Did you know that there are certain colors that can elevate the interior and exterior spaces of your home? Designers generally agree that these hues fall into two categories: neutral and rich. In the neutral category you have your warm whites, your gentle beiges, your luxurious creams and in the rich category you have the forest greens, the regal blues, the deep purples and reds.
However, the decision gets a bit trickier if it’s a home that’s about to be on the market.
Color comes into play a lot when buying and selling homes. If you’re a buyer, once you’ve purchased the property, you can (and should) apply fun wallpaper and bold colors if that’s what you like. Adding your own personal touches is what turns a house into your home!
For sellers planning to list their property soon, I never recommend dark or bold colors for interior spaces, unless they’re already present and flow seamlessly with the design and architecture of the home. Otherwise, neutral is best. When you’re trying to sell a house, it’s practically guaranteed that if you paint the walls a bold color, you’re going to lose a large portion of the buyer pool; they’ll just see the photos online and if they don’t like the color, they’ll likely pass on the house.
That is exactly why I always recommend painting and staging a home with neutral shades. So, to help you select the perfect hue, these are some of my favorite paint shades to use if you’re thinking of putting your home on the market:
- Clean Slate (Sherwin Williams 9621) – A cool-toned, versatile white color
- Blank Canvas (Behr DC-003) – The 2023 ‘Color of the Year’ has slight undertones of yellow, beige and a little gray
- Sterling (Benjamin Moore 1591) – White with just a whisper of silver-gray that looks nice because everyone went with gray flooring and walls seven to 10 years ago so this matches well
- Whisper (Dunn-Edwards DEW340) – A cool, crisp white
Now, if you’re not planning to put your home on the market and want to add some richness to your rooms, here are a few shades to consider:
- Dark Walnut (Benjamin Moore 1358) – A deep, lush purple-red shade
- Ripe Olive (Sherwin Williams 6209) – An earthy dark green with blue-gray undertones
- Rumors (Behr MQ1-15) – The 2025 “Color of the Year” is a bright, wine red-purple color
If you’d like to talk more about the best colors for your home — whether you’re planning to list or simply want an interior refresh — let’s chat! I’d be happy to share the best hues for your rooms based on your real estate goals!
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Andrew Manning • REALTOR® • Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties • DRE: 00941825 • 818-380-2147 • andrew@andrewmanning.com