During this time of year, I always feel inspired to start some cleaning and sprucing up, much like spring cleaning. Does that ever happen to you? Here at the shop we have been re-arranging things, getting new inventory and selecting new paint colors. And selecting colors can be a real challenge at times!

If you’ve been to the shop, you know how much we love color. In fact, customers often ask us the about the colors on our walls. Today, I wanted to share a few of my favorite paint colors.

Changing the paint color in a room is the single fastest way to make a dramatic change in your interiors. A fresh coat of paint can really re-invent a room. Take a look at this dramatic ‘before & after’ right here in our shop, and see how a fresh coat of paint can inject some new personality into a space.

Initially this booth was a soft beige color. While safe, the dealer really wanted her pieces to shine against a color that reflected her true personality and complimented her style of inventory. After some careful deliberation, and a few samples later, we finally decided upon a lovely Kelly green-inspired shade to compliment this dealer’s collection. What do you think?

Where to Start

Much like your home, a paint color should compliment your furniture and enhance the overall style of the space. When considering paint colors, you should take stock of all the wood finishes and fabric colors you currently have, and narrow down your selections from there. Pull all your existing fabrics and wood tones together and see what they have in common – is there a lot of green, several pink tones, shades of blue or simple whites? Let that help you find a starting point.

I always recommend buying the sample pots at Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams and testing those in a few spots around your room or house. You will quickly be able to see if the color will work before you invest in a paint project. When we first renovated our own home, our house was sprinkled with samples all over in many different rooms when I was selecting paint colors. Before the hurricane, our entire house was canopied with many beautiful old water oak trees, which changed many of our paint samples to green. By using those sample pots we were able to find a color that looked pretty throughout the house with all the different types of shade and lighting.

Color Trends

Currently, many people are loving the softer color palettes, but instead of beige, I see lovely pale grays, blues and greens becoming popular.

Here are my top inspirational colors to create that classically beautiful French style:

Sherwin Williams 6184 Austere Gray

Interior design by Amita Verma

I used Austere Gray for the walls in this stunning entryway.

Aloof Gray

Interior design by Amitha Verma

Aloof gray is a pretty pale green with a lot more gray in it. Here you can see a kitchen we designed with this lovely color palette.

Benjamin Moore Historic Colors 172 Revere Pewter

Revere Pewter – one of my personal favorites! A very warm gray that has a subtle hint of blue in a different light.

Sherwin Williams 7649 Silverplate

Benjamin Moore 943 Spanish White

Interior design by Amitha Verma

Here you can see Spanish White on the walls. It’s one of my favorite off whites, with a slight buttery tone.

Benjamin Moore 240 Delaware Putty

Benjamin Moore 567 Balsam

Benjamin Moore Historical Color 11.44 45 Van Cortland Blue

Benjamin Moore Historical Color 162 Brewster Gray

I myself have been inspired by all these fresh colors at the shop to go back and change a few rooms at home! I’m very excited to paint our master bedroom a pale gray and our guest room a pale cream with a hint of yellow. So now I’m off to find paint colors, and if you’re working on a project yourself, share a note on Facebook about your favorite shades!