Warm or Cool Paint Colors?

Neutral paint is my favorite. I will live and die by the neutral paint mantra. With balanced undertones it’s pleasing to the eye at all times in all lights and makes decorating a breeze. Non-neutral paints fall into the category of either warm or cool colors. Sometimes it’s obvious and sometimes it’s not until we slap some white paint on the wall and feel it shift to a creamy beige as the sun sets. If give lots of tips on choosing paint but what if you’re wondering about the existing paint on your walls? Well, I’ve got some tips on how to tell if paint color is warm or cool and help you make decisions from there. 

What Do Warm and Cool Paint Colors Mean?

Before we jump in, let’s give a quick run down on what makes a paint color warm or cool. It seems mysterious but is actually pretty simple. Colors are made up of different amount of Red, Green, and Blue. This is what we call the RGB code.

Warm paints have more amounts of red – making them pinkish, reddish, or creamy. These are the undertones that give them a cozy, inviting but sometimes too rosy or dingy feel.

Cool colors on the other hand have more blue and green. These undertones tend to feel crisp, calm, and refreshing. Sometimes though, cool colors feel too stark, icy, or harsh. 

Many people have been surprised by a color appearing pink or blue after the wall was painted. I know this happened to me in my twenties. Never made that gray paint mistake again! I’ve got a whole post on Warm Gray vs Cool Gray Paint Colors as it’s a common issue.

How Can You Tell if Paint Colors are Warm or Cool?

I admit, at one time, the concept of warm or cool colors baffled me. But, after years of painting, research, and decorating my eye can spot it immediately. And you can too! Every now and then there is a color that throws me off but I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Ranging from scientific to more informal, here are some easy ways to tell if a paint color is warm or cool.

1. Paint Color Name

Let’s start off with a basic, but fun way to see if your walls are warm or cool. Often, the paint name itself gives it away. True, if you know the name you can probably do a quick search, but it’s also a good way to test your paint savvy or apply when you’re paint shopping – before the colors are on the wall. Warm colors often have names that evoke warmth, coziness, heat. While cool colors sound more refreshing, coastal, or calming. 

Warm Paint Color Names

• Ballet White – Benjamin Moore OC-9
• Antique White – Sherwin-Williams SW 6119
• Swiss Coffee – Benjamin Moore OC-45

Cool Paint Color Names

• Sherwin – Williams Sea Salt (SW 6204)
• Rainwashed – Sherwin-Williams SW 6211
• Glacier White – Benjamin Moore OC-37

2. Test Paint Color with White Paper

If you don’t know the paint name, there are other ways to tell if a paint color is warm or cool. One way is to use a piece of basic white printer paper. These are often a true neutral white (though you can check the paper package  – my card stock for example, is a warmer creamy white). But by holding the paper up to a painted wall or paint sample you can really see the undertones pop out. This works well with other white colors. I’m always shocked how creamy a white paint will look when next a piece of paper. 

3. Use Daylight to See Undertones

Another way to tell if a paint color is warm or cool is to look at it in various times of day. Paint color can shift with time of day – which you might’ve already noticed, and maybe not happy about it. I remember one of my first projects where the white looked great until golden hour and to my dismay, it was a yellowy cream.

Paint with warm undertones will look warmer, more glowing in natural light, especially later afternoon light. Cool undertones will appear more stark and crisp in natural, mid-day light. In a nutshell, if the paint looks bluer in bright daylight, it’s cool. If it leans more beige or yellow, it’s warm.

4. Paint Color RGB codes

This trick requires looking up a paint name and color code. But if you have that information available – it’s so easy! First, paint colors are made up of different amounts of reds, greens, and blues. Those amounts are listed in order and known as an RGB code– which stands for Red, Green, Blue.  So, a paint with more red amounts will have a higher red RGB and be warmer. And, of course, a color with more green in the mix will be cooler. A neutral color has a mostly balanced RGB.

So, if we look up the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) codes of some popular paints this is what we see: 

• SW Tricorn Black RGB code: 47, 47, 48 – this means it’s almost even across the board! A true neutral

• SW Pure White RGB Code: 237, 236, 230 – also very even undertones, slightly more red making it ever so slightly warm

• SW Alabaster RGB Code: 237, 234, 224 – more red here in comparison to blue, making it even warmer

• SW Sea Salt RGB Code: 205, 210, 202 – much higher green, making this a cool greenish gray

5. Use Feelings to Test Paint

Ok, this is a totally non-scientific approach but sometimes you can use your gut feelings to see if paint is warm or cool. This works well if you’re someone really attuned to your space or surroundings. But, I think most people can increase their awareness – I know that my sense of color undertones has greatly improved over the years!

When we’re around warmer colors we might feel comforted like we’re wrapped up or cozy inside. We might also feel stuffy and an urge to clean or go outside. Walls might seem dingy or dated. 

With cooler colors we might feel alert, refreshed, or calm.  The downside is we might also feel exposed, uncomfortable, or too awake. Walls might seem clinical and remind you of a doctor’s office. Color Psychology is a related but super interesting topic!

Warm or Paint Color FAQs

Final Thoughts on Warm or Cool Paint Colors

I hope this post helps as you determine if paint colors are warm or cool. Whether you’re using something scientific like RGB codes or more intuitive like feelings and names, these are some easy ways to tell if your paint is warm or cool. You might also want to try a Paint Color Visualizer tool – to see the difference in your space.

From there, it’s easier to make painting and decorating decisions. Or, you might switch to more neutral tones for a simplified approach to home decor. If so check out these paint posts; Tips for Testing Paint Colors and The Best Neutral Paint Colors for Any Space.