The One Room Designers Always Paint First (It’s Not the Living Room)

At this point, the power of paint is pretty indisputable (at least according to designers). No matter what color or finish you choose to coat your walls, trim, doors, or ceilings with, paint is always guaranteed to make a space feel fresh and new. Of course, certain colors can make a bigger decorative statement than others. But for the time, effort, and cost you have to sink into painting, you’d be hard-pressed to find something more effective.

Have you ever stopped, though, to wonder what room in the house you might get the most bang for your buck for by painting? Hint: It’s not the living room or the kitchen. A primary bedroom or bathroom? Those aren’t it, either. Turns out, according to paint experts, it’s actually the entryway.

“The entry is hands-down the most underrated place in a home to add paint,” says Sue Waden, the director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. “Entryways and foyers really set the tone for a home. So getting the color in this spot right primes your guests for the rest of what they’re going to see throughout the entire space.”

Call it the first-impression effect. If you take the time to paint your entry in a pretty shade, it can make your home feel brighter and bolder (or warmer and cozier, depending on your goal for the space). This area of the home might be a pass-through space, but it’s also typically the first thing that people see upon entering a home. So a little bit of paint goes a long way here. 

Starting your home off strong with color, though, isn’t the only reason the entry is such a smart but often overlooked place to paint. Size also has something to do with it. Entries tend to be on the smaller side in relation to other rooms in the home. For that reason, Wadden says they’re comparably cheaper and quicker to paint, but the visual impact can be very transformative. 

Because this area takes a lot of wear and tear with traffic coming in and out of the front door, freshening up an entryway or foyer can also pay dividends that you don’t always see in other rooms. Painting your entry can signify that you’re someone with attention to detail, who truly cares for your home and wants to keep it clean (which can potentially boost home value if you’re looking to sell).

Finally, painting your entryway could make it seem bigger or brighter. Especially in older homes, many entries tend to be smaller, closed-in, and lacking in natural light. A strategic shade — like a light blue or cream — could open up the space and make it seem more expansive. 

Wadden is quick to note that entries can be painted in any shade that resonates with you and your aesthetic. “You can go bold, or you can choose a lovely neutral,” she says. If you’re looking for some help selecting a shade, designers have weighed in on the best entryway paint colors before. Like Wadden suggested, the top shades run the gamut from warm white to bold blue. 

Just above, you’re looking at Sherwin-Williams’ Alexandrite (SW 0060), a jewel-toned green that’s perfect for bold or Art Deco-inspired spaces. A cool tealish-gray, Homburg Gray (SW 7622), is pictured in the almost color-drenched entry and staircase above, while a creamy warm white lets Tricorn Black (SW 6258) stairs shine in the other image. 

If you’re looking for a new interior formula, Sherwin-Williams just released Emerald Symmetry, the brand’s most premium paint yet. Designed for top-notch coverage and durability, it can be tinted to any color from bright white to black, and it packs all the eco-benefits of a zero-VOC, plant-based formula. So you can rest easy in your home’s spaces.