How to Create a Cohesive Color Palette for Your New Home
There’s something exciting about moving into a new Ernest home, and even more so when you get to bring your sense of style to each space. One of the easiest ways to make your new home feel sophisticated and inviting is to create a cohesive color palette.
Whether you’re inspired by the colors of a particular season or a favorite piece of art, here’s how to build a look that flows beautifully from room to room.
Choose Your Mood
Before you start looking at paint swatches, think about how you want your home to feel.
Calm and restful? Bright and energizing? Warm and cozy? Let that emotional vibe guide your choices. Inspiration can come from anywhere: a favorite sweater, a scenic hike, a beach vacation, or even a bouquet of flowers.
Create a mood board using Pinterest or clippings from magazines to see which colors consistently show up. If you’re more of a “fall” person, you might find yourself drawn to earthy rusts, deep greens, and warm neutrals, while spring lovers could find inspiration in soft pastels or botanical tones.
Find Your Neutral Base
Every color palette needs a reliable neutral, aka a “hero” color. This is the foundation for the walls and larger furniture pieces. You can also weave it subtly through each room using décor or trim. This constant touchpoint strengthens visual unity and evokes a sense of familiarity and flow.
Popular choices include warm whites, creamy beiges, soft grays, and greige (a perfect blend of gray and beige). Not only do these neutrals feel timeless, but they also allow your accent colors to shine. (They act as a visual “breathing room” between accent colors.)
Pay attention to undertones. Cool tones pair best with other cool colors, and the same goes for warm tones. Whether you choose warm or cool tones, stick with them throughout the home to ensure smooth transitions between rooms. Seasonally, warm neutrals create a cozy backdrop in colder months, while light, airy neutrals feel fresh in spring and summer.
Time to Add a Little Spice
Layer in two or three complementary accent colors to bring personality into each room. These can be bolder paint colors, rich textiles, or décor pieces. For a fall-inspired look, try olive green, burnt orange, or mustard. For a more coastal feel, think of soft blues, sandy taupes, and sea-glass greens.
Follow the 60-30-10 rule: 60% of the room is your main neutral, 30% is a secondary color, and 10% is an accent. (The 60‑30‑10 rule creates balance and adds deliberate contrast.) You can position darker furniture or fixtures against lighter walls (or vice versa) to create dimension and interest.
Go with The Flow from Room to Room
A cohesive palette doesn’t mean every room has to look the same. It just means there should be a sense of continuity. Use your main neutral throughout the home to tie spaces together, then give each room its own twist using different accents from your chosen palette.
For example, you could give each space its own theme, like a nature-inspired palette in the bedroom or an earthy cozy motif in the living room. Color and texture also create a cohesive feel. Incorporating different textures, a plush rug, woven baskets, or smooth ceramics, in similar tones or complementary colors, can add depth and warmth to a space.
Color Swatches Are Your Friends
Colors can look drastically different depending on the lighting and time of day. Before committing to anything, test paint swatches on multiple walls and observe them in both natural and artificial light.
When it comes to accent colors, try bringing in smaller pieces first, like a vase or pillow, before going all in on a new sofa or wall color.
Get Started on Your Color Palette Today!
Creating a cohesive color palette is one of the most effective ways to bring comfort, personality, and style into your new home. Let the seasons inspire you, trust your instincts, and don’t be afraid to layer in color over time.
Need help getting started? Visit our design studio to see how our palettes come to life. You just might find the perfect match for your new Ernest home!
