After over a decade of working with interiors, I’ve heard of countless homeowners standing in their freshly painted rooms with that same confused expression: “This looked completely different on the chip!” The reason is their paint undertones. These are those elusive secondary hues that are hidden beneath a color’s surface, that only reveal themselves once you’ve put in the effort to apply gallons of paint to your walls. Understanding how these undertones work isn’t just helpful; it’s essential to get the look you want and avoid redoing hours of labor. Let’s take a closer look at how these paint undertones work, so you get it right the first time.

What Exactly Are Paint Undertones?

Think of paint color as having two different personalities. The overtone is what you see first, and this is the prominent color family, like beige, gray, or white. The undertone is the more subtle hue hiding underneath, which is often revealed under different lighting conditions. A “warm gray” might have brown or yellow undertones, while a “cool gray” could lean more toward a blue or purple shade.

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These subtle, hidden hues become even more obvious once they’re painted on the wall and dry, especially when natural light floods the room, or your lighting comes on at night. That’s why what looked like what you wanted in the store can suddenly look strange and very different from what you expected.

The Comparison Method For Finding Undertones

Here’s the tried-and-true technique I like to use for spotting undertones. First, you’ll never want to evaluate a color by itself. Place your paint chip next to a true neutral tone, like a pure white or true gray swatch. The undertone will then reveal itself to you so you can make a more informed decision.

For example, hold a “white” paint chip against a white piece of printer paper. Suddenly, you’ll see whether it’s leaning toward a peach, gray, yellow, or blue hue. That barely-there tint on the chip becomes much more visible when you have a reference point to compare it to. I also recommend comparing your top picks side by side. The coolest option from your choices will make the others look warm by comparison, and help you determine which direction each color leans.

Test in Your Actual Space 

When you shop, you may have noticed that paint stores are flooded with artificial lighting designed to make everything look appealing. Your home is not a paint store, and its lighting will be quite different. The only way to truly understand how a color will behave is to test it in the room where you’ll use it.

Purchase sample pots of your top choices and paint large swatches that are at least two feet by two feet on different walls. Try painting these near windows, in darker corners, and on walls that receive different light exposure throughout the day. Then wait for these to dry and check how these samples look after at least 48 hours. It also pays to check them at different times of the day, such as in morning light, afternoon sun, and evening lighting. You’ll be amazed to see how dramatically the same color shifts from dawn to dusk. This way, you can get a complete idea of the color and its undertones to better understand how it reacts to your environment.

I also tell clients to look at their samples from different areas of their room. A color that looks perfect from the doorway might feel a lot different when you’re sitting on the sofa.

Common Undertone Problems

Certain paint colors are more prone to having undertone surprises. Let me save you from a few of the common problems you may experience.

Greige: This gray-beige tone sounds perfect in theory. However, in practice, greige can go rogue depending on its undertones. Some types lean more toward purple, like many popular neutrals from major brands, others pull you toward pink, and some reveal green notes. Always test your greige extensively before committing.

White: Perhaps no color category offers more variables than white. Whites can have undertones in yellow, gray, blue, pink, or even green. A white with warm undertones will make a north-facing room feel cozy, but it may feel more dingy or lean toward a cream in bright southern light. Cool whites create a crispness in bright spaces, but may feel stark and uninviting in rooms with limited natural light.

Gray: The go-to neutral of the past decade, and is famous for being tricky to work with, is gray. Many gray shades have strong purple or blue undertones that only emerge after being painted on the wall. Other types unexpectedly skew green, especially in rooms with lots of natural light, or brown. Using the wrong gray hue can make your space feel cold and unwelcoming, dark, or worse, accidentally lavender.

Consider Your Room’s Context

Paint color never exists by itself, and the undertones you use must work well with everything else in your design. To get the overall picture, take a look at your flooring first. If you have honey-toned hardwoods, they will amplify warm undertones and clash with any cool grays. If you have cool-toned tile or gray-washed floors, using warm beiges might look yellow and dated against them. Your wall color and flooring should exist in the same temperature family, and either be both warm or both cool.

Don’t forget about your fixed elements as well; these are the elements like countertops, tile, cabinets, and any built-ins you’re keeping and not replacing. A gray with blue undertones can make your beige granite countertops look orange. On the other hand, warm whites can clash with cool gray quartz. These color relationships matter more than the wall color to get a cohesive design.