Find the color that feels like home.
Original palettes for living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, cabinets and exteriors. See how Colorado light shifts them, then we sample the real paint on your walls.
To choose a paint color, start with the direction of the light, then the color family, then the undertone. North-facing rooms get cooler light and suit warmer colors; south-facing rooms get warm, bright light and can carry cooler colors. Narrow it to two or three samples and look at them on the wall at midday and in the evening. Painter Hotline paints with all major brands and samples on your wall before any room is painted.
Try a palette by room
Pick a room, tap a palette, then choose the direction your main window faces. These are our own planning palettes with names we made up; we match them to a real paint from the brand you prefer when we sample.
Window light
Pick the direction your main window faces to see how the light shifts the palette.
How window direction changes a color
| Window faces | The light | Colors that usually work |
|---|---|---|
| North | Cool, even and indirect all day | Warm whites, greiges, warm earth tones; go a step lighter |
| South | Warm, bright and strong for most of the day | Almost anything; cool grays, blues and greens stay fresh |
| East | Warm and bright in the morning, cooler after midday | Colors you like in both moods; soft greens and blues, balanced neutrals |
| West | Softer in the morning, warm and golden late in the day | Neutrals and cooler tones that will not turn orange at sunset |
Colorado sun is strong, and big west windows can push warm colors toward orange in the late afternoon. Lamps matter too: warm bulbs pull colors warmer at night.
Reading undertones
Most frustrating color mistakes are undertone mistakes: the “gray” that turns green, the “beige” that goes pink. Hold a sample against a sheet of plain white printer paper and the hidden color shows up.
- Compare in a group. One sample on its own looks neutral. Next to two others, its undertone jumps out.
- Check fixed finishes. Countertops, floors, brick and tile have undertones too. Match warm to warm, cool to cool.
- Sample big. A palm-sized chip is not enough. Large sample boards moved around the room tell the truth.
Color families at a glance
Want to know how light or dark a color will feel? Brands publish an LRV (light reflectance value) for each color on a 0 to 100 scale, where higher reflects more light. Our ceiling color guide uses it to pick ceiling shades.
We paint with all major brands
Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Valspar, PPG and others. If you have already found a color on a brand’s own site, send us the name and number and we will use it. Each brand has its own color tools:
Your written estimate names the exact product and sheen for every surface. Booking interior work this winter? See winter interior painting, or price your rooms with the interior cost calculator.
Color questions
How do I pick a paint color for a room?
Start with the light. Note which way the windows face, choose a color family, then check the undertone against a sheet of plain white paper. Narrow it to two or three samples and look at them on the wall at midday and in the evening before you commit.
What color works in a north-facing room?
North light is cooler and more even, so it can make cool grays and blues feel cold. Colors with a warm undertone, such as creamy whites, greiges and warm earth tones, usually feel more comfortable in north-facing rooms.
What is an undertone in paint?
It is the color that shows up underneath the main color, for example the green in some grays or the pink in some beiges. Holding a sample next to plain white paper makes the undertone easier to see.
What paint brands do you use?
We paint with all major brands, including Sherwin-Williams, Benjamin Moore, Behr, Valspar and PPG. If you already have a color from any brand, we can use it.
Are the colors on this page real paint colors?
They are our own palettes for planning, shown on screen. Screens and lighting change how color looks, so we always sample the actual paint on your wall before any room is painted.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from the source listed. Checked October 30, 2026.
- What are light reflectance values?, 1000Bulbs, LRV definition and 0 to 100 scale
Send us the palette you like
Tell us the rooms and the palette you picked. We bring real samples in your preferred brand to the estimate, or suggest options from your photos.
Prefer to talk it through? 720-208-5645