Keeping the house neat can be an uphill battle. The messiness of everyday life can sneak up on you before you’ve had a chance to tidy up, and dingy-colored walls only make this more noticeable, especially if you have children.
Even if you’re always on top of the cleaning, some paint colors don’t age well, don’t work well with the lighting, or naturally tend to look dirty. So, here are our expert painters’ color recommendations that will help your home’s interior look spotless.
Dark Greens
A dark green tone will not only look contemporary, but it’s easier to keep clean than most pastels and whites. Dark colors also open up a room, making it look more spacious than it is. It’s a win-win in terms of cleanliness and design.
There are many shades of dark green to try, enough to lose your mind considering them all. You may want to try Benjamin Moore’s Calypso Green from the Color Preview collection as a starting point.
This deep and rich shade of green with cool blue undertones can be enthralling, evoking depth and sophistication. Try this or similar shades if you want your spaces to submerge visitors into a deep, harmonious forest while keeping everything looking clean.
Dark Blues
Keep it classy with a dark blue in a well-lit room, with lighter-colored furniture that stands out against the walls and flooring. Blue is also a good choice for high-traffic rooms that risk getting dirty, like mud rooms or your home’s entrance.
To avoid earthy undertones that can quickly look dingy, go for a teal or bluish-green undertone like Benjamin Moore’s Lucerne from the Affinity color line. Lucerne is a great anchor for traditional and modern spaces, especially if you want to evoke a deep ocean or a night sky without sacrificing tranquility.
Light Blues
A soft blue has a calming effect that makes it easy to relax in any room, while brighter hues create a livelier atmosphere. Cold hues like these always benefit from well-lit rooms, so consider it when you need to paint a living room with big windows and lots of natural light!
As a bonus, you can get creative with decor and furniture colors. All white couches and cushions are classy, but yellow or light green will pop against light blue walls.
Try a bright shade of blue like Benjamin Moore’s Sea to Shining Sea from the Classics collection. This is a soothing but also surprisingly vibrant shade that gives off a lively vibe. Not only will it make your spaces look clean, it’ll make them look large, fresh, and spirited in the process.
Pale, Cool Shades of Blue
Shades of blue have been a fairly popular color on this list – for a reason. Pale blue can create a soft, muted, and tranquil atmosphere while giving the impression that everything is neat and clean.
If you enjoy clear skies and calm bodies of water, pale and cool blues are an excellent way to make your home look spotless and serene at the same time.
We recommend a color like Benjamin Moore’s Intuition from the Aura Interior Paint line. The Aura line is renowned for its depth, color richness, durability, and low VOC levels, so you can’t go wrong with it.
Pinks
Pastel colors may not always hold up to the test of time and start looking washed out and dull before long, but a bright pink will make those walls pop while hiding away stains and other imperfections.
There are many shades of pink but start by trying something like Benjamin Moore’s Cotton Candy. It’s a warm, light shade of pink with hints of peach and beige. It’s soft, delicate, and slightly muted while retaining a clean look. This is a great color to infuse elegance, femininity, and tranquility into a neat-looking space.
Decorating Tips For A Cleaner-Looking Home
Choosing the right wall color is just one step you can take to make the upkeep of your home easier. So keep these recommendations in mind moving forward:
- Use the right finish for your paint. Glossy finishes work well for kitchens because you can easily wipe off spills and make the walls look new. On the other hand, matte finishes absorb more dirt but are easier to simply paint over.
- Buy high-quality paint. It seems obvious, but your paint’s quality also plays a role. Lower-quality paint usually has poor coverage, making anything look dingy regardless of the color.
- Be aware of poor natural light. Warm undertones like yellows, reds, and browns look dingy when there isn’t enough natural light entering your home’s interior. Beiges and grays can also look muddy under poor lighting. For spaces with little sunlight, go for lighter and brighter colors.
- Consider the floor. Wood or tile colors with yellow, tan, brown, or similar tones start looking older than others, especially when paired with earthy walls. Anticipate whether the floor may contribute to a dirty look when combined with your chosen colors.
- Use elevated furniture. Elevated furniture will make sweeping and vacuuming easy, avoiding long-term dirt accumulation.
- Choose the right upholstery for your couch. Something stain-repellant or easy to clean will make things easier for you. As long as you avoid spills, leather is a good choice.
Make Your Home Look Cleaner With The Right Colors And Decor
The key is to strike a good balance of aesthetics and convenience, depending on the time and resources you have available for home upkeep.
Your choices in decor, the room layout, the amount of natural light, the light fixtures, and the style of shelving you pick will all affect the cleanliness and maintenance you’ll have to do. Consider all your options before you commit to a specific wall color.
And remember, you can always count on our experts for a complimentary color consultation.
