Update: you can find my most up-to-date colors on my Paint Colors page!
The rest of this post was written before my house was repainted.
CHOOSING PAINT COLORS
I want to share the paint colors I’ve been using since I’m continuing the ongoing painting project at my house. Questions about paint choices are among the most common I receive, so I hope collecting them here helps answer things in one place.
My original plans for the house have evolved as I lived in it. I try to stay open to changes because how a room actually feels to me often guides my decisions. I’m sensitive to the mood a color creates, and that inner sense usually leads me to choices that fit my true taste.
It’s easy to be swayed by trends and images online, but I aim to follow what feels right for my home. Letting the feeling of a room drive my choices helps me create a space I love to live in and reduces the number of mistakes I make. Decorating to please trends rarely serves me — I just need to be true to my own sense of style.
my mom made my curtains
Tobacco Leaf Paint by Martha Stewart
If you followed the saga of choosing a color for the family room and kitchen, you may remember it took a long time to find the right one. I eventually settled on Tobacco Leaf by Martha Stewart and I absolutely love it. To me it works as a warm neutral—classy, cozy, and with brown undertones that keep it from looking minty like some greens can.
Cool icy greens and blues felt too cold for the atmosphere I wanted. I’m drawn to colors that create the ambiance I want, not just colors that look pretty on their own. Tobacco Leaf took many sample trials to find, but it was worth the effort.
Tobacco Leaf is on my kitchen walls, breakfast room walls, family room, and in the small hall outside the powder room.
Martha Stewart Snail Shell – Powder Room
Snail Shell Paint by Martha Stewart
For the small powder room off the kitchen and hall I used Martha Stewart Snail Shell, a deep khaki green. We had a sample leftover that didn’t make the cut for the rest of the house, so it became the powder room color. It’s a shade I might change later as the rest of the house evolves.
The plan is to add white tongue-and-groove wainscoting on the lower half of the powder room walls. That might be the time we change the paint if needed. For now I’ll wait and see how the house feels as we progress.
Dining Room Behr All in One Studio Taupe
Behr All in One Studio Taupe Paint
For the dining room I chose a warm gray, Behr All In One Studio Taupe, and it has been a great choice. This room feels warm and welcoming rather than cold or stark. The gray has a brownish undertone that harmonizes with the natural light and scenery here in the Pacific Northwest, so it reads as cozy instead of icy.
Though the photo may sometimes make it appear similar to other rooms, Studio Taupe is noticeably darker than Tobacco Leaf and complements it well, helping the rooms to flow together. I chose gray not because it’s trendy, but because it acts as a classic neutral that supports my white trim, furniture, and stained glass accents.
I envision this gray working well in a house with classic character—mixing old-world warmth and my Northwest Craftsman details. It contrasts nicely with white trim and doesn’t compete with colorful elements like stained glass, which was an important consideration when making the decision.
What’s the next step in the painting process?
I’m continuing Studio Taupe into the living room, entry, and up the staircase.
Decision made — onward and upward!
I considered using molding to separate the living room color from the dining room, but ultimately decided to continue the same color throughout the main floor (except for a separate room that will become my office). The front rooms get a lot of light, so Studio Taupe will read even lighter there and should give the house a more established, “old world” feel compared to the previous, less cohesive color.
I like using warm neutrals throughout a home — it’s a formula I’ve returned to in nearly every house I’ve owned. Rooms that flow together with variations of related shades feel natural and lived-in rather than overly decorated. I typically choose paint last, so it sits comfortably in the background of the overall decorating scheme instead of dominating it. Walls should be backdrops, not focal points.
White accents, neutral basics, pops of color in accessories and painted pieces, and warm wood tones are the elements I rely on to create balance. I want highs, lows, and mid-tones in each room rather than a monotonous palette; that variety makes a space feel layered and inviting.
Tobacco Leaf – Martha Stewart
If you’re curious about other painted pieces in my home, I’ve written about painting a dresser and a blue table in other posts that describe the colors and techniques I used.
What about the upstairs hall and bedrooms? I haven’t decided yet and don’t typically plan that far ahead. I tend to choose colors as the house comes together so they fit the overall mood naturally.
My husband says he can handle painting even the tall walls with his ladder, so the work is ready to continue. Thanks for following along on this painting journey!
related posts:
My favorite Antique White Paint
This post was part of a paint-color link-up and series of posts sharing paint ideas and inspiration.
Thank you to Diane for sponsoring this week’s posts!