Paint Color Ideas & Tips

This dining room had a lot going for it—natural light, wood trim, soothing palette, the fact that it exists—but its owner couldn’t get past how “boring and beige” it felt. Paint to the rescue, and no, it’s not all white. Here’s a bit more about the before: This house was as beige and boring as you could get, from brown carpet, brown trim, beige walls, and builder-grade light fixtures.

Painting the bathroom is just like painting any other room, right? Not so much, it turns out. I’ve painted my share over the years and never treated them any differently than any other room, but I’ve been doing it wrong. When it comes to bathrooms, there are a few things that make painting a little trickier than the rest of the house. Sam Ross of Nailed It Contracting was nice enough to pepper him with painting questions when he painted my bathroom recently.

This kitchen has a lot going for it: a dishwashing window, stainless steel appliances, a beautiful hardwood floor, tons of counter space, and tons of cabinet space. I’ll say that the combination of the beigey-pink cupboards and the yellow walls are not for everyone, but they might have looked a lot prettier in natural light. But, here’s what the space looks like now. This kitchen now looks ultra-clean and is a blank slate for however the owners want to decorate.

Here we have a perfectly nice entryway console, adaptable to nearly any style with the right knobs. But its owner had something a bit more special and a lot more specific in mind… This is absolutely delightful and I wish it were available in a dress, or perhaps a dress/shoe combo. Pink and green go so well together, and they both pair wonderfully with gold, so the trio is totally fabulous.

In the midst of a kitchen and bath renovation in our 1890 home, I find myself uttering those four expensive words: while we’re at it. Most recently it was, “while we’re at it, why don’t we paint our dining room?” So I asked our drywall/paint contractor to add that onto his estimate for work in two other rooms. The total for the 225-ish square foot room? $1,890. (Turns out, we won’t be painting the dining room while we’re at it.

With so many things that really ought to be done by a professional when it comes to home improvement, the temptation—the need if you don’t have deep pockets—to DIY the simple stuff is totally understandable. And first on that list has got to be painting. All you do is grab a brush and go to work, NBD. Right? Well, it’s true that most anyone can do it. Doing it well, on the other hand? Maybe not so much.

This master bedroom was perfectly nice but understandably neglected, having been low on the family’s priority list for years. But it finally got its much-desired makeover, and the hotel-inspired results are totally worth the wait. This is so dreamy and calm! I’ve never stayed at a Four Seasons hotel, but now I want to know if the rooms are anything like this. Stephanie of Olive and Tate is responsible for this excellent bedroom upgrade.

To DIY or not to DIY? That is the question. That is almost always the question. You can certainly paint your kitchen cabinets yourself. As long as you know that it’s a labor- and time-intensive job that, if done wrong, can be a pretty big screwup.

This poor old dresser was dated and unwanted, until one intrepid crafter, armed with only a vision and an impressive drawer pull collection, took it in and made it over. The results are fantastically impressive. I actually squealed a bit when I saw this—and I don’t even really like purple! This is a piece that is 100% practical (storage), while somehow also being 100% fun (tassels!).

What do you do when some your kitchen is kind of dingy and depressing but also full of “that eclectic and funky 1970s charm?” You’re going to need $371, four weeks, and plenty of hard work. Here’s a full look at the sink area, along with a description of what inspired this makeover: The house was built in 1974—and it appeared the kitchen hadn’t been touched since then. The kitchen was dark and uninspiring, with muddy colors and dark finishes.

This guest room had beautiful wooden floors, a cool old radiator, and some pretty delicious blue paint, but it was gradually becoming “kind of a neglected spot.” This renovation-free redo transformed the room from an accidental storage space to basically a boutique hotel, complete with a commissioned mural.

One of the most fun aspects of these makeover posts is getting to see all the ’80s decor, especially 1980s bathrooms. Here we have a wall-to-wall frameless mirror, wood towel bar and light fixture, orange-y wood in general, and, most importantly, a cream marble seashell sink. Perhaps those will come back into fashion, but for now, it’s gone! Let’s explore how else this bathroom was updated.

This one $25 purchase can do wonders for your home. With hundreds of different pattern variations available on the market, stencils are a surefire way to completely change up your space with interesting patterns and prints. And the best part? They can be used in all different parts of your home—from your floors to your walls, to your furniture and beyond. So grab some paint and roll up your sleeves, because we’ve rounded up different ways to use stencils in your next home project.

Front doors get all the attention, but what about interiors doors? You see the inside just as much as the outside, so why not show yours some love. Brittni of Paper & Stitch holds no punches with her dramatic entryway makeover. The dark charcoal walls make the mint door a focal point instead of an afterthought. She also lays out the best plan for painting the door without removing it, and provides a complete checklist. Is there anything cheerier than a yellow door?

In this photo, this little French bedroom appears to simply be a blank slate, but according to its new owners, “Everything was old and ugly.” Five months of DIY weekends later, this room is now cozy, dramatic… and double-decked! The bedroom has gone from plain white to an incredible blue. This paint—Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue—is the perfect blue for a bedroom; it’s deep and inky like the night sky, while perfectly white linens pop against it like stars.

Hanging up some wall shelves is one of the best things you can do for a room, and even a shelf you don’t adore is a good thing to have. However, if you can take an ordinary, affordable shelving unit and transform it into something remarkable for just $5, why not?

This low-key kitchen refresh should serve as an inspiration to those of us who have these exact same cabinets and don’t know what to do with them other than replace them (super pricey) or paint them (it can be hard to get oneself to paint hardwood). All hope of improving our kitchens is not lost!

Don't let these happen on your watch.

Read this before you attempt yours.

Art Deco feels incredibly old-school glamorous while also being beautifully modern. Thanks to the clean lines and timeless color palette, it can fit right into any home. You don’t want your place looking like the set of The Great Gatsby, however, so try a few of these inexpensive projects to get the feel without becoming too theme-y. An easy way to bring incorporate the style is through wallpaper! Wallpaper doesn’t have to be a whole room.

Wow. This is one of those makeovers that you can’t believe was done on a budget. The results are so impressive, and the new bathroom looks like a million bucks. We shouldn’t be surprised, however, since Kristine has shared some equally impressive DIY projects in the past, including this gorgeous dresser refresh and jaw-dropping cabinet transformation.

Bone inlay, intarsia and marquetry furniture is popping up more and more these days, and why not? It’s a gorgeous look whose perfect amount of symmetry keeps it from being too busy. Plus, it fits in with almost every kind of decor style. (The Pinterest community agrees: saves for the term “bone inlay” are up 207% this year.) The downside? The hefty price tag, unfortunately. But here’s the good news. You can easily get this look at home, for a fraction of the cost.

This kitchen has quite a bit of vintage charm, and all that white certainly does a great job reflecting the sunlight pouring in from the window. And there’s nothing better than a window over the dishwashing sink, but the room could definitely use a little something. Fortunately, that certain something was do-able in a single week.

About $100 can make a huge difference.

While most people feel finished after hanging a piece of art — others go one step farther. And it’s a step that you might want to add to your home if you have art that needs enhancing or enlarging. It involves a little paint and time, but the end result is a one-of-a-kind look that will add a ton of personality to your home!

A small investment that will make a big impact.

Painting is one of the least expensive ways to give your space a facelift. But it’s not exactly fun. It’s messy and time consuming especially if you have to do multiple coats — say goodbye to your weekend. Enter this $25 buy, which helps you tackle painting like the pros and shave significant time off the job.

As kitchens go, this one isn’t too shabby. There are really nice white countertops, classic subway tile on the backsplash, and basic wood cabinets that look perfectly sound and in good condition. There’s no horribly dated light fixtures, no crappy peeling wallpaper, or any odd woodwork that needs to be ripped out. Even the walls are white and ready to go. Not much you can do to improve this space, right? So very, very wrong.

From the brilliant and clever minds at IKEA.

Meet Katherine Freeman Hocke, a Texas-based artist who specializes in mixed media, layering textures and colors to get her signature look. While she primarily practices her art on canvas and paper (check out her shop here), with her recent purchase of a 1930s home she has begun translating her painterly visions and passion for interiors into DIY-able projects in and around her home.

Older homes deserve to be celebrated. They usually have a bit more character, were often made with better materials and they just have that sense of history that makes you feel a part of something bigger. These qualities were especially true for The Cardinal House, a home that was renovated by Lanie and Brent, the very talented husband-and-wife team behind the Kansas City-based RootedKC.

When you combine any full-of-promise IKEA product and a $5 can of spray paint, the results are nothing short of a DIY miracle. Whether coated with a glamorous layer of gold, or covered in a lush, nature-inspired green, it’s amazing how a simple color change can make these IKEA pieces almost unrecognizable. Thanks to some spray paint, these chameleons are able to blend into any environment—yet remain the stars of the show.

We’ve seen Natalie’s 19th century home before and this time she’s tackling her dining room. Not happy to just strip the floors and replace the chandelier, she put her artistic talents to good use and painted something gorgeous on the walls. From Natalie: My husband and I bought a circa 1870s house in Pittsburgh nearly three years ago. The house has a wonderful lived-in feeling and great bones, but it needed an infusion of style.

Try this over the weekend.

Krys has a totally understandable addiction to thrifted chairs. This lovely lady got a stunning makeover with the help of some chalk paint and a very glamorous upholstery. From Krys: Confession: I’m a little bit of a chair hoarder. If I see a vintage chair at a flea market and it’s under $20 I usually end up coming home with it.

I’ve been on the hunt for an affordable brown leather sofa for a while now, and had just about given up when this one turned up on Craigslist. It wasn’t the color I wanted. I was hoping for something a little less Manhattan and a little more Marfa, but for 50 bucks, I figured I could experiment with changing the color. Can you paint a leather sofa? I did! And I’m in love with the results. Let’s take a closer look… And another close up.

Curb appeal is a magic phrase in the spring, as is thinking up ways to make your home exterior look better to visitors and passersby. But what about the backyard — the place where you spend your time? First off, yay you. You have actual outdoor space. Now go make it pretty to enjoy all summer long, and start with any blank wall. If you have an unsightly wall, cover it up with some horizontal boards, then paint everything a deep bold color.

Want to give those plain old IKEA frames a little extra bit of pizazz? Of course you do! Here are seven creative (and very inexpensive!) ways to dress them up using paint, tape, and a variety of creative techniques. Above: All it takes is a little spray paint to add gold corners, and a little touch of glam, to a RIBBA frame. DIY from Repolished.

I was “gifted” this really simple, but classic desk from my boyfriend to use as a makeup table/vanity. While I loved the character, the desk was pretty beat up. There were imprints and scratches on the top and the knobs mismatched. I decided to take on my first larger project in my new apartment and paint the desk an awesome shade of teal gray.

Aaron and Heather are no strangers to Apartment Therapy, they’ve shared their converted St. Louis firehouse home with us before. Their latest project? Making over a guest bedroom they affectionately call the Captain’s Suite. It was painted this bright orange shade with accents of royal blue, probably inspired by a sports’ team as Heather suspects this was the previous owner’s “man cave.

Abigail’s fixer-upper stood out—and not in a good way. Sometime during its 100-year history, someone had slapped putty-hued vinyl siding on the front, which would be less jarring if it wasn’t one of many attached brick rowhouses! See how she and her husband restored the curb appeal: From Abigail: When we bought our hundred-year-old fixer-upper in downtown Frederick, Maryland, the first thing we planned to revitalize was its exterior.

These blah shutter bi-fold doors appear in many a rental, and Jessica’s was no exception. While she decorating her daughter’s room, she had an idea to transform them into something a little more glam: What a difference! From Jessica: While redecorating my girl’s room, I had a big Ah-ha moment.

Reeves wanted to add a touch of visual interest to this vintage dresser that needed a little love. She’s also got a great tip for painting on wood that will prevent color bleeding: From Reeves: I picked up this Dixie dresser from a local furniture sale. While I loved the mid century look and style of the piece, the finish needed some work and I felt that the piece needed a bit of color and a geometric design to add some visual interest.

Meghan inherited a hand-me-down dining set for her new home. While the table got a classic twist, the chairs now bring the wow factor: From Meghan: Having bought a new house, money was on the tighter side when it came to buying brand new furniture. My mother-in-law was nice enough to give my husband and I her old kitchen table. When I saw it, I knew I wanted to paint the chairs and redo the table. To start my makeover, I sanded and stained the top of the table in a walnut finish.