How do you paint interior doors?

To paint an interior door, First, remove the door from its hinges. Next, clean, sand, and prime the door. Place the door on sawhorses and paint using a paint roller and/or a paint brush. Allow to dry thoroughly before placing it back on its hinges.

Can you use interior paint outside?

Please don’t. Interior paint was made for the indoors, and won’t hold up against exposure to the elements. On the other hand, feel free to use exterior paint indoors if you are painting something like an old wood floor that will get a lot of wear to give it a more robust finish.

How do you paint interior walls?

Painting interior walls is a simple process that can be done yourself with care. First, move furniture and other objects out or into the center of the room and cover with protective plastic or drop cloths. Next, remove things like light switch plates or picture hooks. Apply painter's tape along the transition between the wall and ceiling, the top of the baseboards, and around any doors or window trim to protect against paint splatters. Start by painting the room’s edges with a paintbrush. Paint the inner surface area of the wall using a roller . Allow to dry and apply a second coat if you are using one. Once the final coat is dry, replace the light switch plates, rehang your picture hooks, and move the furniture back into place.

How do you choose paint colors for your home’s interior?

Choosing a paint color for your home’s interior can be challenging. Even if you want to keep it simple with an all-white interior, you will soon discover that there are more shades of white than you ever dreamed of, making picking the perfect shade seem impossible. Narrow it down by deciding whether a warm or a cool tone would work best in your space. This will depend on how much natural light it gets, which direction it faces, and the mood you want to create in the room. Because paint colors look very different online or on paint swatches than they do in larger areas on your walls, be sure to buy samples of your three or so top choices and to paint sample swatches as large as possible that you can try out and move around the room to see how the paint looks according to where and how the light hits, as well as during the day and evening as the light changes. While choosing a paint color might be harder than it seems, remember that it’s just paint, and it’s an easy fix if you don’t get it exactly right the first time.

The Spruce Best Home Paint Line: See the Collection

Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the best products; you can learn more about our review process here. We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.

The Spruce Best Home Paint cans — The Spruce/Jordan Provost

At The Spruce, our expert editors are committed to giving our readers all the tools they need to make their best home. That means crafting the best content possible on everything from home repair to gardening and decluttering. It also means listening closely.

We know from listening to you that one of the simplest, most cost effective ways to transform your home is through paint. We also know that the traditional process of buying paint is unnecessarily tedious.

So what did we do? We launched The Spruce Best Home paint line, a curated collection of 32 stunning interior paints, produced by KILZ, that makes the experience of selecting a hue beautifully simple and enjoyable.

Grab your paintbrush and browse our full palette below so you can get started on creating a space you'll never want to leave. And don't forget to share your photos with us!

Paint Calculator: How Much Paint Do I Need?

Can of aqua paint and a paint brush in front of a blue wall

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Spruce Paint color swatch in Persimmon — The Spruce

Persimmon Orange is a deep rustic, red-orange. Similarly to the fruit, this shade makes for a sweet and melty accent color, or the perfect hue for a media room.

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Spruce Paint color in Electric Kumquat — The Spruce

Electric Kumquat is an upbeat medium orange with a yellow undertone. We pulled the zesty citrus flavor of this small fruit and put it into a paint color that’s destined for the walls of a tropical-themed kitchen, a beachy bathroom, or a child’s room.

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The Spruce paint swatch color in Sundream — The Spruce

Sundream SPR-03 is a light tan with a creamy yellow undertone. Any room that this paint graces the walls of will remind you of blinking your eyes open on summer mornings to witness the sun pouring through your window—no matter the time of the year.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Sandbar — The Spruce

Sandbar SPR-04 is a warm medium tan that’s reminiscent of stepping on the loamy, soft shores of your favorite coast. Dip your paintbrush into this color for the perfect bedroom or living room neutral.

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The Spruce paint color swatch in Macrame Beige — The Spruce

Macrame Beige SPR-05 is a light beige with a subtly peach undertone. Eponymously named after the beachy, boho yarn, this hue will give any room that surfer vibe without straying into a world of bright colors.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Wax Pepper — The Spruce

For an adventurous pop of color, Wax Pepper’s sunny yellow with gold undertone will do just the trick. We wanted to capture the spice and energy of a real wax pepper’s color to make it a perfect fit for a playroom, breakfast nook, or accent wall.

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The Spruce Paint color swatch in Matcha — The Spruce

Stepping into a room with Matcha SPR-07 on the walls is nearly as serene as sipping a cup of green tea itself. This hue is a light green with a subtle yellow undertone, perfect for a living room, nursery, or primary bath.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Winter Wreath — The Spruce

The medium dusty olive of Winter Wreath SPR-08 is proof that even the coldest season has stunning colors—many of them wrapped up in wreaths, garlands, and centerpieces. Use this shade in a living room, bedroom, or den.

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The Spruce Paint New Garden paint swatch — The Spruce

Quiet Green SPR-09 is a muted sage green that’s evocative of serene walks in a garden. This color is just as calming as our Matcha paint, but its deeper tone gives it a slight air of sophistication, perfect for a primary bedroom.

About This Term: Primary Bedroom

Many real estate associations as well as the Real Estate Standards Organization have classified the term "Master Bedroom" as potentially discriminatory. "Primary Bedroom" is the name now widely used among the real estate community and better reflects the purpose of the room.

Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome.

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The Spruce Paint color swatch in Distilled Aqua — The Spruce

Distilled Aqua SPR-10 is a dusty blue with a green undertone. It’s representative of the peace that comes from being around quiet lakes, babbling brooks, and gentle streams. Bring this tranquil feeling into your home by painting it in your living room, bathroom, or meditation space.

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Spruce Paint swatch color in Antique Teal — The Spruce

Antique Teal SPR-11 is a medium blue teal that’s a nod to the stunning heirlooms of decades past. Use it in a bedroom, dining room, or den.

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The Spruce Paint color swatch in Breezy Beach — The Spruce

Breezy Beach SPR-12 is a muted baby blue that will make you think of the brightest summer skies and bluest oceans. Paint it in a bathroom, nursery, or kitchen for a soft and cheery burst of color.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Shallow Waters — The Spruce

Shallow Waters SPR-13 is a dark dusty blue-gray that reminds us of both wading through a lake during summer or watching the choppy seas from the safety of a cozy beach house. Use this calming shade in a bedroom or guest bathroom.

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Spruce Paint color swatch in Moody Teal — The Spruce

Moody Teal SPR-14 is a deep blue with a slight green undertone. The shade evokes the flick of a mermaid’s tail and the chipping paint of an old fishing boat. We think it’s a great choice for a den, guest house, or interior door.

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The Spruce paint color swatch in Stormy Skies — The Spruce

Stormy Skies is a dark-shaded charcoal blue that captures the moodiness and beauty of an incoming storm. It’s just the color for painting a guest bedroom or reading nook.

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The Spruce Paint Blue Marlin swatch — The Spruce

Blue Marlin SPR-16 is a medium blue-gray that instantly transports you to a misty morning fishing trip. Use it in a nursery, powder room, or nautical-inspired dining room.

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The Spruce paint color in Spectral Blue — The Spruce

Spectral Blue SPR-17 is a basic navy blue, reminiscent of peering at the hazy sea through a tower viewer. A child’s bedroom or a powder room are two great spaces for this shade.

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The Spruce Paint swatch in Cosmic Sapphire — The Spruce

Cosmic Sapphire SPR-18 is a deep bold navy that will take your senses into space to the furthest dazzling galaxies. It’s a fitting color for a home craft room, art studio, or child’s bedroom.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Lilac Sand — The Spruce

Lilac Sand SPR-19 is a dusty taupe with a lavender undertone. It’s a color that’s wrapped up the beauty of post-sunset sand and the quiet blooms of spring all in one. Try it in a bedroom or as a neutral-like accent wall.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Rose Power — The Spruce

Rose Power SPR-20 is a soft medium pink that captures the feeling associated with cherished antiques and reading dusty old books in sun-soaked rooms. Powder rooms and guest bedrooms are great candidates for this color.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Minimalist Look — The Spruce

Minimalist Look SPR-21 is a warm light gray that is just a few steps beyond white. Perfect for office or living room walls, and new beginnings.

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Spruce Paint color in Woodsy swatch — The Spruce

Woodsy SPR-22 is a medium taupe with a gray undertone. Use it in a living room or a bedroom to bring the calming ways of nature indoors.

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Spruce Paint color swatch in modern taupe — The Spruce

Seasonal Taupe SPR-23 is a medium gray with a brown undertone. This shade works year-round and captures the subtle beauty of each season, whether it’s the color of angular winter branches or squishy wet sand.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Cold Brew — The Spruce

Cold Brew is a dark espresso brown shade that fits beautifully in spaces like the bedroom or living room. The paint color itself is nearly as relaxing and invigorating for us as actually taking the first sip of cold brew on an early morning.

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First Frost The Spruce Best Home Paint swatch — The Spruce

The thrilling winter mornings of discovering freshly fallen snow are packed into this paint. First Frost SPR-25 is a bright, warm white that works wonders on trim and baseboard or in a minimal bedroom.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Limited Edition — The Spruce

Limited Edition SPR-26 is a white with a gray undertone. Painting any bedroom in the home with this color will remind you of sleeping in on those peaceful weekend mornings when the to-do list is already checked off.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Morning Fog — The Spruce

Morning Fog SPR-27 is a light silver with a sage green undertone. This relaxing color is perfect for a nursery, office, or meditation space.

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The Spruce Paint swatch in Calming Gray — The Spruce

Calming Gray SPR-28 is a neutral medium silver gray that materializes the tranquility in mountain clouds and afternoon shadows. Use it in a reflective space like a bathroom, bedroom, or office.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Gray Skies — The Spruce

Gray Skies SPR-29 is a medium gray with a green undertone that replicates the hushed cloud cover after a rainstorm and the gentle silence that comes with it. Paint it in a room that gets plenty of natural light or in a space that needs an air of relaxation.

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The Spruce Paint color swatch in Gravity Gray — The Spruce

Gravity Gray SPR-30 is a light silvery gray with a blue undertone. Similar to gravity, this hue will allow you to feel grounded when you’re searching for a moment of respite, which makes it perfect for a bedroom, bathroom, or media room.

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The Spruce Paint swatch in Stone Quarry — The Spruce

Stone Quarry SPR-31 is a medium charcoal with a blue undertone, perfect for bathrooms and kids’ bedrooms. This color captures details small and large, from the stunning deep blue shades of a freshly excavated rock mine to the comforting curvature of a smooth shale stone in your hand.

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The Spruce paint swatch in Phantom Black — The Spruce

Phantom Black SPR-32 is a deep true black. Full-bodied and sleek, it’s the background on which your favorite starry nights appear in front of and serves as a beautiful accent wall color or bold bedroom shade.

Quality

If you think that buying inexpensive paint will save you money, think again. Cheap paint is harder to work with, often requiring multiple coats to achieve good coverage, and won’t last as long before it starts to chip. Look for top-quality paint that will go on smoothly, give you even coverage, and will last longer.

Finish

Choosing the right finish can have a big impact on the look of your room. If you are painting a living room with tons of natural light, a matte or velvet finish is a classic choice. Choose satin paint for a slightly more reflective finish on walls or woodwork that also can be wiped clean of fingerprints or dust. Semi or high-gloss finishes are best for doors or decorative wall treatments, since they will reflect light but also reveal every minute imperfection on the wall’s surface.

Ingredients

In addition to finishes, paint comes in a variety of formulations and may be water- or oil-based. Water-based paint is the easiest to work with for interiors. If you are concerned about introducing chemicals into your interior for personal health or environmental reasons, look for low or no VOC eco-friendly and natural house paints.

FAQ

How do you paint interior doors?

To paint an interior door, First, remove the door from its hinges. Next, clean, sand, and prime the door. Place the door on sawhorses and paint using a paint roller and/or a paint brush. Allow to dry thoroughly before placing it back on its hinges.
Can you use interior paint outside?

Please don’t. Interior paint was made for the indoors, and won’t hold up against exposure to the elements. On the other hand, feel free to use exterior paint indoors if you are painting something like an old wood floor that will get a lot of wear to give it a more robust finish.
How do you paint interior walls?

Painting interior walls is a simple process that can be done yourself with care. First, move furniture and other objects out or into the center of the room and cover with protective plastic or drop cloths. Next, remove things like light switch plates or picture hooks. Apply painter's tape along the transition between the wall and ceiling, the top of the baseboards, and around any doors or window trim to protect against paint splatters. Start by painting the room’s edges with a paintbrush. Paint the inner surface area of the wall using a roller. Allow to dry and apply a second coat if you are using one. Once the final coat is dry, replace the light switch plates, rehang your picture hooks, and move the furniture back into place.
How do you choose paint colors for your home’s interior?

Choosing a paint color for your home’s interior can be challenging. Even if you want to keep it simple with an all-white interior, you will soon discover that there are more shades of white than you ever dreamed of, making picking the perfect shade seem impossible. Narrow it down by deciding whether a warm or a cool tone would work best in your space. This will depend on how much natural light it gets, which direction it faces, and the mood you want to create in the room. Because paint colors look very different online or on paint swatches than they do in larger areas on your walls, be sure to buy samples of your three or so top choices and to paint sample swatches as large as possible that you can try out and move around the room to see how the paint looks according to where and how the light hits, as well as during the day and evening as the light changes. While choosing a paint color might be harder than it seems, remember that it’s just paint, and it’s an easy fix if you don’t get it exactly right the first time.

This article was written and researched by Melissa Epifano, the former associate lifestyle editor for The Spruce where she oversaw both the home decor and crafts sections. She has written for publications like MyDomaine, Byrdie, Women's World, First for Women, Everyday Health, Life&Style, and SUITCASE.

See Editors' Picks from The Spruce Best Home Paint Collection

The Spruce Best Home Paint: See the Collection

Interior paint made easy

Persimmon Orange (SPR-01)

Electric Kumquat (SPR-02)

Sundream (SPR-03)

Sandbar (SPR-04)

Macrame Beige (SPR-05)

Wax Pepper (SPR-06)

Matcha (SPR-07)

Winter Wreath (SPR-08)

Quiet Green (SPR-09)

Distilled Aqua (SPR-10)

Antique Teal (SPR-11)

Breezy Beach (SPR-12)

Shallow Waters (SPR-13)

Moody Teal (SPR-14)

Stormy Skies (SPR-15)

Blue Marlin (SPR-16)

Spectral Blue (SPR-17)

Cosmic Sapphire (SPR-18)

Lilac Sand (SPR-19)

Rose Power (SPR-20)

Minimalist Look (SPR-21)

Woodsy (SPR-22)

Seasonal Taupe (SPR-23)

Cold Brew (SPR-24)

First Frost (SPR-25)

Limited Edition (SPR-26)

Morning Fog (SPR-27)

Calming Gray (SPR-28)

Gray Skies (SPR-29)

Gravity Gray (SPR-30)

Stone Quarry (SPR-31)

Phantom Black (SPR-32)

The Spruce Best Home Paint: See the Collection

Interior paint made easy

Persimmon Orange (SPR-01)

Electric Kumquat (SPR-02)

Sundream (SPR-03)

Sandbar (SPR-04)

Macrame Beige (SPR-05)

Wax Pepper (SPR-06)

Matcha (SPR-07)

Winter Wreath (SPR-08)

Quiet Green (SPR-09)

Distilled Aqua (SPR-10)

Antique Teal (SPR-11)

Breezy Beach (SPR-12)

Shallow Waters (SPR-13)

Moody Teal (SPR-14)

Stormy Skies (SPR-15)

Blue Marlin (SPR-16)

Spectral Blue (SPR-17)

Cosmic Sapphire (SPR-18)

Lilac Sand (SPR-19)

Rose Power (SPR-20)

Minimalist Look (SPR-21)

Woodsy (SPR-22)

Seasonal Taupe (SPR-23)

Cold Brew (SPR-24)

First Frost (SPR-25)

Limited Edition (SPR-26)

Morning Fog (SPR-27)

Calming Gray (SPR-28)

Gray Skies (SPR-29)

Gravity Gray (SPR-30)

Stone Quarry (SPR-31)

Phantom Black (SPR-32)

What to Look for When Choosing Home Paint

Quality

Finish

Ingredients

Why Trust The Spruce?