21 Best Neutral Paint Colors for Any Room in Your Home, According to Designers

"It works with everything," says designer Candace Mary Griffin of the off-white neutral Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams. Soft with a warm undertone, the paint is her current favorite go-to. You can practically paint your whole house with it.

Get this paint color: Sherwin-Williams Snowbound SW 7004

It was a challenge marrying the two styles of his clients, designer Corey Damen Jenkins explains. “The wife loved jewel tones and embellishment, while the husband was on the total opposite end of the spectrum—no color, no wallpaper," Jenkins tells us. So the living room walls were painted in Garlic Clove by PPG, "which has enough warmth to counterbalance the bright white of the often snowy landscape," while a door to the adjacent room got a splash of color with Navy Masterpiece by Benjamin Moore.

Get this paint color: PPG Garlic Clove 18-09

Any yellow neutral can evoke a happy, airy atmosphere. Designer Lilse McKenna's favorite is Capitol White by Benjamin Moore. "It is a white with just a hint of ivory and warmth," she says.

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Capitol White CW-10

For a moody color that would also fit right into a spa, consider Nitty Gritty by Portola Paints & Glazes. One of designer Rydhima Brar's favorites, the hazy green is deep and soothing.

Get this paint color: Portola Nitty Gritty

Somewhere in between gray and warm beige, greige paint can underscore the dimension of molding and millwork and can have a soothing effect in a flat application on the wall of a bedroom. Designer Purvi Padia's favorite is Collingwood by Benjamin Moore. The gray shade is a slightly cooler take on the neutral combo.

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Collingwood OC-28

Justina Blakeney, designer and blogger behind The Jungalow, used this light neutral green as a statement pop on a transitional wall between a living room and kitchen. "If I had to boil it down, jungalow really consists of four ingredients: color, pattern, plants, and global finds," so neutral shades of green paint are a natural favorite. In her kitchen, she used even more subtle shade, Silver Maple by Glidden, that almost looks gray in certain lighting.

Get this paint color: Farrow & Ball Breakfast Room Green No.81

Since this white color is dead center between warm and cool, designer Darryl Carter says Benjamin Moore Huntington White DC-02 will work equally well in traditional and modern settings. "I am historically prone to a neutral palette, and this white has been my go-to for years. It's a chameleon, taking on subtle changes in shade over the course of the day," she says.

Get a similar paint color: Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17

With a creamy eggshell paint color, your interiors will feel extra cozy. Designer Sherrell Neal loves Creamy by Sherwin-Williams "for its traditional warmth." She recently added the paint to her project color cards.

Get this paint color: Sherwin-Williams Creamy SW 7012

Designer Patrick Baglino recommends using this greige color in large open spaces with turquoise, scarlet, or tangerine accents. "The warmth of this gray comes from the addition of a splash of beige, and it feels as comforting as a bowl of homemade chicken soup," he says.

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172

Since this saturated gray-brown-black reads as black, but not quite as hard, it's easy to live with in any room, designer Peter Dunham says: "It's not that intense fortune-teller black but soft and sun-bleached, with depth and mystery. In a matte finish, it looks like a slightly smeared blackboard."

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Gray 2121-10

More: The 35 Best Shades of Gray Paint You'll Ever Use

Designer Brett Beldock says this mauvey taupe is as warm as a cable-knit cashmere sweater, which is why he recommends using it all over a bedroom, not only on the walls. "It would turn the room into a cocoon ... very peaceful. Bring in ivory, gray, eggplant, or chocolate for contrast," he says.

Get this paint color: Sherwin-Williams Doeskin SW 6044

Since this bold color is the same earthy red that you see in pre-Columbian art, or an Etruscan mural, or a Turkish rug, it's surprisingly neutral and goes with anything, says designer Carey Maloney: "We used it in our front hall as a backdrop to a Chinese coromandel screen and a huge African wooden sculpture. It creates this incredibly warm, inviting entry that draws you into the rest of the house."

Get this paint color: Donald Kaufman Color DKC-17

More: 13 Cool Shades of Red Paint for Every Style

According to designer Jonathan Rose, for a house in the country or by the sea, aqua is the new white and is the perfect complement to greenery or an ocean view. "The idea is for the wall color to be quiet so it can blend seamlessly with the outdoors. This blue-green is a pastel with personality. Keep the overall feeling serene with light floors, white trim, a touch of deeper aqua, and a few dark accents to anchor the room," he says.

Get this paint color: Farrow & Ball Pale Powder 204

Beige is designer Jonathan Taylor's dependable neutral that marries with any white, even a white gone wrong. “Years ago, a Fiorucci salesperson stared at my all-beige outfit and said, 'Well, beige is the rage.' I say yes! Best on walls in washable matte, this changes hues with the light, warms a chilly entry hall, and whispers 'Shhh' in the master suite. It’s nearly foolproof," he says.

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Hush AF-95

Although typically considered feminine, designer Laura Burleson says lilac performs beautifully as a neutral when paired with strong, deep colors like charcoal, black, or navy. "This shade is the perfect balance of saturation and tone, like seeing a sunset through a soft filter. Try it in unexpected applications—the ceiling of a moody, masculine library; the interior of creamy cabinetry in a kitchen," she says.

Get this paint color: Sherwin-Williams Wallflower SW 6281

This is one of those chameleon colors that can read as gray, taupe, or green, depending on the light, according to designer Robin Bell. "I’d use it in a matte finish on walls, where it would be a great foil to warm whites, or in a high-gloss finish on trim," she says.

Get this paint color: Farrow & Ball Stony Ground 211

People always think neutral means beige, but designer Gary McBournie says beige isn’t a neutral it's "blah blah blah." Instead, he recommends looking to nature for inspiration: "You’ll see forest green, sky blue, and this luscious brown, which also reminds me of a melting pot of chocolate. I have used it in foyers, dining rooms, and even in my own bedroom. For a crisp effect, paint the ceiling and trim a bright white."

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Barista AF-175

Despite the name, Farrow & Ball's Blackened is actually a cool ivory hue with a touch of gray. (Per the company, it "was historically made with the addition of lamp black pigment gathered from the smoke of burning oil lamps.") "I love it because it's not a stark white," says designer Eddie Ross. "It's great for using with bolder colors because there's not a major transition."

Get this paint color: Farrow & Ball Blackened No. 2011

Looking for a neutral that's moody but not overwhelming? "This warm gray-blue has a relaxing feel," says Ross. "It's the right mix of dark and cozy for a master bedroom."

Get this paint color: Benjamin Moore Montpelier AF-555

Taupe-y beige with a hint of green, "This color reminds me of drabware," says Ross of C2 Paint Lamb's Ear BD-78. "I'd use it in a living room; it's really welcoming and eases your eye into the space."

Get a similar paint color: C2 Paint Sisal C2-638