10 Paint Colors That Instantly Update Any Home

Indoors and out, these shades are top designers’ go-tos for a low-lift home renovationIn the arsenal of home renovation tools, a fresh coat of paint is a designer’s ace in the hole. We asked AD100 and AD PRO Directory designers for the interior and exterior paint colors they recommend for nearly instant transformations.InteriorsMinty greenKnown for her daring use of paint colors, Los Angeles–based designer Leah Ring has a passion for Benjamin Moore’s Lido Green, “It adds enough color to make a strong statement but is light enough to allow room to layer many other hues,” says the Another Human founder. In this San Francisco living room, it became a neutral base for a smorgasbord of royal purple, deep red, and olive green furnishings.Green grayTo add certain sophistication to a home, designer Alisa Bloom opts for Gray Cashmere by Benjamin Moore. “It’s a soft, muddy green with a blue undertone, so it shifts beautifully throughout the day, sometimes reading more blue or revealing more of its green,” says Bloom, based in New York and Chicago. In this historic residence in Washington, DC, it is the perfect backdrop for a collection of midcentury Italian furnishings.Warm taupeA warm neutral is a go-to for designer Cori Pfaff of Austin’s Ashby Collective, and she loves Benjamin Moore’s Litchfield Gray. “This timeless shade allows the home’s character and details to shine,” says Pfaff, who used the color on the millwork and vanity in this serene primary bedroom in Austin. “It brightens the space without feeling stark, creating a sense of warmth, calm, and effortless sophistication.”Creamy whiteIf San Francisco–based firm Regan Baker Design had a signature color, it would be Benjamin Moore’s White Dove. “It’s the white I come back to project after project because it’s warm without tipping into yellow, and crisp without feeling cold or clinical,” says founder Regan Baker. “It’s the perfect backdrop for all the things I love most: custom millwork, art, and color moments elsewhere in a room.” In this home in Orange County, California, the hue highlights the design’s natural materials, taking advantage of abundant sunshine.Soft puttyThe rosy undertone in this Chicago kitchen designed by AD PRO Directory member Imparfait Design Studio comes out in sunlight. Photo: Michael Alan KaskelTo complement the mix of materials in this Chicago kitchen, designer Rebekah Zaveloff returned to an old favorite, Benjamin Moore’s Athena. “It’s been my go-to forever and instantly transforms any space,” says the cofounder and creative director of Imparfait Design Studio in Chicago. “With just enough of a rosy undertone, it plays beautifully with virtually any wood tone, marble, or metal.”Leafy eucalyptusGreen has a calming effect in this Austin bathroom designed by local AD PRO Directory studio Farrington Lane. Photo: Jeff JonesWhitney Walker gravitates toward color to refresh a space, recommending the soft verdant shade cladding this Austin bathroom. “I love Rococo Lime Wash by Portola Paints because it brings life and movement to a room while still feeling quiet and grounded,” says the founder of design studio Farrington Lane in Austin. “It feels equally beautiful washed in daylight or under a low evening glow.”ExteriorsSun-soaked whiteWhite adds to the tropical flair of this home in Naples, Florida, designed by AD PRO Directory talent Renée Gaddis. Photo: Mali AzimaDesigner Renée Gaddis kept the tropics in mind when refreshing the exterior of this home in Naples, Florida, choosing a shade that shines in natural light. “Sherwin-Williams’ Greek Villa gives a home an instant refresh, and it isn’t too harsh or too white when working on projects under the Florida sun,” says the Sunshine State–based talent.Layered charcoalA historic home in San Francisco’s Presidio Heights neighborhood gets a chic all-black look, thanks to AD100 designer Nicole Hollis. Photo: Douglas FriedmanAccording to designer Nicole Hollis, a more dramatic hue gives an instant lift. “Painting traditional architecture a dark color somehow renders it modern,” says the AD100 talent, who recently used Benjamin Moore’s Asphalt and Iron Mountain paint colors to add dimension to the trim and stucco-and-brick façade of a historic home in San Francisco. “Set as a backdrop against the green wooded Presidio with views of the bay, the color softly blends in with the landscape,” she says.Seashell peachA faint blush adds dimension to the façade of this Florida home, designed by AD PRO Directory studio Shani Core Interiors. Photo: Jessica BordnerTo revive the exterior of a Palm Beach Gardens home, Florida-based designer Shani Risinger Core drew inspiration from the blush interior of a seashell. “Benjamin Moore’s Opal is an off-white with just a hint of pink,” says Core. “The shade is equally as beautiful for exteriors as interiors!”History-worn whiteSunlight can transform paint colors, so AD PRO Directory designer Kristina Phillips selected a well-balanced shade of white for her own home’s façade in New Jersey. Photo: Julia D'AgostinoWhen her own home in New Jersey needed a refresh, designer Kristina Phillips chose Benjamin Moore’s Distant Grey for the façade, noting that a stark white would read too modern. “The house is over 100 years old, so I wanted to keep the historic look,” she says. “As the roof is black, I leaned into a white that had a hint of gray in it. From a distance, it looks like a true white.”Elizabeth Stamp is a freelance lifestyle and design writer and editor based in Los Angeles. 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