Paint Color Ideas & Tips

A good piece of wall art can make a big impact in a bare room, but an eye-catching geometric painting has the power to turn an empty wall into the focal point of a room. Don’t believe us? Here are a dozen rooms from AT House Tours with awesome geometric artwork to prove our point.

With names like Peyote Picnic, Palo Santo, Negroni, Harvest Moon, Surf Camp, and Tanlines, Backdrop paint is not yo’ momma’s hardware store stockpile—it’s the latest in the burgeoning direct-to-consumer paint market. Even the packaging in which your Backdrop paint samples arrives is motivational: The envelope is emblazoned with the message, “Here’s the start of your perfect finish.

While this kitchen was quite tasteful and full of quality finishes, it didn’t fit in at all in the rest of the colorful, relaxed, free-spirited home. With just $80—and plenty of hard work—its owner gave it a fresh, fun new look. Here’s a little more information about the kitchen and the home, and what led to this undertaking: My kitchen was very dark and traditional before. Our cabinets were a dark cherry wood.

For those who have small living rooms, picking out paint colors can be a little tricky. On the one hand, painting the whole room white can open up the walls and make the small room feel a little more airy. On the other hand, limiting yourself to just one stark color can put a cramp on some people’s creativity.

This kitchen had everything: tile countertops, plywood cabinetry, a built-in oven and microwave, square recessed lighting, and so much beige. In six short weeks, it went from dated to wonderfully now. After living with the original kitchen for two years, Studio Plumb was able to do a major upgrade, replacing the floors and countertops, painting the plywood cabinetry, replacing the appliances, painting the walls, and restructuring the fridge/microwave cubby and the island.

While a master bedroom with an adjacent sunroom is a glorious thing to have, this particular one was “dreary and dated”—and not very sunny. It was overwhelmed by comfy but massive furniture and ready for a fresh look. Here’s the sunroom first. Nothing fresher than lush greenery, bright blooms, and a happy bird on a newly bright white wall. Avery Michaels of Holland Avenue Home boldly hand-painted this mural—inspired by Rifle Paper Co.

It's a lot of bang for less than a Benjamin.

Even though I loved the initial result, I wasn't without fear for the future.

This one is going nowhere.

I’m not saying wall art is done with, or one-color painted walls are outdated. But from a spate of stunning recent house tours, it’s clear murals are a wall trend that deserves attention. The homes in this post are utterly one-of-a-kind, due in no small part to the fantastic wall murals seen within. And the best part: Painting a wall mural is affordable and totally DIY-able.

This is a near-perfect cozy corner—imagine curling up by that fireplace in that chair, warmed both by the fire and the radiator—but its new owner believed it could be totally perfect. And, indeed, perfection was achieved, thanks to about $150 and a summer of hard work. Here’s a little backstory on this house and its dated floor: Our house was built in 1910 and this particular floor was the only one replaced since.

It looked and worked better than anyone thought.

Paint is about so much more than just color. Sure, it’s that, but it’s also a transformative way to define a space, fake the eye, and change the entire feel of a room. You might not be able to make major structural changes to your space, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have a powerful tool in your arsenal. See how these paint jobs pull off some clever magic.

It's like night and day... or day and night.

Filled with Halloween spirit but don’t necessarily want to trash your apartment with pumpkin goop and seeds? Here are 35 ways to paint your pumpkins that are just as festive as traditional jack-o-lanterns—maybe even more festive, with way more possibilities and way less mess. The smart folks at Think.Make.Share invited a bunch of @hallmark artists to create a pile of pumpkins in an exceedingly pleasing palette.

We’re finally in the last quarter of the year, which means the 2019 Color of the year announcements are streaming in more steadily than ever. The latest contender? Benjamin Moore. On October 10, the paint brand gathered design editors, interior designers and other industry folk at The Grill & The Pool at the Seagram Building in New York City (a bastion of mid-century modern design). After a few minutes of socializing and a welcome glass of champagne, it was time for the big announcement.

When it comes to Color of the Year announcements, this isn’t our first rodeo; we’ve already written about a handful of 2019 COTYs and we still have some months left of 2018. But, we don’t often see too many WOTYs—Wallpaper of the Years, that is. With the decorative trend making a bold return in recent years, it’s only fitting to celebrate it, courtesy of British brand Graham & Brown.

Here's what you didn't know.

When pink towels weren’t enough to liven up an entirely white bathroom, one intrepid DIYer spent the weekend—and just $100—transforming the room with color. Here’s what was behind this weekend makeover: Even for someone who loves white, like me, this space was way too sterile and cold. All I wanted was to add a little character without committing to too much color. Wow! Angelica of My Dear Irene did such an amazing—and efficient—job.

When guests walk up to your home, the first thing they see is ususally your front door. If it’s chipped and peeling or dull and drab, trust us: Your guests (or potential buyers) are going to notice. The front door is your opportunity to make a great first impression, so it’s important not to treat it as an afterthought, or worse, forget it altogether.

Remember our epic guide to white paint? We figured it was time to ask designers about their blue crushes as well—you know, those just right shades of cornflower, ocean, cerulean, navy, and everything in between. Blue typically isn’t a polarizing color. Most people gravitate towards the spa-like, tranquil quality of its lighter shades, while others love the darker side—the energy of aqua, the intensity of midnight. Sure, you could go about picking a blue paint color alone.

If you’re looking for a relatively painless, low-cost way to update your kitchen, and have ever been on the internet, you know that painting your cabinets is the way to go. Honestly, I can’t think of better dollar-to-dramatic improvement ratio on any other project. And the news gets better: It’s way easier now than it was the olden days, before the miracle of chalk paint.

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.

Watch a lot of HGTV and you may become convinced that gorgeous original hardwood floors are hiding somewhere under any carpet or tile in your home, just waiting to be restored to their former glory. But in reality, even if you do discover you have them, the wood might not be an ideal candidate for refinishing. Before replacing the hardwood entirely (read: sticker shock), check out this other affordable and stylish solution.

Sherwin-Williams is the latest paint brand to take a stab at predicting color trends for next year. While their 2018 color of the year was as cool and deep as the ocean, the company is notably heating things up for 2019, and adding a healthy dose of nostalgia while they’re at it. Meet Cavern Clay (SW 7701), a “sun-washed terra cotta” that’s a “blend of timeless mid-century modern style and the rich and earthy American southwest.

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.

I used to live dangerously, buying paint willy nilly without ever trying it out on the walls first. Who needs samples anyway? Be bold, be daring, and trust your instinct, right?! Once, I even made a choice just by looking online and letting the painter pick it up at the store. Surprise! I made some regrettable choices. In fact, it’s kind of amazing how many times I was happy with my decision without trying out paint first. But how many ways did I find paint disappointment?

Are you nervous about pulling the trigger on a possible new paint job? It’s only normal to have a bit of decision paralysis on such a seemingly big decision. What colors do you choose? What happens if you change your mind once it actually dries on the wall? What happens if–gasp–you don’t like it? We consulted several of our favorite designers to ask them what exactly you can do to prevent any paint-related disasters from occurring in the first place.

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.

The “Paint It White” philosophy gets a bad rap sometimes, but it can be a great method for unifying disparate elements while emphasizing texture and form. In this home, white paint was used judiciously to update a living room fireplace, with wonderful results. This fireplace surround involves quite a few textures, including the red brick, and the white paint unites them all.

Paint color is all about creating an ambience for your home. That’s why it’s important to select paint colors based on how you want a room to feel instead of mindlessly adhering to trends. To prove our point, we called on color expert extraordinaire Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of Colors For Your Every Mood, to help us break down the best paint colors for every room of your home.

Sometimes there’s just nothing better than a simple change of color. And, when it comes to giving furniture and decor a brand new lease on life, for the least money and effort, the hands-down winner is spray paint. I’ve tried a lotta lotta spray paint, and recently found my new favorite. It’s easier to think of things I haven’t spray painted—my dogs, maybe—than all the things I have.

When Nicole Goodreau and her fiancé spotted this mid-century Lane cedar chest at their local Goodwill for $30, they knew they had to have it. While the existing army green color and retro knobs didn’t fit their home’s modern aesthetic, they were confident that, with a little elbow grease, they could transform it into the perfect storage piece for their petite city apartment.

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.

At Apartment Therapy, we believe that your home is your sanctuary—and you should treat it as such. After all, where else can you retreat to after a long day at work, bad date, or busy vacation and just relax? But before you KonMari your space or invest in some soft, dreamy sheets for your bedroom, you should decide on your home’s color scheme.

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.

To help take the guesswork out of giving your space a quick and easy refresh, we rounded up our favorite no-fail shades.

We all know that catalogs aren’t real life, but they can be excellent sources of inspiration to mine for your own home. IKEA has one of the best ones out there, and their 2019 edition (out this week!) is chock full of ways to add color, interest, and texture to your walls. Here are some clever and creative painting ideas to steal. Here, IKEA uses two complementary paint colors for the walls: a dusty blue and pink.

We had so much fun exploring The Best Vintage Travel Trailer Makeovers on Instagram that we’re back with 20 more. This time the focus is on exterior paint jobs, but the adorable trailer names—Sassafras Lou, Delilah, Sprout, Beatrice, Archie, and Mrs. Schmick—are still going strong. Let’s hit the road! These pink scallops are the sweetest, cutest thing ever, and a big change from the original mossy-green stripes.

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.

Patios are a tricky thing to upkeep, what with them being outside in the elements all year long. If you took the time to thoughtfully decorate your outdoor space, then you’ve probably noticed a few of the most common pet peeves that homeowners face. Rugs get sun bleached and crack from the intense summer heat, concrete gets dingy and grimy from alternating rains, and a bare floor slab has a tendency to make the space feel unfinished or in-progress. But what’s a person to do?

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.

This little cutie pie garage sale dresser has been hankering for a makeover for a decade—and the results are well worth the wait. Perhaps inspired by the fantastic results, the rest of this corner got itself a spruce too! Before we gaze lovingly at the dresser as it looks today, let’s hear a little bit about what it was before: The side tables were a garage sale find for $10 which we had bought at the start of our marriage 10 years ago.

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!).

Add some personality and style for almost no $$$.

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.

Years ago most kitchens were dark and full of autumn tones, like red, gold, and even orange. More recently, those bolder shades have given way to all-white kitchens. Why? Homeowners are building and renovating kitchens to be open to the rest of the floorplan, rather than segmented. “Kitchens have basically become invisible to blend with the rest of the home.

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.

The best IKEA hacks are the ones that: a) don’t take too much time; and b) don’t look like IKEA hacks. Here are 13 genius IKEA hacks we found on the interwebs that transform the plain and functional to glamorous, fabulous, and fun. Let’s get hacking… It’s summertime, and that means it’s bar cart season. No bar cart? No worries. Spice up your IKEA RÅSKOG utility cart into a makeshift bar area with a fancy fringe embellishment.

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.

While we still have six months left of 2018, that hasn’t stopped paint companies from looking forward to 2019 and beyond. If you’re dying to know what colors will be hot for the last year of the decade (we’re looking at you, renovators and redecorators), Sherwin-Williams just announced their color forecast for next year. Here are its picks for color trends for 2019.

Oh, goody, you’re about to start a paint project! There’s nothing more dramatic than an amazing color change in a room, so of course it’s well worth the work and cash money. That doesn’t mean we all enjoy the actual work, however, and while it’s still on the low end of budget spectrum, any redo costs can still mount quickly—especially if you splurge on the good paint. After painting many (many!

We’ve written before about kitchens with green cabinets, and blue cabinets, and black cabinets, and those are all lovely, but this post is dedicated to a particular favorite of mine: gray cabinets. Whether you’re looking for a pearl gray or a seal gray or a dark almost-charcoal gray, this color has a timeless allure, and suits practically any space. Here are five reasons why this style is here to stay.

Here's the trick to pro-level results.

Painting your cabinets is one of the most transformative and inexpensive ways to upgrade your kitchen. But to do it right, there’s the sanding, priming, more sanding, and painting. No doubt, it’s a lot of work. Turns out chalk paint lets you skip over many of those steps so you can get straight to the new color, even if that new color is just a fresh coat of bright clean white.

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.

Here's the great reason why.

It would be fascinating to meet the person who decided to decorate this living room—in what its new owner described as “the ugliest house I’ve ever seen”—with bright green walls and all red furnishings, but we’ll have to be content with seeing how this Christmas-y space was transformed into a bright, modern, and colorful—but not quite as colorful—room.

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?

White is nowhere to be found.

Here's what we learned.

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!

If you read Architectural Digest, you might have seen the new GirlBoss office, with its warm, bright interior punctuated by colorful furniture and vintage scores. But what caught my eye was the ombre purple filing cabinets in the conference room. And I wanted to know more. According to GirlBoss owner, Sophia Amoruso, the filing cabinets were brought over from her former office at Nasty Gal, before it declared bankruptcy a couple of years ago.

Don't let these happen on your watch.

Read this before you attempt yours.

It adds character and interest to your space, without all the effort.

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.

If you’re looking for an unexpected place to add color to your home — why not try painting your door? It’s less of a commitment than painting an entire room — but it’s sure to put a smile on your face anytime you go in or out.

A whole new world of paint will open up to you.