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How to Identify Paint Color Undertones When Designing a Color Scheme

Kitchen with white walls and warm undertones

Jean-Yves Bruel / Getty Images

When a color is created by mixing two or more colors together, the undertone appears through the exact proportion of color used. In creating a beige, if the color formula has a little more green in it, then it will have a green undertone, with more red, it becomes a pink undertone. This is why choosing neutrals like beige and taupe can be difficult.

The only colors that are not created by mixing color together are the primaries (red, blue, and yellow). As it relates to paint color, only a true red, blue, or yellow, created with pure pigment would not have an undertone, but the vast majority of paint colors—even white—have an undertone of some kind.

Understanding Paint Color

Undertones are the secret code of every color: once you crack the code, you can choose paint color with confidence. It would be perfectly reasonable to expect that your new blue paint would look just fine with white, but if the color you choose has a green undertone, it could clash with a pink undertone in the white paint.

Understanding undertones and masstones can help you not only choose the right paint color, but also choose complementary colors for an entire color scheme.

Understanding Undertones and Masstones

When looking at any color, your eyes can quickly identify its masstone. The masstone is the main aspect of a color, or the main color that you can see on the surface. The undertone is the subtle influence of one color underneath the masstone that distinguishes it from similar colors on the color spectrum. The undertone is not always readily apparent until it is paired with other colors, or under certain lighting. 

Identifying an Undertone

The quickest way to determine undertone is to compare it to a color that you know to be a true color in the same masstone. If you are trying to find the undertone for a red, then compare it next to a true red. This will give you an idea of whether your red has more of a yellow or violet undertone. It’s not always easy to find a true color for comparison, so use a color wheel to be sure you have the purest color for comparison. 

Sampling a paint color in your home is the best way to check a color if you’re still not sure what its undertone is. Everything from floor and counter surfaces to lighting and foliage outside can bring out surprising undertones on your painted walls. If you’ve already taken the plunge and painted the walls and it doesn't have the undertone you wanted, try replacing light bulbs and lighting before repainting. Light bulbs can be warm, cool, or natural, and can correct undertone problems quickly and inexpensively.

Once you’ve decided on a few colors based on your sampling and comparison, sample them again in your home.

Difficult Undertones

Pink and green are the most difficult paint color undertones. Even the most neutral gray or beige colors can become green in certain settings. Green undertones aren’t always easily visible until they meet up with your cabinetry or flooring with its own undertones of yellow or orange. This is what makes the green undertones problematic. The prevalence of warm woods in our homes really sets off even the slightest green undertone. For warmer cabinets and flooring, try a warmer wall color or a neutral with a yellow or red undertone.

Pink is another problem undertone, especially with taupe and beige. All it takes a slight prevalence of red in the neutral formula for pink to emerge. The opposite of the green undertone problem, the pink undertone appears most often when near a green, blue, or violet color. If you’re having trouble with a pink undertone, try a neutral with a warm yellow undertone instead.

An Easy Way to Manage Paint Color Undertones

No extensive color theory instruction is needed to master paint color undertones. If you can see that the colors you’ve chosen have a green or blue undertone that doesn't work in the room, then try warmer colors. If a yellow or pink undertone appears when you are combining colors, try a cooler color. 

Sometimes just making adjustments based on color temperatures are enough to tackle any undertone issues without having to overanalyze it. What can feel like an undertone issue can actually be a color temperature problem, and that is an easy color problem to solve.