How to Pick a Paint Color You’ll Love (Tips That Actually Work)

After testing dozens of paint colors over the years, here are the tips that finally made choosing the right color easy — including the one white that transformed our dark townhouse.

Oh my stars, if there is one thing I have learned after years of living in different homes, it is that choosing the right paint color is equal parts exciting and completely nerve-wracking!

When we moved into our current townhouse ten years ago, every single wall was painted a medium tan. We found out quickly that it made the whole place feel dark and a little bit dreary.I’m not a person that’s afraid of color — I have had all kinds of colorful palettes in every home I have ever lived in. But this house told me pretty quickly what it needed.

We tested what felt like a thousand options. And after all of that, we landed on Simply White by Benjamin Moore. It made the house feel bright, cheerful, and cozy. Because this home doesn’t get a lot of natural light, Simply White was the color that did exactly what we needed it to do.

Now, ten years later, I find myself painting again — not because I am changing the color, but because the walls simply needed freshening up. And I’m choosing Simply White all over again. It doesn’t make for dramatic before & after room makeovers, but it does tell how much I love the color!

If you are in the middle of choosing a paint color right now, I completely understand the stress. Paint costs have gone up, and the last thing you want to do is buy an entire can of the wrong color. So here are my biggest tips — gathered from years of painting lots of rooms in lots of different homes.

1. Learn from designers and trusted sources

Designers spend years working with color every single day. They know what works and what does not. I love browsing design accounts on Pinterest and Instagram, saving rooms that make me feel the way I want my home to feel. That feeling is your first clue.

Pay attention to which colors show up again and again in spaces you love. My Simply White discovery came from years of noticing how certain whites made rooms feel warm and cozy rather than cold and sterile. Trust your eye — it knows more than you think!

2. Always view a color in your actual space

This is the most important tip I can give you. A paint chip at the store and that same color on your wall are two completely different things. Natural light, the size of the room, your flooring, your furniture — all of it changes how a color looks.

Here is what works beautifully: buy a sample pot and paint it onto a large piece of white poster board. Then move that board around the room at different times of day — morning light, afternoon light, lamplight in the evening. You will see exactly what you are working with before you commit to a full can.

Don’t skip this step. I promise you it is worth the extra few dollars and one afternoon of your time.

3. Relax! It’s Just Paint...

I know, I know. Easier said than done! But here is what finally freed me from paint color anxiety: realizing that it is not a permanent decision. If you get a wall done and your heart sinks a little… you can repaint it. It is not the end of the world.

And often, I find that I need to see a full wall done before I can really decide. A little chip or even a poster board sample cannot fully prepare you for the real thing. Give it a chance.

4. Finish the room before you decide

Before you grab your roller and start going back to the store, wait until you have your accessories and soft furnishings back in place. So many times I have second-guessed a paint color mid-project, only to fall completely in love with it once the throw pillows, curtains, and a fresh bouquet of flowers were back in the room.

The whole picture matters. Don’t judge the paint until you add back in at least a few of your favorite things.