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The Best Modern Farmhouse Paint Colors

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Today we will discuss 12 of the best modern farmhouse paint colors that you can use in your home.

Modern Farmhouse Style definitely was made popular by none other than Joanna and Chip Gaines on their show Fixer Upper. I think one of the reasons it resonated with everyone is that it incorporates farmhouse style but in a modern way of using clean lines, no clutter, and bright airy colors.

Three images of farmhouse paint colors in a family room, a front door and a powder room.

I would like to dive into the paint colors used in modern farmhouse design. As I said, bright and airy is the name of the game in this decor style.

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Modern Farmhouse Paint Colors

Let’s break it down by color family. Most of the time you will see whites, grays, blues and accent colors in dark tones.

Whites

White paint colors can be just as hard to choose as grays. There are so many shades and different undertones that your head will be spinning. We are going to discuss two here today that are very popular in farmhouse design.

Benjamin Moore White Dove

Benjamin Moore White Dove is a warm white paint color that is great not only on the walls but is very popular for trim and cabinetry. It is a very soft color that feels very cozy.

White Dove has an LRV of 85 which is really high. That makes it a very bright paint color so if you need to brighten your home this would be a great option.

This beautiful mantel is painted with white dove and goes well with the carrera marble tile.
Source: Satori Design for Living

Sherwin Williams Alabaster White

Sherwin Williams Alabaster White was actually the paint color of the year for SW in 2016. It’s a warm white paint color that is very similar to White Dove.

It has an LRV of 82 so it’s not as bright as White Dove but still a very bright paint color. This color can look warm or cooler in different light that’s why it’s such a wonderful color to use on trim and cabinetry.

Sherwin Williams Alabaster in a dining room with black and white striped walls and a dark wood dining table.
Source: Sherwin Williams

How to Choose the Right Farmhouse Paint Color?

I cannot recommend using a company called Samplize enough! They will send you a 12×12 inch square of peel and stick paint sample.

You can put it on the wall and look at it over the course of a few days in different lights. You can even move it around the house and test it in different rooms!

This method is much less messy than getting a sample from the paint store. Also when you are done you have all these paint sample cans cluttering your home. Samplize is much cleaner and easier to do.

Grays

Gray is a staple in Modern Farmhouse Design. But as the title of the movie says, there are so many different shades of gray. You can choose to go with a warm gray, also known as a greige, or a cool gray.

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray is considered a warm gray and in some lights can come off as looking taupe. It also has the slightest purple undertones that you can see if you use it in a room with very little natural light.

Agreeable Gray has an LRV of 60 which makes it a mid-toned gray (but on the brighter side). I used it in my guest bedroom and I love the way it turned out. I have a full post dedicated to Agreeable Gray that you can check out here for more details.

Agreeable Gray on the walls with an iron headboard and a white and gray comforter.

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl

Benjamin Moore Gray Owl is a color that is also considered a warm gray and a close friend to Agreeable Gray however the LRV of Gray Owl is 65, so that makes it a bit brighter. Even though this color is considered a warm gray it has undertones of green and blue. In the right light, it can take on a cooler vibe.

An entryway with the greige paint color pale oak.
Source: A Thoughtful Place

Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray

Sherwin Williams Mindful Gray is a warm mid-toned gray paint color with an LRV of 48. It’s considerably darker than its friends Agreeable Gray and Gray Owl but I wouldn’t consider it a dark gray at all. Here you can see it used on the cabinetry of the bar.

A bar with medium gray paint and mirror on the wall behind the glasware.
Source: The Creativity Exchange

Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray

Benjamin Moore Stonington Gray is a gray that is on the cooler side of things. It is a mid-toned paint color with an LRV of almost 60. Even though it’s mid-toned I would consider it still pretty bright.

Gray painted walls in a nursery with a white changing table and a world map hanging above.
Source: Jenna Kate At Home

Blues

These are my favorite on the Farmhouse Paint Color list. The popular blues are reminiscent of shades of the ocean and who doesn’t love the color of the ocean!

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt

Sherwin Williams Sea Salt is a very popular blue. It’s a blue that leans toward green and reminds me of sea glass. It has an LRV of 64 which makes it a very bright color.

A beautiful bathroom with sea salt paint on the walls and subway tile in the shower and mosaic tile floors.
Source: The Creativity Exchange

Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue

Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue is a darker color than Sea Salt. It also has more gray in it that green. This color is very popular for front doors as you can see from the image below.

This exterior of the home has gray siding and a beautiful blue-green door.
Source: The Wicker House

Sherwin Williams Rainwashed

Sherwin Williams Rainwashed is very close to Sea Salt. It’s a blue-green paint color that has an LRV of 59. This color differs from Sea Salt in that it has less gray in it.

This bathroom has white wood wainscoting and a blue green paint color.
Source: Naptime Decorator

Dark Paint Colors

Dark paint colors are used sparingly in Modern Farmhouse Design. Usually, dark colors are used on furniture or accent walls. Typically farmhouse style translates to bright and airy so using a dark color seems like the opposite thing you would do.

Believe it or not, dark colors are being used more and more lately but they only look good in rooms that have a lot of natural light.

Benjamin Moore Hale Navy

Benjamin Moore Hale Navy is the most popular farmhouse paint color that is dark. I see it used all the time on accent walls and in kitchens on islands. Hale Navy goes with almost every paint color imaginable so if you aren’t sure have no fear, hale navy is here!

This powder room has white shiplap walls with a vanity painted in dark blue.
Source: Chrissy Marie Blog

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore

Sherwin Williams Iron Ore is a very dark gray, almost black color. Because it’s gray, its undertones can shift depending on the decor in the room and the amount of light the room receives. It has an LRV of 6, so yeah, this is a dark paint color.

This moody master bedroom has dark painted walls with a dark gray upholstered headboard and gold wall sconce.
Source: Little House of Four

Sherwin Williams Urban Bronze

Sherwin Williams Urban Bronze is the paint color of the year for 2021! It’s got an LRV of 8 which is brighter (slightly) than the other dark colors we discussed but still a very dark color. This paint color has a greige base with green undertones.

This entryway has light colored walls and a dark painted front door.  There is also a dark gray bench with a clock above.
Source: Kylie M. Interiors

Other Paint Color Posts:

Sherwin Williams Passive

Sherwin Williams Repose Gray

Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray

Paint Colors of the Year

The Best Farmhouse Paint colors pin for Pinterest.

I hope you got some great inspiration on farmhouse paint colors today! These are very popular and you can’t go wrong with any of them.

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As a licensed Real Estate Agent and an avid home decorator, I strive to give my clients the very best I can when it comes to staging, selling, and decorating their homes. I have lots of experience with paint color choices and love to DIY my home so I can have everything just the way I want it. I share my ideas and projects with the world in the hopes that I can help others have their homes just the way they want as well.

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