16 Calming Paint Colors to Soothe Your Southern Home

By Kaitlyn Yarborough
July 31, 2019
Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong
There’s little calm to be found in a Southern home. Between the kids and the dogs, and the family dinners and the holiday celebrations, a Southern home might be filled with happiness and love by the buckets—but it is not filled with calm (not even by one bucket). At best, there are fleeting moments of calm. These are typically spent in the peace of our personal spaces, whether you consider that place to be your bedroom, kitchen, den, or screened-in porch.Turns out, there’s something you can do to make these spaces feel even more relaxing, and it comes down to design. What sounds more soothing: ocean blue or fire-brick red? Cool gray or canary yellow? (Exactly.)While it’s undeniable that blues, grays, and greens are inherently calm colors, the buck doesn’t have to stop there. There are neutrals, pastels, and high-pigment paint colors across the spectrum that make for a serene space, and we’re spilling all the secrets.Try one of these 16 calming paint colors for your Southern home.  
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These Tranquil Colors Will Transform Any Space

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Classic White

Credit: Jillian Guyette

It's hard to beat classic white, especially in an entryway or kitchen. It maximizes natural light and feels like a breath of fresh air. Just make sure to pick something that isn't too bright. Your home should still feel cozy—not like a modern art gallery.

You can't go wrong with forever-favorite Benjamin Moore White Dove (OC-17). It's soft and vibrant without being blinding.

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Chalky Green

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Elly Poston Cooper

Give your home an earthy tone by going with a pale green. It makes a more interesting backdrop when decorating with a mix of neutrals.

In this Kentucky home, designer Hanna Seabrook chose Vert de Terre (No. 234) by Farrow & Ball for the perfect aged green.

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Haint Blue

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Frances Bailey

Every Southerner knows that brushing your porch ceiling with a pretty haint blue keeps the wasps (and bad spirits!) at bay, but we've also been known to use it for a screened-in porch ceiling, too. Why? Not only is it tradition, but it instantly makes the space feel more charming.

In this Florida beach cottage, the porch ceiling was coated in Embellished Blue (SW 6747) by Sherwin-Williams.

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Warm Gray

Credit: Ngoc Minh Ngo; Styling: Ed Gallagher

Make your living space both comforting and stylish with a warm-toned gray (including the trim!). You'll find a soothing pick with Dunn-Edwards Bay Salt (DET642).

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Island Tan

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

This isn't your typical khaki. Warm up any living or kitchen space with an island-inspired creamy tan color, especially when pairing with sand or cocoa hues.

In Southern Living's 2017 Idea House, we paired tan Wellborn cabinetry in Dormer Brown (SW 7521) by Sherwin-Williams with a tanned cream wall color, such as Sherwin-Williams Whitetail (SW 7103).

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Dusty Teal

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

When designing a bedroom, choose a dark and cozy palette to complement your place of rest and relaxation.

In this Fairhope retreat home, you'll see Abigail Borg's Laburnum Teal paper on the back wall of the master bedroom—but we're taking note of the complementary deep teal on the surrounding walls: Scarborough 501-5 by Pittsburg Paints.

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Pale Blush

Credit: Photo: Annie Schlechter; Styling: Matthew Gleason

Don't be afraid to "think pink," especially when outfitting your personal spaces. In this case, it was Holly Williams—Nashville shop owner, musician, and the granddaughter and daughter of the famous Hanks—who coated her closet and dressing room in a warm blush pink that feels both calming and luxurious.

To get the look, go for Pink Ground by Farrow & Ball. "It brings a ladylike elegance to the edgier items I’m drawn to,” Williams says.

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Ocean Blue

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong

There's nothing quite as serene as blue-green. If you're not into all-over color, instead opt for a painted trim, like seen here.

Decorator Heather Chadduck Hillegas covered this bedroom's windows and baseboards in Sherwin-Williams Jasper Stone (SW 9133) to contrast walls painted in Alabaster (SW 7008).

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Warm Coral

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Barbara Schmidt

While people often associate neutrals with calm, we'd like to make a play for a warm coral color. Not only does it give a fun pop of color, but the deep rusty shade feels cozy enough to cover your bedroom walls.

In this Florida Cracker-style home, the guest room was covered with rust-colored grass cloth wallpaper, but you can find a similar paint color in Sherwin-Williams Spicy Hue (SW 6342).

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Mauve

Credit: Photo: Max Kim-Bee; Styling: Heather Chadduck Hillegas

While pale lavender certainly makes a soothing choice for a bedroom, we can't get enough of the unexpected color for a dining room.

In this formal dining room, designer Andrew Howard wanted to use a romantic palette that would glow in the dim light of dinner parties, which led him to choose a dusty mauve shade. (We love Sherwin-Williams Dressy Rose (SW 6024).) To keep the color from feeling dated, pair with modern accents.

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Creamy White

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Liz Strong

Think more "golden vanilla" white than "printer paper" white. That's what you get with a cream-white paint color. It feels just as fresh and crisp, but creates a warmer ambience.

In the natural light-filled dining room of Southern Living's 2019 Idea House, decorator Heather Chadduck Hillegas used Sherwin-Williams Zurich White (SW 7626) on the walls and trim, and then later paired it with Misty (SW 6232) (on the ceiling) and Naturel (SW 7542) (on the window flange) to create checkerboard motif on the floor.

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Charcoal Gray

Credit: Hector Manuel Sanchez

If you want to make a statement without picking a bright color, charcoal gray comes off warm and inviting without looking like a typical neutral.

Pratt & Lambert’s Black gave a moody twist to decorator Fran Keenan’s cottage, but we suggest going with a bluish charcoal, such as Sherwin-Williams Inkwell (SW 6992), to give the room a softer finish.

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Soft Beige

Credit: Photo: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Adam Fortner

Interior designer Phoebe Howard advises keeping guest bedroom spaces relatively neutral in order to ensure your guests have an easier time slipping into it and making it their own. A classic beige color (paired with an uncluttered design aesthetic) can bring instant warmth to the space without needing much else.

You'll find a warm beige with a hint of yellow in Palo Santo by Backdrop. “Beiges tend to get labeled as boring, but I think they can be really beautiful when done right," says Backdrop co-founder Natalie Ebel. (This is one of her all-time favorite beiges.)

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Sage Green

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn; Styling: Lizzie Cox

Sage green is like a breath of fresh air, lending an earthy antique feel to any room. In this South Carolina cottage, decorator Whitney McGregor gave the dining room a more formal look to match her antique furniture by adding panels of molding to the plain drywall and hanging her art inside each panel.

Find a true sage green in Dunn-Edwards Belize Green (DEC782).

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Cool Gray

Credit: Laurey W. Glenn

Decorator Grace Kaynor believes your kitchen should be "a quaint and happy place.” To make room for a bold statement (like these hand-painted blue-and-white floor tiles) or to keep with a neutral palette, a cool gray will do the job. It's light and airy without being stark-white.

For a soothing pale gray, go with Clark+Kensington Sheer Mist N-C9; for something a touch warmer, try Benjamin Moore Gray Owl (OC-52).

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Muted Turquoise

Credit: Photo: Hector Manuel Sanchez; Styling: Buffy Hargett Miller

"Sherwin-Williams Quietude (SW 6212) is a deep celadon that's perfectly calming for a bedroom," says designer Meredith Ellis of the peaceful pop of color she gave the master bedroom of Southern Living's 2018 Idea House.

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By Kaitlyn Yarborough