The Paint Color That All This Designer’s Followers Ask About

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Interior designer Kate Marker has been transforming homes for 20 years, and she’s known for her signature mix of modern and traditional styles. She’ll be the first to tell you that the most common source of anxiety among homeowners is also the most flexible, fixable part of the whole process: choosing paint colors. In her newly published book, The Love of Home: Interiors for Beauty, Balance, and Belonging, she dedicates a whole chapter to the topic, reminding readers that paint is honestly the easiest and least expensive thing to change when designing a home. To make it less nerve-racking, she also shares her 12 tried-and-true hues. See them in the excerpt ahead!

While I hope you feel energized and empowered to experiment with any colors that express what you want to feel in a space—seriously, go grab some sample swatches!—I know it helps to have a solid place to start. The following whites, lights, and darks are the foundational paint colors I keep coming back to time and again, and here’s why.

Stepping into a space with lots of white and neutral tones just feels easier to breathe in—it’s open to possibility and gives you the perfect canvas for layering in pops of color or pieces with interesting texture. But here’s the catch: finding whites and lighter paint colors with no funky undertones that look beautiful in every lighting situation? That’s a challenge. These are some of my favorites that always deliver.

This one’s the closest to a true white—bright, crisp, and great for projects with a more modern feel. I actually used it on the exterior of my Italianate-style home to freshen it up and give it that modern look we all love.

This strikes the perfect balance—a fresh, bright white without ever feeling harsh. It’s my go-to trim color, but it’s equally gorgeous on walls in pretty much any room.

A little creamier and warmer than Simply White, this one is perfect for spaces that get a generous amount of natural light.

This cozies up a space with touches of gray and cream, and it’s less reflective than other whites—making it a natural choice for a vintage-feeling space. I’ve used it not just in my own 100-year-old home but in tons of client projects.

This offers just a whisper of color—it’s one of the best combos of soft gray and warm white in one. I especially love this one cut to 75%, since it lightens that taupe-y white just a little bit more.

Welcoming and muted, this pale taupe-gray is especially wonderful on kitchen cabinets. Trust me on this one.

When it comes to darker colors, I’m drawn to deep grays, dense navy and inky blues, and a whole variety of greens. I love how a dark color can ground and define a space in the best way, making the people in it feel a little more “held,” too. And honestly, there’s more diversity in this grouping than you’d think—the same paint color can present in a completely different way depending on hardware, light fixtures, the room’s light exposure, and art pairings.

This makes a stunning backdrop for gold, brass, or polished nickel hardware. It feels super classic, but with a touch of green-blue that keeps it interesting.

This brings a smooth yet approachable sophistication to any space. It’s a great charcoal with just a hint of brown to it.

This one evokes beautiful shades of grays and greens, and it pairs seamlessly with bolder darks or subtle lights.

This yields a refined yet earthy essence—it’s especially wonderful for those pensive, cozy rooms or spaces.

This one presents differently in every setting, which makes it a little mysterious—and it’s the “most asked about” gray paint color from my followers and clients. (You can see it in the first image of this story, plus on the cabinets with glassware.)

This pairs well with nearly anything—it’s so versatile that I basically consider it a neutral. Just a good old classic, true navy.

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