Your Ultimate Guide to Effortless Paint and Wallpaper Pairings
Have you ever stood frozen in the paint isle staring at the wall of samples just trying to figure out what color to choose? What if you had someone there beside you telling you which paint and wallpaper pairings were going to work? Pretty great, right?
To some people, coordinating a paint color to other finishes is enough to induce a migraine while others find it thrilling. If you belong to the first group, I have created something just for you.
I'm in the latter group (which I talk about in this post), which has made creating and sharing this paint and wallpaper pairings guide so much fun. I've done all the work for you, so all you have to do is use the guide, and you'll know that the paint and wallpaper pairings in the guide will look great together.
Why Good Paint and Wallpaper Pairings Matter
But first, let's talk about why finding good pairings matters. In order to create harmony in your home, it's so important to choose paint colors that enhance the wallpaper's design so they aren't visually fighting. Instead we want them to feel like natural extensions of one another so your eye flows from one surface to the next and it all makes sense in our brains.
Choosing colors with the right undertones is a big part of this. If the undertones aren't similar, it will feel off and you may not be able to put your finger on what is wrong, especially when you're talking whites and neutrals. You'll also want to keep the mood or feel of the room in mind, which we'll talk more about later.
As I created this guide, I took all these things into consideration to help make your decision-making process simple and painless because we don't always have a paint-picking buddy with us in the store (even if we want one). By using this guide, it's almost like I'm there with you helping you make color choices that make sense with each other without all the stress.
Paint and Wallpaper Pairing Examples
Ready to see a few examples from the guide and how you can use them for effortless coordination? Let's start with a page from the guide. For each wallpaper design available, you'll see one colorway at the top, and below it is the name of the pattern. Just below that is a listing of each available colorway followed by 2-3 colors of paint that would be great options.
The paint color suggestions are listed as such: [Paint Name] [Paint Manufacturer] [Color Number]
I've included colors from Sherwin Williams (SW), Behr (Behr), and Benjamin Moore (BM).
First up, what about something soothing for the kitchen or a bedroom like Arborea in sage. I love this combination because of how it creates a peaceful feel in the space and it's got a lot of texture without coming off as too busy. Pairing it with Solid Opal would be gorgeous if you wanted the wallpaper to be the star of the room, whereas pairing it with Forest Moss will allow the wallpaper to sink into the room a bit more and feel more cocooning.
Want something a little bolder for your powder room? How about the Heath wallpaper in Rust. I love how this wallpaper combines bluish grays and a soft black in contrast to the deep rust to create a feeling of moody wildness with so much sophistication. It's a beautiful blend of neutral-feeling colors with a lot of personality. Pairing this wallpaper with the Chantilly Lace for walls and Coppertone for the accents would be dreamy. I can definitely see it with a leather sofa and neutral accent pillows.
And finally, let's take a look at the Pendula wallpaper, which would be stunning in a living room. The Pendula print is great for a common room because it's a small scale geometric. It's not in your face, and the blue is really soothing as well. It would look really nice with a darker blue like Sherwin Williams Naval to create deep, bold accents in a cozy living room.
How to Use the Paint and Wallpaper Pairing Guide Effectively
Start with the Wallpaper: I would suggest starting by finding your favorite wallpaper, then refer to the guide for the perfect paint match. You'll want to consult the shop to see all the different colorways of each design.
Consider Room Function: We touched on this before, but I always suggest knowing how you want the room to feel before making design decisions. Your choice of both wallpaper and paint will affect the end feel of the room, so make sure you're keeping that in mind as you choose. What paint colors you choose will also affect the wallpaper in different ways. For instance, if you choose to coordinate with the darkest shade in the wallpaper, that will create a different mood than if you go for the lightest or the more neutral shade. So just keep that in mind as you go along.
Mix and Match with Confidence: Want to create a whole through line based on one of these combinations? Using this guide is a really great way to incorporate color and pattern into your home in a way that creates cohesion as a whole house, not just in one space.
Practical Tips for Implementation
I've done the work of making sure the wallpaper and paint colors work well with each other in daylight, but may look differently in your home based on the amount and quality of light in each room. ALWAYS test colors in your own space and over the length of a 24 hour period so you can see how the colors work in your space. What looks great in one room may look completely different in another and that's just part of the process. You may have to make small adjustments to get the pairing to work right in YOUR space.
If you do notice that a pairing doesn't look great in your space, look at them both together and decide what you could do to make the paint color coordinate better. Perhaps it needs to be darker or lighter, perhaps the lighting is making it so your paint color could use a bit more warmth or coolness. That's all normal, and you'll be able to use the suggested paint color to find something that works right for you.
Get the Paint and Wallpaper Pairing Guide
While I can't go to the paint store with you in person, I'm giving you the next best thing. I am confident that using the paint and wallpaper pairing guide will help you make a great decision in your home without the headache of not knowing where to start. You've got this!
Ready to get started? Click on the button below to get your free guide and be sure to share your successes with me in the comments!
