Farmhouse Color Palette

“The best color in the whole world is the one that looks good on you.”- Coco Chanel

Paint colors. For some, those tiny bookmark-shaped samples make people feel like they’re a kid in a candy store. That giant display of color in front of them represents a sea of exciting choices and a great opportunity to change the look and feel of a space in their home.

To others, looking at that rainbow array of well-organized color is as close to a nightmare as they can imagine. For those who don’t enjoy the paint selection process, this is a moment in time when having to make one decision out of thousands of choices is worse than going to the dentist. (Ok, maybe not that bad, but there are certainly those who dread choosing paint.)

There are so many factors involved in finding the right color for a room. Once you pick a color, the decisions don’t end there. Next you have to choose the tone, shade, and hue you want. Who would have thought there would be so many shades of white?! In my opinion, the easiest way to decide on a shade of the color you choose is to get a few samples and paint them on the wall. (Now some paint companies have larger samples you can temporarily stick on the wall- so convenient!) You need to look at those samples for a day or two throughout different times of day.  Lighting plays a huge roll in the way a color looks in a room. Some colors look very different in rooms that have a lot of natural light verses a darker room. Morning light is much different than evening light. All of these factors change the look of paint color in a room. Spend some time reflecting on the samples throughout the day and night in your space. 

I get it, finding the perfect paint color is tough! I’m sure it will come as no surprise that I am the person in the former example above. I LOVE going to the paint store! I also happen to love to paint. I bust out my paint clothes, put my hair up in a messy bun, and blast Chris Stapleton on the speakers. I can paint for hours without stopping, I find it very therapeutic. I’ve been told by some people that they find painting, “mind-numbing.” I’m not sure what that says about me…but I digress.

I find the power of paint amazing! The way it can transform the feeling in a room is incredible to me. Paint can make a space feel light and airy, dark and dramatic, or fun and whimsical. The best part of paint is that it’s temporary. You can change paint as often as you change your underwear if you want. Ok, no one is going to do that, but you get my point.One of the top three questions I get asked on social media about the farmhouse is how I chose our color palette. To be honest with you, I’m not sure if I chose the palette or if the color palette choses me. I’m always focused on making our home feel warm and inviting. I knew from the start of our remodel that I wanted our home to have a modern farmhouse, French-country feel. Love this inspiration below by Vivi et Margot.Beige was my starting point. Sounds easy, but you can imagine how many beiges there are out there. Although I have an appreciation for every color and style of a home, I am drawn to a more French-country vibe. I love a neutral palette so I can add pops of color (usually muted) when the spirit moves me. I also gravitate toward cooler tones; blue, green, grey, etc.

I painted the main living spaces of our home (entryway, kitchen, living room, dining room, and hallways) with Sherwin Williams, Bungalow Beige.I wanted the bedrooms to feel light and airy. I chose a beautiful off-white (with little yellow in it) by Sherwin Williams called Natural Choice.The trim, molding, doors and shiplap are all Sherwin Williams, Pure White.I think the most important thing when it comes to choosing paint is that you choose something that feels right to YOU. You’re the one that has to look at it everyday and live with it.

Right now, bold colors are on trend. You see a lot of black, navy, dark green, and charcoal grey walls. Although I think they’re beautiful and fitting for the homes they’re in, it’s just not my style regardless of the “in” factor. I can safely tell you that you will not see a wall like that in our farmhouse because it’s just not “me.”

However, if our sixteen-year-old son catches wind of this trend, I could be in big trouble; I’ve been fighting him on a black or dark grey room for a year now. Maybe my concession could be one wall…hmmm. Sidenote: I also just realized he may be more on trend that his dear ol’ mom. Hopefully he won’t catch wind of that either, I’ll never hear the end of it! 

Enjoy the process. Remember, paint can change the feel and the mood of a room tremendously. If you decide you don’t like it, you can always change it. Have fun!