The 12 Best Warm Neutrals for Your Home

Unless you elect for a true white, such as Farrow & Ball's All White, most neutral paints will have some undertones of red, yellow, green, or blue that create either a sense of warmness or coolness.

Warm colors — hues from red to yellow (browns and tans included) — advance toward the eye and appear more active. By contrast, cool colors — hues from blue green to blue violet (most grays included) — appear to recede. As a result, warm colors have a stimulating effect, while cool colors tend to be calming and relaxing.

Paints with warm pigments are ideal for communal spaces, workspaces, or entertaining spaces, where you and your guests want to remain alert and keep the conversation lively. If you're looking for a shade that's light but still bright, while also versatile and engaging, a warm neutral is your ticket. We've picked the cream of the crop, so you can put down those swatchbooks. Coat your walls with one of these beauties; they'll complement more colorful artwork, accessories, and fabrics.