Tired of drab walls? Discover your perfect shade with our ultimate paint color guide
When redesigning a room in your house, don’t underestimate the power of color. Color psychology suggests that different hues can affect your mood and energy level. That’s why when asking yourself, “What color should I paint my room?” you’ll want to pick shades that match the mood you want to create.
Different colors can contribute to energizing, relaxing, and happy home spaces. When considering wall painting ideas for your room, an interior decorating company can help bring your vision to life.
To help you get started with your home makeover, we’ve compiled a list of the 30 best colors for different rooms of the house, as well as tips for making the perfect color choices. Keep reading for the best room colors for relaxation and sleep, too.
Best Colors for the Bedroom
Whether it’s your kid’s room, guest room, or personal bedroom, colors are important for rest and relaxation. You can go the route of calm and serene or awake and romantic.
Here are several bedroom color ideas to consider and the moods they evoke.
1. Sky Blue
Light blue creates a sense of calm, similar to a still pool or open sky. A sky blue bedroom can help make you feel soothed, patient, and relaxed in bed.
Suggested color: Water's Edge by Benjamin Moore
2. Spring Green
Similar to blue, a light spring or sage green is a relaxing choice. Evocative of nature, a green bedroom unearths feelings of freshness and youth.
Suggested color: Soothing Green by Benjamin Moore
3. Rose Pink
A light pink or rose color will make your bedroom look soft, lighthearted, and happy. It will evoke feelings of romanticism and sweetness.
Suggested color: Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball
4. Blush
A blush that leans toward beige or cream can be a great toned-down alternative to pink. Blush still retains the sweet softness and warm feelings of brighter pinks.
Suggested color: Wing It by Clare
5. Lavender
Lavender purple is another romantic and soft option for a playful bedroom. This tranquil color is connected with creativity—perfect if you get your best ideas while resting in bed.
Suggested color: French Lilac by Benjamin Moore
6. Milky White
White is a classic paint color choice for the bedroom because it represents peace, purity, and simplicity—just the right mood for the most tranquil place in the house.
Suggested color: Zurich White by Sherwin-Williams
7. Taupe
An often overlooked but highly effective color, taupe is great if you’re looking for an earthy, warm, and natural bedroom hue that’s not too overpowering.
Suggested color: Smokey Taupe by Benjamin Moore
Best Colors for the Living Room
When deciding what color to use for your living room, there are no wrong answers. Here are several of the best shades for a vibrant and sophisticated living room.
8. Clay Red
Though it’s a bold choice, red is positively associated with passion and vitality. With a red living room, you’ll energize your guests and family with a color that evokes strength and emotion.
Suggested color: Morocco Red by Behr
9. Neutral Green
A green living room will channel the wonder and restfulness of wandering through a forest full of lush plants. Light green is more relaxing, while a darker green is more sophisticated.
Suggested color: Liveable Green by Sherwin-Williams
10. Blue-Gray
For a serene living room look that promotes leisure and creates a calm atmosphere, consider a delicate shade of blue with tones of gray. Gray adds a neutral and balanced element to a room.
Suggested color: Honest Blue by Sherwin-Williams
11. Black
While it’s not the most obvious go-to living room color, black can be an interesting choice because it’s associated with elegance and sophistication. Black brings a sense of mystery and seriousness to any space.
Suggested color: Black Fox by Sherwin-Williams
12. Beige
Beige is a dependable and natural color that can make it easy to pick matching accents like colored pillows or rugs in the living room.
Suggested color: Elephant’s Breath by Farrow & Ball
Best Colors for the Dining Room
The dining room should be a pleasant space that facilitates conversations over delicious meals. For a personable dining room, consider one of these colors.
13. Ruby
A rich, jewel-like red will give off feelings of sophistication and romance, ideal for an elegant dining experience.
Suggested color: Hot Tamale by Benjamin Moore
14. Amber
An amber yellow or orange wall paint in the dining room will exude warmth and positivity to create a happy eating environment. Restaurants often use warm colors like red and yellow because they are energizing and grab attention.
Suggested color: Amber Autumn by Behr
15. Purple
Darker purples are associated with luxury, mystery, imagination, and wisdom. Choose a purple shade to add drama to your dining room.
Suggested color: Prince by Clare
16. Classic Gray
Gray is a classic neutral, so the mood it evokes all depends on the shade and undertone. A cool gray is somewhat somber and practical, while a warm gray is more inviting.
Suggested color: Austere Gray by Sherwin-Williams
17. Comforting Beige
Beige tones can vary widely, but many are warm, comforting options that will make a dining room feel natural. With beige, you can easily add pops of color elsewhere in the room’s decor without it clashing with the walls.
Suggested color: Shaker Beige by Benjamin Moore
18. Hunter Green
A saturated green like hunter will make your dining room feel like it’s teeming with life. A hunter green sets the mood with feelings of abundance and calm.
Suggested color: Hunter Green by Benjamin Moore
Best Colors for the Bathroom
The bathroom can be a soothing, spa-like experience with the right colors. Alternatively, a small bathroom can be the perfect canvas to get playful and add a pop of bright color. Here are several different bathroom color ideas.
19. Bright Yellow
Yellow is one of the most joyful colors, and a unique yellow bathroom will give off positive vibes and give the house some energy.
Suggested color: Bicycle Yellow by Behr
20. Ice Blue
Appropriate for the bathroom, an ice blue color will make the room feel refreshing and cool. Icy colors tend to remind us of glaciers or a cold drink.
Suggested color: Blue Lace by Benjamin Moore
21. Pure White
White can be just the right choice for a small bathroom because its lightness helps open up the space, making it feel less cramped. Plus, a pure white can make a space appear cleaner.
Suggested color: Snow Day by Clare
22. Sapphire
A bathroom with sapphire walls will remind you of a deep pool, filled with mystery but also calmness. Sapphire is a confident and elegant color choice for a bathroom.
Suggested color: Adriatic Sea by Sherwin-Williams
23. Cool Gray
Gray is a blank slate for a bathroom; instead of being boring, it can actually be the perfect choice if you plan to swap out your accents, like hand towels, frequently.
Suggested color: Agreeable Gray by Sherwin-Williams
24. Mint
A minty-fresh bathroom feels cool and invigorating. Mint also brings the relaxing benefits of blue while also hinting at the natural effects of green.
Suggested color: Mint Condition by Sherwin-Williams
Best Colors for the Kitchen
If you’re into cooking, you are likely to spend lots of time in the kitchen. So why not paint it a beautiful color you love? Here are some ideas to create more refreshing kitchen walls.
25. Pastel Yellow
Yellow reminds us of sunshine, so it can be a great choice for a kitchen that is happy, uplifting, and warm.
Suggested color: Hawthorne Yellow by Benjamin Moore
26. Sage Green
We already know that green reminds us of nature. But in the kitchen, it can also be right at home, reminding us of health, abundance, and herbs.
Suggested color: Softened Green by Sherwin-Williams
27. Calming Blue
Don’t let preparing dinner make you stressed—with a calming yet slightly neutral pale blue, you’re bound to stay relaxed in your kitchen.
Suggested color: Spring Stream by Behr
28. Ivory
White can symbolize perfection and purity. An off-white ivory color can make the kitchen feel like a breath of fresh air without appearing too sterile.
Suggested color: Ivory White by Benjamin Moore
29. Rusty Red
Red symbolizes willpower, strength, and love. In a kitchen with red walls, you’ll feel all these warm feelings while enjoying meals with your loved ones.
Suggested color: Brick Facade by Valspar
30. Formal Gray
Gray is associated with balance and formality. If you’re going for a look that doesn’t draw too much attention to the wall color, gray is a practical option.
Suggested color: Toasty Gray by Behr
Tips for Choosing the Perfect Room Color
Now that we’ve listed some color options for each room, here are some pointers to help you choose the perfect one for you.
Finding Color Inspiration
To find colors, look for inspiration from interior design books, magazines, and websites. You can also choose a color scheme based on existing colors in your home, such as those on your throw pillows or curtains. Just make sure to limit your colors so as not to overwhelm the room and lose sight of your color scheme.
Paint a square swatch on the wall to test out colors and see how it looks as lighting changes throughout the day.
How Many Colors to Choose
Try two or more colors in a room for added visual interest with an accent wall or wall mural.
Keep the 60-30-10 rule in mind. This interior design trick says that 60% of the color in a space should be the dominant color, such as the wall color. The secondary color should make up 30% of the room through upholstery or other decor, and the final 10% can be an accent color.
Colors for Relaxation
Below are some tips and color palettes that can help create an especially calming home oasis.
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To create your desired effect in each room, hire a local interior painter to help you coat your walls professionally and enliven the entire house.
Frequently Asked Questions
In the bedroom, it’s often advised to avoid red and orange because they are strong colors that sometimes cause irritability rather than relaxation.
Light colors make a room airier and bright, while dark and saturated colors make a room feel more intimate.
Pay attention to the undertones, since they each have their own benefits. Warm whites are cozier, while cool whites can open up the space more if you don’t get lots of natural light.
