It might be thrilling to select a new paint color for your house! But where do you begin with so many choices? What colors and paint styles are popular right now? This article will discuss the latest interior and exterior paint trends and inspire you to help you pick the perfect shades for your next paint project.
Current Popular Paint Colors
Paint companies announce new color palettes each year based on current trends. Here are some of today's most popular paint shades and color combinations:
Greige - A blend between gray and beige, greige continues as a top neutral paint color choice for modern, sophisticated room designs. Try greige paints like Agreeable Gray or Accessible Beige on walls.
Bright White - Crisp, clean whites like Chantilly Lace, and Pure White trim out bolder wall colors in sleek, contemporary rooms. Brighter whites also make small dark rooms appear larger.
Navy Blue - Dark inky blues like Hale Navy or Commodore bring dramatic flair and classic nautical charm to libraries, offices, dining spaces, and front doors. Pair navy walls with white trim for bold contrast.
Earthy Greens −Organic greenish browns offer a soothing, nature-inspired backdrop in living spaces and bedrooms. Check out frontrunners like Mountain Peak or Northern Moss. ADD white window trim.
New Pastels - Soft, ethereal shades of pink, green, and blue suit nurseries along with bedrooms and bathrooms aiming for a light, airy aesthetic. Try Cloud White or Coastal Foam walls with Crisp Linen trim.
Soothing Hues - With self-care and mindfulness trending, paint companies developed special collections in relaxing shades of violet, peach, blue, green, and gray to set a calming mood. Balanced Beige and Restful White work nicely.
Exterior Color Trends
Beyond interior rooms, consider applying popular paint tints outside too for fabulous curb appeal:
Black Accent Trim − For a dramatic flair, brush black gloss paint only onto home exterior trim work like rafter tails, window/door frames, columns, and siding/shingle borders. Black Brand from Sherwin-Williams hits the mark. Matte black shutters and front doors also shake things up.
Neutral Body Colors −tan, gray, brown, and greige vinyl siding, shakes, clapboard, or stucco serve as quiet, versatile backdrops that blend nicely with other exterior home materials and landscaping surroundings while still looking cleaned and polished thanks to new paint.
Saturated Shades - Vibrant yellows, regal purples, sumptuous burgundies, and sapphire blues dial-up exterior visual excitement when applied to home siding, front doors, shutters, patio furnishings, or accent trim work. Behr's Blue Blood is a knockout deep purple paint for entryways.
Cottage Charm Colors - For a relaxed, countryside cottage charm, brush crisp clean whites or soft cloud gray shades onto home siding or trim. Sherwin-Williams’ Cotton White and Worldly Gray work for a weathered casual look. Aqua doors and mint green shutters keep things fun and youthful.
Paint Technique Inspirations
In addition to enchanting colors, the style of paint and finishes applied to walls and trim also packs a decorative punch. Some top paint technique trends right now include:
Matte and Flat Finishes - As satin and eggshell wall sheens become more mainstream, flat, and matte paint offers another way to make bold visual statements in spaces craving an extra silky smooth, luxurious look and feel. especially when illuminated by lighting at certain angles.
High-Gloss Trim & Doors - ultra glossy sheens as seen on expensive grand pianos suit fancy formal dining rooms and make the perfect foil to offset flatter wall finishes. Today's urethane clear coats allow for gloss trim that cleans up beautifully without yellowing.
Faux Finishes −glazing, ragging, sponging, stippling, and wood-graining latex-based glaze products simulate the appearance of natural materials for a customizable designer touch without the hefty price tag. especially popular on kitchen cabinets and furniture to achieve depth.
Color Washing - Also dubbed “whitewashing”, this relaxed hue application using watered-down paint in light coats transparently enhances the texture of brick, cement, and wood walls/surfaces with an impressionistic effect perfect for porches, patios, and rustic retreat spaces.
Layering Paint Sheens - Combining multiple finishes like teaming flat walls with high-gloss molding takes advantage of the strengths each sheen boasts. Glossy surfaces shine and showcase fine detail. Flatter hides imperfections for an overall smooth cohesive look.
Sponge Application −Lightly dabbing semi-dry pint rollers or sea sponges onto walls creates soft mottled patterns infusing painted rooms with added warmth and visual interest. Especially effective for nurseries, dining rooms, and master suites.
Metallics - Titanium dioxide and mica infuse glamorous gold, silver, and copper-flecked iridescence into plush paints suitable for feature walls, trim work, ceilings, and even front doors when applied smoothly and sealed correctly. A little metallic goes a long way!
Furniture Paint Options
Refreshing worn yet sentimental furnishings no longer require smelly, hazardous chemical strippers followed by a ton of tedious sanding. New formulas like chalk and milk paint along with gel stains offer easier, safer DIY restores.
Chalk Style Paint - matte, velvety, extra-thick paint easily obscures old finishes, small defects, and color variation without priming or sanding beforehand. Just degrease, directly apply, then optionally distress and wax for a trendy shabby chic, or rustic look. No top coat is needed!
Milk Paint - This old-fashioned opaque base blended from milk proteins, lime, and natural earth/mineral pigments bonds to difficult surfaces like metal and glass without priming. Offers a chalky, porous finish perfect for further glazing, distressing, or wax sealing for long-lasting protection.
Colored Gel Stains −Polyurethane-enhanced semi-transparent stains infuse wood surfaces with rich modern or traditional hues without fully obscuring the grain. Can layer over existing color too. Thick gels won’t drip or bleed into surrounding areas and require no topcoat to defend against minor scratches.
Simplifying Your Paint Project
Between scrubbing, scraping, sealing, priming, taping off, and tediously cutting in edges, painting rooms, furniture or home exteriors strikes fear into many do-it-yourselfers. Luckily several product upgrades simplify key steps for less hassle and faster success:
Multi-Surface Paints − Specialized latex formulas like BEHR PREMIUM PLUS stick reliably to shiny surfaces like tile, glass, metal, laminate countertops, and cabinets WITHOUT priming or sanding first. Even covers dark colors and finishes with fewer coats. Cleans up easily with soap and water too!
All-in-One Paint & Primer − Popular product lines from BEHR Premium Plus and Kilz feature built-in primer technology, so primer and finish coat gets applied in one streamlined step. Saves labor, cuts recoat wait times, and ensures primer-topcoat compatibility. Even better warranty coverage in many brands.
DIY-Friendly Application Tools − Helpful modern aids take the frustration and mess out of painting for novices. Battery-powered paint sprayers provide pro-level smooth coverage without overspray or drips. Edge-guiding accessories assist perfectly straight lines along ceilings and base trim. And stick-on guides aid foolproof pencil-thin pinstripe detailing.
Investing in quality applicators prevents the kind of blotching, brushstrokes, uneven coloring, and amateur mistakes that lead to rework and regret.
Pre-Mixed Custom Colors − Skip the challenges of blending pigment-based colors yourself. Today's advanced in-store paint color tinting machines accurately mix thousands of paint shades from scratch in just minutes from the color chip samples you provide. Staff help troubleshoot which paint grades best suit each project. Mix additional stock cans of special mixes for future furniture or touch-ups!
Conclusion
Painting intimidates many homeowners trying to save money by hiring professionals. But the reality is that advanced paint formulas, primers, finishes, and DIY-friendly application tools available now make achieving magazine-worthy walls, artistic murals, trendy updated furniture, and envy-inducing exterior curb appeal more realistic than ever using just a little guidance.
Hopefully, this overview of inspiring paint ideas and simplified product options takes the mystery out of planning your next interior refresh or exterior facelift.
Remember, painting requires some pre-work but finishes quickly with dramatic impact. Colors, finishes, and techniques always stay customizable to your style.
If this article didn’t cover a certain question or concern you still have about planning a paint project - don’t hesitate to contact your local paint store experts for guidance. The right products and some learned tricks of the trade make painting much less intimidating!