Our Favorite Colors

Shades for Every Space

From superneturals to deep hues, our editors' picks will provide you a rainbow of inspiration.

Favorites

• Superneutrals
• Blue
• Pastels
• Green
• Deep Hues
• Red
• Pink
• Orange
• Brown
• Gray
• Black
• Yellow

Superneutrals

This soft and striking living room is anchored in neutral tan shades, but the peach lampshades, yellow accents, and blue end tables add modern pop to the space.

Superneutrals

Three shades of green mingle by a window, showing how well superneutrals get along.

Superneutrals

Bathed in soft gray and enlivened with peach, what's normally a utilitarian space becomes warm and welcoming.

Superneutrals

Among the easiest colors to add to a room, grayish blue greens are layered here to create a calming effect in a home office.

Superneutrals

Lavender brushed on the bases of tabletop domes adds dimension to the earthy gray-green palette of this dining room.

Blue

A collection of Delft tiles and transferware plates brings together a range of blues and patterns.

Blue

To a passionate collector, the more objects, the merrier. The rug has an easy, neutral pattern of blue and white stripes.

Blue

To compensate for the greenish cast of the glass and the shadowiness of these kitchen cabinets, the back of the cabinets are painted a warmer, clearer sky blue.

Blue

This bedroom illustrates how blue can be used in a fresh, clean, American way, mixed with white linens and light woods to evoke breeze-blown New England seaside cottages. An antique spool bed painted white and laid with a pure white spread has blue floral pillow shams. Behind the bed, a blue botanical cyanotype is framed in white, suspended on a medium blue ribbon. The ceiling is painted sky blue for a feeling of being up in the clouds.

Pastels

Vividly shaded eggs from Martha Stewart's Araucana and Ameraucana chickens inspired a palette of paint colors that make as dramatic a display in rooms as eggs arranged in an antique compote.

Pastels

Araucana Turquoise was used for a living-room color, Ameraucana Buff for a hallway, and Araucana Sage in a dining room.

Pastels

Araucana Sage makes a stylish understatement on living-room walls; the ceiling is Araucana Blue.

Pastels

Martha's Westport dressing room has Crevecoeur walls, framed by Golden Campine cabinets; the ceiling is a surprising Pale Araucana Green.

Pastels

A mudroom wall has matte Araucana Olive above, satin Ameraucana Moss below; the floor is Araucana Teal.

Pastels

An Ameraucana Buff hall has Pinfeather steps.

Pastels

Martha's Westport, Connecticut, dining room employs rare color to showcase well-chosen treasures, such as a gilt mirror, which in turn accent the room color. The Porcelain Green walls and Coral Blue Guinea ceiling were inspired by an antique bowl and a length of silk ribbon.

Pastels

The high-seas blue of a 1940s school map charted the start of the bedroom palette seen on the next slide.

Pastels

Map blue became Oceana on the walls. The Pale Araucana Green ceiling is complemented by Araucana Olive in gloss on the floor.

Pastels

Drabware walls warm a room at night, in lamplight. The Araucana Turquoise ceiling keeps the space open and airy, while a rich cream, Silkie White, extends the walls' warmth into trim work. The floor, in Crevecoeur, has the fine gloss of dinnerware. Hallway walls beyond are Araucana Green.

Pastels

A range of neutrals from seashells and stones inspired the choice of restful colors for this living room.

Pastels

Martha's New York apartment's living-room walls are finished in a pigment-colored Swedish putty used as a paint but applied like plaster.

Green

Green can be as captivating indoors as it is in the garden. In this sleek, contemporary setting, vibrant linen slipcovers on a tuxedo sofa and throw pillow are used as an assertive accent. The color appears even more prominent against gray walls and neutral furniture; a pair of leather boxes is the only reiteration of the bright green.

Green

In a traditional setting, green is part of a palette that also includes yellow (in the warm golden tones of the rug and window shades, and in the brass accents) and blue (in the robin's-egg base of the rug, and the turquoise chair and pillow coverings). These two primaries combine to make green, which is why the three colors are so compatible, and the results so restful. The curtains pair a plaid with a toile; the shade of green on each is strong, but it's used like line work on a cream ground, softening the effect. A pale mint coats the walls, and a darker hue appears on the tole lampshade and hollyhocks on the coffee table. Among these greens, the pillows and chair stand out like blossoms against leaves, and the golds glow. Bamboo shades and the botanical prints subtly extend the room's natural inspiration.

Green

A great unifier, green can be used to bring together different decorative elements. In this family room, all of the details are painted the same shamrock green. Green molding wraps around the room like a bright ribbon; the same color emphasizes the lines of the table and chairs. A graphic check fabric plus paint in matte and glossy finishes keep the overall look from becoming monotonous. A felt table mat in a deeper olive provides the final punctuation.

Green

The intense green of these platters and seat cushions would overpower most other colors. But the rich brown of this furniture more than holds its own. Together, the two hues enhance each other, evoking the beauty of a forest. A bowl overflowing with ferns is a fitting woodland touch.

Green

In an entry hall, green becomes a link between outside and in. Three different tones accentuate the paneling; the console is painted to match. The hanging lamp, glass vessels, and sconce's mirror are also in varying shades of green. Even in such abundance, this color is calming.

Deep Hues

This room in Martha's home at Lily Pond Lane was inspired by the colors of her collection of stuffed tarpon fish.

Deep Hues

Buttery-hued walls and woodwork give this space a rich, warm glow. The ceiling is painted in a complementary shade of deep beige.

Deep Hues

The soft brown of these walls and lighter, more golden color of the ceiling unifies a kitchen that is accented in green.

Deep Hues

These shelves are painted the same color as the kitchen ceiling.

Deep Hues

This chair, found by Martha at an antiques show, was covered in leather in the same shade as the ceiling of the room.

Deep Hues

These garden books in deep hues are organized in a beige bookcase.

Deep Hues

In this library, a white Jacobean-style table is painted black, making an elegant, functional library table.

Deep Hues

A guest bedroom, painted in a soothing gray-brown, is supremely simple in its decor.

Deep Hues

In this guest bath, a collection of opaline green glass shimmers against the black-painted wood.

Deep Hues

These walls and ceiling were painted in beige-pink tones. A large, pinkish mercury-glass ball catches the light.

Deep Hues

The woodwork and vanity table in this bathroom have been painted beige.

Deep Hues

This bed frame is encased in thick bump padding, then in fine-linen slipcovers that are stitched together into a simple dressmaker shape that gracefully envelops the frame of the bed. Pink linens accentuate the pink in the wall color.

Red

A 1930s Chinese Chippendale-style fish tank showcases a red mini-orchid in Martha's Bedford home. Even the covers of the books on the shelves -- a collection of Loeb classics, a series of works in Latin translated into English -- contribute to the color scheme.

Red

In Martha's formal dining room, a black lacquered Chinese screen, an Indian carved-teakwood table, and a pair of modest beige armchairs counterpoint the red-hued walls, upholstery, and carpet. The fireplace-wall paneling and the curtains are embellished with reddish faux-bois effects: The pine paneling was coated with a deep-red glaze and then grained with a reddish-black paint to mimic a luxurious, dark wood; the curtain fabric was silk-screened. Antique red Turkish Oushak carpets, such as this one, are rare. The arrangement of snapdragons incorporates the spectrum of reds used in the house.

Red

A Chinese-style red painted bureau has a faux-marble top. Black tole candlestick lamps, a set of lacquered stacking boxes, and a grouping of 18th-century English prints depicting Asian-inspired scenes continue the chinoiserie theme.

Red

To create a softer, more restful mood in a bedroom, Martha painted these walls a pale khaki and red was restricted to accent pieces, such as the quilt and the japanned (varnished and gilded) secretary.

Red

Orange Fitzhugh-pattern Chinese-export porcelain inspired the dining-room color scheme. The painted walls match the deepest tone on the china. A quince-colored velvet tablecloth and sunset-hued fabric on the folding screen highlight the richness and depth of gold-tinged reds.

Red

A coppery-red arrangement of astilbe and celosia warms a cool-gray hallway. Above the flowers, a Directoire-style girandole holds a white porcelain model of a mandarin figure. A Chinese ceramic garden seat in a deep sang de boeuf red stands under the table.

Pink

At Martha's guest cottage in Maine, an array of blush-colored tones creates a welcoming atmosphere. Martha chose a large-scale painting of a Venetian lagoon, by her friend Kevin Burger, to hang in the dining room, which is also home to a gray terrazzo dining table and a set of Italian ring-back chairs.

Pink

Under Martha's direction, pink seems to have found its decorative footing. One of her design tactics was to create a continuous wash of ambient color throughout the guesthouse. The mirror frame above the fireplace, for example, was painted the same pink as the cottage's walls and trims.

Pink

Martha found the pink porcelain teacups in the South of France; some of the Venetian glassware came with the house.

Pink

Amber-and-gold Venetian glass candlesticks stand on the Victorian flip-top desk.

Pink

In the bedroom, Martha had a lampshade made to match the Italian alabaster reading lamp; the ruffled edge echoes the fluted top of the lamp base. The sconce is one of a set of Italian lyre-backed pieces in the room that belonged to Martha's grandmother.

Pink

The bed expands the range of pinks with its French sheets and pillowcases and mohair throw.

Pink

The bedroom desk, which faces the water, is the spot for writing letters or just gazing out the window.

Pink

The once-mismatched wicker pieces, including a chaise and a star-shape table, are now unified, thanks to a coat of gray paint. The enormous mirror on the right reflects a view of the harbor.

Pink

Martha unearthed the pink Venetian mirror at a consignment store. The pink glazed tiles were made in the 1920s at Pewabic Pottery, one of Detroit's renowned potters.

Pink

Additional pinks are worked into the decorative scheme in the bathroom with a few embroidered towels and some soaps.

Orange

This traditional English-style foyer, painted pumpkin-orange, offers a warm welcome to all who enter. Paired with plenty of whites -- the wainscoting, ceiling, risers, trim, and balusters -- the walls feel crisp, particularly when outlined with brown grosgrain ribbon (which is adhered with craft glue). The warm browns of the wood harmonize well with orange, animating and restraining it.

Orange

An iron garden table is painted an irrepressible orange -- perfect for waking up at the breakfast table with orange juice, cantaloupe, and marmalade. Window seats are made cozy with cushions covered in mocha-colored canvas and piping in another fresh orange.

Orange

A hot orange in carefully modulated doses visually organizes disparate elements in this formal living room. A pillow, a console, a coffee table, and picture mats all wear the same vivid hue. Chinese porcelain -- the lamp and two lidded jars -- adds accents in a similarly intense shade. The sofa sports stripes of peach and orange; the Sultanabad carpet with strong orange elements is handwoven.

Orange

The dove gray of a bookcase tames the vibrant orange shelves and interior; the armchair's dusty-orange velvet upholstery is toned down by a cream-and-pale-green side table. It's easy to add orange shades with a flower arrangement like this clutch of coral roses.

Orange

You can start off on a small scale by customizing a neutral room with a few coordinated accessories: a spicy-orange bedspread, terra-cotta Roman shades, and a curry-colored lampshade.

Brown

Red browns have a warm, rosy glow. Salvaged doors inspired this Vermeer-like setting: Fabrics were selected for reddish tones that complement the wood. Texture and luster are important here, too: Daylight brings out the sheen of the velvet comforter and satin pillow, lending life to the room.

Brown

In a luminous white setting, dark brown has the impact of black, without the harshness. This sofa is upholstered with velvet the color of bittersweet chocolate; white piping makes the fabric look even darker. A varied collection of smoky-glass bottles and vases lightens the mood.

Brown

Don't be afraid to mix light and dark woods. Against a cumin-colored wall, this walnut writing desk mingles with a fruitwood chair; maple, birch, and cherry boxes; and a mahogany-framed sepia photograph.

Brown

True khaki, like these walls, veers toward the green. It looks its best in the warm light of a sunny room, its greenness tempered by potted ferns, a papyrus plant, and a myrtle topiary.

Brown

In this very Parisian breakfast room, there is as much cream as there is coffee: An eggshell-colored cupboard, curtains of pale chiffon, light woods, tan piping on the seat cushions, and snowy wainscoting all help to enrich the cafe au lait brown of the walls. The anchor for this dreamy setting is the much darker maple floors.

Brown

A Victorian etched mirror, and an intriguing collection of flea-market finds.

Brown

If you have ever wondered what taupe looks like, these dusky walls are your guide, with lustrous fabrics chosen to enhance and uplift its distinctive character. The daybed is the focus of an audacious assortment of mauves, lavenders, and lilac touches.

Gray

When he renovated his new apartment, Eric Pike chose soothing shades of gray, and made a decorative fireplace a focal point in the living room.

Gray

Shades are partially drawn in this gray sitting room.

Gray

Groupings of furniture provide for conversation spaces. Here, the settee, chest, and rounded-back chair are Swedish antiques.

Gray

These cabinets were designed to conceal appliances while keeping them handy; electrical outlets are hidden under the upper cabinets.

Gray

Perhaps the most contemporary room in this apartment, the bathroom is luxurious yet basic, with clean lines and an abundance of natural light provided by a skylight.

Gray

With its coffered ceiling, which conceals support beams, this room lacks the height of the rest of the apartment; the skylight, however, opens up the space.

Gray

A cupboard in the dining room organizes Wedgwood and French creamware.

Gray

In deep doorways at the ends of the entry hall, there are four shallow closets.

Gray

Between the dining and living rooms, deep doorways allow for closets behind panels; these hold books, electronics, and kitchen supplies.

Gray

A television is over the living room mantel; an antiqued mirror lifts to reveal it.

Gray

This low bed doesn't block the light from the windows.

Gray

Above the bedroom's fireplace hangs a painting of Daniel Webster, a Massachusetts senator in the mid-1800s.

Gray

This custom L-shaped desk was created to hide equipment while affording a view.

Gray

An antique Swedish desk occupies a front corner of the bedroom; its many drawers keep mail out of sight. The desktop displays some favorite possessions.

Black

When redecorating the guest apartment at Turkey Hill, her Connecticut home, Martha gave it several coats of black paint. The rooms, though bright and cheerful, were cluttered with a jumble of furniture, some of which had been painted white over the years. "It was the popular thing to do -- dressing up shabby furniture with a coat of paint," says Martha." And I thought, if it works with white, why not try it with black?"

Shown here is Martha's collection of Aesthetic Movement hardware, which was ideal for this project: Drawer handles made sleek shade pulls, and hooks replaced Shakerstyle wooden pegs along the horizontal wall trim.

Black

The unique proportions of the dining room allow for this oversize table, a great place for spreading out work after guests have left. Complementing the galvanized-steel tabletop are black-painted grange chairs and horsehair table mats in lieu of a conventional cloth. "Black" foods, including blueberries, black raspberries, grapes, and cherries, are set out on black-patterned English china. Bundles of black scabious complete the table setting. The large cupboard was unremarkable when Martha found it, but when painted in two similar dusky shades -- inside, an almost-aubergine stone brown, and outside, a slightly darker deep caviar -- and filled with clear glassware, it became a handsome and useful focal point. Black window shades help keep the glaring afternoon sunlight in check.

Black

Its wooden frame revitalized with a finish of deep, caviar-gray paint, this worn marble-top table desk occupies a corner of the living room. The wooden chair is painted in a paler, stone-brown shade; the bottom few inches of the chair legs are a darker, true black. A cushion upholstered in glazed black linen and edged in brown satin ribbon makes for a luxurious chair seat. The lamp is topped with a black-silk shade lined with metallic gauze fabric. Even small details -- the cast-bronze chow chow and the black-patterned English china meant to catch keys and loose change, for example -- continue the color scheme.

Black

This lead-colored wire work stand holds a collection of pewter, tin, and steel cooking molds. Lounging on the tile floor, Martha’s black chow ZuZu coordinates beautifully with the decor.

Black

Black soapstone countertops replaced white Corian in Martha's kitchen; black glass drawer pulls replaced wood.

Black

A flea-market wire rack, updated with a new coat of paint, keeps kitchen staples at hand.

Black

In a bathroom with bright-white tile and porcelain fixtures, few accessories are required. The carved wooden wall mirror was painted a dark gray-black; the standing adjustable mirror and the wire wastebasket did not need painting. Neither did the tall, wirework towel stand, one of a pair that Martha found at an antiques show.

Black

An embroidered chocolate-brown silk-velvet tapestry hangs between living-room windows; its lively pattern sets off the graceful lines of an eighteenth-century camelback sofa. The black-horsehair fabric on the sofa, though a splurge, was a good investment -- it is virtually indestructible. The coffee table, originally a galvanized freezer rack, is the ultimate in functionality.

Black

In the bedroom, a trim bedside table (found at auction) has the same rich, true-black ebonized finish as the bed. The reading lamp was painted a stone brown.

Black

Also painted in stone brown, this newly refinished plant stand sits demurely in the corner of the living room, a base for a towering topiary.

Black

An inexpensive mirror, framed in whimsical fretwork, became a glamorous accent for the bedroom when its old varnish was replaced with a deep, charcoal-gray paint. The mirror's bracketed shelves hold a collection of black basalt Wedgwood. The bureau, a solidly constructed but plain wooden piece, was transformed by a few coats of true-black paint. Original plain wooden drawer pulls were replaced by decorative Aesthetic Movement hardware to complete the refinishing.

Yellow

To play up her home's "warm, sunshiny spirit," this homeowner had the staid gray-green living and dining rooms painted a glossy white, which helps sunlight "hit the walls like a mirror." In the living room, she brightened a potentially drab brown couch with a playful litter of pillows in relaxing shades she calls sorbets. The sisal rug and palm plant underline "the islandy vibe we love." The family's don't-worry-be-happy philosophy is proven again with the coffee table: a rare mid-century piece with slide-out trays.

Take a Tour of This Home

Yellow

Maritime objects fill every nook and cranny in the circular Shell Museum. This collection was built over a lifetime of winter travels to warm climates.

Take a Tour of This Home

Yellow

Combining multiple striped patterns in the same palette of yellow and ice blue gives this living room a cohesive feel.

Yellow

This staircase was completed with a railing, the Biedermeier chair is covered in horsehair velvet, and the stool is Chinese. The drawings include several that the homeowners collected, and the wooden animal beneath the console table is one of dozens the homeowner picked up while on foreign assignment. Decorator Kevin Sharkey installed an 8-foot-tall mirror to create the impression of a grand double staircase. Staircases are usually great places for mirrors," he says, "as they tend to be dark, awkward spaces."

Take a Tour of This Home

Yellow

American Empire mirrors take on new purpose when their battered veneer frames are patched and unified with oil paint, letting the colors and shadows of the old mirrors themselves become the center of attention.

Yellow

Remnants of four graphic fabrics add drama when placed in metal frames and hung in a grid. When choosing fabrics, stick to bold, overscale patterns, since small florals will lose presence when viewed from afar.

Yellow

By itself, the citron yellow on this Victorian chest seemed pallid. But a rich, honeyed drawer trim -- not an obvious choice -- galvanized it. "The greater the chance you take with yellows," says Stephen Earle, "the greater the reward."