Looking for the best neutral paint colors for your home?
I have a few suggestions with my tried and true, my go-to, my best neutral paint colors that I’ve tried over and over and over again. Here’s a list of the best neutral paint colors on the planet.
I wanted to show them to you in the rooms so you can get an idea of what they look like in real life. These paint colors have never let me down yet.
Today is all about the paint.
Before we get started, I just want you to know that if you are sitting at your house drinking coffee and thinking about today and looking around and your room happens to mention in conversation that it might like a make-over…
…this is the post for you.
Truly.
The easiest, simplest way to change up a room is to change the paint color.
Please tell me you understand.
Please tell me you’ve stood in front of a blank wall with a paintbrush and painted that first coat of new paint…
…and sighed.
Oh, good. Me, too. Will you and your paint can please come sit by me?
If painting and refreshing and reworking a room is in your future for spring, I wrote a great post on how to pick a paint color.
If picking a paint color still seems overwhelming? No worries friend. You got this.
I’ve put together 10 of the best neutral paint colors.
And the best part?
I’ve already tried them all to make sure they are perfect.
Here’s my list.
Before we go any further, I want to clarify something.
Paint colors do NOT look the same on the computer screen.
Actually, paint colors don’t even look the same in different rooms. How many times have you been to someone’s home and found the perfect paint color on their wall and rushed to the store and bought it and brought it home and painted it on your wall and IT DIDN’T work? That’s because paint can change color slightly depending on the height of your ceilings and the amount of natural light in your space or the color of your floors.
That’s why these paint colors are so great. That’s why they are the best neutral paint colors.
I have used them in so many different rooms and spaces and places and cities and towns and houses at the end of country roads.
And they’ve delivered every time.
the best neutral paint colors
Here’s what the best neutral paint colors look like in my rooms:
Living Room: SW Extra White
It’s one of my favorite whites.
It’s hard to tell from the computer screen, but it literally is the perfect shade without any undertones.
I’ve used it in different lights and different rooms and we actually painted the entire outside of our house with SW Extra White.
Here’s what it looks like on the outside of the back door.
When you paint it in a room, it just freshens everything up and makes it lighter and brighter and happier.
SW Extra White is also an awesome trim color, too. When I pick it for trim, I choose a semi-gloss finish which reflects light and whitens it even more.
Trust me.
It’s the color that you are looking for when you just can’t get the white right.
Office: SW Pure White
If you were here for the before and office makeover, you’ve already seen this color.
It’s super similar to SW White, but it’s just a hint warmer.
Going with a neutral like this on the walls means you can go bold with the rest of the room like these navy and white patterns.
This is also my go-to white when the room doesn’t get a lot of natural light.
It’s sophisticated and classic and timeless and a zillion other adjectives that all mean amazing. SW Pure White adds that subtle warmth to a room that makes it feel just a little bit cozier making it one of the best choices for a neutral palette.
Laundry Room: SW Agreeable Gray
SW Agreeable Gray is cousins with SW Repose Gray (that we’ll talk about a little later on).
It has a little bit more of a khaki undertone to it and plays well in the sandbox with all the other neutrals we’ve mentioned.
This is the laundry room that’s just off the kitchen pained SW Extra White.
Family room: SW Mindful Gray
Ahhh. SW Mindful Gray. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
This is my first gray love from the farmhouse.
I met him 10 years ago and I still adore him just as much.
He’s the perfect mix of gray and greige and khaki.
One quick note—SW Mindful Gray can easily go lighter or darker depending on the natural light in the space.
This was the color I painted the family room several years ago. It’s also important to understand that our family room gets quite a bit of natural light, so it looks lighter in our family room.
Office and entryway: SW Sandbar
This is probably my favorite khaki color ever. It looks incredible on the walls. This was the color that used to be on the office walls. Whenever anyone ever asks me for a good tan/khaki color, I recommend SW Sandbar.
I hadn’t met it until I moved into the new house and needed a neutral beige/khaki.
Meet SW Sandbar.
It is actually so much lighter than it appears on the paint chip. The color is truly perfection and looks amazing.
It’s truly the color of drop cloth.
I’ve painted the entire entry as well as the office with it.
downstairs bath: SW Repose Gray
This is one of my favorite soft grays.
Depending on the light, it’s got the sweetest hint of blue.
I’ve used it in several bathrooms and it never disappoints.
It’s the perfect neutral for our downstairs bath against all the white.
dining room: SW Naval
My tried and true navy.
I’ve painted so many rooms this color and recommended it to clients and painted the fireplace in the new office SW Naval.
It’s the perfect neutral blue with the perfect amount of undertones.
It’s not too green and it’s not too purple.
It’s the blue from the box of crayons.
And one bonus neutral color for the road.
SW Tricorn Black.
I always get asked for the color of this door and all the doors at our home are painted this beautiful, wonderful, amazing neutral black.
It’s perfect for exterior doors and trim and even an accent wall or two.
I hope you enjoyed the paint color tour.
I hope you find a little inspiration for your spring refresh.
I hope you are inspired and encouraged and ready to take on a new project.
But most importantly?
Today?
I hope you discover the perfect neutral to introduce to your home. 🙂
PS Have any paint color questions? Let’s discuss in the comments.
I’m also pinning tons more paint color ideas here today.
Love these neutrals, especially that navy. It is so crisp against white! And who knew that there were so many versions of white! And I see how pretty your new dishes look in navy dining room. So sweet.
It took us so long to find the best “white!” Word of advice: when you get paint named the color of food, make sure the person buying the paint is confident if the color. Our house is mostly Valspar “Navy Bean,” which is white with enough warmth for extra-white trim to look awesome. White beans, right? My husband CONSTANTLY calls it “KIDNEY BEAN!” lol!! Fortunately, I was with him on all paint-buying trips! I’d have ended up with an entire house of red walls!
Thanks for this helpful post. When I am looking iat paint colors I like to HEAR about the color from someone who has used it. I find that so much more helpful than just looking at a swatch, or even just looking at a picture of a room. All of your rooms are perfect, by the way.
Thanks for making this list ! We own rental properties and we use SW Divine White on the walls and SW Pure White on all the trim. I'm ready to update our personal home and beach condo, so I will use your Extra White on my walls in both !
Thank you for posting colors. So helpful to know what you have experience with. Love your colors.
The rug in the office, I love! Where did you get it?
Clara, Of course! Here you go (affiliate): https://urlgeni.us/overstock/3RGt happy day, karianne
Great paint colors!
The very first time I ever read your blog you were talking about paint colors and you mentioned SW Alabaster. I went and bought it and... I have SW Alabaster on all my walls and ceilings including trim! My walls are only 7'10" and my home is less than 800 sq feet. This color makes my home look so much bigger, brighter and is the perfect neutral. Absolutely love this color!
Such a great post! I do have a question. Do you find differences in the "finish" of different brands of paint? Sometimes I think I want an eggshell or maybe a semi G. only to find it to be a different "finish" entirely from what I used before (different brand) even though called the same, in a different brand of paint. Does that make any sense at all ? How I put it. Absolutely love your colors!
This is a great reference to have! Thank you!! xoxo