Decorating with paint is one of the most crucial aspects of any decorating project. And with a bit of creativity, your paint ideas can go from plain to filling rooms with color, personality, and imagination.
Long gone are the days of fully plain white walls, we're all realizing the mood-boosting benefits of a more experimental approach to paint ideas, and our homes are all the richer for it.
To give you some on-trend inspiration, we enlisted the help of experts to round up a selection of our favorite paint ideas. From subtle ideas such as layering similar colors to create a tonal scheme and exploring different paint finishes to embracing a playful approach with hand-painted motifs and the latest paint trends, there's something here for all design styles.
Paint ideas – 24 creative ways to decorate with paint
These paint tricks will inspire a whole new look for your home, perhaps just a room or even only a piece of furniture. Whatever, they have the power to create a dramatic transformation in hours.
1. Uplift plain walls with playful motifs
If you want to take your paint ideas a step further and embrace a more playful approach, consider painting motifs freehandedly for a personalized look, working especially well in kids' rooms.
'For a softening of graphic lines and a playful touch, introduce freehand painted motifs such as relaxed scalloped edging and simple silhouettes inspired by nature, pulling out the colors of your existing scheme,' says Helen Shaw, Benjamin Moore's Marketing Director and color specialist.
Alternatively, you could paint motifs onto furniture rather than walls for a smaller-scale approach.
2. Match walls and joinery
'Walls and joinery painted in a uniform tone can enhance shelf wealth, effortlessly outlining the silhouettes of treasured pieces and subtly illuminating artwork,' adds Helen Shaw.
If you have a room with built-in shelving, consider matching them to the color of the walls for a cohesive look. As Helen explains, this can allow the shelf displays to stand out, without competing paint colors. This will also help achieve an on-trend look where spaces are color-drenched in a singular hue throughout.
3. Use paint to tap into the unexpected red trend
The unexpected red theory has certainly made its mark on the interior world this year, and we predict this is a trend that will endure into 2025, too. If you're looking for an effective way to embrace this color trend, which is essentially where a small but bold dose of red is introduced to a room to boost appeal, why not do so with paint ideas?
In this dining area, the inside of the built-in cabinetry is painted in a deep red hue, perfectly offsetting and providing interest and depth to the otherwise neutral color scheme.
4. Paint the floor for instant appeal underfoot
Isabelle Lomas’ client wanted a fun, inviting space for her kids' room paint ideas that would still allow for older guests to use the room, as it was also to be rented out. ‘We kept the walls plain,’ says Isabelle, who used Willow V from Paint & Paper Library. ‘This allowed us to incorporate a chequerboard pattern on the floor – a fun element that is also hardwearing. Isabelle thought this was a fun and playful idea that would translate well no matter the furnishings.
5. Use paint to update old furniture
Painting vintage furniture is a beautiful way to introduce new life and virality into a once-loved antique. Using colored furniture makes it easier to change up an otherwise neutral space. This works particularly well for bedrooms where children may grow out of, or get tired of, particular colors and pieces.
Sydney-based interior designer Tamsin Johnson developed this consciously sophisticated scheme with a rich green bookcase taking center stage. ‘The green antique French carved oak bookcase with soft yellow highlights anchors the room while the soft mauve linen bedding provides a tranquil element.’
6. Make your space pop
Chinoiserie is re-emerging as an influence in fashion and interiors but it has long been a key aesthetic for de Gournay, an eminent specialist in hand-painted wallcoverings.
This bold interpretation is courtesy of French designer Vincent Darré, who created this stunning dining room color scheme for the private apartment of de Gournay’s Paris showroom. The primary colors of the scene dazzle against a black background and Vincent has emphasized this contrast by painting the window surround in a bold yellow and the skirting in a fresh green. The ceiling was painted black, which will give evening events an extra intensity, a stand-out look for ceiling paint ideas.
7. Paint stripes
Never really out of fashion, the classic stripe is having a particular moment right now and it's less about the country ticking look and more about adding personality through playful paint ideas.
We adore the formal yet bold style of this scene, like something out of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. The stripe upon stripe lends the room a real sense of fun – and from who else but the oh-so-talented table-setting creators at Summerill & Bishop.
8. Include details through paint
If your space is lacking in architectural interest, you'll be amazed at what paint tricks you can incorporate to add intrigue to an otherwise simple scheme.
Using bathroom paint ideas in a room doesn’t have to mean optical overload. ‘This stripe detail adds interest to a room that has few architectural features,’ says interior designer Kate Guinness, who painted neat parallel stripes along this bathroom’s ceiling, a great look for a modern, ceiling trim idea.
9. Use paint to create 'zones'
Gloss paint is back after years in the wilderness. In the main bedroom of this home in Notting Hill, designers Barlow & Barlow created a soothing scheme to turn their clients’ corridor into a dressing room.
As well as being light-reflective and available in a wide choice of colors, gloss is also one of the best paint finishes for high-traffic areas such as dressing rooms, hallways, and landings, as it’s hardwearing and scuff-resistant.
10. Paint with a variety of colors from the same palette
When planning multiple colors, test various permutations. Stronger shades are used on the lower walls, inside and outside the room. The pink inside is used to frame the windows and complement the red-brown lower wall, softened by the creamy white above.
11. Experiment with color on woodwork
It's a classic choice and perfectly natural to reach for a white or off-white color when painting woodwork, especially in hallways, but by choosing a less obvious shade, you can create a far more sophisticated effect – plus you can use this color to connect to adjoining rooms that might use that shade as an accent shade.
Just as you would opt for a contrasting, harmonious, or tonal shade when painting a separate panel on a wall, look to use that color on the woodwork instead.
If painting woodwork on a wallpapered wall, color match your paint to a shade from within the pattern, using that instead for maximum effect.
12. Build up ombre shades on your stairwell
If you are looking for paint ideas that create a visual trick, particularly around making a space look larger, an ombre paint effect – with darker shades lower down and lighter shades above – is a good solution.
And, if you are looking for eye-catching and space-stretching stair paint ideas, use it on stair risers in a graduated to make your staircase feel taller and grander. Tester pots of tonal color will work a treat as you won't need much to cover each panel, either.
The beauty of this look lies in its simplicity so decorate the steps and the hallway in a pale, neutral shade to avoid the remaining decor fighting against the soft, staggered colors.
13. Add layers of tonal color to make a space appear larger
Wrapping a space in warming layers of color not only creates a smart, cohesive feel, it can make a room feel bigger than it actually is. Patrick O’Donnell, brand ambassador at Farrow & Ball agrees: 'Carrying the wall color onto all of your woodwork creates the illusion of more space.'
Choose a relatively pale hue for the wall and pair it with a darker shade (of the same color) on adjacent woodwork.
You can either continue the look through to the rest of the space with similarly tonal shades on furniture and accessories. Alternatively, keep the rest of the furnishings in neutral tones for a more subtle effect.
14. Try a textured paint finish
New directions with paint finishes and decorating techniques mean dated paint effects have been replaced with sophisticated washes, textures, and brushwork – perfect for kitchen color ideas that add a touch of depth to a wall, a must-have in contemporary homes, which can lack architectural detailing.
Paints premixed with sand and chalk offer plaster, suede, or concrete effect finishes. At the other end of the scale, you can introduce acrylic varnishes and even glitter to give a glossy glaze.
This look taps into the soulful decorating mood of the moment, picking up on Scandi hygge vibes and artisan global influences.
15. Paint a ceiling in a bold shade
While most people tend to paint walls in a feature color, consider flipping the look by choosing a bold color for your ceiling instead. Compared to an all-white ceiling, a colorful one will add drama and personality to a room, while making it feel cozier, too.
Keep walls predominantly white – if you prefer, you can choose a subtle, coordinating shade below the dado rail - and pick a strong shade for your ceiling. This look is especially effective when the same color is echoed on the walls in an adjacent room.
16. Paint a contrasting panel to draw focus
Just as you would add a rug to create a separate zone in a large room, a painted wall panel can do the job just as effectively. This can particularly work for dining room color schemes, drawing attention to the table, and creating an intimate atmosphere.
Here, a small dining area in an open-plan room is pulled into sharp focus by the cleverly painted panel on the wall behind the table and chairs. Stretched up onto the ceiling, it creates a wrap-around effect on the space, giving an overall cocooning effect to a spacious room with lofty ceilings.
17. Zone a room with color blocking
Color blocking is a clever way to divide a space, distinguish an activity, or change the pace in a portion of a room. Paint can be applied to create a backdrop to a desk space, define a reading area, or a creative corner. It's also one of those useful kitchen color ideas if you want to achieve a new look quickly – but ensure you use a wipeable paint.
Here, a faux backsplash feature introduces kitchen countertop activities in a tall kitchen and adds a splash of cheerful color. Adding bands of bolder hues adds a designer look to large and plain surfaces.
‘Dark units really ground the space and the horizontal block of green connects the kitchen with the garden beyond,' says Anna Hill, Brand Director, Fenwick & Tilbrook. 'Being a fairly small space, we kept the rest of the walls an off-white to keep it fresh and bright.' This type of paint idea is a good match for painted kitchen cabinet ideas, too.
18. Color drench for an on-trend look
Looking for bedroom color ideas that are inviting? Warming paint ideas are always welcome in a bedroom. By color drenching with the same shade across all surfaces, including paneling, skirtings, and even doors and window frames, you can make a space look bigger in just a few brush strokes.
It’s also a great technique for bringing together fragmented rooms and can be used as an entire color scheme for a whole floor or house. Any shade can be used, but this dark blue color brings a snug element that suits a bedroom or cozy snug.
19. Use paint to give children's rooms a smart finish
Strong kids' paint room ideas are a must since these spaces tend to be over-stuffed with toys, gadgets, books, and... more toys. So, majoring in one main color, with a neutral accent shade can help it feel less chaotic and much smarter. As in other rooms, putting the same color – in different tones – across walls, woodwork and even furniture can create a sleek finish.
20. Paint a floor for an instant new look
It's likely that you will be using bathroom paint ideas to add character to a washroom, but you can create an all-over cohesive look with a painted floor, picking out a color that complements that of the walls, accessories – and even the bathtub.
'Painting wooden floorboards is an option in a bathroom,' says Lucy Searle, Homes & Gardens' Content Director. 'After all, this is a room that's unlikely to see heavy footfall. Your main worry needs to be ensuring good preparation of the surface, choosing the right paint – ideally one that's suitable for bathrooms – and making sure too that there is a protective layer of varnish so that the wood doesn't warp.'
21. Add bold color to unexpected places
Color can be used to emphasize and highlight architectural features, from painting cornicing, pillars, or arches in contrasting shades.
It's the unusual that makes this particularly effective so don't shy away from using bolder hues, provided you keep a neutral background to provide the colors with a simple backdrop from which to shine.
22. Add a pop of bold color to a picture rail
Want to inject some bold color into your home while maintaining a neutral look? Painting the picture rail in an uplifting shade while the wall colors are more understated is a great way to go.
In this relaxing bedroom, the neutral walls ensure a calming space while the uplifting green picture rail adds a fun and slightly unexpected look, complementing the green decor that features elsewhere throughout the room.
Whether you're looking to add texture to your color scheme through paint finishes or want to champion a bold approach with playful color choices in unexpected places, there are endless paint ideas to suit your space and decorating style.
