bleh. I did the kitchen and it was my intention to paint the main floor and up the stairs the same color. It’s so much work to paint this area, I really want to get it right. I have red cherry floors (don’t love them but they’re what was there) in the living room and a pretty neutral grey tile throughout the kitchen/main floor – probably leans more warm than cool. Anyhow – your post was great. I am quite anxious and I get stuck with this stuff a lot so the encouragement is always reassuring!
Oooooo boy, so there’s a really good reason why Useful Gray is looking green…because it is. I mean, it’s not a green color, but it has a MOST DEFINITIVE warm, earthy green undertone. Also, unfortunately, her partnering it with Decorator’s White is a hard no as DW has a gray-VIOLET undertone, so things are really bouncing off each other. You aren’t overthinking girl, what you’re seeing is REAL! I mean, you might be overthinking anyway, but you’re not going crazy and seeing things ;).
Check out…
SW On the Rocks / BM Nimbus / BM Collingwood. I bet these will feel SO much better :). LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES!
You are me. You described me (us) perfectly. I went with repose grey based on the color consultant telling me to and I’ve hate it every single day. I’ve read basically article you’ve written, bought 16 paint samples, and unfortunately I’m still paralyzed 😅 I love sea salt but not in my home – it is in the woods and had very little sunlight but somehow seasalt is reading pale baby blue. Repose grey with dark wood floors feels like a gloomy prison to me- or is so grey, like duct tape almost. My husband refuses white. We have alabaster trim but it doesn’t look great on the walls. I just want a neutral color that brightens and warms up the space but isn’t too blue green but still is blue green leaning… or is whatever my house wants which I apparently don’t know still. Anyway thank you so much for your articles and feel free to tell me 1 perfect color and I’ll just go with it 😉
Oh Virginia, I feel you, and I’m sorry you were misled with Repose Gray! Now, you want neutral grayish with some blue-green – not too much blue-green, but a wink is good – correct? Off the TOP, I worry it could feel heavy for the home you’re explaining, but all the same, you KNOW your home and you know what type of coolor your’e craving! Sea Salt is a little bugger and shifts its shape all the time. HOWEVER…I’ve had a ton of luck with the slightly darker, light-medium Comfort Gray. I mean, i’d still check it carefully, but it always settles SO nicely for me. I feel like it still has enough color for a home in the woods with little light without being TOO colorful. You might also check out BM Gray Wisp, which is a little tweak on things and a touch darker – see how that feels.
If you prefer the DEPTH of Sea Salt, just not it’s blue hue, BM Night Mist is different and interesting. I hope these help!!! Let me know :).
Hi Kylie,
I signed up for your wonderful emails. I live in California but vacationing in Montreal for several weeks while my house is being painted. I am allergic to house paint! Can you imagine? Anyway, I watched your videos and it took me 2 months ( yes I overthink it) to settle on SW Dover White for the general areas of my house which is pretty well an open plan. My most used rooms kitchen and family room are north facing a little bit east. No sun after 10:30am. I have warm wood maple with darker glaze cabinets and warm wood floors rosewood. I’m pretty confident it all goes well together thanks to your very helpful how to choose an off white color for your house. I am interested in buying your color classes. What an enlightened experience it was to learn about color, exposure and yes even kelvins when I replace my recessed lights with LED. But I want to learn more. Because I am not home, do I have to buy any supplies while in Montreal to do these classes? I dont’ have the luxury of space. and have no access to a SW paint fan. For some reason it is not so easy to access SW, although they have lots of Benjamin Moore and Farrow and Ball retail paint stores… Will not have access to “making a paint mess” where I am staying.. thanks for any guidance you can give me about your classes..
Hi Rosalie! You know what? As we speak, I’m taking my courses and tweaking them into E-BOOKS, making it way easier to digest for the average person. I HOPE to have these out by the end of the week, if you’re able to wait! Otherwise, YES, it’s best if you have all of the fan decks for the course :).
Thank you! I have been reading so many of your posts to find the right colors for my enclosed garage-become-den with 10 foot ceilings that has large east and smaller north facing windows with an exposed rear fireplace. I have learned so much about undertones and leaning warmer in lower light rooms! The fireplace has some darker purplish bricks, so through all the help on your website I am leaning toward SW Polished Concrete (which I never would have previously considered!) with SW Pure White for the trim. Is Pure White too warm to go with PC? I’m having so much fun building this room from scratch!
I think this sounds GREAT! And Polished Concrete is so pretty :).
All of your classes are sold out. I was looking at Dover white for my home exterior, which you said you do not like. I have a weird roof and need a suggestion on color.
Hey! Do you mean my courses or consults? I do have courses available! They do come up Mon/Wed/Fri approx 8am PST. How many are available depends on current demand and how fast they sell – sometimes they sell out in seconds!
From one anxiety ridden person to another… thank you.
Oh Stephanie, you’re most welcome (If I could do a heart emoji, I would) :).
Kylie,
This is more of a question than a comment. We have a lot of wood trim and doors that are stained in a medium-oak color with beige carpeted floors. Unfortunately, most pictures feature painted wood trim and doors. I am looking for a paint palette that will complement our wood.
Hi Beth! If you find my SEARCH and type in WOOD, a bunch of blog posts will come up – several on the best paint colors with wood!
Hi Kylie. I recently found your blog and I’ve really learned a lot from it. I love the new wall color in the photo with the red brick fireplace shown in this post. Can you please share the name of the color?
Hey Michele, I’m glad you found me! If it’s the second photo of the fireplace under #6, that’s BM Edgecomb Gray, which is an awesome color 🙂
Hi Kylie, thank you , so much, for this post. I have been stressed, overthinking paint colors, and paralyzed, for a couple of years. My west-facing kitchen (open to family room) has fugly builder grade oak cabinets, St Cecilia granite, carbonized bamboo floors, and SW Sand Beach walls. I (per husband) cannot change the granite or flooring, so I want to paint the cabinets and walls. Even with reading your post on how to modernize older granite and ordering paint samples using your guidelines, I struggle with paint color decisions. After reading this post today, I pulled out the color samples and put them on white paper. Immediately, I eliminated 2 colors. I feel more confident about making color choices that work with the room, and that I can live with. I don’t want yellow and thought I would be stuck with Alabaster cabinets; it definitely leans yellow in my kitchen. Whew, I’m so glad I happened across this post today. Thank you, thank you!
WAHOOO, Robin, I just love reading this – I’m so glad the tips came in handy! From a fellow overthinker, ESPECIALLY with my own paint colors, I feel you :). You can do it!!!
Hi Kylie,
Choosing my kitchen/hallway paint colour is giving me insomnia!!
For the last 25 years I have loved BM Sundial CC400, matched my travertine floors, mahogany furniture,persian rugs , jewel tones, you get the drift.
Just replaced tiles with creamy porcelain tiles (look little like a soft copy cat marble) and new Cloud White kitchen cabinets.
After sampling White Down, Dove Wing, Seapearl, Pale Oak, Greek Villa, Etiquette, Plaster of Paris, and more, I chose Dune White..was aiming for a softer cream. But it is picking up gray in my west facing kitchen and too light and not what I expected or can live with.
Going to BM store asap to get more sample pots and read all your posts on Gentle Cream, Feather Down, Ballet White, Antique White and so anxious now on which ones to try.
Any advice you can give me would be greatly appreciated as I have to finish before the holiday guests arrive! Thank you so much.
Kylie, thank you for sharing such a thoughtful and relatable guide on choosing paint colors for overthinkers. I especially loved your point about taking yourself out of the equation and listening to what the home “wants” first—it really helps reduce decision anxiety. Another tip that can complement this approach is to test the chosen color under different lighting throughout the day; natural and artificial light can dramatically change how a shade reads on walls. Your tips make the process feel much more manageable and fun!
Nouman Khalid
CEO: https://normpainting.com/
I needed to read this so badly! I also have the anxiety/ADHD/OCD trifecta and am losing my mind having narrowed down to the final two colors and am PARALYZED at the home stretch. My bedroom is east/south facing but the eastern windows are huge and the south facing window small and mostly blocked by my neighbor’s house. I also live in a valley and have weirdo light that no paint advice I’ve read has helped me negate. Pale colors look drab and anything with too much grey looks dark and blah. Midtones with decent pigment are the best samples I’ve tried. Did I mention I’m trying to pick an earthy blush pink? It’s enough to make anyone drink. Down between BM Rosetone and SW Pink Shadow. My furniture has deep red-orange undertones, forest green curtains, a lot of burgundy in decor, rugs, etc… a really autumnal palette with rich colors. Terrified of the pink I choose being too pure or sweet for the rest of my decor – I want calm and muted, but not so muted it becomes depressing. I’m so glad to read this and see that even an expert feels the same way when picking color for her own home.
Oh girl, I SO empathise with you! I’ve hyperventilated – I’ll admit it. It’s much easier in other’s homes, as I don’t have emotion attached, but my own home? LORD HAVE MERCY! I just had to choose a color for my office cabinets and it just about slayed me.
At this point, what about getting a quart made of each and putting them both on the walls in big swatches (feather out the edges of your roller lines so they’re smooth). This way you can get a larger scale idea before you bite the bullet? That would help me!
Also, if you’re ever painting your home office, I wrote a fun blog post about home office’s and ADHD, too :).
LET ME KNOW HOW IT GOES!
Omg I totally will let you know how it goes! I bought multiple Samplize samples of each and put them together on big white poster sheets, and I got the little sample pot of BM Rosetone and painted it on foam core (since it’s a test pint it looks like a totally different shade than the Samplize of course), moving them all around and staring at them like I’m finally going to see something new… but I should probably just bite the bullet and paint big swatches of the real paint on the real walls. We’re painting in the spring, so once the primer is up I’m going to do just that!
Thanks so much for your reply 🙂
I really appreciated the reminder that choosing paint colors should start with your home’s existing finishes rather than outside opinions. The idea of “listening to your home” helps take the stress out of decision-making and makes the process more objective. Accepting that a perfect color may not exist is also refreshing advice.
Wow, thank you for such a thoughtful comment, Kristen!