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How to choose a neutral color, plus the best neutral paint colors

Home like you mean it

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Neutral colors are so hard to get right! If you're swimming in a sea of undertones unsure of where to turn next, my helpful tips on choosing the right neutral paint color for your space plus my top 5 neutral colors in each category should point you in the right direction.

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--Download my cheat sheet on neutral paint colors:
https://thoughtful-composer-8448.ck.p...

Chapter Markers:
0:00 Introduction
0:45 neutral color cheat sheet!
1:45 tip #1 on choosing the right neutral paint color
2:24 Tip #2 on choosing the right neutral
3:13 Tip #3 on choosing the right neutral
4:44 tip #4 on choosing the right neutral for your space (perhaps the biggest step!)
5:32 Tip #5 on choosing the right neutral
7:05 My favorite beige paint colors
9:35 Gray paint colors and my opinion about whether or not gray is out
12:45 the taupe paint colors I recommend
14:07 my favorite greige paint colors
15:50 my favorite white paint colors

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20 Comments

@Tammy-zr9zw 2 years ago

Breaking down the color selection process into steps was really helpful. I truly didn’t know where to start. And categorizing your recommendations by undertone was brilliant! That makes it even easier for me. Thank you, again!

@coastaldiva 2 years ago

Oh thank you for saying that gray is not out. I love gray paint but not everything in the room gray 😂
I live in florida and we do love the gray paints here quite a lot

@mkpoptic5790 1 year ago

This is a great overview! It’s amazing how the shifting natural light in one room with smaller windows muddies the same paint that just softly glows in another room that has more light. Thanks

@rebelliousraven 2 years ago

I wish paint companies would label (code colors) as warm, cool, neutral and give the undertone blue, green, pink etc.

I look at them on a white piece of paper ....its much easier to see the undertones.

@debrad5783 1 year ago (edited)

I have SW Accessible Beige but have it mixed by Benjamin Moore. Their colorants are a little different and therefore it’s not as beige. I’ve been very happy with it. The house has a ton of natural light so that might make a difference as well. The trim work is BM White Dove. They play well together.

@KCJohn316 1 year ago

I have only been listening to you for a few days (new subscriber!) and have already learned a lot. I love how you emphasize the paint color needing to relate to the fixed elements in the room ❤ Most of my successful decorating is when I selected colors that blended and harmonized with the fireplace, carpets, etc. Right now am trying not to fight with items in our rental kitchen to refresh it and bring in some color but the countertop and floor have brownish, yellow, beige tones. In the past I could not see a pink, green, blue or yellow undertone in creams or whites or other colors but I can see them now after much experience picking the wrong colors! My first apartment I painted the cabinets to bring in brightness and it looked like a school bus in my kitchen 🤣

@paulastrawser3363 2 years ago

I couldn't find your code for samplize. Did you put one in the description? Thank you

@jennbcousins 2 years ago

I love the blue paint colour on your Millwork cabinets. Can you share what it is?

@davidlines7 2 years ago

Thank you for your videos. It was helpful distinguishing between green, pink, and orange beiges. I chose soft chamois to go with our ranch style, and I love the green undertones of soft chamois.

@intothemystic3374 1 year ago

New to neutrals. Your 1st tip is great guidance as I begin down the neutral path. Knowing the undertones of neutrals upfront will save time. Really great instruction.

@jazzbea6243 1 year ago

Nice breakdown of how to choose a neutral paint color. I used BM Halo with their Aura paint throughout my open concept ranch. It has a slight green undertone, but it takes on different values as natural or artificial light changes throughout the day. It goes with just about everything. I have always used BM Chantilly Lace for all ceilings, trim, doors, and closets. My humble opinion, Chantilly Lace it the best 'true' white.

@skeller61 2 years ago

Thanks for explaining color choice in a systematic way. I was also glad you mentioned the LRV values. I noted most of them are in the 70s. I looked up most of the paint cards I brought home from Sherwin Williams and looked up their LRVs in the SW app and saw they were mostly in the 50s (like Beachcomber (SW 9617). The room I’m painting is small (~12x12), so I think my choices are too dark, and will be looking at lighter shades to open it up a little. Thanks for your help!

@jeffreyerickson6766 3 months ago

I wish you'd show photos of modest homes like most of us have. The photos are so busy that it's hard to figure out which feature in the photo is the color your talking about.

@elvadrum4965 1 year ago

I appreciate your going over the undertones. I captured photos of my favorites! Thank you!

@ScottsdaleSushi 1 year ago

You can now order sheets with colors that are big enough to hang on the wall & look at different times of the day to see what it will actually look like on a day to day basis. It is so hard to get the perfect shade & using those would be a big help in choosing a color you can live with for a long time.

@carolineyunker369 7 months ago

Hi. Just wanted to say your videos are very informative. Love your color choices too.

@helenchatziier 2 years ago

Thanks for the video! I would have a question - if we have a room that is dark (not a lot of light) and is relatively small, what kind of undertone shall we go for in a neutral? Would the green undertone appear more muddy and shall we go for an orange one? Thanks a lot!