Why Picking Paint Is So Hard (and How Designers Get It Right)

If you’ve ever stood in front of a wall of paint chips feeling completely overwhelmed, you’re not alone. Choosing colour seems like it should be easy — it’s just paint, right? But in reality, it’s one of the hardest decisions homeowners make.

The reason? Paint isn’t chosen in a vacuum. It’s chosen in the context of everything else in the room — your flooring, countertops, tile, lighting, soft furnishings and decor.

And that’s where most people go wrong.

It’s Not About the Colour You Love — It’s About the Colour That Belongs

Most of us start with emotion: I love this soft greige I saw on Pinterest! or I want a bright, airy white kitchen. But here’s the truth — not every colour will work in every home.

The key is understanding undertones. Every neutral has one — pink, green, yellow, violet, blue or orange — and those undertones either harmonize beautifully or completely clash.

If you’ve ever painted your walls white and wondered why they suddenly looked blue or green, that’s an undertone problem.

Designers don’t choose colours in isolation; we read the fixed finishes in a space first. If your counters have a pink undertone, a cool blue grey on the cabinets will only emphasize it — and not in a good way. But if you pair those same counters with a warm complex cream that repeats that soft pink warmth, suddenly everything feels intentional.

Why Paint Should Be One of the Last Things You Pick

This surprises a lot of people, but paint should never be your starting point. It’s your finishing touch — the layer that ties everything together once the big pieces are in place.

Designers work from what’s permanent first: carpet, countertops, cabinetry, tile, stone, fabrics. Paint is flexible; those aren’t. When we know the undertones of those fixed elements, we can select a paint that complements rather than competes.

Think of it like getting dressed. You don’t choose your lipstick colour before you know what outfit you’re wearing. Paint works the same way.

How Designers Get It Right

It’s not that designers have a magical eye — it’s that we’ve trained our eyes to see undertones. We compare colours side by side, we look at them in context, and we test them in natural and artificial light.

We’re not guessing — we’re reading colour relationships.

And we repeat those undertones throughout the space. If your countertops lean warm beige, you might echo that in your backsplash, a fabric pattern, and finally, your wall colour. Repetition creates flow — it’s the secret to that “pulled-together” look that feels timeless but not matchy.

My Best Advice for Choosing Paint (Without Losing Your Mind)

1. Start with your fixed finishes. Identify the undertones — what’s already there will guide your colour choices.

   
   

2. Compare colours, don’t pick in isolation. A “neutral” beige can look peach next to a cooler tone. Always test multiple swatches side by side.

   
   

3. Look at the big picture. The best paint colour supports the story of your home — it shouldn’t scream for attention.  

   
   

4. Repeat your undertones. A space feels cohesive when colours echo one another in subtle ways.

   
   

5. Don’t rely on it to do the heavy lifting. Paint is meant to unify and make a space feel cohesive not to replace thoughtful decor that help a space go from good to great

   
   

Choosing paint is hard — but it doesn’t have to be guesswork. When you understand how undertones interact, you can stop chasing the “perfect netural” or “right white” and start creating harmony.

That’s what designers are really doing: not picking paint at random, but pulling the whole picture together through colour that belongs.

If you’re still feeling unsure, I offer in-home and virtual colour consultations designed to take the stress out of choosing paint. Every recommendation is tested, accurate, and tailored to your home — so you can feel confident before a single brushstroke goes on the wall.