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20 Calming Paint Colors to Help You Relax and Unwind at Home
Deep hues and soft pastels envelop these designer spaces.
Your home should be your sanctuary: a place that truly represents your personality and all your favorite things. And while design styles vary widely, from farmhouse and industrial to Scandinavian and eclecticism, one rule rings true for all: Color is crucial for setting the right mood. Whether you opt for a monochrome, complementary, or color-drenched aesthetic, some spaces call for an energetic color story, while others may be better suited to calming paint colors.
Our favorite calming paint colors do more than just soothe the mind. They can help evoke a serene-like feeling whenever you walk into the room. Bedrooms and bathrooms are most commonly designed with calming paint colors and soothing energies in mind, but don’t feel limited to just these spaces. Drench your living room in a sage green for a grounding effect or opt for a pale yellow in your dining room to keep dinner party guests present and relaxed. No matter where you use a calming paint color, the hue will always work for you. Also, you can think outside the pastel palette when choosing a calming paint color. Perhaps a cocooning navy or a rich aubergine will showcase the room in its best light.
If you’re looking to try a calming paint color in your own home, you’re in luck. We’ve gathered the 20 best calming paint colors to use in any room.
More for your next painting project:
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- Color Drenching Is a Must-Try Paint Trend
- 52 of the Best Blue Paint Colors
Rich Navy
Benjamin Moore's New Providence Navy is a great calming paint color for grounding a space in sophistication. Dark colors are often thought of as dreary or overbearing, but when used with plenty of natural light and lighter accents, they can help to cocoon a space in calm.
Light Clay
Stark white can sometimes feel too bright, so take a note from Jeremiah Brent and opt for a softer finish with a textured paint. The color Saint Sauvant by Portola Paints makes the space feel lived-in rather than like a brand-new build.
Peachy Pink
It's no surprise that in this North Carolina home where no wall is left white, a pale pink like Meet Cute by Clare Paints becomes the neutral hue. This calming paint color is slightly peachy, coordinating with the room's warm tones.
Pale Gray
Interior designer Liz Bonesio opted for a soothing, pale gray in the primary bedroom of this Nashville Home for a calming effect. While the actual color pictured is unknown, we recommend Backdrop's Ritual Unions for a similar effect.
Chocolatey Brown
This Texas home has no shortage of natural light. But in the bedroom, a calming paint color is key for a restful night's sleep. Interior designer Hilary Walker opted for Farrow & Ball's Deep Reddish Brown to help envelop the room with restful energy.
Buttery Yellow
In this Texas guest house, which takes its style cues from a ski chalet, New White by Farrow & Ball covers the walls of the bunk room. While bright and cheery during the day, this calming paint color also helps ease the four little ones who sleep here into a more restful state before bedtime.
Aubergine
Ariane Bethea designed this office to have plenty of workspace with a wraparound desk for two people. An abundance of closed storage houses all the practical (but less pretty) components of office work, while open shelving above shows off a collection of objects and books. A rich yet relaxing shade of Brinjal by Farrow & Ball blankets the entire room for a soothing backdrop.
Lavender
A 19th-century Virginia home gets a lovely refresh from designer Joe Ireland with coat of French Lilac by Benjamin Moore. This calming paint color looks both subtle and sweet juxtaposed against the wood and gilt pieces.
Deep Teal
The Pacific Sea Teal by Benjamin Moore used in this sitting room designed by Avery Cox creates a serene atmosphere, perfect for reading and studying. Cox only painted one of the walls in this calming paint color, along with the door and moldings, so a complementary wallpaper could be applied on the opposite side.
Sage Gray
Choose a muted gray with a green undertone, such as Raintree Green by Benjamin Moore, to make your home feel more spa-like than you ever thought possible. This kitchen designed by Marshall Watson gives off a tranquil vibe thanks to the calming paint color used.
Related Story: The Best Sage Green Paint Color
Warm Peach
“The bedroom gets great light throughout the day, so we wanted to go for a peachy color on the walls that would give it a nice glow with the sunlight,” explains Leah Ring of this room her firm Another Human designed. The calming bedroom “feels layered in a comfortable way but not too busy—[you] feel very serene when you’re in the room,” Ring says. The plexiglass butterfly artwork brings a touch of whimsy.
Pale Yellow
Yellow gives off energy and warmth. Plus, it's bound to make you feel happy. This room designed by Steven Gambrel (and painted in Benjamin Moore's Pale Straw) is all the evidence you need.
Related Story: How to Use High-Gloss Paint at Home, According to Designers
Sky Blue
The calming paint color British Standard Pompadour by Fine Paints of Europe used in this bedroom by Ellie Cullman is both relaxing and cheerful. Surrounded by classic accents and refined furnishings, this ethereal shade of blue adds just the right amount of energy. We love how it mimics the sky applied in a high gloss on the ceiling.
Classic White
Nothing gives a clean, crisp vibe better than the color white—especially Benjamin Moore's White Dove. “It sets the tone for my whole morning,” says Analisse Taft-Gersten of starting her days in this white bathroom.
Lilac
Choose a purple with gray undertones, like Misty Lilac by Benjamin Moore, so it doesn't feel too bold and vibrant. For accents, use creams and blues, as Mark Sikes did here, to complement this calming paint color.
Dusty Mauve
Not too gray, not too violet, Mysterious Mauve by Sherwin Williams is totally soothing. Its gracefulness and subtlety are perfect for a dining room, like this one designed by Kristin Kong.
Related Story: Designer-Approved Colors to Pair with Gray
Robin's Egg Blue
The calming paint color Dix Blue by Farrow & Ball gives this living room by Thomas Jayne just the right amount of liveliness without being too overbearing.
Related Story: 85 Beautiful Living Room Ideas to Inspire You
Icy Blue
A room drenched in a calming paint color like Lulworth Blue by Farrow & Ball will make you feel like you're living in a fairytale. This room designed by Rivers Spencer is no exception.
Emerald Green
A dark, jewel-tone green will make you feel like you're relaxing in nature, whether it's a park or the jungle. Just look to this room in Ricky Strauss's home, clad in Emerald Isle by Benjamin Moore.
Dark Gray
With the right accessories, a dark gray, such as Smoke Gray by Benjamin Moore, can instantly bring you into a relaxed state. Add a few lit candles to set the tranquil mood, and it'll be the perfect space to meditate, take a nap, or enjoy a meal.
Related Story: The 20 Best Gray Paint Colors, According to Interior Designers
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