Paint Color Ideas & Tips

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.

This neglected home was purchased in 2004 and in the intervening years, it’s slowly been made over by a loving new owner. Let’s see how its exterior has changed and improved over the last 14 years. This post is really a “Before and After…and After” project, as the home has evolved over time. Here’s a full-length shot of the house in 2004, when John originally purchased it: I had wanted to find a home to renovate, but had a very limited budget.

One of my favorite new trends in design is the return of color to the kitchen. For the second year running, I’m taking a look at current color trends and predicting what we’ll see in the kitchen in the year to come. Some of these colors you’ll recognize from my 2017 predictions, while others are new to the scene. If you love both color and kitchen design, you’re sure to find something to excite you here. My #1 color prediction for kitchens this year? Green.

Painting kitchen cabinets is a big job (even if you have a tiny kitchen!). So it makes sense that you'd have a lot of questions about the process.

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.

Painter’s tape is a modern miracle isn’t it? I mean, sure, the Great Pyramids are cooler, but when it comes right down to it, there isn’t much the blue tape can’t do. We’ve used it to spruce up furniture, for child safety, and to pull off quick and easy design projects. But there’s another genius use for the stuff, and we wish we’d known about it sooner. There are a few things in life that make me cringe.

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.

If you’re giving yourself a fresh start for 2019—new haircut, workout routine, healthy habits—give your furniture a New Year’s refresh with these 20 tutorials that will restore, revitalize, or totally redo your favorite wood, metal, leather, vinyl, marble, and upholstered pieces. If you find yourself in possession of a piece that has potential, but its wood is buried under layers of paint, bring out its natural beauty and let it shine.

Advice from three people who've done it with success.

We shared with you a little while back the biggest painting mistake Sabrina Soto thinks homeowners make. But what about your other favorite design TV personalities, like #relationshiplapgoals and Fixer Upper duo Chip and Joanna Gaines? In a recent sit-down with Apartment Therapy, the busy couple each divulged the worst painting mistakes they see, and a whole lot more. Here’s what Chip had to say: They rush it…everyone’s trying to find a shortcut for it!

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.

No scraping required.

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.

Make all your IKEA hacks and upgrades really count by painting them the right way.

From the brilliant and clever minds at IKEA.

Mila participated in a recent round of the One Room Challenge, but didn’t want to get overwhelmed by a major hard-core makeover. So, instead, she chose to redo the single wall just inside her entryway, which is also part of her living room. As is, the space was fine, but she was bored with the current gallery wall of photos, and wanted instead to make it as impressive as possible with just a little work and money. Her goal for the end of the project?

Most kitchen cabinets these days are wood-tone, or white, or mayyybe grey — but that doesn’t mean yours have to be. If you choose to think about it that way, a cabinet is like a canvas, just waiting for a creative touch from you, the kitchen artist. To get your creative juices flowing, here are twelve ways to paint your cabinets that are anything but boring. Above: Rainbow-colored cabinet fronts transform a kitchen from Elle Decoration, via Design Milk.

I’ll just start off and say that there’s a lot to love about exposed brick walls. I’ve lived with many over the years, and there’s no substitute for the warmth, texture, and authenticity they bring to a room. But those are just the pros, because exposed brick can also be kind of a nightmare. So, read on to decide if all that historic charm is worth the headache.

Textured spray paints have come and gone over the years and for the most part, I’ve been happy to see them go. But I think I finally found one product that I’d like to have stick around for a while — Rust-Oleum’s Stone Creations Spray. I used it to transform this cheap metal IKEA table into a granite and brass look-a-like. Here’s what I started with, the GLADOM tray table in green which costs $29.99.

If you are nervous or unsure about adding color into your home, consider using 60-30-10 color rule when planning your next room makeover. The 60-30-10 rule is a very easy-to-follow approach that designers often use to create well-balanced rooms using color. This concept follows the classic rule of three (which is also used in everything from marketing, to floral arrangements, to writing). In this case, three color families are used to add balance and depth to a room.

Ashley’s adorable home needed a bit of a boost in the exterior paint department. After giving herself permission to just friggin go for it, she decided that they would not only be painting their home sea-foam green, they’d be doing it themselves. Sweat was sweated, paint was painted and a few labor heavy weekends later, a bold and bright house emerged.

We collected a dozen smart tips that will make your next painting project spotless and splatter-free.

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.

Have you ever flipped through the carefully curated pages of a home magazine or lifestyle blog and thought, This is so not my life? Sometimes it’s hard to find the motivation or even the desire to even try to improve your home, especially when you don’t see yourself represented in what’re supposed be sources of inspiration.

Pink is one of the most polarizing colors. Depending on your perspective, it’s either beautiful, flattering, cheerful—or juvenile, unsophisticated and dated. If you fall into the first camp, I’m sure you’ll appreciate this list of nine different ways to add a little rosy color to your home. And if you fall into the second camp, well, take a look, and maybe you’ll be convinced. The cheerful pink front door is the perfect introduction to this California home.

After a year of staring at the same white walls at work and going home to the same boring off-white shade, you’ve finally decided to start that long-overdue paint project. But it can be overwhelming, from the first trip down the paint aisle to…that point halfway down the aisle when you already feel like giving up. Even if you’re just trying to brighten up your cramped entryway, you might think you need a car trunk full of supplies, but that’s not always the case.

You and your partner are best friends. You’ve been together long enough to finish each other’s sentences; your friends refer to the two of you as #RelationshipGoals; and you tag each other on Instagram captions at least once a day. Trust me, though, none of that matters when you try to do a “simple” home improvement project together, whether that’s painting one room or — worst of all — assembling a piece of flat-packed IKEA furniture.

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.

It’s summertime, and, if you’re lucky enough to have a backyard, chances are good you’re spending as much time outdoors are you are in. And maybe all this extra outdoor time is giving you the urge to revamp your outdoor space. Lately I’ve been seeing a whole series of projects that all feature the same budget-friendly — and incredibly eye-catching — way to add a little wow factor to your backyard. The solution? Paint your patio.

These unusual paint job ideas will add a lot of awesome to an accent wall.

While a pristine white wall can create the perfect blank canvas to complement your home decor style, sometimes you want to mix it up and get creative with your paint. While wallpaper prints and bright colors are always an option, there are some out-of-the-box ways that you can spice up a room. From concentrating color to painting just one shelf to carving out a separate space with the help of a paintbrush, ahead are some unexpected ways to paint walls in your house.

The coziness of a small space — or the closed-in, cramped feeling of one — isn’t always due to how few square feet it is. What you fill a small room with matters, for sure. But another vital element is the color you coat the room in. Conventional wisdom has always advised to use lighter colors to make walls recede (and a room feel larger) and to avoid darker hues (which might make the walls feel like they’re closing in), but that’s just not always the case.

How to paint plastic without it chipping, cracking or flaking.

At the mercy of tile trends and ever-changing hardware styles, bathrooms that aren’t updated often (who can afford a yearly renovation?) can look outdated very quickly. One of the most affordable ways to help this room race against the clock without outpacing your budget is to let inexpensive paint lead the way. Some color on a vintage tub or a swipe of paint on an old vanity will give an older bathroom its sparkle back.

For years, well-intentioned renovators have been painting over wood trim of all kinds. White trim was good, or ever colored trim or even black. But wood trim, of the kind found in so many beautiful old houses, was deemed heavy, old-fashioned. Well, I’m happy to report that the pendulum seems to be swinging back in the other direction. So before you paint over that woodwork, take a look at these beautiful examples of wood trim done right.

These small-space projects really pop.

Color (via paint) can be a very powerful design tool, especially when used in unexpected places. While most people don’t necessarily think to paint the inside of their window frames, it can be the difference between a run-of-the-mill room and a spectacular, and memorable interior. A few “pros” to painting your window frames: It’s not as big a time/money commitment as painting your walls.

Giving everything from an IKEA shelving unit to a foam model hand the Midas touch is as easy as picking up a can of gold spray paint. With a gilded finish, every surface suddenly looks much more expensive—and no one has to know it’s all thanks to this $5 hardware store staple. To make the IKEA VITTSJO bookshelf match the glam-quotient of the rest of her Austin apartment, Whitney spray-painted the frame gold.

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.

The accent wall has been a “thing” for a long, long time. More than just a way to save on money and time when painting, adding an accent wall to a room in your home can be a way to add life to a dull space. It can be a way to introduce a bold color — but not overwhelm the rest of your decor. But even more than that, adding an accent wall can be a way to make rooms appear bigger or smaller than they are.

When I was growing up in Lafayette, Louisiana, my family took a lot of trips to Mississippi to see my grandparents, and on the way back, I remember, there was this one lavender house, right by the interstate, that always caught my eye. This one pale, pale purple home, in a sea of beiges, seemed almost magical.

Remember this sofa that used to be black that I painted brown? This photo is from last July. Are you curious to see how it held up after six months of constant wear from three kids, a cat, and a husband who naps on it nearly every evening? It looks pretty much exactly the same! I have to admit, I wasn’t sure how the paint would hold up over time and with a lot of use, but I am truly happy with the results.

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.

The world of paint can feel endless. So many blues, grays, whites…how do you settle on one for your wall? I’m a firm believer that nothing will ever replace buying samples and testing a paint color out before diving into gallons of a certain shade, but to get a rough idea of a paint color family or hue without having to head to the hardware store, give one of these six apps a try!

Last year, Benjamin Moore went light and bright when they picked Simply White as their color of the year. This year, the hue is a bit more dramatic. Any guesses? Here’s what they chose… From light to dark, Benjamin Moore’s Shadow is a rich, royal amethyst that is a “master of ambiance,” according to Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore Creative Director.

After years of living in beige and buttercream apartments, designer Arielle Goldman was “…itching to go bold” when she moved into this old Victorian. Thankfully, she has a knack for fearlessly painting walls and using dark, dramatic colors in her home, which she talks about on her blog, Scotch and Nonsense. And which you can see quite clearly in her house tour, A Beautifully Moody Historic Victorian in Virginia.

There are lots of reasons why you might have a too-big or too-bulky piece of furniture in your home. Perhaps it’s an inherited piece you can’t part with. Maybe you need a large piece of furniture for storage. Whatever the case, you don’t have to live with a heavy piece of furniture visually weighing down a room.

When you’re lucky enough to live in a home with beautiful historic architectural features, you probably want to highlight those features with your decor. Paint can work, sure, but maybe not in this icky green color? That’s what Danny and Lyndsay faced when they moved into this Portland, Maine rental. So they used the power of paint to cover up the unpleasant green, refresh the space, brighten the home and turn the focus on one charming architectural feature in particular.

Let’s face it, baseboard radiators are ugly. They’re boxy, often institutional beige, and they tend to accumulate scuffs and splotches of rust. But baseboard radiators do serve an important purpose, and those of us who rely on them to heat our homes are more or less stuck with them. Fortunately, there are ways to work around these wall-space-hogging eyesores, and painting your baseboard heater covers to match your home’s walls or trim is a great place to start.

These closet makeovers look expensive and difficult to pull off, but are actually extremely easy. In addition to being gorgeous, most are also affordable, and super renter-friendly. Here are nine ways to get your storage style in line with the rest of your decor…. Above, this closet is a major improvement, both inside and out. Room for Tuesday both did a massive purge and re-organization effort, and then finished the space off with newly framed doors and agate pulls for added style.

If you’ve ever seen photos of the houses in New Orleans, you know a wide-ranging, daring mix of colors adorns this city’s architecture. Any time I stroll the streets, I’m inspired to get bold in my own home. Even those these color combinations are on the outside of these homes, consider these pre-made palettes direction for the inside of yours.

Chalk paint may be the undisputed champ of aged, vintage-style furniture, but this matte medium is actually incredibly versatile, and can be used to revamp pieces in a wide range of styles. From mid-century modern apartments to artsy bohemian interiors, this easy-to-use, environmentally-friendly paint is showing up everywhere. Find inspiration in the projects that follow, then learn everything you’ll need to know about mixing up homemade chalk paint.

Curious to see what all the hype's about?

Since the dawn of time, humans have been attracted to shiny things. Adding a coat of high gloss to everyday items and surfaces will bump up the sophistication factor of your home while hypnotizing your guests into a lacquer-induced love spell. Vintage Furniture (above): The unrecognizable before/after of this vintage dining table by designer Emily Henderson is a great reminder of the transformative powers of lacquer, and a reminder that lacquer doesn’t have to be high sheen.

If paint packs a serious style punch, there’s even more potential in decorative finishes that add texture along with a healthy dose of color. Don’t think for a minute about sponged or ragged walls — those garish and sloppy techniques that had the design world shuddering in the 80s — these are sophisticated and often subtle treatments that add another layer of personality to a space. Above, Jersey Ice Cream Co.

It may only be matter of time until wall-to-wall Tuscan faux plaster makes a comeback (Olive Gardens everywhere rejoice). Until then, we prefer these easy, natural-looking antiquing methods to give new furniture an aged look that doesn’t feel dated. Speed up the “Aging” Process: Sturdy materials like wood and brass look great with age (we think humans do too). Get creative by envisioning your furniture’s past lives and layering a variety of finishing techniques.

Stencils sometimes get a bad rap for looking a little amateur, but these 11 sophisticated stencil projects prove that you don’t need to be a master painter to paint a masterpiece. The trick to an elegant design is starting with a stylish stencil (or crafting your own!), picking the right color palette—and then letting it loose on every surface in your home. Save these ideas for your design file, and scroll to the bottom for our list of must-visit stencil sources.

Today is a colorful day—three paint brands have announced their 2017 color of the year. Let’s see what hues our future has in store. If you’re tired of gray’s near domination of neutrals for the past five years, then you’ll be pleased to see that Sherwin-Williams has gone with a hue that mixes it up. “Poised Taupe celebrates everything people love about cool gray as a neutral, and also brings in the warmth of brown, taking a color to an entirely new level.

Looking to up the drama in your interiors? A go-to for daring designers and decorators, black paint provides an instant jolt and dose of some serious sophistication. And even if you’re not ready to go full-volume with ebony walls, architectural accents like window sills and moldings (and don’t forget furnishings!) can benefit from the deep hue to add intrigue to just about any room.

Blame it on the Scandinavian fascination in the design world, maybe, but white walls have never been more in demand. Peruse your Pinterest boards, and chances are, a great majority of the rooms you’ve pinned have white walls. With so many slight variations in the delicate color, it can be nearly impossible to settle on the right shade, but fear not; we’ve taken the guess work out of the whole process for you. Here are 12 designer-favorite, no-fail white paint colors.

Whether you have a tile color you can’t stand, falling apart cabinetry, a terrifying toilet or blemished walls, using this color in this sheen is a simple way to cover a lot of flaws. Because of its sophisticated vibes, it ups the modern style of a dated bathroom without having to do any major remodeling. As you’ll see in the two first case studies below, matte black works best with white (or, walls and fixtures that once used to be white).

This sofa used to be black, but I painted it brown. You can see how it looks, but I know what you’re thinking. Did it rub off on your pants? How does it feel? Is it stiff? Is it gummy? Can you scratch it with your fingernail? Does it peel? Does it stink? Does it poke you in the butt? Is it a tragic mess that will end up in a dumpster? Let me break it down for you. First, the paint I used was Angelus Brand Leather Paint in tan.

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.

This week Camille is sharing her real life rental challenge and how she transformed her dingy carpeted entryway stairs (with her landlord’s permission!) into something more welcoming, yet still temporary. If you want to see the first post, check out the before photos here. My husband and I decided to DIY this project ourselves, and broke it down into manageable steps, each of which could be completed in a weekend.

Color can be a funny thing. While many people, including myself, feel comfortable and confident donning black head to toe (LBD, anyone?) the idea of using black in interiors is one met with extreme caution. The moody hue is restricted to furnishings and accents, but why? For fear that the room will be depressing? Too dark? We rounded up 13 (because we’re not afraid of a little superstition) happy, chic and cheery rooms that all just happen to be cloaked in black.

This week Camille is sharing her real life rental challenge and how she transformed her dingy carpeted entryway stairs (with her landlord’s permission!) into something more welcoming, yet still temporary. If you want to start by hearing all the plans, check out the before photos here. Updating an old home is filled with challenges.