Color for interior wall
20 Best Paint Colors - Interior Designers' Favorite Wall Paint Colors
Sarah Winchester
1 of 20
Green Smoke, Farrow & Ball
"I love this deep rich green color in powder rooms (I used it in my own!) and on millwork," says interior designer Erin Gates. "We've been using it a lot lately in libraries and dens. It has a nice amount of gray in it, which makes it subdued yet dramatic."
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Life Created
2 of 20
Forged Steel, Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams' Forged Steel is a go-to choice for Lauren Lerner of Living with Lolo. "I love that this color changes depending on the lighting and nearby hues," she says. "It is a warm gray with some brown tones and a great neutral to be used as a dramatic backdrop."
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Photo: Meghan Beierle-O’Brien; Stylist: Char Hatch Langos
3 of 20
Classic Gray, Benjamin Moore
When it comes to gray paint colors, Benjamin Moore's Classic Gray is the top pick for Kitchen Design Group's Caren Rideau. “It brings soft warmth to a room and does not distract from artwork or any bright colors in furniture. It is a nice backdrop in a room."
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Mike Van Tassell
4 of 20
Century Darjeeling, Benjamin Moore
Dark hues can make a big impact, and this project from interior designer Gail Davis is proof. "I had the opportunity to use this expressive color in a guest bedroom for a private residence in Princeton, New Jersey. This color did not disappoint, being the perfect backdrop for the headboard and artwork. It takes your breath away."
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Melinda Kelson O'Connor Design
5 of 20
Dimpse, Farrow & Ball
Gray paint colors, like Farrow & Ball's Dimpse, are beyond versatile, according to architect and designer Mindy O'Connor. "Dimpse is a cool pale gray that works as a terrific neutral in lieu of white in modern space. It is a perfect backdrop for kitchen cabinetry or against other natural wood and stone elements without overwhelming the design. While setting a more cool tone, it is not stark."
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Brianne Bishop Design
6 of 20
Gray, Benjamin Moore
"We love using a deep, moody color to give depth to a space and this color achieves that with the perfect balance of warm and cool," says Brianne Bishop.
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Travis Richardson
7 of 20
Snowbound, Sherwin-Williams
"When it comes to white paint, we like to use the same shades throughout for the walls, trim, cabinets and ceilings," says House of Jade Interiors' Kirsten Krason, noting that Sherwin-Williams' Snowbound is the perfect hue.
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Donna Dotan
8 of 20
Chantilly Lace, Benjamin Moore
Designer Ariel Okin likes this cool, crisp white from Benjamin Moore. "It automatically opens up a room and makes it feel airy and clean," she says. "We also love pairing it as a trim color with Simply White by Benjamin Moore on the walls for a nice warm-cool contrast."
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Ryan Garvin
9 of 20
Aegean Teal, Benjamin Moore
Teal is a no-fail choice for a bedroom, library, office or even cabinetry, according to designer and HGTV star Breegan Jane. Her favorite? Benjamin Moore's Aegean Teal. "Teal is reminiscent of the shimmering waters of Ibiza on a warm, sunny day," says Jane. "It's synonymous with serenity, and who couldn’t use a little more of that?"
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Amy Bartlam
10 of 20
Cavernous, Dunn Edwards
Look no further than Dunn-Edwards' Cavernous if you have an affinity for dark paint colors. "The contrast is amazing with a crisp white, but also has this ability that allows it to pair perfectly with the warmer neutrals that we are using more and more of these days as well," says Los Angeles-based interior designer Kate Lester.
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Courtesy of Benjamin Moore
11 of 20
Palladian Blue, Benjamin Moore
"My go-to paint colors are classic and easy to live with," says interior designer Lauri Ward. "This blue-gray-green shade can be used in almost any room. It's an especially good choice for cooling a very sunny room, or creating a tranquil bedroom."
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Ace Hardware
12 of 20
Garden Stone, Clark+Kensington
"I try to stay away from colors with heavy blue undertones, and I direct my clients toward warm grays that will stand the test of time," say Ace design expert Katie Reynolds. "This shade is a favorite."
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Courtesy of Ace Hardware
13 of 20
Compatible Cream, Sherwin Williams
"When I need a yellow that isn't too sunny, I choose this one," says Jill Hosking-Cartland of Hosking Interiors. "This creamy shade is warm, inviting and very flexible when it comes to coordinating with colors with adjoining rooms."
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Benjamin Moore
14 of 20
Intense White, Benjamin Moore
"Don't be fooled by its name — this color gives off a grayish tone." says Irene Lovett, founder of designstiles. "It's an ideal backdrop for those who aren't brave enough to go with a bold color, but still wish for a subtle contrast with white trim. I love pairing this modern hue with transitional furnishings for a more contemporary mix."
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Jonny Valiant
15 of 20
Salmon Peach, Benjamin Moore
You can't go wrong with pairings found in nature (hello peonies!). Amanda Lindroth choose this blush-like hue to contrast with the pops of green. "The palette is based on the apple painting, which I inherited from my mother," the designer told House Beautiful.
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Benjamin Moore
16 of 20
Revere Pewter, Benjamin Moore
"This is my go-to color when working with an open floor plan," says Abbe Fenimore, founder/principal designer at Studio Ten 25. "A fail-safe neutral, it works with all styles, from traditional to modern, and both warm and cool color palettes. It's a great alternative to white, as it adds enough color to a room without overwhelming."
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Courtesy of Brittany Zachos
17 of 20
Decorator's White, Benjamin Moore
"This shade has the most brilliant pure white undertones," says Brittany Zachos of Zachos Design Group. "It's perfect for bright ceilings, trim and even bathrooms when you want a crisp, clean feel."
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Courtesy of Arianne Bellizaire
18 of 20
Wool Skein, Sherwin Williams
"If you're looking for a great neutral that will play with the other colors you want to bring into your space, try this one," says interior designer Arianne Bellizaire. "I love this color because it won't turn 'pink' on you."
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Benjamin Moore
19 of 20
Manchester Tan, Benjamin Moore
"This shade is my go-to warm neutral," says Elissa Morgante, co-principal of Morgante-Wilson Architects. "What I love about Manchester Tan is that it changes with the light. It goes from a rich warm hue to light and fresh depending on the source of the light in the room."
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Beatriz da Costa
20 of 20
Lavender Mist, Benjamin Moore
"People underestimate the power of lavender," Mary McGee told House Beautiful. Pale orchid livens up this entryway's walls while keeping rooms light and airy.
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10 Best Interior Paint Colors 2022
by Andre Kazimierski | Apr 23, 2022
Finding the best interior paint colors for your house is hard. As a homeowner, you’re faced with an endless array of colors, shades, and sheens. To complicate things further, you’ll need to coordinate paint colors between rooms and surfaces. That’s why our color experts created this top 10 favorite interior paint colors to make it easy for you.
Regardless if you’re sprucing up your bedroom walls or painting the whole house, here are the top 10 most popular interior paint colors for any room.
Best Paint Color Criteria
First and foremost, our goal is to save you time and money with this list. You shouldn’t spend all weekend ordering test patch swatches and driving to paint stores.
To simplify the process, the paint colors listed are fairly neutral, easy to match, and can be used in most rooms. Remember, every home is different and the amount of light in a room affects how colors look.
Accordingly, we’ve combined past job data, modern search trends, and interior designer favorites to rank paint colors by popularity.
With this list of the best paint colors for your home, we’ll make the process as simple as possible. Let’s start with one of our favorite classic interior paint colors for any room of the house.
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Sherwin Williams Pure White
Pure White (SW 7005) by Sherwin Williams is a versatile off-white paint color that is often used in the kitchen, bedroom, or living room. Likewise, it has a soft, warmer taupe tone that doesn’t feel terribly creamy and pairs well with gray color palettes.
Flexibility is key with this popular modern neutral interior color as it can be used on walls, cabinets, trim, or ceilings.
A quick announcement: Improovy just launched its newest location for Phoenix, AZ homeowners! If you live in the valley and are inspired by these colors, request a free estimate.
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Benjamin Moore Classic Gray
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Benjamin Moore Classic Gray (BM 1548) is a natural light warm gray color that registers as a sophisticated off-white on the walls of most rooms. A top paint color among designers, this can be used to paint the whole house, bedroom, living room, or kitchen. Not to mention, you can use this color instead of white in a darker room. Lastly, this top gray shade works in both south-facing and north-facing rooms.
Thinking about painting your main rooms? Find out which shades our experts picked in the best 9 living room paint colors this year.
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Repose Gray Sherwin-Williams
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This warm neutral paint color looks gray without feeling too cold. It’s a great color for walls in living rooms, foyers, dining rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms. Repose Gray (SW 7015) has slight taupe or green undertones and pairs well with white trim colors like Extra White (SW 7006).
The combination of gray and beige blends perfectly, allowing this color to go with most existing home paint color palettes.
Stumped on which primers to use? Learn all you’ll need to know about priming in our homeowner primer paint guide so you are better equipped to tackle your next project.
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PPG Delicate White
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As PPG’s most popular white color, Delicate White (PPG1001-1) is a cooler-toned, pale color that can be used on your walls, trim, or both. Ultimately versatile, it pairs with most paint colors and allows for a fresh contrast in rooms with natural wood trim.
One thing to watch for with this off-white PPG Paint color is the yellow undertones that can come through depending on lighting and existing room decor. In any event, this is an inviting color option that can brighten up smaller rooms.
Narrowing down paint colors in a bedroom can be tough. With thousands of colors to choose from, where do you start? A good place to begin would be this list of popular bedroom wall hues curated by our expert design team.
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Sea Salt By Sherwin Williams
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Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt (SW 6204) is a popular coastal “neutral” interior paint color that is a mix of gray and green. Used often in bathrooms, dining rooms, kitchens, and mudrooms, this is a relaxing cooler-leaning color with slight blue undertones.
This color has been described as “chameleon-like” in that it looks different in a variety of rooms/lighting. It also happens to be one of the most researched painting colors in the US with nearly 50,000 online searches per month.
Inspired by the painted powder room above? Find out which interior shades made our 10 best bathroom paint colors list this year!
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Benjamin Moore Chantilly Lace
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One of Benjamin Moore’s truest whites, Chantilly Lace (OC-65) is a crisp, clean interior color with slightly gray undertones used on trim, cabinets, and walls. In most rooms and lighting, it reads like a warm white and can be used on ceilings as well.
Now as one of the whitest whites, it may take a third or fourth coat when painting over most wall colors. Therefore, it’s no surprise that this popular interior shade has the same wall coverage issues as Sherwin’s Highly Reflective White and Behr’s Ultra Pure White. Nonetheless, it acts as a great contrasting trim color to other popular Benjamin Moore wall colors, Revere Pewter and Gray Owl.
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Behr Swiss Coffee
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Swiss Coffee 12 by Behr is another warm white that has a neutral base that may appear more creamy, yellow depending on room lighting or time of day. In any case, it’s Behr’s most popular interior paint shades, and test swatches can be found in most Home Depot stores.
Behr’s Swiss Coffee has a bit of a beige undertone and is a popular neutral hue for bedrooms, living rooms, basements, and family rooms.
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Farrow and Ball Hague Blue
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Hague Blue (No. 30) by Farrow Ball is a deep, darker blue-green that is a popular choice as an accent color or whole room color. Similar to SW Sea Salt, the color changes slightly in different interior lighting situations. It’s a rich and luxurious paint color that works well in a home office, dining room, or as a contrasting kitchen island cabinet color.
This popular Farrow & Ball color pairs beautifully with white trim or bright furniture pieces as a moody backdrop. It also works well with brass fixtures or a white tile bathroom as a classic shade of blue.
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Gray Owl By Benjamin-Moore
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One of the best-selling paints for Benjamin Moore in recent years, Gray Owl (2137-60) is a highly versatile warm-ish gray paint color. While blue, colder undertones may come out in certain lights, it’s still a very popular living room or kitchen paint color.
It can also be used in hallways and contrasts well with crisp white trim and flat white ceilings as a wall color. Certainly, it reflects light well in a room. On the other hand, it won’t make a small room look bigger like some of the white colors above.
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Origami White (Sherwin Williams)
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Sherwin Williams’ Origami White (SW 7636) is a balanced, modern wall color that is becoming more popular each year. It is white with a slight tan undertone that can be a neutral backdrop for most rooms in your house.
Origami White’s unique warm hue is why many interior decor experts swear by it as the perfect neutral paint color.
How much will your next painting project cost? Check out our interior painter pricing guide to learn all you’ll need to know when budgeting for your next paint job.
Interior Paint Colors By Brand
Oftentimes, you’ll be considering paint colors from specific brands as a homeowner.
In this case, your paint crew may have a preferred painting brand or a specific paint store may be located nearby. The most frequented stores include colors from specific paint brands. These include Sherwin Williams, Benjamin Moore, Home Depot, or Lowes stores.
To make things easy, we’re going to highlight our best picks for interior paint colors from brands carried by each store.
Best Interior Color At Sherwin Williams
The top-selling paint color by Sherwin Williams is Agreeable Gray (SW 7029). This popular pick from Sherwin is a softer warm gray paint color that coordinates with most other paint colors.
The color is a balanced softer shade that goes with any home style. It’s often used as a wall color in living rooms, hallways, or staircases. This greige tone is best used on walls. Similarly, it pairs well with a variety of shades including white trim, greens, blues, teals, and virtually any contrasting warm paint color.
Did you know that Sherwin also carries some of our favorite exterior paint products? If you are painting exterior stucco or wood siding, their SuperPaint and Duration lines are solid picks.
Top Benjamin Moore Paint Color
We mentioned Chantilly Lace earlier but another top Benjamin Moore paint color is White Dove (OC-17). This is a classic style short shade of white that has a hint of warmth to it.
White Dove is a neutral favorite for homeowners and contractors, often used on interior trim, moldings, baseboards, and doors.
Home Depot’s Best Painting Color
Home Depot carries a few different paint color brands including Behr, PPG, and Glidden. We recommend Behr in particular for budget DIY painting projects like painting a small bedroom. Please note, paint offerings from big box stores are cheaper but the paint is “entry-level” when it comes to quality. Specifically, the coverage and finish of the paint will leave a lot to be desired.
The best interior paint color at home Depot is Behr White 52. It’s a cooler-toned white color that has enough of a tint to be categorized as an “off-white”. Likewise, this is most apparent when you pair it as a wall color with trim painted in a true or base white.
For exteriors, you can check our new trending house paint color list which includes Behr’s popular Polar Bear 75.
Lowes Interior Paint Colors
Lowes, as a whole, is a slightly nicer version of Home Depot but that comes with slightly higher prices and a limited selection. Nonetheless, Lowes carries known interior paint brands like Valspar and HGTV Home by Sherwin.
If you are confused about the difference between paint found at a Sherwin Williams paint store and the HGTV brand carried by Lowes, we are too. Likewise, it may worth a future blog post.
For now, we will highlight one nice aspect of this confusing corporate partnership. Most if not all Sherwin Williams paint color swatches can be picked up at Lowes. If you live closer to a Lowes versus a Sherwin Store like me, this is super useful.
As a general rule of thumb, you can always ask any paint store to mix colors for you from other brands. They all share the color mix codes with one another.
Thinking about updating your kitchen this season? Discover what it really costs to paint kitchen cabinets this year.
Valspar Paint Colors
A few recommended favorite paint colors from Valspar are as follows. Gilded Linen is a great warmer neutral, Summer Gray is a cooler off-white, and Oyster Pearl is another popular choice. We also like Granite Dust for kitchen cabinets or island accent pairings. Not to mention, Blissful Blue by Valspar is a homey bedroom color that contrasts well with white trim.
Are you looking to learn about the cost to paint a room in Chicago? Check out Improovy’s latest article about room painting costs in Chicago, Illinois.
Interior Painting Color FAQs
Which neutral wall color is most popular in 2022?
The most popular neutral interior paint color of 2022 is Pure White by Sherwin-Williams. This popular neutral wall color is beloved by interior designers for any room. It's a warm interior shade with subtle hints of creme. Known for its versatility, Pure White can be used on interior walls and trim as well as cabinets and ceilings.
What's the best interior paint brand for 2022?
The best interior paint brand in 2022 is Benjamin Moore. A majority of professional painters agree that Regal Select by Benjamin Moore is the best quality interior paint you can buy. Sherwin Williams is the second-best interior paint brand in 2022. For interior paint products, Cashmere and SuperPaint are rated number two and three respectively.
What is Sherwin-Williams HGTV Home Color of the Year 2022?
The HGTV Home By Sherwin-Williams 2022 color of the year is Aleutian (HGSW3355). Sherwin Williams Aleutian is a dusty blue paint color with enough gray undertones to act as a fantastic neutral backdrop for any interior wall. If you like blue but don't want vibrant aqua or dark navy room, this trending shade is for you. Please note, HGTV Home by Sherwin Williams is a specific paint line made for Lowes Stores. This brand differs from Sherwin Williams' flagship storefront paint. Sherwin-Williams 2022 paint color of the year for it's storefronts is Evergreen Fog SW 9130.
What are interior paint color trends for 2022?
The 2022 paint colors trends for interiors are warmer shades of neutral white, greige, and soothing tranquil tones. The new 2022 paint colors of the year include Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog (SW 9130), Gilded Linen 6002-1A by Valspar, and Breezeway by Behr. Lastly, Benjamin Moore’s 2022 paint color of the year is October Mist 1495.
Color selection for interior walls
Illumination, type of light, and degree of gloss greatly influence how color is perceived.
Selecting the desired color from small catalog samples is often a difficult task, as the perception of color is affected by the surface area, its structure, as well as the type of paint.
In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the mutual influence of colors on each other can affect the perception of color.
It often happens that the color chosen from the catalog does not correspond to the desired degree to what we were striving for.
This phenomenon is due to the fact that the perceived color is always different from the original catalog color.
There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a color for interior walls.
Light makes color
When choosing the right color for walls, remember that different light sources affect color differently.
Color solutions are difficult to make without knowing the lighting of a particular room. The type of light and its amount (to a large extent) affect the perception of color.
Colored interior surfaces reflect only those wavelengths of the spectrum that a particular lamp or other light source contains.
Blue looks best in daylight, as the electric light from an incandescent bulb does not follow the wavelengths of blue.
Of all the modern artificial light sources, only halogen light naturally reproduces all color wavelengths without being too blue like daylight.
Conventional electric incandescent lamps are the most common indoor lighting these days.
This light is quite yellow.
For this reason, the color with a bluish tint in such rooms seems somehow boring, dirty, uninteresting.
Walls painted in bluish tones may start to look greenish as well. On the other hand, yellows, yellow-oranges, and reddish hues tend to look pretty.
Recently, small fluorescent discharge lamps are becoming more common, which save energy better.
From the point of view of color, these lamps are, frankly, problematic, since their spectral distribution is uneven. The quality indicators of different fluorescent lamps are not the same.
Of these, the best, in terms of color reproduction, are those that mimic daylight. From the foregoing, it follows that the color should be chosen and checked under the lighting in which the wall painted by it will be located.
When the room is illuminated by daylight, the situation changes noticeably. Incoming daylight is bluish. Therefore, it cools the colors. Yellow and red shades acquire a cool bluish tint.
Blue, blue-green and green shades can be perceived as cold, especially in northern and eastern rooms. Light and shadow can change the tone of the color, and therefore it is recommended to test the color on both a lit and unlit wall.
Gloss and type of ink affect color perception
The glossier the surface, the deeper and more intense the color is perceived. When we compare surfaces painted in the same color with a perfectly glossy and a completely matte paint, it is easy to distinguish lighter from darker.
The phenomenon is the result of the fact that light is reflected in our eyes from a smooth glossy surface in a more unidirectional way, and the eyes perceive the color as deeper and darker.
On a more matt porous surface, the sun's rays are scattered in different directions and give the impression of a lighter surface.
This fact can be used when determining the color scheme of the interior.
Paint binder also affects the perception of color. Acrylic paints reproduce the color slightly coldish, bluish, compared to alkyd paints, in which you can notice a slight yellowish color.
Not only individual types of paint, but also individual types of surface to be painted, reproduce colors differently. On a highly structured surface, colors appear darker due to the fact that they are shaded.
Surface structure affects color
A more embossed structured surface makes the color appear darker.
The sample catalog does not give an absolutely accurate representation of the color.
Selecting a color based on a small catalog sample can lead to errors.
The color swatches are placed on the white background of the paper, and even light pastels appear brighter.
For example, it is not uncommon for the F colors in the Tikkurila Symphony catalogs to appear more saturated, even though they are tinted whites in nature. Under natural conditions, there is no contrasting white paper background, and light colors are perceived even lighter.
The intense pure color of the catalog on a large surface acquires additional strength and brightness.
Yellow and red are often stumbling blocks. When choosing a color from the catalog, it is worth choosing a slightly lighter color instead of the desired more saturated color.
Large swatches are the best color selection tool
The mutual influence of colors on each other should also be taken into account when choosing a color for walls. Sometimes the color of large surfaces of furniture, carpets, curtains is reflected in the color of the walls quite dramatically.
Neighboring colors also affect each other. For example, the neutral gray color of the planks against the background of the green shade of the wall sometimes begins to be perceived as reddish. Light colors look even lighter next to dark colors and, conversely, dark colors look even darker next to light ones.
It is not uncommon for samples to be viewed on the table when choosing a color. More light hits a horizontal sample than a vertical wall, and this can result in a color that is too strong.
Color swatches should be compared and viewed vertically.
To facilitate selection, Tikkurila offers single, unrelated color samples of Tikkurila Symphony in A5 size, which can be compared and from which you can choose the right color on the spot in real conditions.
However, in order to be absolutely sure of the correct color choice and to eliminate any errors, we recommend that you make large samples of both the wall that is illuminated by the sun and that which is in the shade, and make a final color check on the location of the object.
How to choose colors for interior walls
x pcs. PCS.
The type and amount of light, as well as the degree of gloss, greatly influence how color is perceived. Selecting the desired color from small catalog samples is often a difficult task, since color perception is also influenced by the surface area and structure, as well as the type of paint. In addition, it should be noted that sometimes the mutual influence of colors on each other can dramatically affect the perception of color. It often happens that the color chosen from the catalog does not correspond to the desired degree to what we were striving for. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the perceived color is always different from the original color of the catalog. There are a whole host of factors to consider when choosing a color for interior walls.
Light makes color
When choosing the right color for walls, remember that different light sources affect color differently. Color solutions are difficult to make without knowing the lighting of a particular room. The type of light and its amount (to a large extent) affect the perception of color. The colored surfaces of the interior reflect only those wavelengths of the spectrum that a particular lamp or other light source contains.
Blue looks best in daylight...
...because the electric light of an incandescent bulb does not follow the wavelength of the blue
Of all the modern artificial light sources, only halogen light naturally reproduces all color wavelengths without being too blue like daylight. Today, conventional electric incandescent lamps are the most common indoor lighting. This light is quite yellow. For this reason, the color with a bluish tint in such rooms seems somehow boring, dirty, uninteresting. Walls painted in bluish hues may begin to appear greenish as well. On the other hand, yellows, yellow-oranges, and reddish hues tend to look pretty.
In recent years, small fluorescent discharge lamps are becoming more common as they save energy better. From the point of view of color, these lamps are, frankly, problematic, since their spectral distribution is uneven. The quality indicators of different fluorescent lamps are not the same. Of these, the best, in terms of color reproduction, are those that mimic daylight. From the foregoing, it follows that the color should be chosen and checked under the lighting in which the wall painted by it will be located.
When the room is illuminated by daylight, the situation changes noticeably. Incoming daylight is bluish. Therefore, it cools the colors. Yellow and red shades acquire a cool bluish tint. Blue, blue-green and green shades can be perceived as cold, especially in northern and eastern rooms. Light and shadow can change the tone of the color, and therefore it is recommended to test the color on both a lit and unlit wall.
Gloss and type of ink affect color perception
The glossier the surface, the deeper and more intense the color is perceived. When we compare surfaces painted in the same color with a perfectly glossy and a completely matte paint, it is easy to distinguish lighter from darker. The phenomenon is the result of the fact that light is reflected in our eyes from a smooth glossy surface in a more unidirectional way, and the eyes perceive the color as deeper and darker. On a more matte porous surface, the sun's rays are scattered in different directions and give the impression of a lighter surface. This fact can be used when determining the color scheme of the interior.
Paint binder also affects color perception. Acrylic paints reproduce the color slightly coldish, bluish, compared to alkyd paints, in which you can notice a slight yellowish color. Not only individual types of paint, but also individual types of painted surfaces reproduce colors differently. On a highly structured surface, colors appear darker due to the fact that they are shaded.
The surface structure influences the color. Due to the embossed structured surface, the color looks darker.
The catalog sample does not give a completely accurate representation of the color
Selecting a color based on a small catalog sample can lead to errors. In the map, color samples are placed on a white background of paper and even light pastel colors look brighter. For example, it is not uncommon for the F colors in the Tikkurila Symphony catalogs to appear more saturated, even though they are tinted whites in nature. Under natural conditions, there is no contrasting white paper background, and light colors are perceived even lighter. The intense pure color of the catalog on a large surface acquires additional strength and brightness.
Yellow and red are often stumbling blocks. When choosing a color from the catalog, it is worth choosing a slightly lighter color instead of the desired more saturated color.
Large swatches are the best color selection tool
The mutual influence of colors on each other should also be taken into account when choosing a color for walls. Sometimes the color of large surfaces of furniture, carpets, curtains is reflected in the color of the walls quite dramatically. Nearby colors also affect each other. For example, the neutral gray color of the planks against the background of the green shade of the wall sometimes begins to be perceived as reddish. Light colors look even lighter next to dark colors and, conversely, dark colors look even darker next to light ones.
It is not uncommon for samples to be viewed on the table when choosing a color. More light hits a horizontal sample than a vertical wall, and this can result in a color that is too strong. Color swatches should be compared and viewed vertically. To facilitate selection, Tikkurila offers single, unrelated color samples of Tikkurila Symphony in A5 size, which can be compared and from which you can choose the right color on the spot in real conditions.
Still, in order to be absolutely sure of the correct color choice and to exclude any errors, we recommend that you make large samples of both the wall that is illuminated by the sun and that which is in the shade, and make a final color check on the location of the object.