School of Decorating

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Our Favorite Paint Colors: Modern Whole House Color Scheme

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We love our modern whole house color scheme. We’ve been living with most of these colors for seven years now (and we haven’t repainted a single room – we love them that much). It’s high time I shared our favorite paint colors in one easy to reference place.

This is why it took so long to share our colors: Our paint colors are from the discontinued Martha Stewart paint line at Home Depot. When the line was discontinued, I grabbed an extra search of every color we used in our home. (See also: What to do when your favorite paint is discontinued) The paint chips have worked in a pinch when I needed to order some touch-up paint. But they don’t even have the colors in their computer anymore, so they have to use their tool to scan the paint chip and create a custom formula.

The most common question I get on the blog is What color is _____ room? And until now it hasn’t been an easy question to answer because I can’t point them to an existing paint color they can order.

I also get asked often about the Martha Stewart color formulas. Unfortunately, I don’t have all the color chips, just the ones we used in our home and a few others. Even at the paint store, they prefer to scan the color of the card rather than use the formula.

Finally, I have a new way to match colors and share our favorite paint colors with you.

Get the look: Best paint matches for Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore to copy this modern whole house color scheme

This post contains affiliate links to the products I use and recommend. I may receive a small commission on purchases made after following an affiliate link. See my full disclosure here.

Now, I have a magical new tool that makes it EASY to match and share my favorite paint colors. It’s the Nix Mini color sensor. (Exclusive for School of Decorating readers: Save 10% on your Nix Mini with coupon code NixDecorating. Expires Oct 31, 2017.)

When my Nix Mini first arrived and I opened the box and saw the lanyard to hang it around my neck, I thought how cheesy. But as soon as I started playing with my Nix Mini, I had it hanging around my neck like a stethoscope ready to check up on every color in my home. Seriously, it’s so fun to play with!

This is the coolest gadget. You can scan the color of any surface and match it to your favorite paint brand.

The Nix Mini can scan the color of any surface and match the color to most major paint brands using the Nix Paints app.

For all you graphic designers, it can even tell you the Hex, RGB, CMYK, and CIELAB values for the color using the Nix Digital app so you can take offline colors online. (You might also be interested in the Nix Pro color sensor with advanced features for designers.)

It’s like the Adobe eyedropper tool for the real world.

This is the easiest tool and app for matching paint colors or use it to scan ANY color and find a paint to match.

But it’s not just for painted walls. You can also:

  • Scan colors from a favorite fabric.
  • Scan the gorgeous turquoise blue water from your latest vacation photos.
  • Scan the exterior color of a trendy restaurant you love.
  • Scan the color of your favorite journal.
  • Scan your favorite blouse.
  • The list goes on…you can scan ANY opaque surface.

The Nix Mini works in conjunction with a free phone app, Nix Paints, to display the scanned color along with matching paint colors. You can choose from 15 major paint brands. You can even save your favorite colors into projects and rooms.

Get your own Nix Mini. Use code NixDecorating for 10% off through October 31, 2017.

The first thing I did with my Nix Mini is scanned every wall color in my home so I could share them with you here. I matched our wall colors to current colors in the Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore paint lines.

Before I take you on a color tour through my home, a few things to remember:

  • These are not exact matches (although some are amazingly close). So I wouldn’t use these new paint colors to touch up my old paint, but they’re perfect if you want to get a similar look in your home or recreate a color in a different room.
  • The photos look different than the digital swatches. This is due to a combination of lighting and photography. I assure you the listed Martha Stewart colors are the ones shown in each room.
  • The recommended colors below each photo are the closest matches based on my scanned wall colors.
  • If you admire any of the colors in my home, now you can get the look in your home with these paint recommendations.

You’ll notice in this color tour of our home, we repeat the same wall colors in some rooms. That’s because we love the colors. It’s also part of my whole house color scheme philosophy—you only need a handful of colors to create a gorgeous home that looks cohesive, yet allows every room to have its own personality. All of these colors are variations of the main five colors in our modern whole house color palette.

Modern Whole House Color Scheme – Living Areas

Living Room

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try dark gray in a living room with lots of natural light.

We also used Zinc for the office walls and an accent wall in our master bedroom.

Modern gray home office with standing desk

Dining Room

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try dark teal in a dining room or bedroom.

We also used Plumage for the wall color in my youngest son’s room. His bed color is Enamelware (see the Guest Bathroom below for color matches).

Paint and bedding make this old twin bed fit for a little prince

Foyer and Hallways

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Choose a default neutral color you can use in hallways and all open, connected rooms.

Driftwood Gray is our default neutral wall color. We use it in all the hallways and open, connected spaces including our kitchen, foyer, stairwell, and loft.

Use light blue and gray to complement orange wood cabinets

Yarn Wrapped Pinecone Garland | tealandlime.com

Laundry Room

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try bright aqua in a laundry room or bathroom.

Trim and Doors

Because I know you’ll ask, the trim color throughout our home, on all the molding, windows, and doors, is Divine White by Sherwin Williams. The color is still available today.

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Pick a white for trim and doors that complements your wall colors. This warm white looks great with blues and grays.

Modern Whole House Color Scheme – Bedrooms and Bathrooms

Master Bedroom

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try light blue for a soothing bedroom.

In our bedroom, we added an accent wall in Zinc (see Living Room above for similar colors) to make it a little cozier.

Master Bathroom

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try a barely there color, like this pale lavender, in a bathroom.

My favorite trick for choosing a bathroom color is to choose one or two shades lighter than the adjacent bedroom color.

Boys Bedroom

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try a darker color for a cozy bedroom.

Guest Room

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try rich indigo in a bedroom or as an eye-catching accent wall.

We also used Azurite for the mural in the playroom and for an accent wall in my craft room.

Studio Home Office

Guest Bath

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Try a light aqua in a bathroom.

We also used Enamelware for my son’s bed. It looks great in his teal bedroom (see it under Dining Room above). And we used Enamelware to paint the new wet bar in our basement.

Martha Stewart Enamelware paint on cabinetry

Basement Family Room

Because we have a walkout basement with a lot of windows, we were able to get away with white walls. In a basement without natural lighting, white can look cold or sterile.

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Don't be afraid to use white paint in rooms with great natural light.

Home Gym

Create a modern whole house color scheme. Did you know we supposedly workout better in a blue room?

Fun fact: My husband chose blue for our home gym after reading a study about how people work out better in a blue room. I like it because it keeps this windowless room looking bright and refreshing. The full-length mirrors help too.

Want help choosing colors for your home?

Check out my Create a Cohesive Home with Color class and learn how to confidently choose colors for your whole home.

You’ll learn:

  • How to describe a color—what hue, tint, tone, shade, neutral, and undertone mean and how understanding them can help you choose colors
  • How to choose colors and neutrals that coordinate with the existing finishes in your home (like your wood floors, tile, carpet, countertops, etc.)
  • The trick to see the undertones in neutral colors so you can choose the right white, beige, or gray (and not be surprised when you paint it on the wall)
  • How to build your whole house color palette with a detailed 7-step process to make the color decisions easy
  • How to decorate with accent colors, wood tones, and metal finishes to make your home feel cohesive while still giving each room it’s own unique personality
    • How many accent colors to use and where to use them
    • The do’s and don’ts of mixing metal finishes (yes, you can mix metal finishes!)
    • How to mix and match wood tones for furniture and decor

Learn more about Create a Cohesive Home with Color

 

I believe you are the best person to decorate your home. You just need a dash of courage and a dose of decorating know-how. That's why I created School of Decorating.

I know how frustrating it is to feel like failure at home. I also know how amazing it feels when decorating finally makes sense and your home reflects you. I want to share what I've learned so you can create a home you love without years of trial and error.

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