Color Combinations for Painting Walls

Neutral & Bright

• For a color combination that packs a punch without being overwhelming, select a neutral color that works with your decor palette--white, ivory, tan, brown, black, or gray--and pair it with any bright color. Gray pairs well with pink, yellow and most pastels. While an all-white wall can be boring, a paneled white half wall, paired with a rich tone on top--deep berry, navy blue, or forest green--looks fresh. In a small room, paint three walls a soft tan for warmth, then paint a bright red or blue on the fourth for interest.

Neutral Color Combinations

• Neutral color combinations are restful and soothing, and provide the perfect backdrop for a modern decor scheme or the foundation for compelling artwork or other bright splashes of color. Combinations of ivory and tan are unassuming, yet warm. Pairing bright white with soft gray is cool and fresh. For a soft, refreshing palette, pair different shades of white to create a gentle background that won't detract attention from a stunning view or vivid artwork.

Dark Color Combinations

• Combining dark colors in a room creates a deep, moody atmosphere in any room. Most suited for formal rooms such as dining and living rooms, combinations such as forest green and chocolate brown are elegant and rich. Other colors that pair well with dark brown or black shades are navy blue and deep red, luxurious in candle-lit dining rooms and libraries. For a dark-yet-feminine combination, pair deep charcoal gray with eggplant or dark purple.

Analogous Color Combinations (Tone on Tone)

• Analogous color combinations are composed of three colors located concurrently on the color wheel, resulting in a color palette composed of different shades of the same color. Lovely paint color combinations can result from combining different tones of the same color, like pairing navy blue with sky blue, or hot pink with baby pink. Deeper tones of the chosen color make excellent accent walls or can be used to paint the portion below a chair rail, with remaining walls painted in the lighter tones.

Complementary Color Combinations

• Complementary color palettes are created from colors opposite one another on the color wheel. These compelling color combinations are not for the faint of heart--only the bravest will use these color combinations on their walls. Red and green, purple and yellow, and blue and orange are common derivatives of these color palettes. For a less vivid look, use pastel versions of these colors, such as minty green with pink or baby blue with an orange-tinted yellow.