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Photography by Brittany Ambridge

White is what you paint your kitchen cabinets or the fence in your front yard. It’s not the first, second, or even third hue that comes to mind when refreshing a bedroom (usually a soothing blue, cozy gray, or muted pink—shades that encourage calm and sleep—take priority). But apparently, everyone is looking for ways to make the safe neutral work in their personal oases. According to new intel from Google, white is the most-searched-for bedroom paint color of 2021 so far. Pulling it off in any room all comes down to understanding tones. Get the lowdown on our favorites, ahead. 

White

Bedrooms photo
Calm, Benjamin Moore
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While you might want something crisp like Benjamin Moore’s Chantilly Lace in the living room to help bounce around light, cooler-toned options such as the brand’s Calm or Sherwin-Williams’s Downy aren’t so bright, making it easier to wind down at night. 

If a blank canvas isn’t your thing, consider the next top-Googled paint colors for bedrooms, in order of popularity: 

Black

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Off-Black, Farrow & Ball
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Bring on the cocoon vibes with a dynamic option like Farrow & Ball’s Off-Black, which reads chalky gray in certain lighting. Or paint just one accent wall in a dramatic deep black like Clare’s Blackest. (Psst: It’s VOC-free.)

Gray

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Penthouse, Clare
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When it comes to maximizing the illusion of extra square footage, go with a pale shade of greige. In an attic bedroom or accent nook, try something smokier with blue undertones to accentuate its coziness. Contrary to popular belief, dark hues don’t always downsize your space.

Taupe

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Rose Theatre, Mylands
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While this hue has a bland and boring rep, the key is finding a shade that’s more of a pale putty with hints of pink and lilac. That will really set the scene for catching z’s. 

Terracotta 

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36 Hours in Marrakesh, Backdrop
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Transport your respite to the desert with a shade that’s got an orange kick to it, like Backdrop’s popular choice, 36 Hours in Marrakesh. Other bedroom colors that have been spiking in the past month: slate blue, sage green, lavender, and blush. A shade that encourages sleep doesn’t necessarily have to be snoozy.