Let’s talk about one of the most important parts of decorating a home, choosing paint colors! I’ve come to learn that painting a room is one of the easiest and least expensive ways to give your home an update. When choosing paint for our colonial home, I found myself reaching for classic paint colors that would never go out of style. This came as no surprise since I’ve always been a fan of the classics!
Because we’ve lived in our historic home for eight years, I thought it would be fun to share eight timeless paint colors we have in our home! I’ll start by providing some tips and tricks for choosing the best paint colors for any house and answering some questions about classic paint colors. Then I’ll dive in and detail the undertones and brightness of the eight timeless paint colors in our colonial home along with sharing where we used each of them. My goal is to help make your next paint project much easier!
In addition to these eight timeless paint colors, be sure to also check out my favorite neutral paint colors, our pretty blue bedroom paint, our neutral grandmillennial living room and my home renovation goals for our colonial home.
Why Should You Choose a Classic Paint Color?
I think we can all agree, choosing a paint color is no easy task, but it’s an important task. The last thing anyone wants to do is paint an entire home only to decide a few years later that they’re ready for every room to be repainted. Choosing classic paint colors for your home will provide you with timeless style that will last for years to come, helping to eliminate the urge to repaint.
Classic paint colors are often neutrals, soft shades, and earth tones, which provide for a calm and soothing environment. My goal is for our home to always be welcoming and inviting, a place for visitors to feel at ease and our family to feel relaxed and comfortable. From my personal experience, timeless paint colors provide these soothing feelings, allowing our house to be a personal oasis, even in life’s busiest seasons!
Additionally, I’ve found that timeless paint colors provide a neutral backdrop, allowing me to easily change our home decor from season to season. I love not having to stress about whether or not my next thrift shop “find” or latest seasonal purchase will match our walls. There really are so many benefits to choosing classic paint colors for your home!
Frequently Asked Questions: Classic Paint Colors
What are classic paint colors? Classic paint colors are timeless shades that will last for years to come. They are often neutrals, soft colors and earth tones. These are not always the “most popular” paint colors, but they are paint colors that will span the test of time.
Are all timeless paint colors neutral? No. Although many of my favorite timeless paint colors are neutrals, there are other classic colors as well. For example, our colonial home has different shades of blue in the master bedroom and John’s bedroom and I find both blue paint colors to be just as classic as the typical neutral colors (whites, creams, grays).
What colors pair best with classic paint colors? What’s so wonderful about classic paint colors is the fact that they pair well with so many other shades. You can easily add pops of more “trendy” colors in a room through pillows, rugs and additional home decor. In order to decide the best color to pair, pay attention to whether the timeless paint color of choice has warm or cool undertones.
What are the best exterior paint colors for a colonial home? I’m going to discuss the exterior paint colors of our colonial home below, so keep reading!
Tips for Choosing a Classic Paint Color
Here’s a fun fact you probably didn’t know about my husband – JB has a lot of painting experience and is a wonderful painter! Years ago, between baseball seasons, he actually painted an entire house, both the interior and exterior. Over the years I’ve come to learn many tips and tricks for painting homes from JB, so I thought I would pass along some of my favorites!
- Don’t waste your money on bad paint. JB could write a dissertation on the horrors of cheap paint. Trust me, it’s worth investing in high-quality paint from the start!
- Purchase sample paints in the classic colors. When we first moved into our colonial home eight years ago, small sample paints weren’t even an option, but I take full advantage of these now!
- Observe the sample paint in various rooms over the span of at least two days. It’s important to take note of how different the same paint color can appear on various walls (depending on how they face the sun) and at different times of the day. For example, the classic blue paint color we have in John’s room, the foyer and along the wall going up the stairs appears slightly different in all of these locations!
- Pay attention to the LRV (light reflective value) of the classic paint color. The higher the LRV, the more a color will brighten a room.
- If low-VOC and zero-VOC paints are important to you (like they are to me), shop around until you find a high-quality one that works. We chose the Regal Select Matte finish at Benjamin Moore and Emerald Flat at Sherwin Williams, both are low-VOC.
- When possible, hire someone to paint your house while you’re out of town. We recently painted our bedroom and we had the painter come when we were on a trip to Montana. I’ve found that it’s nice to have any type of housework completed when we’re out of town because it lessens the distractions (especially when working from home) and it also helps us avoid strong fumes, hazards, etc.
Eight Classic Paint Colors in our Colonial Home
Now that I’ve covered why you should choose classic paint colors and tips and tricks for painting your home, it’s time to get to the fun part! I’m sharing eight timeless paint colors that we used in our colonial home. Some of these classic paint colors are neutrals that we started with when we first moved into our home and others have been updated as recently as this year. I find each of these to be soothing paint colors that will never go out of style. However, keep in mind that everyone’s definition of “classic” can be a bit different. These eight paint colors are what worked for us in our home, but it’s always important to stay true to yourself and choose timeless colors that make you happy. Now, let’s get started!
Benjamin Moore Simply White
We painted the exterior of our colonial home in Simply White by Benjamin Moore. I absolutely love the crisp, clean and fresh feeling of this white paint color. It has a touch of warmth and slight yellow undertones, but in direct sunlight these disappear. Simply White is also a favorite white interior paint and can brighten up any room.
Benjamin Moore Onyx
Continuing with the exterior of our historic home, we painted the shutters Onyx by Benjamin Moore. I love the stark contrast of Simply White and Onyx and this black paint color feels very timeless and traditional. Onyx 2133-10 is a true black, without any strong undertones, making it a wonderful classic paint color for accents both inside and outside a home.
Benjamin Moore White Dove
White Dove by Benjamin Moore is one of my absolute favorite classic paint colors! It is a crisp, slightly creamy, white that looks wonderful in rooms with a lot of natural light. This classic white paint color has a hint of greige-green undertones. We have White Dove in our boys’ playroom, dining room, guest room and living room, so obviously we really love this paint color! If I were to move into a new home today, I think I would paint the entire home either White Dove or Chantilly Lace by Benjamin Moore, which is a bit brighter and more of a “true” white.
Sherwin Williams Sea Salt
I love the coastal, soothing vibes of Sea Salt by Sherwin-Williams. We’ve used this classic paint color in our home from the very beginning and it’s still a favorite. Sea Salt (SW 6204) is technically a green, but it has blue and gray undertones, which makes it a wonderful neutral. We have this timeless color in John’s bedroom, the foyer, a bathroom and along the wall up the stairs. It really takes on a different shade in each of these rooms. At the beginning of our hallway, it looks more gray-blue, but as you go up the stairs, it turns to a green-gray. In Tuck’s room it looks almost mint and in the bathroom it’s a minty green-gray. I love each different shade of Sea Salt, but it is definitely important to test this paint color on multiple walls before committing, due to its ability to change.
Benjamin Moore French Toile
French Toile by Benjamin Moore is a classic blue paint color with gray undertones. It is darker than many of the other paints in our home, but I love the character that it adds to our space. Fittingly, we used French Toile CSP-595 on the french doors in our playroom. This timeless paint color has a LRV of 43, making it great for anyone who enjoys neutrals that are a bit darker and bolder, while still being classic.
Benjamin Moore Linen White
When I think of Linen White by Benjamin Moore it reminds me of a cup of cream! I know that crisp, cool whites are all the rage right now, but there’s just something so classic about a creamy white paint, it reminds me of my childhood. Linen White 912 is an off-white with shades of yellow, but the yellow is soft and creamy without being overwhelming. We have this classic paint color in Wesley’s bedroom and we also used it in our previous home. I actually liked Linen White even more in our old home, where the room was facing a different direction and received a different amount of light, which is always something to pay attention to!
Sherwin Williams Take Five
Our most recent paint project was painting our master bedroom Take Five by Sherwin-Williams. I will admit, at first I was worried this classic blue paint color was a bit too bold for the space, but after we added drapes and other bedroom decor, it all evened out and I absolutely love the end result! Take Five SW-6513 is a cool, soothing true blue paint color. It’s wonderful for anyone who enjoys classic and coastal home styling.
Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter
Revere Pewter by Benjamin Moore has been a popular paint color for many years. It is a gray paint with warm, neutral undertones. When we first moved into our home, we had this timeless paint color in many rooms, but over the years I’ve switched most of them from Revere Pewter to White Dove. The main reason for this change is because I was wanting something lighter and brighter in our home. We still have Revere Pewter in our kitchen and breakfast nook, but we’re planning to change this during our upcoming kitchen renovation. Even though I have chosen to move away from Revere Pewter, I still think it’s a wonderful classic paint color for anyone looking for a neutral gray that isn’t overly bright.
Timeless Paint Colors That Will Never Go Out of Style
What do you think? Are you a fan of classic paint colors like I am or do you prefer more trendy, popular colors? Do you consider neutrals and soothing shades to be the best timeless paint colors or does something else come to mind for you? Have you tried any of the classic paint colors from our colonial home or do you have others you would recommend? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, plus your experiences might help others searching for the perfect classic paint color for their home!
