The Secret of the Most
Popular Paint Colors

The most popular paint colors have a few things in common. Keep reading to find out what makes best paint colors, best...

Psst! Need to find the right paint color, fast? Check out this shortcut to foolproof, no-fail interior paint colors.

Popular Paint Colors
Decoded and Explained

Do you know why some colors are voted "the most popular interior paint colors" by both homeowners and designers, while others are never mentioned anywhere?

The secret is often in the right combination of intensity, value and undertones that popular colors posess.

Intensity

Most colors you see in a paint color deck or on a paint store color display are too pure and intense to be used anywhere in a home other than in kids' rooms.

The best paint colors on the other hand, are livable, first and foremost. Livable colors are those that have been toned down with enough gray, so they look "grown up" and sophisticated, and don't require protective eyewear.

You see, all colors look twice as bright and vivid on the walls than they do on a paint chip. That's why livable colors are often overlooked - they seem too safe and boring surrounded by all those brighter shades in a paint color deck.

And unfortunately, these bright hues are exactly what people choose for their homes - and that's how they end up with "crazy yellow" or "toothpaste green" walls (which were supposed to be "golden yellow" and "fresh green")... does that sound familiar?

Value

Most popular paint colors follow the Goldilocks' rule: they are not too light, not too dark - they are just right! For most homes, "just right" usually refers to an LRV range of 40 to 60% (LRV is an indicator of lightness or darkness of a color, where 0 equals pitch black, and 100 is pure white).

What makes choosing a paint color in the right value tricky is the white space that separates colors from each other on a paint strip. Because of this white trimming, colors appear darker than they really are. As a result, homeowners decide to play it safe, choose a lighter shade than is needed, and end up with a color that looks kind of blah and washed out on the walls... have you ever had that happen?

Undertones

Paint color undertones are the most mysterious and misunderstood aspect of color. To put it simply, they are the subtle nuances that make colors complex and interesting. They are also the reason why there are several dozens of beige shades in a paint color deck, for example, and each one looks different.

Have you ever picked a paint color that looked perfect on a chip, but totally wrong on the walls? Chances are, you didn't get the undertone right.

The bottomline is, most of the colors in a typical paint color deck leave a lot to be desired. That is why professional color experts and decorators build a personal collection of popular paint colors over the years (the ones that have proved successful on the walls).

But if you don't have the time or desire to figure out what works and what doesn't when it comes to interior paint colors, take a look at the Paint Color Cheat Sheets™ - somebody has already done all the hard work for you!

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