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Welcome These 10 Best Guest Bedroom Paint Color Ideas Into Your Home

Choose a color to create a cozy and comfortable experience for your visitors

By
Ashley Knierim
Photo of Ashley Knierim
Ashley Knierim

Ashley Knierim is a home decor expert and product reviewer of home products for The Spruce. Her design education began at a young age. She has over 10 years of writing and editing experience, formerly holding editorial positions at Time and AOL.

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Updated on 02/01/22
Guest bedroom with white walls and greige closet doors

The Spruce / Christopher Lee Foto

Creating a serene, tranquil guest room starts with the walls. Paint can set the mood for a room and act as a canvas for the rest of your decor. When it comes to guest bedroom paint ideas, aim for a color that's universal and soothing. Though a guest room may be infrequently used, the right color palette won't disturb your guests and is easy to decorate around.

Once you've settled on a color, consider the accessories. A guest room should feel deliberate and purposefully styled, not thrown together using castoffs because your guests will feel more comfortable in a space decorated with thought. Make your guests feel welcome by spending time creating the ideal, relaxing space with little extras that help your house feel like home.

  • Color Family: Light and dark neutrals, soft pinks and greens, enduring navy and brown
  • Complementary Colors: Varies, consider the undertone of the neutrals for a complementary color
  • Pairs Well With: Most pair with bright white accessories and trim, but also try blue and green hues
  • Mood: Tranquil, comforting, cheery
  • Where to Use: Walls, accent walls, floors, furniture

Here's a roundup of our favorite 10 paint colors that are perfect for a guest space.

  • 01 of 10

    Benjamin Moore Pelican Gray

    Pelican Gray by Benjamin Moore paint swatch

    The Spruce

    Benjamin Moore's Pelican Gray (1612) is gentle and quiet like a shade of white, but not quite as luminous. It's a light, airy gray that adds a bit of dimension and depth while maintaining that bright, open feel. It's a soothing, misty color that feels restful and pairs well with neutral or bright whites or blue hues. It's also a great choice for a guest room that doubles as an office.

  • 02 of 10

    Benjamin Moore Serene Breeze

    Benjamin Moore Serene Breeze paint swatch

    The Spruce

    Even though green is a soothing color, choosing the right shade for a guest room can be challenging. You'll want to find a color that adds the right amount of pigment without being overpowering. Benjamin Moore Serene Breeze (449) has just enough green to give the room a sense of freshness, but with a hint of blue to make it breezy and light. Serene Breeze could be the foundation of a nature-inspired guest retreat filled with greenery.

  • 03 of 10

    Sherwin-Williams Crisp Linen

    Benjamin Moore Crisp Linen CSP-305

    The Spruce

    Warmer than white and dreamier than beige, Sherwin-Williams' Crisp Linen (SW 6378) is the perfect blend of off-white and neutral beige. This warm white has strong yellow undertones and is a good choice for a more traditional guest room. It pairs best with crisp whites that create a stark contrast. Add a handful of throw pillows in neutral tones to create texture and visual interest with this homey, inviting color.

  • 04 of 10

    Magnolia Ella Rose

    Magnolia Ella Rose paint swatch

    The Spruce

    You may think pink is too polarizing a color for a guest room but it doesn't have to be. Magnolia's Ella Rose is a soft neutral pink that appears almost white in larger spaces. It's also the ideal choice for a room that needs a slightly feminine touch without feeling like a child's bedroom. Pair this shade with grayed woods or rustic shabby chic furniture for a modern farmhouse feel that's universally inviting.

    Tip

    To keep a paler neutral pink from looking too feminine or vintage, make it look chic and modern by pairing it with shades of deeper purples and charcoal grays.

    Continue to 5 of 10 below
  • 05 of 10

    Behr Very Navy

    Behr Very Navy paint swatch

    The Spruce

    Behr's Very Navy (M500-7) isn't a subtle color, but it's a rich one that creates an instantly chic and tranquil bedroom. This dark blue shade is a great choice if your guest room has wainscoting. Paint the top half of the walls with this strong color, the bottom with bright white paint, and you'll have a nautical-inspired palette that's perfect whether or not you live anywhere near the ocean.

  • 06 of 10

    Farrow & Ball Calluna

    Farrow & Ball Calluna paint swatch

    The Spruce

    Purple is a regal color that's both energetic and calming. Farrow & Ball's Calluna (No. 270) is a heathered lilac shade that's subtle enough to work well in nearly any guest room, but still provides enough pigment to add a healthy dose of color. It feels sophisticated without being stuffy and is a lovely choice for a midcentury modern-inspired guest room.

  • 07 of 10

    Sherwin-Williams Peppercorn

    Peppercorn paint swatch by Sherwin-Williams

    The Spruce

    While it's important to pick a shade that won't jolt your guests, you're free to experiment with colors you might shy away from in busier, more frequently used parts of your home. We love Sherwin-Williams' Peppercorn (SW 7674) for either an accent wall or an entire space. Though it's a deep charcoal shade, it's on the warm side and is surprisingly welcoming. In a small room, a dark shade like Peppercorn will add visual depth and can make the room feel more open and spacious because the eye won't detect any shadows or corners.

  • 08 of 10

    Sherwin-Williams Windy Blue

    Sherwin-Williams Windy Blue paint swatch

    The Spruce

    Subtle and serene, Sherwin-Williams' Windy Blue (SW 6240) coordinates beautifully with traditional decor. With its rich gray undertone, Windy Blue could also work in a contemporary-style guest room design. Pair it with a barely-there light gray or a deep navy. It's also a perfect choice for a beach-themed guest room.

    Continue to 9 of 10 below
  • 09 of 10

    Behr Wheat Bread

    Behr Wheat Bread paint swatch

    The Spruce

    When you can't decide between gray and beige, greige comes to the rescue. Behr's Wheat Bread (720C-3) is a crisp greige tint that reads tan or beige in low light and gray in well-lit spaces. It's a lovely choice for a guest room because it provides a neutral backdrop for nearly any decor style.

    Tip

    Greige can usually look a little more gray or beige depending on how much light comes into the room. Check greige paint samples on all walls and all times of the day and night to see which hue you prefer.

  • 10 of 10

    Clare Lemonade

    Clare paint swatch in Lemonade

    The Spruce

    When guests arrive at your home, you want them to feel welcome—and most importantly, happy to be there. Clare's Lemonade is a cheery yellow that's just bright enough to add a pop of color to your guest room, but still muted and subtle enough not to feel too fiery or flashy. Add soft and subtle green accents and a vase of fresh-cut flowers on the nightstand. There's no way your guests won't feel happy every time they wake up.

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