10 Best Neutral Paint Colors
Neutral paints are becoming a more and more popular interior decoration choice, providing a classy and refined look to any room. If you’re interested in sprucing up your living space a bit and joining the neutral color trend, you’re going to want to find the best neutral paint colors out there for your house. There are many different neutral paint colors out there, from cool grays and whites to warmer beiges and ivories, and all of them have their own strengths and important features to consider.
Finding the best neutral paint colors can be difficult, though, as they tend to all look very similar in swatches on a computer screen and you can’t really tell much about the finish of any digital neutral paint color sample. Fortunately, we’ve done the testing and research, so you don’t have to, and our neutral paint colors reviews are here to help you to save time and make easy, confident decisions about which neutral shade of paint is the best for your home and needs.
View the Best Neutral Paint Colors, Below.
- KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint Royal Ivy
- Magnamagic GBCP810 Chalkboard Paint
- Glidden Interior Paint Gray Stone’s Throw
- KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint Tender Shoots
- Glidden Interior Paint Beige Toasted Almond
- Prestige Paints Interior Paint Neutral
- Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral Concrete Jungle
- RTG Exterior Trim Paint
- Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral Eggshell
- Majic Paints Acrylic Enamel Satin Neutral
1. KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint Royal Ivy
Read Customer Reviews →KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint in Cool Fog is a great neutral gray paint color. It’s a very light gray, formulated to feel calming and relaxing, with a hint of green in its undertones for a more earthy feel. This is a neutral paint color that goes particularly well with silver and chrome detailing for a classy, contemporary look to any room.
This is an all in one paint and primer, meaning that it's the only paint you'll need to achieve a strong, durable finish on any wall. A single coat is stronger and clearer than most other paint options, and the low VOC formulation of the paint means that it dries quickly when applied to the wall. This is a long-lasting, durable paint that's easy to wash if needed, helping your new classy finish to look great on your wall for as long as possible.
As well as being a very attractive color, the KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint in Cool Fog is a durable, practical surface for any wall that promises to be protective, long lasting, and easy to maintain.
Check Price on Amazon ➞2. Magnamagic GBCP810 Chalkboard Paint
Read Customer Reviews →The Magnamagic GBCP810 Chalkboard Paint is a little different from the other best neutral paint colors on this list. It’s a clear paint base rather than a colored paint, and therefore needs to be mixed with colors to achieve a colored finish. This means that it can be mixed with whichever neutral colors you’ve chosen for the rest of the wall in question, giving a perfect match to any neutral paint color.
The purpose of the Magnamagic Chalkboard Paint is to provide a chalkboard surface for writing or drawing on with chalks. Apply a coat of this mixed with whichever neutral paint color you prefer over a coat of primer to achieve a wall surface that looks like the rest of the wall but can be easily written or drawn on with chalks, adding an extra level of creativity and fun to your room without requiring a large, unsightly black chalkboard surface.
Chalkboard paint allows drawing on walls freely, and the Magnamagic GBCP810 Chalkboard Paint is a particularly good option. As a clear paint base, it can be mixed with any other paint to offer a chalkboard surface that blends in with your other walls.
Check Price on Amazon ➞3. Glidden Interior Paint Gray Stone’s Throw
Read Customer Reviews →The Glidden Interior Paint in Gray Stone’s Throw is an attractive warm gray colored neutral paint tone suitable for any room. It’s not too dark, keeping rooms feeling relatively light and bright, and has warm enough tones to keep rooms feeling friendly and warm, while still looking refined and classy.
The formulation of Glidden Interior Paint features some helpful details. This is an all in one paint and primer with a strong enough color tone and good enough coverage that it only requires a single coat for full coverage, speeding matters up significantly. In addition to this, once dry, this paint provides an easily washable surface, making it simple to remove stains and marking from the finished walls. It’s also a highly durable paint, which, combined with this washability, effectively reduces the need for regular touch ups and repainting, making this a longer lasting and stronger paint than many alternatives.
Glidden Interior Paint in Gray Stone’s Throw only requires a single coat for strong coverage over even stained surfaces, speeding up the process of painting a room significantly by eliminating the need for waiting, sanding, and repainting.
Check Price on Amazon ➞4. KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint Tender Shoots
Read Customer Reviews →KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint in Tender Shoots is a gentle neutral chartreuse paint color. This is a very delicate greenish shade reminiscent of honeydew melon, formulated to encourage creativity and thought, with just enough warmth to feel welcoming and friendly. This is a neutral paint color that is recommended for offices, studios, playrooms and any other space where creativity is welcome or necessary.
This is an all in one paint and primer, meaning no additional paints are required for a durable and well covering surface on any wall. The low VOC formulation of the paint means that this neutral paint color dries very quickly, providing a strong, clearly colored wall surface and a smooth finish. In addition to being durable and long lasting, this is a neutral paint color that’s easy to wash if needed, keeping your classy wall finish looking freshly painted for as long as possible.
In addition to being a delicate and appealing color, the KILZ TRIBUTE Interior Eggshell Paint in Tender Shoots is an easy to maintain paint that provides a durable, practical, protective finish to any wall while looking classy.
Check Price on Amazon ➞5. Glidden Interior Paint Beige Toasted Almond
Read Customer Reviews →The Glidden Interior Paint in Beige Toasted Almond is neutral paint color in a delicate pale beige tone suitable for any space. This is a light and bright color for fresh, airy feeling rooms, while still being warm enough in tone to keep rooms feeling friendly and warm as well as giving a classy, delicate feel to any room. The clever formulation of Glidden Interior Paint helps it to offer some value-added features.
This is an all in one paint and primer that only requires a single coat for full coverage, speeding up the process of painting a room by giving a strong, smooth coat with no sanding or repeat applications required. A durable surface when finished, this paint gives a strong protective layer to any wall, meaning that it does not require as many touch-ups or as frequent repainting as many other paint options, as it does not receive damage easily.
This neutral paint color also provides an easily washable surface once it is fully dry, allowing easy removal of stains and other marks without needing retouching, further reducing the level of maintenance required to keep your walls looking freshly painted and smart.
Glidden Interior Paint in Beige Toasted Almond has exceptional coverage, requiring only a single coat for clear color over stained surfaces. This eliminates the need for waiting, sanding, and repainting, effectively speeding up the process of painting any surface.
Check Price on Amazon ➞6. Prestige Paints Interior Paint Neutral
Read Customer Reviews →The Prestige Paints Interior Paint Neutral in Wheeling Neutral color is a perfect match for the Wheeling Neutral shade of Benjamin Moore interior neutral paint, one of the most on trend interior paint colors on the market in 2022. Prestige Paints doesn’t command the same premium price as Benjamin Moore, but the close color match makes this neutral paint color an excellent substitute for the more expensive and better known color.
The low VOC formulation of the Prestige Paints Interior Paint Neutral means that it is a quick drying color, speeding up the process of painting a room. This speed is boosted by the fact that this is a combination all in one primer and paint color, meaning that a single coat can cover a surface securely and effectively without requiring an undercoat of separate priming paint in order to bond well to the wall beneath.
Prestige Paints have perfectly matched the colors of the more expensive premium Benjamin Moore interior paint brand at a fraction of the price, making this a great option for repairing damage, filling gaps, or even mimicking one of the most on-trend paint looks around at the moment.
Check Price on Amazon ➞7. Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral Concrete Jungle
Read Customer Reviews →The Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral paint in Concrete Jungle from the Prestige Paints Designer Series is a strong gray color in a mid-tone range for a clean, classy finish. The color is perhaps a little on the cooler end of medium grays, meaning that the overall effect of this paint is one of prestige and class rather than of warmth and welcome, making it an ideal choice for rooms such as kitchens.
This is an all in one primer and paint formula with a strong enough color to require only a single coat on properly prepared unpainted surfaces. Its low VOC formulation means that it dries fast, making this a neutral paint color that takes very little time to paint an entire room, as there is no need for waiting, sanding and repainting. The final paint surface, once dry, is easy to wash and durable, minimizing the need for touch-ups and repainting and allowing your wall to look classy, premium and freshly painted for as long as possible after painting.
The Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral paint in Concrete Jungle from the Prestige Paints Designer Series offers remarkably high coverage, solidly covering even stained walls with only a single coat of paint and no need for primer.
Check Price on Amazon ➞8. RTG Exterior Trim Paint
Read Customer Reviews →The RTG Exterior Trim Paint in Simply White is a premium water-based polyurethane semi-gloss paint formulated for exterior painting of detailing and trim in a wide range of materials. This neutral paint color is designed to adhere perfectly to properly prepared outdoor surfaces including wood, brick, stone, stucco, composite materials, and previously painted materials no matter what type of paint has been used before.
This offers a remarkable level of adhesion, covering well over any surface without needing any primer or other undercoat. The self-leveling finish smooths itself off as you paint, disguising brush marks and other imperfections in your painting process to give a smooth, perfect finish without requiring any great amount of care and precision in painting.
Offering a high-quality finish without requiring extensive prep and care in application, the RTG Exterior Trim Paint is the best neutral paint color on the market in 2020 for painting exterior detailing and trim areas.
Check Price on Amazon ➞9. Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral Eggshell
Read Customer Reviews →The Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral paint in Eggshell Between the Sheets from the Prestige Paints Designer Series is a delicate pale gray paint in a relatively cool neutral tone. This is a light, fresh paint for airy feeling rooms, helping spaces to feel well lit and spacious. It's ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and hallways, as well as areas such as conservatories, bringing a cool and classy feel to any space and helping smaller rooms to feel larger and brighter.
This is an all in one primer and paint formula that requires only a single coat for effective coverage of unpainted surfaces, as long as they have been properly prepared. Once dry, the painted surface is highly durable and easy to wash, helping to reduce the need for repainting and constant touching up of marks and damage, and allowing your freshly painted wall to continue looking its best for as long as possible after painting even in a heavily used room. The low VOC formulation of this neutral paint color means that it dries particularly fast, making the Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral paint in Eggshell Between the Sheets from the Prestige Paints Designer Series a great choice for efficiently painting any room.
The Nikki Chu Perfect Shades of Neutral paint in Eggshell Between the Sheets from the Prestige Paints Designer Series is formulated for high coverage, needing no primer in order to cover stained surfaces effectively.
Check Price on Amazon ➞10. Majic Paints Acrylic Enamel Satin Neutral
Read Customer Reviews →The Majic Paints Acrylic Enamel Satin Neutral paint is a neutral tint base rather than a paint, meaning that it needs to be mixed with other paint colors in order to provide an attractive neutral paint color. This tint base is exceptionally durable, offering an exceptionally strong surface and boosting the durability and longevity of any paint color with which it is mixed. It is also a high adhesion neutral paint base, helping other colors to stick well to any surface and reducing the risk of cracking, flaking, chipping or peeling.
The Majic Paints Acrylic Enamel Satin Neutral paint is a highly durable and long lasting paint base that offers a strong finish no matter what color you choose to tint it with, making it a great choice for heavily used rooms.
Check Price on Amazon ➞Neutral Paint Colors Buyer’s Guide
Warm vs. Cool shades
Some neutral colors are described as warm, meaning that they offer undertones of yellow and red, while others are cool, with undertones of blue. The temperature of your neutral paint color can have a major effect on the feel of a room, so it’s worth considering this as a major feature when choosing a paint. Warm shades of neutral paint color encourage warmth and a welcoming, cozy atmosphere, making them an excellent choice for living rooms and bedrooms. Contrastingly, cooler paint colors tend to feel lighter, airier and colder, helping rooms to feel larger and more spacious than they actually are. This makes them an excellent choice for kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and small but well lit rooms, as they can help to make relatively cramped spaces feel roomier.
What are Neutral Colors in Paint?
Neutral colors are soft, muted shades of color. In interior design terminology, neutral means “without color,” although this definition is a bit misleading. Neutral colors cover shades of white, gray, black, taupe, ivory, beige, or eggshell; colors without strong hues. These seem less colored than other paint shades, although they still have their own color, with different colors visible in underlying shades; whites, for example, are a wide range of colors covering warmer shades and colder, more blue shades of white. Neutral colors in paint are great for interior decorating, as they’re muted enough that they go with anything, without the risk of unattractive color clashing present in brighter, more vibrant colors of paint.
How to Mix Neutral Paint Colors in a House?
One of the great things about neutral colors is that there are no rules about which colors do or do not go well with each other. You can mix areas of different neutral colors freely without worrying about the clashes possible from stronger, brighter colors. This makes neutral paint colors a great choice for anyone who wants to experiment a little or paint different rooms in different colors. Feel free to mix neutral colors; however you want, as it’s far easier to produce an attractive color scheme with neutral tones than it is with brighter shades!
What are some Neutral Colors to Paint your Exterior House?
Neutral colors are a great choice for painting the exterior of your house. They can fit in with whatever colors your neighbors have chosen for their own homes, while still giving you full control over what your own house looks like. Pretty much any neutral color is an excellent choice for painting your house; anything from whites to blues to beige to gray will look clean and natural, helping the exterior of your house to look classy and clean without standing out or clashing with surrounding colors at all. Whites, eggshell colors and other warmer tones are more common choices for exterior house paints, but there’s no best neutral color for painting exterior house walls. It’s all down to personal preference, and there’s no wrong choice!
Expert Tip
Colors don’t always look the same in person as they do on your computer screen, so as well as looking at pictures on a screen, it’s worth checking out a physical sample of a paint before diving in to paint your walls with it!
Did you know?
Lighting can have significant effects on how your paint looks. A color that looks warm under lamplight could look cold and sterile under daylight!