Having an attractive living space is essential for anyone looking to enjoy life to the fullest. The better your home looks, the happier and more fulfilled you’ll feel spending time within its walls. When it comes to home improvement projects, interior painting is one of the most effective ways to create the right atmosphere in any room. This particular home upgrade has a long history, with This Old House reporting that humans have engaged in this practice for more than 32 thousand years and would even paint the walls of caves long ago. The painting industry has come a long way over the years, and nowadays, local painters offer countless options for paint colors. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to choose the ideal color for your living room, kitchen, master bedroom, or any other space in your home. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the best bright and neutral shades to consider for your upcoming interior painting project.
Choosing Between Bright and Neutral
Before getting into any specific color recommendations, it’s important to consider the different benefits offered by bright and neutral colors. While both have their place, the best choice for your home depends entirely on your personal design preferences and goals.
If uniqueness and individuality are important to you as a homeowner, asking your local painters to use bright colors can help you make your home feel more distinctive. These colors tend to be less conventional, which enables them to leave more of a lasting impression on visitors. Bright colors are also highly energizing, meaning they work best in rooms where you like to socialize or be active.
Neutral colors, on the other hand, are usually more traditional. If you want a color that will stay on trend for years to come, these shades are more likely to stand the test of time, and they’ll probably match whatever existing decor you already have. Neutrals also tend to feel more soothing, making them perfect for rooms where you like to relax and unwind. These crowd-pleasing colors are additionally ideal for homeowners who may be selling their homes in the near future, as they can more easily provide a blank canvas for buyers trying to imagine themselves living there.
Deciding in advance whether you want a bright or neutral paint color can help you narrow down your list a bit. After making this decision, you can start thinking about more specific hues that may look good in a room. Let’s take a look at some of the best bright and neutral shades of green, yellow, red, and blue.
1. Shades of Green
Green evokes feelings of peace and oneness with nature, infusing any space with positive, refreshing energy. As a color that can be either warm or cool depending on the specific hue, it’s a highly versatile option that can work with a wide variety of aesthetics.
Bright greens are perfect for rooms where you want to feel reinvigorated, such as the kitchen or a child’s playroom. They can also add a funky, free-spirited vibe that really makes your home stand out from the rest. If you want to create a space that sparks vivacity and creativity, consider a bold, vibrant green like emerald, lime, mint, or jade.
Neutral greens, on the other hand, have a gentler, more subdued feel. If you tend to have difficulty settling down and relaxing at the end of the day, painting your bedroom or living room a shade like sage or olive may be just the change you need to finally feel at peace. Alternatively, darker, richer greens like pine or juniper can add unparalleled warmth and coziness to areas like living rooms and dining rooms, creating the perfect environment to curl up with a good book or enjoy a nice glass of wine.
2. Shades of Yellow
Yellow is the ideal color to bring joy and cheer to your home. Often associated with sunshine, painting your walls this color is sure to fill you with feelings of optimism and positive energy all day long.
Brighter yellows like canary and lemon are socially stimulating, making them perfect for places like entryways and kitchens. These lively hues encourage warm conversation and laughter, and when you invite guests to a bright yellow room, they’ll feel welcome, loved, and ready to make happy memories.
Neutral yellows can offer different moods depending on the specific shade you choose. Lighter options with peachy undertones, like buttercream and banana, have a down-to-earth feel that makes them ideal for homes with a modern farmhouse aesthetic. Deeper shades like mustard and goldenrod, on the other hand, offer an elegance that lends itself well to more classical styles.
3. Shades of Red
Colors in the red family offer a distinct warmth and earthiness, and they’ve been popular for generations. Commonly associated with life, red is often just the ticket to make a house feel more like a home.
If you prefer bold, artsy interior decor, bright red-orange shades like squash and ginger can be the perfect way to showcase the unique personality of your home. These colors make the perfect backdrop for design pieces in other bright colors, especially turquoise and yellow, and they’re sure to transform any room into an unforgettable work of art. Reds with more brown or purple undertones, on the other hand, offer unparalleled class and sophistication. Colors like garnet and mahogany give spaces like living rooms and dining rooms a more mature feel that sets them up perfectly for formal gatherings.
While red probably isn’t the first color that comes to mind when one thinks of neutral shades, browns with red undertones can be a highly effective way to add warmth to a room without it feeling overwhelming. Colors like brick and cinnamon add a distinct sense of coziness and can easily complement living rooms of any style.
4. Shades of Blue
Blue is often viewed as a tranquil, peaceful color, bringing to mind thoughts of calm seas and clear skies. However, the moods of different shades of blue can vary greatly, so it’s important to put plenty of thought into the specific hue that best meets your needs for your space.
Bright, lively blues, like sky blue and royal blue, have long been popular choices for children’s bedrooms due to their innocent, playful energy. Greener blues like teal, turquoise, and seafoam offer a more beachy, bohemian vibe that can be ideal for anything from a master bedroom to a bathroom.
Blues with gray undertones, conversely, feel more traditional. Navy and powder blue often lend themselves well to kitchens, as they add a sense of cleanliness and order. These more neutral blues are especially crisp when paired with sharp white accents.
Now that you have a better idea of the paint colors you may be interested in, it’s time to schedule your interior painting project with the best local painters in the business. At Pristine Painting & Coatings, making homes look beautiful is our passion, and we’re excited to help you give your living space the ideal look and feel. Whether you already know the exact color you want or still need some help deciding, we’ll be happy to assist you. Contact us today to book a free consultation and learn more about our process. We look forward to helping you take your home to the next level!
