The Ultimate Guide to Choosing Paint Colors
Choosing the perfect paint color for your home can feel overwhelming. With endless swatches, finishes, and subtle undertones, it’s easy to second-guess your decision—especially when the color you loved at the store suddenly looks completely different on your wall. But with a little planning and expert guidance, picking the right paint color doesn’t have to be a headache.
At Grade A Painters, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners across Vancouver transform their spaces with color. Whether you’re preparing your home for resale or refreshing your forever home, these five essential tips will help you make the right choice and avoid costly repainting mistakes.
1. Understand the Lighting in Your Space
One of the most common mistakes homeowners make when choosing a paint color is ignoring the lighting conditions in each room.
Natural Light vs. Artificial Light:
North-facing rooms tend to have cooler, bluish light. Warm tones like beige, soft white, or light taupe help balance the coolness.
South-facing rooms get warmer light throughout the day, which enhances bold colors like navy, forest green, or even darker neutrals.
East-facing rooms can appear warm in the morning but cooler in the afternoon.
West-facing rooms are opposite—cool in the morning and warmer later in the day.
Artificial lighting plays a role too:
Warm white bulbs bring out yellow or red tones.
Cool white or daylight LEDs emphasize blues and greys.
Pro Tip:
Always test paint samples on the wall and observe them at different times of day. What looks beige at noon could look peach or yellow at night.
2. Start With a Neutral Foundation
If you’re unsure where to begin, start with neutral paint colors. They are versatile, timeless, and give you more flexibility with furniture, artwork, and accents.
Popular neutrals include:
Soft greys like Benjamin Moore’s Classic Gray
Warm whites such as Chantilly Lace
Beige or taupe tones like Accessible Beige from Sherwin-Williams
Neutral doesn’t have to mean boring. Many neutrals have subtle undertones—green, pink, or violet—that can add interest without being overwhelming.
Pro Tip:
Use stronger or trendier colors in accent walls, cabinetry, or powder rooms. These are easier and cheaper to repaint later if tastes change.
3. Coordinate With Existing Elements
Before you fall in love with that deep charcoal or sage green, take a good look at your existing finishes. This includes:
Flooring (hardwood, tile, carpet)
Trim color
Cabinets
Countertops
Large furniture pieces (especially if you don’t plan to replace them)
Paint should complement these elements, not clash with them. For example:
If you have oak floors with a warm red tone, avoid cool greys with blue undertones.
If your countertops are stark white quartz, a soft, warm grey or muted blue might enhance them beautifully.
Pro Tip:
Bring samples of your countertop, flooring, or tile with you when looking at paint swatches—or better yet, hold swatches up directly in the space.
4. Think About Mood and Function
Color isn’t just about aesthetics—it influences how you feel in a space. Ask yourself: What kind of atmosphere do I want to create?
Bedrooms: Soft blues, greens, or warm whites promote relaxation.
Kitchens: Warm neutrals or cheerful tones like yellows or mint can brighten the mood.
Home offices: Mid-tone greys, navy, or sage can promote focus and calm.
Living rooms: Earth tones like greige, tan, or soft olive invite comfort and warmth.
Also consider how much time you’ll spend in the space and how important durability is. For high-traffic areas, choose washable finishes like eggshell or satin.
Pro Tip:
Ask your painter for samples in different sheens—flat, eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss—to see what works best in your space both visually and practically.
5. Always, Always, Always Test Paint Colors on Your Walls First
It might seem easy to choose a paint color from a brochure, Pinterest photo, or even use the same color a friend used in their home — but lighting, undertones, sheen, surrounding finishes, and even the direction your home faces all have a huge impact on how a color looks once it’s on the wall. A color that looks calm and warm in the store can feel sterile or cold in your home — and no amount of professional painting will fix the fact that you simply don’t like it.
That’s why at Grade A Painters, putting up samples is a company policy.
We pick up the color samples you’re considering and apply them directly on your walls — before painting begins. We do this every time, without exception.
In one recent project, we applied 17 different samples for a client before they made a final decision. It may sound excessive, but for all of the reasons I have already discussed in this post, getting the color right matters. You’re going to live with it every single day, and no great paint job is complete unless you truly love the way it looks.
Pro Tip:
Skip the $20 sample pots at specialty paint stores and go for the affordable $5 testers at Home Depot. Most sample paint isn’t made with premium products—they’re often untinted leftover formulations, so don’t expect an exact match in terms of sheen or finish to the paint product you will be using. But that’s okay—at this stage, you’re just evaluating color, not performance.
In my experience, applying paint testers upfront takes the stress out of the process—because no matter how flawless the application is, if you don’t love the color, you won’t love the finished result.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right paint color for your home is about more than just picking a color you like. It’s a strategic decision that requires attention to lighting, mood, finishes, and long-term livability.
To recap:
Test under your home’s lighting
Use neutrals as a foundation
Coordinate with existing fixtures and flooring
Tailor color to the mood of the room
Always sample before painting the whole space
And when you’re ready to turn your color vision into a professional, lasting result—call Grade A Painters.
Bonus: Hire a Professional Painter Who Understands Color
Looking for help choosing the perfect paint color?
📞 Contact us today for a free consultation!
🎨 Let’s bring your home to life—one brushstroke at a time.
Share This Post
Ready for a Change?
Thinking about updating your space? We’re happy to answer any questions or help you plan your next steps. Reach out anytime.
Email Us
Call Us