How to Choose Paint Colors: 5 Steps to Get It Right

Are you feeling overwhelmed by paint color options? 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. Whether you’re feeling stressed-out on a large scale 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.

Updated with new content and images in 2026

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.

QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

Choosing the right paint color for your home isn’t a fluke. Instead, there are proven steps I’ve developed through my Kylie M. Color System.

STEP 1: Don’t look outside the color box. There’s a reason why popular paint colors are popular.

STEP 2: Pay attention to the hierarchy. Learn which finishes are bossy when choosing paint colors for walls, cabinets, and more.

STEP 3: Don’t sample too many colors. To prevent feeling overwhelmed, learn the magic number for sampling a range of colors.

STEP 4: Don’t ask for too many opinions – you might not like what you hear, and it might not be right for you.

STEP 5: Learn how to sample paint colors properly.

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

We’re emotionally attached to our homes – it’s hard to see clearly when your heart is talking louder than your head. 

COME TO MOMMA – I love this room (we painted it Sherwin Williams Natural Linen)

Now, it’s time to dive into 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.

STEP 1. DON’T LOOK TOO FAR OUTSIDE THE COLOR BOX

There are those who say that ‘crowdsourcing 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 worth sampling. 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 a lot of the time, they’ve worked.

This doesn’t mean they’re foolproof (that doesn’t exist, although some colors try), 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 & PRE-APPROVED CURATED COLOR COLLECTIONS

My blog features the best colors across most families and ranges (I also have pre-approved, 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.

1. Not only can you find the best, most popular, ‘great place to start (and usually end)’ paint colors on my blog…
2. 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.

Just think, your outdated kitchen could go from this…

To this, with just a few coats of paint and some new cabinet hardware…

Here’s an example of a few of my most popular CURATED COLOR COLLECTIONS for you to sample and compare…

• KYLIE M’S FAVORITE WHITES
• MY FAVORITE OFF-WHITE NEUTRALS
• MY FAVORITE BLUE-GREEN BLENDS

And there are a few hundred more collections where those came from – just ask!

STEP 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 suit beige or gray better?). Vertical finishes are most often more bossy than horizontal ones.

Below, the backsplash and cabinet color call more color shots than the countertop, as they’re vertical, along with the wall – your eyes connect them faster.

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.

The Best Sage Green Paint Colors: Tried-&-True Favorites

SIZE, EXPOSURE, LIGHTING, ETC

You should also consider 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.

Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze Paint Color Review

AND, OF COURSE, YOU

No, I didn’t forget about you; you just aren’t the most important thing right now – your home is the boss.

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 reduce emotion and add 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 it was a bad match, but another similar taupe-greige would’ve been PERFECT.

Stop fighting your home and start LISTENING to it. 

STEP 3. STICK WITH 6 COLOR SAMPLES (GIVE OR TAKE)

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 or so 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 been used in many… many real homes, with a range of finishes and lighting conditions.

STEP 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.

STEP 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!

1. 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.
2. SAMPLES: Either get paint sample pots or Samplize Peel & Stick samples of your choices (I much prefer Samplize for a billion reasons).
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. TAKE PHOTOS: It’s really cool how our perception can change when we view something through a photograph.
6. 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).
7. 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

NARROW DOWN TO A FEW FAVORITE SAMPLES

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…

1. Do the process again with fewer samples.
2. 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.
3. Then take the white paper away and see how each color compares directly to the others. You might be surprised at what you see!
4. Research each color (hopefully on my blog). Learn some of its best uses, as well as things to avoid.

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 against 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!

COMMON PAINT COLOR CHOOSING MISTAKES & HOW TO AVOID THEM

Listen, like death, taxes, and shrunken wool sweaters (story of my life), choosing the wrong paint color happens. However, I have a few more expert tips for how to avoid a color calamity.

1. CONSIDER YOUR ROOM’S EXPOSURE

There are a lot of factors that affect how your room’s exposure affects how a paint color looks. Trees, buildings, how close you are to the equator, and much more.

Sample and compare my most suggested taupe paint colors in this Curated Taupe Color Collection.

That’s why you just ‘consider’ your room’s exposure when choosing paint colors – you don’t let it run the show.

And while I could go down a huge rabbit hole, I’ve got blog posts that do that.

• PAINT COLORS FOR SOUTH-FACING ROOMS
• PAINT COLORS FOR NORTH-FACING ROOMS
• PAINT COLORS FOR EAST-FACING ROOMS
• PAINT COLORS FOR WEST-FACING ROOMS

Again, exposure isn’t Gospel, but learning about it with gentle guidance could make all the difference.

2. LOOK AT COLORS THROUGHOUT THE DAY

In a hurry to pick the best paint color and start painting, many rush the sampling process. It’s important to spend some quality time with your paint color samples.

The Best Dark, Navy Blue Paint Colors

• Morning and afternoon
• Evening
• Interior lights on and off
• Cloudy and sunny days (unless you live somewhere that’s sunny pretty much all the time…darn you).

3. MAKE SURE YOU’RE SAMPLING THE RIGHT TYPE OF COLOR IN THE FIRST PLACE

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 looking at the wrong paint colors for your home and its finishes.

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

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog is amazeballs. 

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.

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?

1. 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).
2. 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!

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.