What Paint Color to Choose Based on Your Love Language
How about your Valentine’s Day gift?
Updated Oct 11, 2018 9:39 AM
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There are many avenues you can explore to find your perfect (paint color) match. Maybe you go by your Myers-Briggs results or your New Year’s resolution; perhaps you turn to your Enneagram. But how about your love language? Would you let it determine everything? It’s almost Valentine’s Day, after all.
Sherwin-Williams’s director of color marketing, Sue Wadden, thinks you should. If you’re not familiar with what your love language is, don’t worry—there’s a quiz. Go ahead and take it with your significant other, then see what Wadden recommends for your space, below. And for anyone not entirely convinced they want to redo their entire living room in the name of love, we included a few smaller decorative updates, too.
Words of Affirmation
“You’re happiest with frequent and thoughtful communication, so choose paint colors that send a clear message,” suggests Wadden. Her pick: a bright, cheery yellow like Overjoy that “paves the way for good conversation.” If this is your partner, give them a notebook in the vibrant hue for jotting down sweet nothings (or notes about groceries—whichever makes their heart sing).
Quality Time
Spending the evening at home, just you and your other half, is likely this person’s ideal night. “Try out a bolder ‘new neutral,’ like Naval, which creates a sense of calm for a romantic dinner for two in the dining room,” says Wadden, or elevate your Postmates dinner with cocktails in this deep blue glassware.
Giving and Receiving Gifts
For gift lovers, “it’s the thought that counts” isn’t just some overused phrase. Wadden recommends looking to a memory to give your paint pick a deeper meaning: “If you want to be reminded of the surprise beach vacation you took together, incorporate coastal hues like Sleepy Blue.” Another option: Bring home a simple vase in that same pastel and fill it with your soul mate’s favorite flowers—even if they’re bodega blooms, it will take the bouquet to the next level.
Physical Touch
“This language is all about keeping your loved ones close, and people who have it exude warmth,” explains Wadden. “Create a sense of coziness in your home using tried-and-true warm hues, like beiges, taupes, and pinks.” Her favorite terracotta shade is Cavern Clay, which would look great both on the walls of a reading nook and on a striped throw blanket perfect for bundling up together on the sofa.
Acts of Service
It’s as easy as offering a hand in tackling a major home project. “Help your partner by building a Pinterest board around a palette of timeless neutrals that will stand the test of time, like Repose Gray,” says Wadden. We’ve also seen this particular shade in one of our favorite cookware sets—and isn’t the ultimate act of service making someone dinner? Order’s up.
See more paint-related stories: The 18 Most Popular Paint Colors of All Time Painting Your Bedroom This Color May Give You Insomnia The One Thing Most People Overlook When Picking a Paint Color