Gray and white striped stair way and wall {stripe tutorial}
COLOR INSPIRATION
For most of the homes I’ve owned, I’ve favored neutral wall colors—mostly white or off-white. I’ve often felt the architecture of an older house speaks for itself, and aggressive color isn’t necessary to highlight what’s already attractive.
My current house is a craftsman style, and while it has character, it doesn’t have the same textured, “chunky” feel of an older home. It has ordinary drywall. Still, I try to stay true to a sense of home that feels cozy and dignified, with a touch of quirky personality so rooms don’t feel too serious.
Instead of white in the main rooms this time, I chose a muted gray with brownish undertones for the walls. That neutral, or a close variation, will flow through much of the house. I’ll post a dedicated paint-colors update soon, but in the meantime this gray serves as a calm, consistent backdrop.
White alone would have felt too bright and not cozy enough in rooms with large windows. It’s funny—white walls in my old house read aged and charming, but in this new space they felt overly contemporary and too stark. The same color can look very different depending on the house and light.
I still use white selectively—on board-and-batten, trim, and certain accent walls—to create contrast and brightness against the gray.
And I plan to have a couple of rooms with colored walls to keep things unexpected. For example, I’ll be sharing photos of our bright turquoise bathroom soon, which adds a lively contrast to the otherwise neutral palette.
Color inspiration can come from anywhere—a fabric, a rug, a painting, or a favorite photograph. I collect ideas on a Pinterest board where I stockpile palettes and combinations that catch my eye.
Too often we avoid color and pattern out of fear, ending up with safe but predictable rooms. Nature demonstrates endlessly varied, harmonious color combinations—there’s no reason our homes can’t reflect the same effortless coordination.
When choosing a scheme, I look for colors that:
1) capture the mood I want for the home
2) reflect both the interior and exterior context—my region, the house style, and permanent elements like wood floors and trim. I find neutral backdrops with occasional pops of color give me flexibility to change accents seasonally or whenever whim strikes.
If you’re in the Pacific Northwest, there are some bloggers who use dark grays and neutrals really well. Janelle at Isabella & Max and Emily at Jones Design Studio both create striking, moody schemes that still feel welcoming. Emily described her approach like this:
“First, I just love neutrals. They are calming, easy on the eyes and neutral—which means you can be fickle about changing accessories and still have them look good. Our walls and major furnishings are all shades of white, gray or black and I like being able to add red at Christmastime, green in the spring or yellow in the summer in the form of pillows, books and flowers and still have everything look cohesive. Because it can get gray and dreary in the NW, we have lots of white to keep things bright.”
I agree—having mostly neutral walls makes it easy to experiment with bold accent colors whenever you want, without committing to them permanently.
I also enjoy design quizzes that suggest palettes based on your answers. One useful tool I’ve used generates a custom paint palette when you answer a few simple questions. It’s a fun way to discover new combinations or confirm a palette you’re already considering.
PAINT PALETTE QUIZ
How about you? Did the quiz suggest a color scheme you like?
Are you fearless or cautious when choosing colors for your home?
I partnered with Glidden/AkzoNobel for this post and for the color quiz project, but the opinions and observations here are my own.