Neutral paint color

[momz]

we are moving into our newly built home next spring and we need to get out current home ready to sell. We need to repaint our interior. Obviously we need to choose a neutral color. But the color swatches are so small, it is impossible to know what these colors look like on the wall.

Any advice on a nice generic, neutral color that will be acceptable to broad range of buyers?

 

[Christine]

If you do some internet searching using the terms "neutral" "Benjamin Moore" etc. you will get into some forums that discuss this and list out colors.

I think Benjamin Moore makes some of the best, muted neutrals (whites, creams, etc). Other companies do too. I would go to a Benjamin Moore store and buy a couple of their sample jars. Cut up a poster board into fourths and paint 4 different colors. Tape them up on your wall and see how it looks day through night and in different rooms. It's really the only way to know.

 

[RedAngie]

Or buy several samples and actually paint small sections of the walls in various places. You'll be covering them up anyway.

 

[Wishing on a star]

I have tried several shades... if you are looking for a really neutral, not-really-white, color... I finally found one I love called White Pepper. It is great!
Not a true gray, and not yellow/warm.
I think it is at Lowes/Valspar. But I knew we wanted the best paint, top of the line Behr. So, we had it mixed at Home Depot. (Even though it is an hour drive to the nearest Home Depot!)

Even the satin in this paint seemed to have quite a bit of sheen, so when we bought more, we had it mixed in flat.
Love it.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Buy a quart of the paint and paint an inconspicuous spot on the wall with it and see how it looks.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

we are moving into our newly built home next spring and we need to get out current home ready to sell. We need to repaint our interior. Obviously we need to choose a neutral color. But the color swatches are so small, it is impossible to know what these colors look like on the wall.

Any advice on a nice generic, neutral color that will be acceptable to broad range of buyers?

We've used both Navajo White and Swiss Coffee. Both are a fairly light whitish/beige color.

 

[disneychrista]

Not only buy samples and paint it to your walls paint it to different walls that get different light. What the color looks like in a wall that gets sun light will look different from a wall that does not get direct sunlight.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

We are remodeling our living room and are going with Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams. You can google it--it's very popular with decorating blogs...I think they've used it on Fixer Upper as well. It's a neutral gray--not too cold.

I've had the best luck picking the general color I want (tan, pink, blue etc) and then searching blogs and forums to see if there is a certain shade people rave about. I have zero design talent but I do okay following what seems like a tried and true favorite by people with design talent.

 

[mjkacmom]

Briarwood grey Benjamin Moore.

 

[antmaril]

Benjamin Moore Clay Beige. No pink undertones.

 

[Marchand63]

Ralph Lauren latte. Not sure if they make it anymore, we used it years ago

 

[smokeyblue]

I use Sherwin Williams Antique White on rental houses. SW Interactive Cream is also a good neutral for rooms that don't have a lot of natural light.

 

[wenrob]

I just painted my home with Behr Moderne White. It's a "greige" not too blue, not to yellow. I about drove myself nuts looking for right grey when I found this, it's warm but not yellow.

 

[HeyIt'sMe]

Sherwin Williams Softer Tan

I used it in my master bathroom and I love it. It's a beautiful true tan that doesn't have pink undertones. It's
not dark but is just deep enough to make our white trim, moldings, and tile "pop". It goes with any decor and it's used a lot with homeowners who are putting their home on the market.

 

[DisneyOma]

When we bought our house, it was painted inside with industrial beige, institutional gray, and a tacky rose pink.

I think using any of those three colors should be against the law.

We've used cottage white for a warm neutral if plain old white won't do. White makes rooms look bigger. Gray and beige make them smaller. Tacky rose pink makes them look ugly.

 

[Bluestars]

If you are having an agent sell your house, you might ask your agent. When our agent went through our house to let us know what we should do to sell our house quickly, she suggested a paint color. Our walls were a neutral very light beige color at the time, which we thought was perfect. She suggested a very, very light gray color. She had the experience of selling houses and knew what colors were in and what was selling. Anyway, we did the things she suggested and were very lucky to sell our house within two weeks of listing it and get asking price.

Also, one thing that we wish we had done was meet with her before we did any repairs because she had people she used for painting, carpeting, repairs, etc and their prices were very good. She also met them at our house so we didn't even have to deal with it. She made sure they did it right and followed up on their services. She was an awesome agent.

 

[momz]

It's overwhelming how many different shades of gray an tan exist! And the names give you no idea how they differ from each other.

I found a color called Tiramisu from Behr. I bought a pint and will try it to see what I think.

I bought a flat finish. What are your thoughts in regards to flat vs satin? I would never choose a semi-gloss, I don't like the shiny look.

 

[ronandannette]

It's overwhelming how many different shades of gray an tan exist! And the names give you no idea how they differ from each other.

I found a color called Tiramisu from Behr. I bought a pint and will try it to see what I think.

I bought a flat finish. What are your thoughts in regards to flat vs satin? I would never choose a semi-gloss, I don't like the shiny look.

Flat is the way to go if your walls have imperfections; anything with a sheen will magnify them - even satin.