My Favorite Light Neutral Paint Colors

It seems crazy to me that after years of e-design and blogging that I’ve never shared a set of some of my favorite paint colors here! I’ve talked about how to choose paint colors, but never given you any specific ones. It’s time to change that!

Now I feel like I have to share the disclaimer that paint colors look different in every room, so even if you spy one that you really love here or in an inspiration image on Pinterest, always, always, get a sample. See how it looks in your own home at different times of the day and under different lighting conditions.

My best paint color sample hack that will save you time and a trip to the paint store (and avoid having a million tiny sample pots laying around) is to order 12”x12” sample sheets from Samplize*. They use real paint on peel-and-stick paper so you’ll get an accurate representation of what the color looks like.

They carry colors from four popular paint brands:

• Sherwin Williams

• Benjamin Moore

• PPG

• Farrow & Ball

One final note before we jump into the paint colors themselves - always make sure you include the brand name when you search for a paint color. A lot of brands have very similar names for their colors (especially in whites and neutrals) and it would be such a painful mistake to accidentally get one when you meant to get the other!

Also, it’s a good idea to spell out the name and/or have the paint number as a double check. I once ordered what I thought was a sample of Wales Gray and ended up with Whale Gray! Needless to say, they were not the same. 🙈

Now onto some of my favorite neutral paint colors!

SW Snowbound

This is the color I recently painted my office and it might be one of the most perfect whites out there with just a touch of warmth. It reads as a pure white, but doesn’t feel cold or sterile.

Behr Ultra Pure White

We painted all the trim in our Philadelphia home with this color. It’s a clean, bright white. It might be a little stark for walls for my personal taste, but it’s great for trim, especially if you have a light neutral on your walls and want to make sure there’s a bit of contrast between it and the trim.

BM Winter White

Another color from our Philadelphia home! This one really takes on different tones in different lights. We painted all of the rooms in our home with this and even in our open floor plan first floor, it looked different from the front of the house to the back. It can have a slightly green undertone in certain lights.

BM White Dove

A slightly creamier white, but without too much yellow. It works beautifully on walls, trim, and cabinetry. Just make sure you compare it to other whites you’ll have nearby because it can look a little dingy next to a super pure white.

BM Simply White

This one is a touch lighter than White Dove and still has a little warmth to it. It’s another go-to that works in just about any space on trim, walls, or cabinets.

SW Extra White

This is what we currently have all over our home. The folks who renovated our house before us chose it, and honestly, it’s a little stark for my liking. I love it on trim, but I wish our walls were a little bit warmer. If you love a bright, bright white though, this is a great one!

BM Chantilly Lace

An almost pure, almost bright white that blends well with other colors well. It’s a bit of a chameleon - it can go warm or cool depending on the room and the other colors around it.

SW Eider White

This is a warmer light gray tone. It works well in rooms without a lot of or no natural light. It reads as a light neutral with just a hint of taupe gray. It helps those darker spaces still feel bright without painting them white.

SW Greek Villa

Like Eider White, Greek Villa is a good option for a light neutral that isn’t a pure white. It has a little bit more of a yellow/beige undertone, so it’ll feel more like a tan.

BM Classic Gray

We were this close to using this one in our Philadelphia home and it’s one I’ve recommended to clients over and over if they want a warm gray that doesn’t feel dull. It provides a great backdrop to furniture and blends well in warm and cool spaces alike. It can go green in certain lights though, so be sure to observe your sample carefully.

BM Horizon

This is a cool light gray that can read more blue in north facing rooms thanks to the cooler light. It’s a bright, happy neutral that feels really fresh and clean.

SW Agreeable Gray

A warm gray, Agreeable Gray is very popular and for good reason! It works well in a variety of spaces and lights, and has a nice brown/taupe undertone. This one might be the darkest of the bunch, but don’t let that scare you if you’re trying to stay on the lighter side. It’ll just feel a bit more saturated and have more contrast with white trim.

So there you have it! Some of my favorite light neutral paint colors. Consider these little paint swatches a starting point. They’ll look different on the screen than they will in real life, so if you see something close to what you’re looking for, click the link to order a sample and see how it looks in your own home!

P.S. Looking for other paint color recs? Check out my other collections below!

*This post contains affiliate links, which means Mix & Match Design Co. earns a small commission from your purchase at no cost to you.