Interior Paint Wall Color Ideas

Classic neutral undertones, but still with a little color.

I feel like I have finally found the colors I will always love! Throughout the building process (and even now almost three years later) we get asked with colors we used on the walls in our home so, I thought I’d round them all up in one post for you.

Obviously, not everyone agrees when it comes to paint choices. I should preface with what my thought process was when picking out paint colors. I’m basically Goldilocks when it comes to color. I want color without it being too harsh or too dark too pale or have weird undertones in natural light.

I really had to fight not painting our entire house bright white. However, knowing that a good part of the walls in our home would be white, I knew I had to add some color here and there.

Let’s start with the color we used the most…

Ultra White by Valspar

White! Ultra White by Valspar. This stuff is just right off the shelf at Lowe’s; they don’t need to add any tint to it. I knew I didn’t want a white that would yellow over time or in certain lighting, so I did some research before deciding to go with this color. It’s the brightest white I could find and it’s perfect for us! We used this on ALL the trim in our house as well as in our bedroom, hallways, laundry room, mudroom, board and batten walls, and majority of the walls in our youngest son’s room. It’s for sure my go-to white!

Here are the rest of the colors are listed below with pictures and some extra detail. I do want to make note that the colors aren’t exactly the way these photos show. The colors are so much better in person! We get tons of natural light in our home so photos end up looking a little different than what our amazing eyes can see. Make sure you check out my video HERE to see them in a more realistic light.

Tempered Gray by Valspar

I love this gray! It really has a nice beige undertone that keeps it from looking purple in certain lighting like other grays do. It looks really nice against white trim and medium brown floors. It would also look great with gray floors, imo. We used this in our dining room, kitchen and playroom. It’s a really great neutral option.

Relaxed Navy by Valspar

This is such a pretty blue. It leans a little green in photos but not at all in person. I like to think it’s a nice neutral moody color. I was afraid a true navy would be too dark for me, so this was the compromise. It’s a really great color for a feature wall or for a wall treatment like board and batten.

Noir by Valspar

This is the darkest color I have ever used, and I love it! The rest of the room is bright white, so this is a nice contrast. I love it on shiplap because it adds even more interest. The best way to describe this color would be the darkest charcoal color you can think of. It’s black but not the blackest black and it doesn’t look blue in person either.

Smoke infusion

by Valspar

This color in person might actually be my favorite. This picture makes it look gray but in person it’s such a pleasant blue-green. It’s perfect for an office, bedroom, or nursery.

Secret Moss by Valspar

I have used this color on so many projects! It looks darker and greener in this half bathroom than it does on the cabinets in our laundry room which has tons of natural light. Regardless of the lighting though, it’s a really pretty green.

You’ve probably noticed a trend here, Valspar paint. This is not sponsored; we’ve just always loved Valspar paint. My parents used it, so we did, too. We’ve used it in three houses now and have never had issues with it fading or anything like that. Compared to other paint brands, it is a lower price point, but it’s still a quality paint in our opinion.

We used their Signature Paint + Primer base. In bathrooms and kitchens, we used a satin finish. The rest of the house is in an eggshell finish. We don’t have any pets, but we do have two young boys. So far, the paint has stood the test of their grubby hands and toys! We had a leak in the wall (condensation from a pipe through the roof) this winter that ran down the wall in the room with the Relaxed Navy board and batten. Even though the wall was damaged, the paint still looks great! We’ll have to fix the wall, but I couldn’t believe it didn’t affect the paint color.

I hope this post helps you in some way. Deciding on paint colors can really be stressful, especially when you’re in a time crunch. Sometimes it helps to see and hear someone vouch for colors they have actually used in their home. Plus, hiring someone to paint is expensive, so you want to get it right. Or if you’re painting yourself, you don’t want to waste your time and efforts painting a color you won’t like. Something that can be changed easily can still feel like a big decision…

As always, if you have any questions leave them in the comments below!

Happy Painting,

Megan

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