Whole house paint colors

Whole-house color schemes are the new design challenge in open-plan houses where one room flows into the next without a visual break. The traditional approach of one color per room creates harsh transitions when sight lines extend; the modern approach is one anchor neutral across the public spaces with subtle variation in private rooms.

The picks below are the anchor colors that work as whole-house bases. Pair with one slightly-deeper trim color (off-white if walls are white, mid-greige if walls are warm neutral) and one accent color for primary bedroom or dining room. Save the high-saturation picks for the rooms where sight lines don't extend.