A breakdown of the colors we used in the Scout House

Here's the whole palette, room by room. The big, open, everyday spaces stay in the warm
white so the house reads as one calm, continuous thing, and the smaller, more personal
rooms are where I had a little more fun with color. Here's what's on the walls and cabinetry,
and why each one is where it is:

For the Scout House, I knew I wanted the main living spaces to feel connected. We used the same
warm white throughout the first floor because I didn't want each room to feel like a separate experience. I wanted the house to unfold naturally, with one room leading into the next.

The white is color-matched to True Refrigeration's Antique White, so the cabinetry could match the refrigerator, and nothing would stand out. If you want to get close without the custom match, Benjamin Moore's Cloud White is the nearest off-the-shelf equivalent. I decided to continue the color throughout the entire home to create a warm, inviting feeling without the color feeling too yellow or too gray. More importantly, it creates a quiet foundation for everything else in the house. The artwork, the architectural details, the furnishings, and the richer colors in spaces like the mudroom and scullery all stand out more because they have a consistent backdrop to play against

On the trim and the cabinets. A soft, grounded muddy-mauve that reads almost neutral until the light catches it. The mudroom is the first room you enter when you come home, and it's a working space, so I wanted it to be calm and a little earthy instead of utilitarian. Carrying Benjamin Moore's Whispering Wood across the cabinetry and the trim — not just an accent — lets the whole little room settle into one quiet, grounded tone.

On the cabinetry and the trim. Laundry is the most functional room in the house, so I went the other direction and made it a place you genuinely don't mind being. The Benjamin Moore Van Courtland Blue is deep and classic — rich enough to feel intentional and a little old-world, never loud. It turns a chore room into a small, handsome moment.

A warm, settled beige, used in both because they do the same job: they're the rooms where you exhale. It's quiet enough to think in and warm enough to want to stay. The Benamin Moore Grant Beige is a color that recedes into the background and just makes the room feel held. It's also proof a restrained color can carry a big, primary room, while the braver colors live best in the small spaces.

On the walls, we color matched True's Olive, pulled straight from the True Refrigeration ice maker and refrigerator drawers, then layered it with wallpaper to wrap the entire scullery. It has that library inspired feel I love. A scullery is one of the most personal spaces in a home, tucked just off the kitchen and meant to work hard behind the scenes. It felt like the perfect place to fully commit to color, even carrying it onto the appliances so nothing interrupts the experience.

The paint colors in the Scout House weren't chosen room by room. They were chosen to make the entire house feel like one complete story. It was about creating a home that feels cohesive from the moment you walk through the front door. The warm white creates a quiet foundation, while the richer colors in the more intimate spaces add depth, personality, and a sense of discovery as you move through the house.

If you'd like to see how these colors come together in the finished home, be sure to explore the full Scout House tour. You'll find every room, the story behind the design decisions, and all of the details that make this house feel like home.

The Complete Scout House Paint Palette

FAQ's

What is a good warm white paint color?

Creamy and soft, not yellow/gray/stark; judge it against your trim, floors, and light.

Should I paint trim a different color than the walls?

We say go for it. Across the Scout House the boldest colors live on the trim and millwork.

Do you choose paint before or after designing the room?

Paint first, then refine.

Where should I start with bold paint?

A small, secondary room (mudroom, laundry, powder, office).

Does natural light really change paint color?

Completely; you really do need to test your paint colors in the space — you're going to approach a room that has no windows very differently than a room that has all the windows, so sample big.