One question I get a lot here and even more so on Instagram, is what paint colors I have in my home. Whenever I post different rooms, I invariably get asked about the different colors I’ve used. So when the ladies from Project Design asked me if I’d like to share in a post with them about my favorite paint colors, I thought this would be a great chance for me to share what I’ve used and love (and don’t love!) in my home!
I’m a firm believer that there are no perfect paint colors, however, I do think there are some that are almost universally flattering in any light. Kind of like certain dresses seem to just flatter any figure, some paints just have a certain mix of pigments that makes them work in almost any room. I don’t know that I know all the paints out there, but I can share what I’ve used and loved over the years and what has worked for me!
My Favorite White Paint Color
Let’s start with my absolute all-time favorite white paint, Cloud White by Benjamin Moore. You will see that all of my interior paints are from Benjamin Moore and that is just personal preference. I do believe in using a higher quality paint such Benjamin Moore, Dunn Edwards, Pratt & Lambert, or Farrow & Ball (and there are others). There is truly a difference in the quality of the color due to the fact that they use more pigments in their formulas. You do get what you pay for with paint! Not only that, BM is nearly odorless and has either zero, or very low VOCs in all of their formulas (even the least expensive one!) Since I paint my kid’s rooms as well as areas we are in a lot, I feel better knowing it’s a little less unhealthy.
My absolute favorite white is Cloud White. Another favorite (and one of many designers as well) is White Dove. And while I love that (and have it elsewhere) it’s not as “clean” of a white as Cloud White. Want something less yellow than White Dove but not as stark as Simply White? Cloud White is your color! I would describe it as as much of a true white as is possible. It doesn’t have blue or yellow tones – it’s just white! I truly feel like it is the perfect white! I spent many years using several different whites in several houses and I will never use another one again. It is what I used in our kitchen, family room built-ins, and for every bit of trim, doors, and molding in our whole house.
My Favorite Neutral Paint Colors
There are a few favorite neutrals that I’ve used, but I’ll start with one of my favorites and that is the one in my living room, stairwell, family room, and upstairs hallway. This color is Muslin. Muslin is a very soft beige, with some warm undertones. I don’t think it’s too yellow, especially in a north facing room. But it can skew that way if you are putting it a south facing space. I’ll show you!
Here in the living room (which is north facing) it goes pretty neutral. Soft beige with some warmth and a little grey, but not too yellow. However, I also painted it in my family room and it’s a completely different color in there! That room is south facing so it adds a lot of warmth and the paint does go a little more yellow. For me, I don’t love that so I am planning on repainting. It isn’t necessarily a bad color – just not what I wanted it to be.
It appears a lot more yellow in this space than it does in the north facing living room! Lesson learned: be sure to sample your paints on every single wall in the room you’ll be painting. This is something I normally do, but because I love Muslin in the rest of the house, I didn’t think I needed to. You do. Test it in every room, every time. Even if it’s a favorite. Even if you’ve used it before because lighting is a bitch!
Another favorite neutral is Shaker Beige. The name of this one tends to scare people away! I think they think of something more gold, or dark dated-90s-beige! However, it’s actually a very true beige. Not too gold, not too brown, and very versatile. This is the color in my dining room below.
You can see here that it’s quite a bit darker than the living room Muslin. And below, the two in the same view.
Shaker Beige is slightly warmer and darker than the Muslin. It’s a good dependable neutral, and I’ve seen it used at half strength as well and it looked beautiful. And it doesn’t go too yellow. Our dining room is south facing and it stays a very neutral beige in that room.
Another neutral favorite is Revere Pewter. This color is uber-popular and all over Pinterest! It’s a classic warm grey. The warm undertones keep it from going too cold (a definite problem with many greys). My daughter’s room is painted Revere Pewter below.
Not too blue, not too beige. For me, Revere Pewter is the perfect grey!
I also used it in our office. In this space, I wanted a softer look so we cut it to 50% strength and I love it! It goes even warmer when it’s cut to 50% which I really like in this room. It is probably the paint color I get the most comments/questions on whenever I post it!
I love how soft and pretty it looks in this room. It might just be that perfect “greige” that everyone is searching for!
Another Benjamin Moore color that I absolutely love is Edgecomb Gray! I actually painted the office in that color first, but ended up changing. But let me preface it by saying I loved the color! I just didn’t love it in this space for the look I was going for. But I will definitely be using it at some point, either in my home or in a project. It is close to Revere Pewter but slightly warmer.
Another Favorite White Paint Color
A very popular white and one I mentioned above is White Dove. In fact, when asked their favorite white it is favored by more designers than any other! And that’s because it is slightly warm, creating a fresh, clean space but one that isn’t too harsh or cold. We painted the walls of our bedroom in White Dove and I love it! I was worried the room would feel too stark but it doesn’t at all. It definitely has slightly more yellow undertones than the Cloud White does.
I also used it in the kitchen remodel that I did last summer. She loved it so much we painted her whole house in this color!
So that’s it! My favorite paint colors that I have come to love over many years of trial and error. And more error! My advice is to buy samples. So many people tell me they don’t want to spend the money, and they try taping those little paint strips all over the house. It doesn’t work! Spend the money. It will save you repainting in the long run. And keep in mind that any paint will go more yellow/warm in a south facing room. And any paint will go more grey/cool in a north facing room. This is a super helpful fact to keep in the back of your head!
Now I hope you’ll hop over to some of the other designers also sharing their tips and tricks to finding the perfect paint colors!
Sheila
xo
If you enjoyed this post, you might want to check out some of the posts below, too!
Touch of Brass: A Trend that is Still Going Strong
Why I Chose My Home: Location, Location, Location
How to Add Character to a Dining Room
Karin guthals says
September 24, 2019 at 12:42 pmLoved the colors you shared. What color do you use on your ceilings ?
Sheila says
September 24, 2019 at 9:57 pmHi and thanks so much Karin! The ceilings are also Cloud White, but in flat. The walls are painted in eggshell.
Hope that helps!
Sheila
Annie Diamond says
September 22, 2019 at 9:38 amSheila! I love that we both use Cloud White in our homes. I still think it’s the perfect white. But I agree 100% to buy samples…it’s worth the small investment. That’s how we came to determine on our current house…that Cloud White is still our favorite. I let my friend influence me and in a moment of rush decision…I went with Super White and it’s just too white for me!
Sheila says
September 22, 2019 at 11:37 pmRight?! Cloud White is SO perfect!! It’s truly my favorite and I have used A LOT of different whites!! I almost used Super White once and am so glad I didn’t! Hopefully you can re-paint it Cloud White!
Thanks so much for having me – this post was such fun!
Sheila
xo
Diane Gibson says
September 21, 2019 at 7:53 pmHi Sheila, thanks for sharing your favorite whites! I’ve used several of them myself, in fact my living room is Shaker beige but I have just repainted the rest of the house Elmira white. It’s a nice soft neutral creamy white by Benjamin Moore.
Diane
Sheila says
September 22, 2019 at 7:53 amI’m so glad you found it helpful! I know whites are tough for a lot of people so I’m happy to share what’s worked for me (and what hasn’t!)
Thanks so much for stopping by!
Sheila
Barbara at Mantel and Table says
September 20, 2019 at 1:39 pmHi Sheila – I love your favorites and descriptions. I’ve got several rooms – ok, the whole house! – that need to be repainted, so this series has come at the perfect time. Thanks for the great advice! I can see we’re going to have paint test spots everywhere soon! 🙂
Sheila says
September 22, 2019 at 7:51 amYes! Do your test spots for sure!! All four walls in each room, too. I’m glad this has helped – Good Luck!!
Sheila
Daniele Talbot says
September 19, 2019 at 10:24 amI painted all walls and ceilings in the entire house in White Dove. I have a lot of art work or framed pictures I’ve taken so White Dove makes the best backdrop. All doors, trim, moulding, and baseboards inside and outside are painted in a neutral Evening Dove, also a Benjamin Moore colour. It works beautifully. A lot of friends have asked me for the colours I’ve used.
Sheila says
September 19, 2019 at 10:20 pmThanks so much for sharing your colors Daniele! I think White Dove is gorgeous on walls. I’ve never tried Evening Dove but now I’ll have to check it out!
Thank you for stopping by!
Sheila
Carla Aston says
September 19, 2019 at 8:09 amLove Cloud White,. White Dove and all your lovely neutrals here. Which paint color you used is always a top question, isn’t it? Great shares!
Sheila says
September 19, 2019 at 10:19 pmIt definitely is Carla! And thank you so much – so glad you love those whites too! I feel like I don’t ever need another one!
Sheila
cindy hattersley says
September 19, 2019 at 7:39 amHi Sheila
Thank you so much for joining us again! We definitely have a few of the same favorites. I haven’t used muslin but have tried it a few times. Love edgecomb gray, revere pewter and white dove! Always fun seeing your lovely home!
Sheila says
September 19, 2019 at 10:18 pmThanks so much Cindy! And I’m so glad you love those too! It took me years to find the ones I really love.
Thanks so much for having me on board for this – such a great idea!
Sheila
xo
Mary Ann Pickett says
September 19, 2019 at 7:10 amGreat advice, Sheila (especially about the sun)…and I loved this home tour!!! That Revere Pewter at 50% looks amazing! Thanks for doing this with us!
Sheila says
October 1, 2019 at 8:48 amThanks so much Mary Ann! Glad you liked it! And I’m such a fan of the 50% Revere Pewter, I’m dying to put it somewhere else!!
Thank you again for having me – it was such a fun post to do!
Sheila
xo
Karen Mary says
September 19, 2019 at 6:17 amThanks for the super helpful post, Sheila! I no longer need to bring home 20 white paint swatches every time I paint a room. 🙂 When you say you use a color 50%, do you mean you mix it with white?
Sheila says
September 19, 2019 at 10:17 pmHi Karen! So glad you stopped by and that it was helpful. When you get a color mixed at 50% strength (or 25%, or 75%) what that means is the store that’s mixing it calculates the exact measurement of only putting in 50% of the pigments evenly. They don’t just cut it with white as that would look different. This is the best way to get a lighter version of something you like. It will have the exact same tone that you love just lightened up a bit. You can go darker this way as well! Hope that helps!
Sheila