10 Best Neutral Paint Colors for a New Home

Choosing a paint color for a new home can be pretty exciting. However, your initial excitement can wane once you look at the hundreds of color choices for your walls. If it's your first home, you might not be sure which paint colors work best. That's where neutral paint colors come in. They work well with most decor styles and virtually any room in a home, and they act as a fresh canvas for you to move in your furniture and accessories. You still get to feel like you put your own personal stamp on your new place when selecting a neutral color scheme. And you're less likely to have color regrets once than you might if you selected a bold color that you later realize doesn't work with your decor.

Color Family: Various
Complementary Colors: Various
Pairs Well With: Neutrals, white, black, complementary bold accent colors
Mood: Fresh, bright, clean, airy, inviting
Where to Use: Living spaces, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, cabinetry, furniture

Here are some of our favorite neutral paint colors to spruce up a new home.

01 of 10

Sherwin-Williams Crushed Ice SW 7647

The Spruce

Pale gray is a safe color choice that can lean both modern and traditional. A soft neutral gray like Sherwin-Williams Crushed Ice gives just a hint of color while allowing your decor to shine. And because it's neutral, you can pair it with accent colors that have either cool or warm undertones, giving you lots of flexibility as you decorate your new home.

Tip

If you realize the undertones of your paint color don’t coordinate with the rest of your space after you’ve painted all the walls, you still might be able to salvage your paint job. Try swapping out your light bulbs to ones with either warmer or cooler tones, depending on what your space needs. That might make all the difference in you loving the paint color.
02 of 10

Benjamin Moore Bleeker Beige HC-80

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Benjamin Moore's Bleeker Beige is a highly versatile neutral paint color. Its undertones are balanced, meaning they work well with all types of accent colors and lighting. Plus, because it's a medium beige and not incredibly pale, it will still have some presence in the space, creating a warm and inviting feel. It's especially good as a neutral canvas for living spaces.
03 of 10

Sherwin-Williams Realist Beige SW 6078

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Sherwin-Williams' Realist Beige is a smoky neutral with just enough gray to give it a cool undertone. Cool neutrals like this color look gorgeous with blues and greens, creating an overall calm and clean color palette. This color can work just as well in a bedroom as it can in living spaces and bathrooms. In living spaces, you can jazz it up with some bolder pops of color.
04 of 10

Behr Monet Moonrise 410-A1

The Spruce

Greens can easily be considered neutrals as long as they are fairly muted. Behr's Monet Moonrise has just enough color to make it interesting but still stays on the neutral side. This pale green would work well with deep wood tones, crisp white, and rich gray, giving the space an overall natural and fresh vibe. And it will make any living space feel light and airy.

Continue to 5 of 10 below.
05 of 10

Behr Granite Boulder 790D-4

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If you don't love the idea of a traditional beige or a cold gray, a warm greige color like Behr's Granite Boulder could be the answer. This color is flexible enough to work with many decor styles. And even though it will add clearly defined color to a space, especially when there's white trim to contrast with it, it's still light enough to keep a room feeling open and bright. It's a perfect neutral for bedrooms to add a layer of coziness.
06 of 10

Magnolia Carter Crème

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Pretty, warm, and light, Carter Crème from Magnolia Home by Joanna Gaines is a rich alternative to ordinary white wall colors. Most true white wall colors can look gray on cloudy days and too stark in bright lighting. So choosing a warm white paint for your new home will help to create a clean and crisp look, regardless of your lighting. This color is perfect for living spaces, kitchens, and bathrooms.
07 of 10

Valspar Distant Valley 5002-3A

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Neutral paint color doesn't always mean beige or taupe. A muted blue or green can feel every bit as neutral as a warm color. Valspar Distant Valley is a soothing blue-gray paint color that pairs well with warm neutrals, and creamy white wall trim. Charcoal gray furniture and accessories would be stunning with this color.
08 of 10

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter HC-172

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Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter is a deep greige that's suitable for most rooms with adequate lighting. This rich neutral color is part of Benjamin Moore's Historical Collection, which features several gorgeous neutrals. But it also can easily lean contemporary, depending on your decor.

Tip

To avoid regretting a color choice, paint a sample on your walls and let it sit for at least a few days. Observe it at various times of the day in different lighting to make sure it suits your space.

Continue to 9 of 10 below.
09 of 10

Behr Almond Wisp PPU5-12

The Spruce

Almond Wisp from Behr is a beige with just enough gray undertones to prevent it from feeling too yellow. It adds an overall glow to your walls and works well even in rooms that don't get a lot of light. It will make a living space look bright and airy, especially when paired with crisp white trim.
10 of 10

Behr Moth Gray N200-1

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Moth Gray from Behr is a neutral gray paint color that will never make your space feel cave-like. It has warm undertones and is bright enough to reflect plenty of light in any room of your home. This paint would look beautiful paired with rich, warm wood tones. And there’s just enough color to it to make white trim pop.

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10 Best Neutral Paint Colors for a New Home

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