It’s one thing to build a color palette, it’s a completely different thing to choose one. Picking one paint color is tough enough, but curating a whole house palette that flows from room to room? And then picking out rugs, furniture, and That’s next-level decision fatigue.

Sometimes the trouble is that you just love too many colors. How are you supposed to choose from the endless options available to you? Well, with a few simple guidelines (and a little help from your own closet) you can confidently choose a color palette that fits your style, works with your home’s features, and makes decorating so much easier down the line.

1. Start with Your Wardrobe

One of the easiest (and most overlooked) ways to discover your true color preferences is to take a look at your closet. What colors do you naturally gravitate toward? Are you drawn to soft neutrals, warm earth tones, or cooler, classic shades like navy and charcoal?

I recommend pulling inspiration from the colors you wear because if you love living in them, chances are you’ll love living around them too. We tend to be more open to our own personal style (and resist color trends) in our wardrobe, and the goal around here is always to create timeless and classic interiors you’ll love for more than a year or two. Below I use an example from a neutral, casual wardrobe to build a color palette with paint, furniture and decor.

Tip: Lay a few favorite pieces of clothing on your bed and notice the undertones. Are they warm or cool? Muted or bold? This gives you a personal, no-pressure starting point for your palette.

Color Palette created by Rocky Hill Home

2. Pull Inspiration From Something You Love

Another favorite trick is to start with something that already speaks to you. It could be a favorite piece of art, a patterned pillow, a vintage rug, or even a beautifully styled photo you saved on Instagram. When a textile or artwork already combines multiple colors you love, it’s basically doing the heavy lifting for you.

Look closely at the tones. What’s the dominant color? What accent shades show up in the details? Which neutral is balancing everything out? These elements can easily become the foundation for your whole house palette.

Tip: Use the eyedropper tool in Canva or any design app to pull the exact hex codes from an image and build your palette from there. It’s one of my favorite tricks for finding colors that truly work together. I also find the website Color Picker to be highly accurate.

3. Work With What You’ve Got (Not Against It)

Before falling in love with a palette on Pinterest, take stock of your home’s permanent finishes, especially your floors, countertops, cabinetry, and tile. These elements have built-in undertones that can either clash or complement the colors you choose.

Tip: Try holding paint swatches next to these fixed elements (instead of floating in isolation). You’ll see right away which undertones are playing nicely together—and which aren’t.

4. Stick to a Coordinated Palette

Here’s the secret to a pulled-together home: not everything needs to match, but it does need to coordinate. A whole house color palette should include:

One main wall color
A trim and ceiling color
2-3 accent colors for secondary rooms, cabinetry, doors, or built-ins
I always like to add a dark neutral for doors, banisters, or furniture

By starting with a streamlined palette, you can create visual flow and avoid the piecemeal look that happens when each room is designed in isolation. Even better? Decorating becomes a lot simpler when you already know what colors you’re looking for.

Feeling Stuck? I’ve Got You Covered.

If you’re overwhelmed trying to build your own palette from scratch, I’ve already done the work for you. Rocky Hill Home offers ready-to-use Whole House Paint Guides designed to take the guesswork out of paint.

Each guide includes:

A cohesive palette of 6 curated Benjamin Moore paint colors
Room-by-room recommendations for walls, trim, and accent paint
Bonus guide for sheen selection
Wallpaper ideas and decor roundup that match the palette

These guides will help you confidently paint your home with colors that feel warm, intentional, and beautifully connected from room to room.

Explore My Whole House Paint Guides and find the one that feels just right for your home.

Looking to dip your toe in curated color palettes? Grab the FREE Mini Paint Guide with 3 timeless paint combos.

How Do I Choose a Whole House Paint Color Palette?

1. Start with Your Wardrobe

2. Pull Inspiration From Something You Love

3. Work With What You’ve Got (Not Against It)

4. Stick to a Coordinated Palette

Feeling Stuck? I’ve Got You Covered.

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