Power Couples: Tips for Selecting Baseboard and Wall Paint Colors

Have you ever picked out paint, brought it home, started to paint then stopped dead in your tracks and thought "It doesn't look like what I imagined in the store?" Selecting baseboard and wall paint color is difficult. There are lots of different white options for baseboard and trim color. Some whites can have an under tone of yellow, blue, or pink. As an Interior Designer, we don't use the 'bright white' option for trim (baseboards, crown-molding, window/door frames) and when wanting a color on the wall, like blue or pink, we usually select one that is more subtle to the eye so that it isn't bright blue or bright pink. Instead we choose one of the whites that has an undertone to it, which makes your room's trim not look so bright. Here are some tips to help you when selecting baseboard and wall paint color.

Tip 1: Squint your eyes

I always start off selecting the main baseboard color by comparing it to the main tile floor and selecting a white that blends well. Squint your eyes and see if it goes away/blends with the tile/carpet/ flooring you want it to blend well.

Tip 2: Test out the paint color in your home

If you are not sure of the paint color, get a quart of the color and test it out on your wall or trim. Make sure you paint a big enough area on your wall or baseboard to look at the color and two heavy coats so that the current paint in not seen through the new paint color. Now look at the color at different times of the day, because the color will change in different lighting.

Tip 3: Look at the colors on the same page in the paint deck

When selecting a nice neutral wall color and trim color that will guarantee go together, look at the paint deck. On the paint deck stay on the same page, or choose a color that is a couple numbers away from the one you like. For example: If you are choosing Sherwin Williams 6105 Divine White for your trim, choose 6107 Nomadic Desert for your wall.

Great Paint Color Couple from Sherwin Williams:
6105 Divine White (trim) with 6107 Nomadic Desert (wall)
7035 Aesthetic White (trim) with 7036 Accessible Beige (wall)