Colour help

Colour guide

Homeowner's hands flipping through a fan of paint colour sample cards in blues, greens and warm neutrals

Choosing colour is the part most people dread and the part we enjoy most. Here is our house palette, the four steps we use with clients, and a plain guide to sheen and light. Borrow any of it.

House palette

Twelve colours we come back to because they work in real Madison homes. LRV (light reflectance value) runs from 0 for black to 100 for pure white. Higher numbers make a room feel brighter.

Whites and neutrals

CL-01 Primer White

LRV88

Best for: Trim, ceilings and doors in almost any room

Pairs with: Everything on this page
CL-02 Oat Milk

LRV76

Best for: Living rooms and open main floors

Pairs with: CL-07 Field Sage, CL-04 Brick Kiln
CL-03 Limestone

LRV63

Best for: Hallways and north-facing rooms that read cold

Pairs with: CL-09 Deep Lake Navy

Greens and blues

CL-07 Field Sage

LRV43

Best for: Bedrooms, and kitchens with wood cabinets

Pairs with: CL-02 Oat Milk, CL-01 Primer White
CL-08 Lake Teal

LRV13

Best for: Front doors and one strong accent wall

Pairs with: CL-05 Butter Yellow, CL-01 Primer White
CL-09 Deep Lake Navy

LRV3

Best for: Cabinets, islands and studies

Pairs with: CL-03 Limestone, brass hardware

Warm and bold

CL-04 Brick Kiln

LRV12

Best for: Dining rooms and front doors

Pairs with: CL-02 Oat Milk, CL-11 Night Harbor
CL-05 Butter Yellow

LRV65

Best for: Siding and sunny breakfast nooks

Pairs with: CL-08 Lake Teal, CL-01 Primer White
CL-10 Clay Pink

LRV43

Best for: Bedrooms and powder rooms

Pairs with: CL-07 Field Sage, CL-09 Deep Lake Navy

Deep tones

CL-06 Harbor Grey

LRV15

Best for: Siding and exterior body colour

Pairs with: CL-01 Primer White, CL-12 Front Door Red
CL-11 Night Harbor

LRV3

Best for: Accent walls and dining rooms

Pairs with: CL-01 Primer White, warm wood
CL-12 Front Door Red

LRV16

Best for: Front doors, and our logo

Pairs with: CL-06 Harbor Grey, CL-01 Primer White

House colours are our own names for this sample site. Swatches on a screen are a guide only: always test a painted sample on your own wall before deciding.

Choose in four steps

Start with what stays

Floors, counters, brick, tile and big furniture are not changing. Pick colours that get along with them first.
Test big, not tiny

A two-inch chip lies. We paint sample boards about two feet square so you can move them around the room.
Look at three times of day

Check samples in the morning, mid-afternoon and under your lamps at night. Most surprises show up after dark.
Pick the sheen with the colour

The same colour looks lighter in semi-gloss and softer in matte. Choose both together.

Sheen, explained

Sheen is how shiny the dry paint is. More shine means tougher and easier to wipe, but it also shows every bump in the wall. We pick it surface by surface, and it's written on your quote.

Close up of a paint roller laying a fresh coat of teal over a white wall

Flat or matte

Shine level 1 of 4

Ceilings and low-traffic bedrooms

Hides bumps and roller marks best. Marks more easily, so we keep it off busy walls.
Eggshell

Shine level 2 of 4

Living rooms, bedrooms, hallways

A soft glow that wipes clean. Our default for most walls.
Satin

Shine level 3 of 4

Kitchens, bathrooms, kids' rooms

Stands up to scrubbing and steam. Shows wall flaws a little more.
Semi-gloss

Shine level 4 of 4

Trim, doors, cabinets

Hard and washable. The crisp contrast that makes a cut line look sharp.

Which way does the room face?

The same can of paint looks different in every room. Long Wisconsin winters mean low, cool light for months, so the direction a room faces matters more here.

North-facing

Cool, even light all day. Warm whites and creamy neutrals stop the room feeling grey.
South-facing

Strong, warm light. Cooler colours and soft greens hold their colour without turning yellow.
East-facing

Bright and warm in the morning, flat by evening. Test samples after 4 p.m. before you decide.
West-facing

Soft in the morning and golden at sunset. Warm colours can glow orange; check them at dinner time.

Still stuck?

Book a colour consultation

An hour with our colour consultant, big painted samples on your own walls, and a written colour plan.

Quick colour chat at your estimate visit Free
Interior consultation, up to 4 rooms $175
Whole-house interior or exterior palette $250 to $325

Book a consultation What's included

Take the next step

Tell us about your rooms, walls or deck and get a written quote within 48 hours of the visit. Estimates are free.