On this page we share ideas for choosing paint colors that flow from room to room.
Use the same neutral color – To create the best flow, using the same neutral is an effective idea. Whether the color is beige, gray, greige, white, brown, or black, keeping it the same in each room does two things. One, it makes the accent wall call even more attention to itself, it really gets to be the highlight of the space. Two, it matches the flooring that is likely installed in the entire area.
Why would you want to pick a different neutral for every room anyways, that involves a lot of selections and touch up paint buckets you have to save? Having the same neutral “flow through paint” color is especially useful for open concept layouts. You can then bring in touches of your favorite accent colors through decor pieces, finishes and furniture to bring the design together.
Use the same color card – Most paint companies make this process super easy for you. They typically have cards with about 5 to 6 colors on it, all in lighter and darker shades or hues of the color. Once you pick the paint card that you like you can use the other colors on that card in place you want to be darker or lighter.
It’s helpful to use the light to medium paint colors for the kitchen, living room and bedroom and darker shades for areas such as dining rooms, hallways and areas you don’t use as much to keep them from feeling too intense.
In smaller rooms you may want a lighter color to make the room seem larger. Maybe you do not want an accent wall, but just some walls to be the darker shade and some lighter. Using the same color card keeps the color in the family to avoid clashing. They often give a recommended accent (coordinating) color card as well.
Try restricting designs with more assertive or bold colors to enclosed rooms only. This way you can go wild with whatever color you desire without any other room’s sightline being affected. This works well when choosing paint colors for bedrooms, bathrooms, closets or other rooms behind closed doors.
For example blue and orange are complimentary colors. Having a light blue living accented room and a light orange kitchen accents flows great! On top of that orange is a color that promoted eating and appetite, which is good for the kitchen, while blue promotes calm and relaxation. See more living room paint ideas here.
Use Color Planning Tools – Using paint color visualizers or a stores color wheel can provide plenty of options for matching and help get the look you want. You can also see how different paint shades look before you buy through a variety of interior design programs that let you create your own plans.