Over the past couple of weeks we’ve been consumed by paint. This weekend everything finally made it from cans to walls — and to our hands, clothes and hair. After a burst of prep work and a lot of rolling, we refreshed most of the main living spaces with a simplified, cohesive paint palette designed to improve flow, update the look and repair the inevitable patchwork left by demolition.
We had three clear reasons for this painting push:
- Flow: Opening up several doorways has made the house feel much more connected. The widened sightlines demanded a unified approach to paint so rooms read together instead of feeling like separate, clashing boxes. Our former palette — which included celedon, turquoise, seafoam, butter yellow and multiple browns — was visually interrupting the new openness.
- Trend and Timelessness: Neutral, soothing colors have been prominent across design publications and model interiors, and we wanted to move toward that calmer, more sophisticated look. A toned-down palette feels current while also offering greater longevity than bright, trendy accents.
- Practical Necessity: The demo and renovation work left many walls patched and drywall-colored. Most spaces needed touch-ups or complete repainting to look finished, so addressing the entire main level at once made sense both for consistency and efficiency.
So here’s the new-ish color scheme we settled on. “New-ish” because it really represents a consolidation of hues we already liked — we simply expanded and repositioned them so the whole house reads more intentionally. The colors below are digital swatches from Glidden, so the on-screen appearance will vary depending on your monitor:
These are digital swatches from Glidden; color may vary by screen.
We kept a few favorites: Wishes and Water Chestnut remain in the den, and Gentle Tide continues to anchor the master bedroom — our first painted room and still our favorite. The difference now is that those same tones are used in additional areas to create continuity throughout our one-story brick ranch. This trimming down of the palette helps rooms transition into one another more naturally and allows furniture and accessories to work across multiple spaces without competing with discordant wall colors.
From a practical standpoint, painting multiple rooms with compatible neutrals improves perceived square footage and light flow. Lighter, warm neutrals bounce light around the house, making hallways and smaller rooms feel airier. Slightly deeper accent neutrals add depth in areas where we want to create a more intimate or cozy atmosphere, like the den and media spaces.
We also prioritized finishes that are durable and easy to clean. With the amount of traffic in a family home, choosing paints that stand up to wiping and resist scuffs was important. Matte or eggshell finishes work well on walls to diffuse imperfections from drywall repairs, while satin finishes on trim provide a subtle contrast and are easier to maintain.
Next up: final photos. We decided to wait to photograph the newly painted rooms until after the new flooring goes in today so the images will show the completed look. Once the floor is installed we’ll document each room and share the full before-and-after sequence, along with notes on where we used each color and why. For now, we’ll leave you with a quick snapshot of us taking a breath and enjoying a UVA football game this weekend — a rare moment of downtime in the middle of renovations. Go Hoos!