Choosing paint colors for your home is a big deal: Nothing sets the tone for a space like the color on the walls. So deciding what paint color to use—and therefore the feeling of the room—can be a tough task. To help simplify the process (so that you don't end up with a rainbow of sample swatches swiped across every wall), we’ve asked some of our favorite interior designers for advice. These are the paint colors they turn to again and again, from timeless classics to rich tones.
Paper White by Benjamin Moore
“This white is my absolute favorite!” says Ashley Darryl of Ashley Darryl Interiors in New York City. “It’s warm and tends to go a touch gray, instead of blue or yellow like a lot of whites. I use it everywhere—in kitchens so white cabinets pop, up a stairwell instead of a stark white, and even on moldings against colored walls.”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Parma Gray by Farrow & Ball
“I am obsessed with this blue,” Darryl says. “It has a purple undertone that looks almost gray-blue, like a cloudy sky.” She’s used it in a high gloss finish for a dramatic foyer, in matte in a family room to make the space feel cozy, and on a ceiling as a pop of color in an otherwise white room.
To buy: From $99, us.farrow-ball.com.
Light Pewter by Benjamin Moore
“We've used this light gray for years,” says Jim Aman of Aman & Meeks in New York City. “It’s a great neutral that works with almost all interiors.” While all-gray walls might sound like a big commitment, the duo loves that Light Pewter is a timeless backdrop that allows for flexibility with color elsewhere in your décor.
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Brassica by Farrow & Ball
“If there is such thing as a quiet, masculine purple, this is it,” says Richard McGeehan of McGeehan Design in Ossining, New York. “It’s gorgeously subtle and flatters everything from antique English mahogany to Moroccan black and white inlay, and also 1970s chrome. It delights and surprises those who believed they could never love a purple room!”
To buy: From $99, us.farrow-ball.com.
White Dove by Benjamin Moore
“This is such a classic, versatile white,” says Alexandra Kaehler of Alexandra Kaehler Design in Chicago. “It has a little bit of warmth, but not enough to look yellow, so it’s always fresh-feeling. I would absolutely fill an entire house with it—and have many times!”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Alligator Alley by Benjamin Moore
This rich green is Kaehler’s favorite colorful choice. “It has some gray undertones that make it really easy to live with. I’ve used it as the ground for custom wallpaper, as an accent on the ceiling, and I've also covered an entire room in it.”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Heritage Red by Benjamin Moore
“I love this color in high gloss, in a dining room or library,” says Lilly Bunn of Lilly Bunn Interiors in New York City. “It’s best in rooms that you use at night, though, as it can be a bit too dark for the daytime.”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Linen White by Benjamin Moore
“This is the perfect ivory color that works with almost anything and has tons of depth,” says Alyssa Kapito of Alyssa Kapito Interiors in New York City. “It has enough pigment to still feel ivory in a very bright room, and turns the softest pink as the sun goes down. We use this color everywhere and anywhere!”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore
“We turn to this color very often in our projects,” says Susana Simonpietri of Change & Co. in Brooklyn, New York. “It is a white with a slight blue tone, making rooms look that much brighter and lighter! We use it on walls, trim, and millwork, and also love it on media built-ins and bunk beds.”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Shoreline by Benjamin Moore
“My go-to neutral is Shoreline. I searched high and low for a pale gray that would not read blue, green, or lavender, and this color has just enough pigment to contrast well against crisp, white trim, but not so much that you can’t use it everywhere—even on the ceiling!” says Claire Paquin of Clean Design in Scarsdale, New York. “It’s great for family rooms, hallways, and kitchens. It’s the perfect, pale, neutral gray.”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Autumn Purple by Benjamin Moore
“This sophisticated, rich hue of berry purple is my favorite bold color right now,” Paquin says. “It’s daring yet inviting, and lends tons of warmth to a space. It’s not too masculine or feminine, and works in every environment.” Paquin recommends it in dining rooms, powder rooms, or as a high-gloss lacquer on built-ins in a home office.
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Passive by Sherwin Williams
“Unlike most neutral gray tones, Passive doesn’t carry any undertones,” says Elizabeth Darth of Martha O’Hara Interiors in both Minneapolis and Austin. “It’s not too warm, not too cool, not too blue, and not too taupe. This go-to gray is totally reliable, and could look great in almost any room. I recently used it in a nursery.”
To buy: From $30; sherwin-williams.com.
Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore
“This warm taupe-gray is like a chameleon, reflective of its surroundings and subtly changing with sunlight—which is what makes it so much fun!” says Hayley Schlueter, also of Martha O’Hara Interiors. “The color has been around for awhile—it’s on Benjamin Moore’s historic swatch list—because it’s so darn pretty!”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
Bermuda Turquoise by Benjamin Moore
“Small, transitional spaces such as foyers and powder rooms are prime places to go big with color,” says Jennifer Jones of Niche Interiors in San Francisco. “I love Bermuda Turquoise—this rich, saturated jewel tone is especially beautiful in a high-gloss finish.”
To buy: From $40; store.benjaminmoore.com.
