How to choose the right paint color for any room

Picking a color is the hardest part of most paint jobs. A swatch that looks perfect in the store can look completely different on your wall. These steps will help you choose with confidence.

1. Start with the light in the room

Light changes everything. Before you choose, notice which way the room's windows face:

• North-facing rooms get cooler, softer light all day. Warm colors (creamy whites, warm grays, soft beiges) keep them from feeling cold.
• South-facing rooms get bright, warm light. Most colors look good, and cool tones like blues and greens stay fresh.
• East-facing rooms are bright in the morning and darker later in the day.
• West-facing rooms are softer in the morning and glow warm in the evening.

Your light bulbs matter too. Warm bulbs make colors look more yellow, and cool "daylight" bulbs make them look bluer.

2. Look at the undertone, not just the color

Two "grays" can look totally different because one has a blue undertone and the other a green or beige one. To see a color's undertone, hold the swatch next to a plain white sheet of paper. The hidden color shows up right away.

Match undertones to things that stay: your floors, countertops, tile and big furniture.

3. Use the 60-30-10 rule

Designers often use this simple balance to make a room feel put together:

• 60%: the main wall color
• 30%: a secondary color (furniture, an accent wall, cabinets)
• 10%: an accent (pillows, art, a front door)

4. Always test samples on the wall

Never pick from a tiny chip alone. Paint large samples (about 2 × 2 feet, or use peel-and-stick sample sheets) on different walls of the room. Look at them in the morning, afternoon and at night before you decide.

5. Think about the whole house

Rooms you can see from one another should feel connected. A simple trick is to keep the same trim and ceiling white throughout the house and change only the wall colors.

Quick tips

• Light colors make small rooms feel bigger. Dark colors make big rooms feel cozy.
• Colors usually look darker and stronger once they cover a whole wall.
• Not sure? Warm whites and soft greiges are safe choices that work with almost anything.