5 Tips on How to Choose Paint Colors for a Coastal Cottage Look

Choose coastal paint colours with confidence using these tips and tricks – along with some of the most popular Benamin Moore coastal colors and other popular coastal cottage paint colors.

Picking a paint color is one of my favourite parts of a room transformation.

It also ~ at times ~ scares me silly!!

I’ve fallen in love with every house we’ve lived in ~ including the farmhouse by the sea.  It had a rich, rich history.  Half of it was built in 1927 and half in 1967.  And did I mention the ocean was only steps away?

On move in day, we found an eclectic mix of historical elements with a healthy dose of 70s and 80s style.  Over time, I tried to unify the elements and flow to make it seem like a house with a single personality ~ not one with multiple ones!:)

After a few “misses” in the paint color department, I discovered the feel and style of  home that I wanted to create is a coastal cottage feel. (Click for our previous home tour here: Farmhouse By the Sea)

Tips for how to choose coastal paint colors for your home interior

Here are some tips I’ve used that have helped guide me through the maze of choosing colors to fit that coastal cottage style.

1.  Observe what you love. 

This is where inspiration pictures come in.  Pinterest, magazines, and library books are all great resources.

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2.  Take note of the paint colors you are drawn to. 

As you analyze the inspiration pictures you collect, you’ll most often quickly discover a reoccurring theme.  For me, it was watery blues and crisp whites.

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3.  Once you discover the direction you’re headed, dig deeper to find the specifics of the elements you love. 

Although I know I love blue, there are just SO MANY shades of it!  The choices just seemed so overwhelming.  The game changer for me was when I watched an episode of Sarah’s Cottage.  She was working on a kitchen in her island cottage and I fell in love with the end result. It had paint colors for the Coastal Cottage look I was going for, so I observed it carefully.

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I studied and studied that picture and went to the Benjamin Moore store to get the exact color swatches of that room.  I was shocked to discover that the shades of blue in the photos were actually called “gray” with a healthy mix of green as well.

4.  Once you have an idea of the colors you’d like, try the swatches out in the room you are painting. 

Although you may love a color in a picture, it may look totally different in the light and size of the room you’re working on. 

If you are having trouble choosing with those teeny tiny swatches, I totally agree! Here are some better options:

• Buy a sample size of the colors you are choosing between and paint it on half a sheet of poster board. It will make a nice big paint swatch to see on the wall. You can see how I used that method when I was choosing a paint color for a small dark space. (Our current living room.) This method allows you to move around your giant paint swatch and observe it in different lights throughout the day and night.
• Paint sample swatches right on the wall. Just be careful, however, that the current color on the wall doesn’t change the swatch color.

5.  Most importantly, relax! 

The single best tip I ever read was the statement “It’s just paint, after all”.   As someone who has often been plagued with decorating paralysis, this was a big help.  Although I’m incredibly frugal and fully understand paint costs money, it’s a relatively inexpensive risk in home decor.  If you get it on the wall and absolutely hate it, just change it!  I’ve watched professionals (even Sarah Richardson, my favorite!) who have misses in color choice and change it after they see it on the wall.

The main point of room color and decor is to use it to achieve something that you love.  If you love it, it’s right!

If you need a place to start for finding colour inspiration and learning more painting tips and tricks, check out Benjamin Moore’s website here.

What are some of the most popular blue green paint colors for a coastal look?

I love the muted style of coastal cottage paint colors. Over the years, I’ve studied and studied those colors. Today, I discovered a super helpful article by Life on Virginia street with a list of popular blue green paint colors, along with pictures of them in homes. You might find it super helpful.

We used sea salt in one of our previous bathroom, and I recognize others as some of my favorites as well.

If you are looking for muted, coastal paint colors, I suggest you google it. You’ll find a whole lot of inspiration to choose from!

For more tips on how to choose an interior paint color, you might find these posts helpful:

• How to choose a paint color you’ll have no regrets about!
• What is the right paint sheen for what I’m doing?
• How to paint a room
• Interior painting supply checklist: What do I need to paint a room?
• Home decor tips and tricks from HGTV stars
• Resources to help choose paint colors

And are you wondering what color I chose for our new room makeover?? Here is the Dining Room Turned Office Room Reveal!

For more fresh ideas for your home:

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