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Picking a living room paint color can be a challenge — there are so many options and only one room! If you’re anything like me, you grab about 25 paint samples and bring them home to tape up on the wall and see which you like (if any at all). But according to real estate pros, there’s a perfect color for living rooms. I asked 15 of them what they’d choose, and here’s what they had to say.
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“A warm white like Benjamin Moore’s White Dove is a nice neutral that will give some warmth to your space and make it feel more cozy and inviting.” —Julia Longchamps, owner of Julia Longchamps Design
“[My] go-to paint color is Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White, a blend of a classic white and a touch of cool gray creating an airy living space.” —Haley Cutter of Cutter Luxe Living
“Personally, my go-to is Sherwin Williams White Sand. The living space in a home should be airy, serene, and light, and White Sand is as neutral as it gets… and isn’t too white of a shade. It has just enough of a hue to create a pristine yet warm feel — which makes a space inviting.” —Phenicia Mitchell, agent at The Corcoran Group in New York City
“Sherwin Williams Repose Gray [is] a perfect balance between warm and cool tones, making it a versatile choice for any living room. It also offers a calm and soothing atmosphere, which is ideal for creating a comfortable and inviting space for family and guests. Additionally, it pairs well with a variety of furniture and decor styles, making it a great option for those looking to change their living room decor in the future.” —Muhammad Waqar, founder and CEO of Build Pakistan
“Agreeable Gray by Sherwin Williams. Neutral colors tend to be more attractive to potential buyers and help to create a blank canvas for buyers to visualize the space with their own furniture and decor. Plus, neutral colors are timeless and can fit any style.” —George Beatty, founder of Problem Property Pals
“Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is THE interior paint color used by Opendoor. It has been used in thousands of homes in the U.S. It’s an iconic greige color that has massive appeal. The tone is warm and inviting, perfect for a large gathering spot such as a living room, and it also pairs well with many pieces of furniture. —Yasmine El Sanyoura, home designer at Opendoor
“Taupes are hot right now. They lend themselves to both cool and warm color palettes, which is appealing to a lot of buyers. …We’re still seeing gray tones, but because they were used on almost every flip and every new build in the last seven years, I think taupes are a refreshing option.” —Abigail Keyes, listings manager for Orchard in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston
“I always recommend my clients go for a classic and timeless color, such as beige. This color will never lose its cool, no matter what trends are in the current market.” —Josh Wilson, cofounder of That Florida Life
“A neutral wall color allows you to experiment with colors more easily within your decorations — it’s more of a blank canvas for the end buyer (or yourself). It’s also a lot easier to change your color schemes if you need some new inspiration and want to make a change.” —Tresa Todd, founder of Women’s Real Estate Investors Network
“Our favorite paint color for any living room, and most gathering spaces, is a crisp but warm neutral. This keeps the ambiance light and bright while allowing the accents of the design (lighting, art, and rugs) to set the tone for the visual interest of the space.” —Alex McBride, senior manager of home quality standards and design at Vacasa
“Neutral colors are calming and appeal to a wide range of tastes, which is helpful when trying to appeal to a variety of potential buyers. Neutral colors also make a room look larger, brighter, and more inviting, which will help to make a great first impression.” —Jasen Edwards, chair of the Agent Advice editorial board
“I chose teal, and have been happy with it for several years. It seems to stand the test of time. This bluish green is perfect for Florida’s greenery and waters. Even as I have updated my decorating the teal walls remain, they just work. Teal represents renewal — perfect for our challenging and hectic world. It is also a good color for stress relief!” —Diana De Paola Nardy, agent at The Corcoran Group in Palm Beach, Florida
“Farrow and Ball’s Borrowed Light, No 235, is one of my favorites for a living room when I want something other than a shade of white. It’s subtle and understated and slightly unexpected — a pale blue that reminds me of the stunning light and sky in the Hamptons. It’s fabulous for a ceiling color too!” —Whitney Lee, agent at The Corcoran Group in Southampton, New York
“A great living room paint color is Farrow & Ball’s Paean Black. This rich, dark color creates a dramatic and sophisticated atmosphere, making it perfect for formal living rooms or spaces where people entertain. It also works well with a variety of decor styles, from traditional to modern.” —Zara O’Hare, interior design consultant at Land of Rugs
“With today’s fashion trends bleeding into the interior design space, people are much more open to exploring bold colors and fun patterns in their homes than ever before. The most popular hues include deep reds, burgundy, rose, deep navy, and greens. Many are also extending their paint colors onto the ceiling and incorporating matching wallpaper to create a monochromatic look.” —Alexis Caldera, founder of DMT Design
Olivia Harvey is a freelance writer and award-winning scriptwriter from outside Boston, Massachusetts. She’s a big fan of scented candles, getting dressed up, and the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice starring Keira Knightley. You can make sure she’s doing okay via Instagram and/or Twitter.
Arielle Tschinkel is a freelance pop culture and lifestyle writer whose work has appeared on Shape.com, WomansWorld.com, FirstforWomen.com, Insider, HelloGiggles, and more. She loves all things Disney and is making her way to every park around the world, and is a die-hard Britney Spears fan for life. She’s also obsessed with her Bernedoodle, Bruce Wayne.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
When you work in home design and the Color of the Year announcements start rolling in, the excitement is like what the Super Bowl for the sports world. There’s so much anticipation leading up to each big paint brand’s selection, especially because they influence home decor trends. Well, today Sherwin-Williams announced Redend Point (SW-9081) as their their 2023 Color of the Year, and this warm blushy-beige might be just the palette cleanser many are craving to hit reset and refresh in their homes, as the world opens back up for business.
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“Redend Point was inspired by the idea of finding beauty beyond ourselves,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams in a press release about the shade. “It is a heartening hue that invites compassion and connection into any space.”
Wadden sees the color as a great option for both interiors and exteriors, considering the fact that this grounding neutral that can play with lots of different companion colors. “Redend Point embodies the idea of a destination worth moving toward, igniting the spirit of discovery and inspiring deeper connections with others throughout the world,” she elaborates. Personally, I’m likening this color to universally flattering effect warm, pink bulbs have on pretty much everyone, so why not create this kind of subtle glow for your walls 24/7?
To get DIYers and home enthusiasts in on the process of discovery associated with this hue, Sherwin-Williams is partnering with Etsy to release a capsule collection of home decor items that coordinate with 2023’s shade. You’ll find vases, art, candles, linens, and more as part of this curated assortment. The paint company also partnered with influencers to showcase spaces painted in this hue, a sampling of which you can see below.
Pinky undertones are part of what make this color so enveloping and easy to decorate with, says Wadden. “Build on its earthiness by utilizing the hue alongside natural-looking textiles and wood accents or create a desert oasis by layering terracotta shades and clay materials.” Because Redend Point’s a shade derived from nature, it reads as relaxing and calming the way greens — like Sherwin-Williams’ 2022 COTY, Evergreen Fog (SW—9130), for example — also do. That’s why Wadden can see this hue being particularly apt for bedrooms and lounge areas like the living room, among other kick-back or self-care spaces in a given home.
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With autumn less than a week away and many of us starting to prepare for the cozy seasons of fall and winter, you might find that this upcoming “fresh start” inspires you to finish a home project (or two) you’ve had on the back burner for a while: finally organizing the coat closet, cleaning your fan blades (yikes!), or even painting your walls. It’s a well known fact that a fresh coat of pain can do wonders for a space, whether we’re talking about an accent wall or a complete overhaul. But if trekking out to your local home improvement store is too much of a chore, we’ve got great news — you can totally make a color change in your apartment without even leaving your couch! Here, three companies that will deliver paint to your door — plus more on the other supplies you’ll need to get the job done.
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Have you had paint delivered before? Have a company you love that’s not on this list? Let us know in the comments below!
Clare’s 70 wall colors are organized by undertone — helpful when you know you’re looking for colors that look good with decor and paint colors you already have. An online quiz will match you with a color option based on factors like the type of room you’re planning to paint, size, lighting in the space, and style you’re looking for. If you want to see how the color will look on your wall, Clare has peel-and-stick decals that make it helpful to decide on a color without having to paint over swatches later. All the paints are free of toxic carbon-based solvents, hazardous air pollutants, and EPA chemicals. Clare also offers kits that include the supplies you’ll need (tray, roller, brushes, and more), and shipping is free for orders over $100. Prices for a gallon of paint start at $69.
Instead of hundreds of colors to choose from, Backdrop has curated 50 options they think look great on walls, dividing colors into broader categories like “neutral,” “light,” and “bold.” Like Clare, Backdrop will send you peel-and-stick samples so you can actually see what the color will look like on your wall. They also have a calculator to help you determine how much paint you’ll need. The company’s Essential Kit includes everything you need for a paint project, from brushes to rollers and tape. Shipments are free and arrive between 1-3 business days. Prices for a gallon of paint start at $45.
You probably recognize Behr from the aisles of Home Depot, where they have hundreds of colors, but a smaller selection of its paints is available to order from the Behr Express online shop. There are 59 colors to choose from, and Behr also helpfully divides them into room categories so you can find their best picks for each space. Like Clare and Backdrop, Behr also offers peel-and-stick paint samples, as well as an all-in-one kit that features all the supplies you’ll need for your paint project. A gallon of paint starts at just $40, and the price for the all-in-one kit is just $53.
And don’t forget the tools
Generally, you’ll need a roller, a paint tray, a paint stirrer, tape, drop cloth, and a ladder. You can expect to spend at least $30 on supplies. This 11-piece paint roller kit goes for $17.99 on Amazon, and painter’s tape costs $7.88. The biggest expense is going to be a ladder if you don’t already have one; these easily top $100.
