8 Color Pairings for Painting Your Home Ceilings, Cabinets, and More!

Which Paint Colors are Best for Your Interior?

Homeownership comes with plenty of freedom -- so much freedom, in fact, that it can be difficult to make decisions. Choosing colors for your interior house paint is among the most difficult choices you’ll face as a homeowner. Even if you have a general idea of which colors you would like to see in your home, it’s hard to know whether or not the end results will meet your expectations, especially when you consider additional factors like lighting and sheen. And as if it wasn’t challenging enough to select a single color for a room in your home, pairing that color with another is bound to induce a headache or two. Painting a room a single color is always a possibility, but introducing a second color to a room (i.e. an accented wall or ceiling) can make a space more dynamic. Kitchens, in particular, offer a natural space for applying two paint colors divided between the walls and cabinets.

Fortunately, picking paint colors is now easier than ever before. There are multiple apps and online tools that give you a virtual view of what your interior might look like with various color choices and in different lighting scenarios. Even with these resources available, though, it’s not always easy to know where to begin -- sometimes it helps to have some ideas thrown your way. Whether you’re thinking about how your kitchen cabinets and walls will interact when painted with different colors, or how accenting your ceiling will affect a room’s overall aesthetic, here is our list of eight color pairings for painting your interiors.

1. White and...Just About Anything

White works well with any color you can imagine, which is in part why it’s such a common choice for homes across eras and styles. There are various types of white to consider, but they all serve to brighten and visually enlarge a space to some degree while providing contrast to any and all darker surfaces and features in a room. For instance, you might paint the walls of a room beige but leave the ceiling white to make the space feel a bit more open. In the kitchen, you might consider contrasting darker walls with white cabinets. Or, if you prefer white walls, you can paint those cabinets just about any color and said color will dominate the room. Simply put, white is a powerful and simple go-to option that will easily play off of any other color.

2. Light and Dark Blues (Monochromatic Schemes)

Blue has become a popular and highly sought-after color choice for home interior painting, especially when it comes to kitchens and bathrooms. Of course, there is no shortage of blues to sift through as you look for colors. If you’re feeling lost in the blues, try picking two blues on opposite ends of the light-dark spectrum (value) and see how they interact. For instance, you might paint the walls of your kitchen a darker, grey-blue and your cabinets a lighter blue. This type of color pairing is known as a monochromatic color scheme because it deals with a single color with varying values and/or saturations. Monochromatic color schemes work well regardless of the base color you go with, so if blue isn’t speaking to you, you can experiment with other colors.

3. Browns and Beiges

In a way, pairing browns and beiges is another example of a monochromatic color scheme, as beiges are generally lighter versions of browns. Many homeowners go with these color choices because they’re often welcoming and neutral without being drab. Plus, browns and beiges match the color of natural wood. So, if your kitchen cabinets (and other interior features) are made of wood and you would rather stain them than paint over them, they will be right at home in an interior with beige walls. The bottom line: if you want your home to embody a natural aesthetic, these color choices are worth considering.

4. Reds and Blacks

Some homeowners, on the other hand, have a flair for the dramatic and want their residential interior painting choices to reflect this. Red is undoubtedly one of the most striking colors you can go with, especially if it’s highly saturated. To balance the strong presence of red while maintaining the dramatic aesthetic, you can contrast this color with black. Like white, black works well with any other color. It’s worth noting, however, that black tends to visually shrink the size of a space, which is why this color choice can be risky for interiors. Still, this risk may be worth it if you’re looking for ways to make your interior memorable -- pairing red with black is certainly one way to do so.

5. Coral Pinks/Reds and Greys/Beiges

For a quieter color contrast, consider coral pinks/reds with greys/beiges. This type of combination is more common in southwestern regions, complementing the warm, arid climate. Whether you decide to incorporate either of these colors for walls, ceilings, cabinets, etc., they balance each other quite well and create an atmosphere that either color alone could not.

6. Dark Greens and Varied Browns

Green, like red, is another potentially risky color choice for interior home painting. However, green becomes less jarring the darker it is, especially when contrasted with beiges and browns. The green/brown combination evokes natural forest settings, to which many of us are naturally attracted. When carefully selected, the right marriage of green and brown can make for a welcoming, organic-feeling kitchen, especially if the cabinets show off their natural brown color and wood grain and the walls offer a muted green tone. This color combination works well for living rooms and bedrooms as well.

7. Oranges and Grey-Blacks

Interior painting contractors might also warn against choosing orange tones, as they can become overbearing. Once again, though, it’s all about creating contrast and balance. Plus, you don’t have to go with the brightest, most obnoxious orange out there. Instead, consider a darker or muted orange -- one mixed with brown, lightened with white, or softened with grey. Once you’ve found an inoffensive orange, pair it with a dark grey, perhaps veering on black (i.e. a charcoal or smoke). Imagine an interior room with orange walls and a dark grey ceiling, or vice versa. The result is unique and striking without being gaudy.

8. Muted Yellows and Browns

Like orange, yellow can overwhelm the eye when saturated too highly. That said, muted yellows can offer warmth and brighten up a space without the eye strain. For a balanced interior, try pairing your muted yellow with a rich brown. Blacks, whites, and greys, also provide excellent contrast to yellow tones. If you have a sunny disposition, these are great pairs to experiment with as you look for the right interior colors.

The Pains of Paint Color Selection and Pairing

Unless you’re blessed with a clear and unshakeable vision, you’ll likely struggle to make a final call when it comes to paint colors and pairings. If it’s any consolation, you’re not alone. We hope that the eight pairing suggestions outlined above offer some guidance and generate some ideas along your journey. But if you need further advice and help, know that Nash Painting has your back. The painting services we provide for our customers in Nashville, Brentwood, and Franklin, TN go far beyond what you might expect from other providers. We will work with you every step of the way, which means if you need help choosing colors for your interiors, we’ll be by your side, offering our expertise.

To learn more about us, our services, and our values, call us at 615-829-6858 today!