This post was SUCH a hit last year, I thought it’d be fun to do it again for 2018. I really love using color throughout my home and feel super comfortable making paint selections. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again- if there’s one design element I feel confident in- it’s color theory. I truly enjoy working with colors, mixing, and finding palettes that play well together. Click through to see what I’m predicting will be popular in 2018!
This post is not sponsored by Sherwin-Williams, but they have become our paint preference over the past year. I have all of the swatch books, and Emmett prefers their quality to other brands…. so the following are all SW paints. We do have a few Benjamin Moore colors in our house as well, but we typically just have our local Sherwin-Williams color match.
Alright, let’s dive in shall we? The right paint color can make or a break a space,
As far as trends go, this year I’m expecting we’ll see more color. Gone are the days of white and gray. In 2018, I’m all about bold hues that make a statement. You’ll notice more saturated colors and deeper hues coming into play. I think it’s going to be a big year for blues, burgundy, and warmer beige tones.
Other wild card colors to be on the lookout for? If you’re not afraid of color… I’m seriously loving these tones- expect a few to pop up in my own home later this year:
Sometimes a color will get too trendy, too fast, and suddenly everything looks the same (which I’m not a fan of). If I’m attracted to a popular color, my goal is to use it in a new way (ahem, I’m looking at you green), or experiment with a different tone or hue that feels less ordinary. For instance… rather than sticking with the same hunter green, try pushing it towards a muddy pastel, desaturating it, or mixing a little black to deepen the tone. These will be better options when it comes to longevity.
Paint is really a game changer. You can dramatically change the look of a room, piece of furniture, or even the exterior of a home with a single coat of paint. In my opinion, it’s the most underrated part of a project- and it’s relatively inexpensive. Here’s what you can find in my house when it comes to color:
To see the above paint in action, feel free to visit the following room reveals: LIVING ROOM // GUEST ROOM // BATHROOM // MASTER BEDROOM
It’s kind of funny to see all of the paint used throughout my entire home in a collage like this. It turns out, I definitely have a palette. I don’t think homes should be super matchy matchy, but I do think consistency within the palette is a good thing. You never want one room to feel like it doesn’t belong under the same roof.
Lastly, I’m also bringing back my tried and true painting tips:
- Stop using painters tape. I HATE painters tape… it never works and leaves a squiggly, uneven line. I’m always much happier when I free-hand with a nice brush. If you’re not sure how to do this… watch this video.
- Stop painting first. People always ask how I compile a color palette for each room. It seems that everyone has trouble selecting paint colors because it feels sort of permanent and daunting. It’s actually really easy! Painting is always the last thing I do to a space (besides styling). I pull swatches from the textiles, furniture, or art. It’s always a great jumping off point when it comes to inspiration. Just because you’re moving in or a room is empty, doesn’t mean that painting needs to happen immediately. Live in the space for awhile, see how the light interacts, find a couple objects that work well in the space and go from there.
- Buy quality paint and supplies. This seems obvious, but until I started using nice paint, it used to take forever. I value my time and the way a project turns out. You can get by with only 1-2 coats if you buy the appropriate paint. There’s literally a paint for everything. Technology has come a long way… from self-leveling paints to organic and green paints, they’re safer and easier to use. Ask a professional which one is best for your project.
- Always order a sample. Don’t be the person who spends a ton of money on paint by looking at the tiniest swatch, only to paint your wall and hate the color. Taking the extra time to order a larger swatch or tiny jar of paint is well worth it and makes it SO much easier to decide if the color is what you expected.
- Know your finishes. It’s a given that different finishes should be used in different areas of your home. Do a little research to see which finish is appropriate. Typically (most of the time) trim should be semi-gloss and walls should be flat, eggshell, or matte. The same goes for doors… semi or high-gloss is best and easiest to clean.
- Throw the rules out the window. Just because trim is typically lighter than your wall color, doesn’t mean you can’t switch it up. Take our bedroom for example, contrast trim wasn’t super popular at the time I painted, but I knew it would look amazing- so I went for it. Don’t be scared to go bold or trade things up… it’s just paint.
What do you guys think? Do you have any ideas as to what colors we’ll be seeing more of in 2018? Any painting hacks or tricks of the trade I should know about? I can say- I’m looking forward to seeing more color this year.
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Linda Darling
January 2, 2018 at 10:46 amLove this post! My question is, when you use contrast trim color with white or lighter walls, how do you handle the transition into the next space. If I do a doorway, there is always that flat portion leading to the next space. How do you handle that?
Sarah
January 2, 2018 at 10:59 amSo glad you found it helpful, Linda! I prefer to stop the color where the door jam splits. I’ll answer this question on Instagram stories later today so you can get a visual… @roomfortuesday
Dana
January 21, 2018 at 2:22 pmI’d also love to see how you do this! I missed the insta story.. would love to see a post about this!
Kelsey
January 2, 2018 at 1:13 pmOh man, that Carnelian Burgandy is calling my name…..So beautiful.
Sarah
January 2, 2018 at 1:48 pmI love that one, too!!
Ellie Meyers
January 2, 2018 at 10:37 pmThis couldn’t have come at a more perfect time! Just starting to figure out paint colors for my new house….thinking I might need to paint my vent hood olive grove 😍 Gorgeous!!
Sarah
January 3, 2018 at 8:49 amOhhhhh, yes!! I vote olive grove vent hood :)
blueflower
January 3, 2018 at 10:18 pmLove all the colors here! Any of these color work in a north facing room (lots of windows)? I’d love to find a good non yellow/beige color that’d work. Thank you!
Justynn
January 5, 2018 at 6:22 amthe first color palette is basically what we are doing for our wedding this year :)
Lauren
January 5, 2018 at 1:36 pmHi! How did you create the paint colors in your home image? I would love to do something like that as well.
Sarah
January 5, 2018 at 2:12 pmIn Photoshop!
Lauren
January 6, 2018 at 8:58 amthanks!
Julie
January 6, 2018 at 8:54 pmAll the colors are beautiful and the blues are timeless! I also painted all my trim SW-7005
Liz
January 8, 2018 at 1:21 pmWhat color is the blue-y paint on the lead image with the paintbrush on top of the can? Smoky Blue?
Sarah
January 8, 2018 at 1:59 pmHi Liz, it’s Blue Note by Benjamin Moore. xox
Vinnett Flores
January 15, 2018 at 4:12 pmWhat is the brand of these swatches?
Sarah
January 16, 2018 at 7:55 amSherwin Williams
kerry verchere
January 16, 2018 at 11:40 amI have had BM Shaker Beige since the house was built, birch floors, can you suggest a new color, east facing, wanting to go with more of a mushroom tone. Thank you if you can .
Kirstin
January 17, 2018 at 2:01 pmYour color schemes are gorgeous! What color would you recommend for a kitchen/eat-in area with honey oak cabinets and south-facing french doors that lead to a large sunroom. I LOVE the woodwork as is, but it’s hard to find a wall color that plays off it nicely.
Elizabeth Olson
January 21, 2018 at 7:55 amThank you so much for all the advise. Getting ready to paint and looking forward to getting started.
I love your paint color recommendations. We are going with the blue family.
Sarah
January 21, 2018 at 4:59 pmYay!! So exciting. It’s going to be beautiful! xo
Dana
January 21, 2018 at 2:28 pmI’d love to know how you made these collages too! Great post!
Sarah
January 21, 2018 at 5:06 pmThanks, Dana! My background is actually in graphic design, so I pretty much make everything from “scratch” when it comes to roundups, templates, and blog graphics. My programs of choice are adobe illustrator and photoshop. Hope this helps! xo
Aixa
January 21, 2018 at 4:19 pmLove the color schemes. What would you recommend for the kitchen?
Sarah
January 21, 2018 at 5:04 pmThanks Aixa! It really depends on the space. You could do any color in a kitchen- it just depends on the look you’re going for.
Andrea
January 23, 2018 at 2:52 pmThank you! Gorgeous colours! I have to paint my entire house (just finished) in a few months. Can you tell me what do you mean by “Trim”?
Sarah
January 23, 2018 at 3:04 pmThanks, Andrea! I refer to mouldings and millwork as trim (crown moulding, casing, baseboard, quarter round, etc).
Alejandra
January 28, 2018 at 8:19 pmSarah could you do one for kitchens? Just moved in and can’t deal with the color it has now, but it has some nice mexican talavera tiles.. I was thinking blue? But I don’t want to darken the place…
Sarah
January 29, 2018 at 8:10 amDefinitely! I’ll add that to the calendar / blog list :) xox
Nancy Seigler
February 10, 2018 at 8:37 amSarah, Just found your blog and love it. We are doing a complete redo on our beach place and need to figure out paint colors (I am not a green person). Kitchen, dining and living room are all one large open space; cabinets are white with marble counters and stainless appliances and floors will be hickory. I currently have a red slip covered sofa but want to change color. What color walls would you suggest (east facing) and what about slip cover?
Sarah
February 10, 2018 at 3:19 pmHi Nancy! Thanks so much! Your beach house sounds amazing. I offer e-design services for things just like this- paint consults with swatches mailed to you, etc. If you’re interested in those types of services, please fill out this form: https://roomfortuesday.com/e-design-2/ Thanks for following along! xox
Wendy
March 9, 2018 at 5:39 amSarah! I love it!! We are painting all of the doors in our house tricorn black as well as our headboard wall in the master bedroom. Another white that I love is SW Fleur de Sel. We’re painting it on most of the walls in our new house. I totally agree that the elledecor post is WAY off. I have seen the golden yellow color paired with a dark green and a blush and totally loved it….it’s definitely more of an accent color for me. I would not paint a whole wall like that….even in my kids room.
Sarah
March 9, 2018 at 8:46 amThat’s the best black, Wendy! I’ll have to add Flour de Sel to the list, thank you. I do like some of the hues in the Elle Decor post, but yeah- some of them I was thinking YIKES! Moderation is always key :) Happy Friday!
Rachel
May 10, 2018 at 3:36 pmLove the colors! What are your suggestions for dark rooms with very little natural light?
Holly
June 1, 2018 at 11:37 pmWhat about kitchen colors?
Sarah
June 4, 2018 at 7:15 amYou might find this post helpful for kitchen cabinetry paint: https://roomfortuesday.com/my-favorite-paint-colors-for-kitchen-cabinetry/
Susan
June 25, 2018 at 11:00 amWhere can I buy these paints !!!!??? Love them all !!
Sarah
June 25, 2018 at 2:31 pmThey’re all from Sherwin-Williams, Susan! xox