Best 2021 Paint Colors for Your Home

Let Buyers See Your Home in its Best Light - How a pandemic has affected buyers color preferences

Every year we publish a blog post on the best new interior paint colors so if you’re thinking about selling your home, you can freshen up your rooms to appeal to today’s Home Buyers and seek top dollar. For 2021 (and 2020) you might be surprised to hear that gray is out and white walls are in!

Buyers’ color preferences are stronger than ever, especially this year. Cleanliness tops the list of must-haves for Buyers so the trend is going in the direction of a clean look. Your home can be dated but it MUST be and look clean to maximize the sale price. Although technically not a true color, the color white represents purity, cleanliness and safety and during today’s pandemic, that’s on the top of Buyers’ lists.

In 2020 we have seen a surge in home sale consultations. We are consulting at a higher rate than ever before on paint selections and variations of white walls (there are so many different shades of white!) with white trim, which also tops the list of Buyer preferences for 2021!

White may seem like an easy color to work with, however, in actuality, the color variations in white paint makes this the most challenging color to work with in the spectrum. Who knew there were over 100 variations of white wall color to choose from? Getting the science just right to produce a great re-sale result for my Sellers has taken me more than a year of trial and error. Every recommendation we make in this blog is a result of my personal experiments within my own homes (where I take more of a risk) and the residences of our clients. Can you make a mistake with white paint? Yes, and therefore, this article is designed to help you make great choices in color selections and finishes for your home.

Interior Paint Technology and Color:

It is the little things that count and spending a little money on painting your interior walls can advance your home’s resale by thousands of dollars. Want to sell your home for top dollar? Appeal to what Buyers want so they can more easily see themselves in your home. Don’t make them think hard about how your home is the right one for them.

My Top Picks in Trim Color and White Wall Finishes for 2020/21

The most popular trim color year over year is Benjamin Moore’s White Dove in a satin finish. Avoid semi-gloss and flat finishes for your trim work. The most professional look and feel comes from a satin finish for woodwork.

Top White Wall Colors to go with White Satin Trim Woodwork

Walls should be painted in a flat finish unless it is a bathroom or kitchen. Flat paints absorb light which helps hide small (and even some bigger flaws) such a scuff marks, plaster or drywall imperfections, etc. For a bathroom or kitchen, select an eggshell finish which is easier to wipe clean.

When you walk through a house from room to room, the light refracted through the windows changes the wall color. Furniture helps the house flow seamlessly from one room to another, and rugs and décor are added to change the feel throughout. So, selecting one great wall color and one color for trim gives a home the expansive feel Buyers are looking for.

I recently painted the interior walls of my home one color and used one color for the trim. We used Oyster White from Sherwin Williams in a flat finish for the walls and Dove White in a satin finish for the trim.

Here are the colors I used along with some of my other go-to colors to help you give your home’s interior a clean, fresh, simplified look:

A. Oyster White – Sherwin Williams in a flat finish goes very well with Benjamin Moore White Dove Satin Trim Woodwork.

B. Divine White – Sherwin Williams in a flat finish goes very well with Benjamin Moore White Dove Trim Woodwork in a stain finish.

C. White Duck – Sherwin Williams – great for creamy white exterior. Goes very well with Black Windows.

D. Decorator White – Sherwin Williams – go to wall color in flat finish

E. Alabaster – Sherwin Williams – Great exterior finish in creamy white. Great inside or out.

Cover the Oak Trim

If your home has oak woodwork throughout, chances are it’s giving off an 80s’ vibe which will turn off today’s Buyers. Consider painting the woodwork and plan carefully as the grain in this wood can make it difficult to cover. Sherwin Williams now makes a white trim paint called Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel specifically for trim and doors, and it does a great job of covering oak - taking the place of high VOC oil-based paint.

Chalk paint by Annie Sloan is another option that covers the wood grain completely and gives a great mat finish. Mequon and Brookfield are filled with oak trim houses and Buyers cringe when they see it. Strongly consider painting your oak trim to attract the best price to your property. Make sure all crown molding is caulked and painted professionally for your best results. Avoid semi-gloss finishes on interior woodwork, and choose an enamel satin finish for best results.

Home has taken on a whole new meaning in light of the pandemic. Sparkling white walls and clean finishes help sell homes faster. In an era where cleanliness matters more than ever, the two top things to help your home sell in 2020 and 2021 are cleanliness and crisp white paint colors. White walls (paler colors) and white wood work are in and the strong dark colors of last year are out for selling your home. Neutralizing your home’s interior and exterior paint color is very important to your home’s selling success. De-personalize your space and go soft neutral colors throughout for the best and highest price.