Bedroom Paint Color Guide: Best Bedroom Colors to Sell a House

Picking the right bedroom colors helps buyers imagine themselves in that space and may help you sell your house quickly. Amy Haggstrom, a top real estate agent who’s sold properties 40% faster than average in Council Bluffs, Iowa, explains that buyers “can envision themselves in a bedroom with a neutral color. If it’s more neutral, a buyer can see their belongings and their furniture.”

A misstep in paint color subverts even the most meticulously staged and cleaned home. Although you may love the bright neon color of your room because it speaks to your personality, the vibrant color has the potential to turn off your buyers. Your color can become the house’s most identifiable feature and all that the buyer will remember.

When you are selling a home, your preferences go out the window. The color you choose to paint your bedroom has to resonate with the masses to be viable. We’re here to help you decide on the best colors, not too bright nor bland, and guide you toward the most versatile colors to use for painting your bedroom.

Why bedroom appeal matters so much to buyers

The bedroom is where people retreat from the stresses of day-to-day life. No other room in the house is as personal or private as the bedroom. For most people, their bedroom represents a place to rejuvenate and rest. It’s also a secret place to feel secure and escape from the harshness of a demanding workday.

“Most people look at the bedroom as somewhat their escape from reality,” Haggstrom explains. All in all, buyers look at your home, imagine themselves living in it, and envision spending their most peaceful and intimate times in the bedroom. As a result, you need to give buyers a blank canvas to imagine themselves.

In this post, we’ll look at some of the most popular bedroom colors, their pros and cons, and how to make them work to help sell your home.

Best colors for the bedroom

Color: White

Pros: makes the room feel open, clean, spacious, quiet, and straightforward

White represents purity and innocence and connotes a sense of cleanliness and a fresh start. Since it is bright, white creates a sense of space and openness. “White is a great color to use if you want a crisp and clean-looking room that’s going to help brighten up any space. If you’re going for a sophisticated look with calming undertones, then white might be the best way to go,” says Kate Diaz, an Interior designer and co-founder of Swanky Den.

Cons: can be difficult to get right, may feel dull, and reveals dirt easily

In contrast, white can also seem severe, boring, and makes dirt pop out. “The biggest drawback of painting a wall white is that it stains easily and shows dirt. White doesn’t just come in white. If you don’t choose the right one, it can make your room appear dull or overly bright,” advises Marco Bizzley, a certified interior designer with nine years of experience at House Grail.

If you choose to paint your bedroom white, these are examples of the best choices:

• Benjamin Moore White Dove is soft with a hint of grey. The paint brightens up small rooms, adds space, and creates a welcoming space.
• Sherwin-Williams Dover White is close to pure white with a tiny hint of yellow. The classic and clean look pairs well with muted colors to create a tranquil space.
• Benjamin Moore Sheep’s wool is a mixture of gray and white. The coolness of the gray and white makes it a good choice for your bedroom.

Color: Pink

Pros: calming, soft and soothing, refreshing after a long day, gentle and warm

Pale pink shades can help people feel relaxed and enhance a sense of calm. It’s so soothing that the Iowa football coach Hayden Frey had the visiting locker room painted pink because he thought it would give his team a competitive edge because of the color’s calming effect. “Painting your bedroom in natural tones like pink makes the space feel soft and elegant. This color usually works best in small rooms where there is a lack of light,” says Andre Kazimierski, CEO of Improovy Painters with locations in six cities including Chicago, Phoenix and Ann Arbor.

Cons: gender stereotyped, improper shading can make the room either too dark or too light

The biggest issue you might run into is pink’s association with femininity. The buyer might view pink as “having a frilly connotation” or “look like it belongs to a little girl,” Diaz warns.

If you decide that pink is the perfect color for your bedroom, the following are good color choices:

• Benjamin Moore Tissue Pink is muted, soft, and subtle and creates a sense of ease and restfulness. And like Narcissus of Greek mythology, it might also make your buyers fall in love with their reflection.
• Sherwin-Williams Pale Pink is a subtle light blush shade from the yellow-red tree. It reflects light well and produces softness in your bedroom.
• Pantone Dusty Coral combines orange, pink, and red to add warmth and energy to a room.

Color: Blue

Pros: Scientifically proven to help people sleep better and longer, generates a feeling of calm and serenity

We see blue often in nature, and it produces a sense of serenity and calmness. It’s also the world’s favorite color, making it a solid color choice. Haggstrom “would stick to more of a neutral blue” for bedrooms because it “is a really calming color.”

Cons: can make a room look dark, may generate feelings of sadness

Blue is a deeper hue and may make your room feel dark and foreboding like a cave, depending on the shade you choose and the size and makeup of the room. The color can also make imperfections in your walls pop out.

Is blue for you? If so, here is a list of some of the best blended blue colors to paint your bedroom:

• Sherwin-Williams Sleepy Blue is subtle, comforting, and reminiscent of the ocean. The name is descriptive in that the color feels slow and peaceful.
• Benjamin Moore Gray Wisp is a soothing gray and blue combination. It’s muted and provides a nice hint of neutral color to your bedroom.
• Farrow & Ball Cabbage White subtly combines blue and white for almost white paint. The coolness and crispness of the color make it a light, airy choice to color your bedroom.

Color: Gray

Pros: modern, clean, and easy to maintain

Combining black and whites, gray is a neutral color that gives the impression of balance. That balance and flexibility make it a good choice for bedroom color. It is “fantastic if you want a modern and contemporary bedroom. It has strong undertones of sophistication, which is why it works so well for adults, but it can be used in rooms with children as well because it doesn’t come off as juvenile,” says Diaz.

Cons: can feel drab, dull, or not warm

There are some downsides to gray as well. The absence of color can make it look dull and remind people of depression or loss. For the last decade, gray was one of the most popular colors, but its pervasiveness could be ending. Check out “Is Gray Passé? The Future of The Decade’s Hottest Paint Color” for a detailed explanation of why gray’s popularity may be waning.

One problem is gray bedrooms are sometimes too dark. “So many people have wanted to paint their bedrooms gray, but they don’t actually get those paint samples. They just go buy the paint and put it up,” says Haggstrom. The problem with that is that the color changes in lighting and gives off a dark, claustrophobic vibe.

There is light at the end of the gray drabby color, though!

Instead of choosing gray, it would be worthwhile to consider greige. Greige combines the versatility of gray with the warmness of beige to create a flexible and versatile hue. “Greige gives you the freedom to be creative and have fun with other colors. The versatility and timeless aspect make greige a great color,” says Scott Rubzin, founder, and CEO of Tiffany Property Investments, LLC.

Greige’s flexibility makes it a good choice for painting your bedroom. “Greige is going to warm it up a little bit, so it doesn’t feel so cold and such a large bedroom,” says Haggstrom.

Since gray’s popularity may be backsliding, it could be better to opt for greige. Here are some excellent options for your bedroom:

• Sherwin-Williams Jogging Path is Hoggstram’s favorite color for bedrooms, “It has a slight green to it, but it’s a really good neutral that matches almost everything,” she says.
• Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter has a warm yellow hue that makes a room feel restful and homey.
• Magnolia Yarn comes from the brains behind the home renovation show, Fixer Upper. Chip and Joanna Gaines invented this neutral shade of greige, which counteracts the cold feeling of gray with just the right amount of beige.

It would not be an overstatement to say that the paint colors in your house will make or break a deal. Slapping a fresh coat of paint on your bedroom walls is one of the most affordable and impactful renovation projects you can undertake.

When you decide to paint your bedroom, make sure that you choose the right color. “You will definitely want to get samples, and I always recommend the small canister samples, so you can actually put the paint on your wall because every paint color looks different in sources of light,” advises Haggstrom.

More answers to your questions about bedroom paint

How many paint colors should I use in a bedroom?

When it comes to bedrooms, less is more. Accent walls are great for when you are the homeowner, but they don’t work out as well when you are gearing up to sell. “If you’re going to be selling your home, eliminate accent colors and have one controlling color,” advises Haggstrom.

What is the best paint finish for bedrooms?

A satin finish is your best bet for a bedroom finish because it gives the room a smooth feel and is easy to maintain. “Satin will be easier to clean and wipe down. No handprints,” says Haggstrom.

How do I handle the trim or accents in my bedroom?

With the trim and accent colors, you don’t want them to distract buyers. Remember, the goal is to get your buyer to imagine themselves in the bedroom. Haggstrom suggests that you stay uniform with a trim color and avoid accent walls or colors to accomplish this task.

What is the most common mistake sellers make when painting bedrooms?

Picking the wrong color is the sellers’ most common mistake when painting a bedroom. You might fall in love with the drabbiest gray or the brightest green, but your tastes do not make a home sell. “I’ve seen a lot of really bad grays. I’ve seen some neon green that feels like they may glow in the dark. And they’re not very good,” cautions Haggstrom, “As far as bedrooms go, I would stick with more of a neutral color.”

Bottom line – keep it neutral

When in doubt, neutral colors are your best friend. Are you looking for inspiration for neutral colors? Read Neutral But Never Boring: Your Top 9 Home Staging Paint Colors for expert advice on the best neutral colors to sell your home quickly and for the most profit.

If you want to take on a larger painting project and put your home in the best position to sell, check out HomeLight’s expert painting advice:

• 26 of the Best Paint Colors for Selling a House (Interior and Exterior!)
• Crash Course in Color: 5 Expert Tips to Pick a Palette That’ll Help Your House Sell
• Gray is Out, Beige is In: Don’t Trust Current Home Color Trends

Now that you’re ready to sell your house, the next step is finding an agent. The quickest and most profitable way to sell your home is by using a top real estate agent.

Use HomeLight’s Top Agent Match tool to link you up to the best agents and provide you with the experience and local market knowledge to advise you on your bedroom colors and other critically important things that make your house more sellable.

When it comes to selling your home, arguably the most significant financial decision of your life, the best way to navigate the process is with a trusted partner at your side to guide you.

Find Your Perfect Real Estate Agent

We analyze over 27 million transactions and thousands of reviews to determine which agent is best for you based on your needs.

Find an Agent

Header Image Source: (Frank Sobolewski / Unsplash)