Interior Design

Revealed: the paint color palette designed to add up to $5,000 to the value of your home

Careful consideration of the color of your bathroom, bedroom and kitchen might add more value to your property than you'd expect

hall painted in Behr mushroom
(Image credit: Behr)

A can of paint is the ultimate tool for giving any room a new lease of life. A fresh lick of paint is truly transformative, and it could even add value to your home – if you select the right tones. 

Striking paint ideas for every room make all the difference, and Behr Paint Company has curated a new collection of paints designed to increase the value of your property. Behr drew upon recent research by Zillow, which surveyed almost 1,300 prospective buyers in the US.

According to the study, some paint colors – when used in the right rooms – could increase how much a buyer is willing to offer on a home by up to $5,000. This figure is based on a typical US home value of $290,000. 

1. Light sea shades for the bathroom

bathroom painted in Behr pale blue with large tub

(Image credit: Behr)

If you're looking for value-adding bathroom paint ideas, light blues, like Ethereal Mood MQ3-52 could generate an increase of nearly $5,000. A calming pale blue is a perennially popular choice for the room where we wash off the day due to its associations with the natural world. 

Nods to biophilic design, from naturally-occurring colors like pale blues, greens and browns, to wave-patterned prints will make a bathroom feel more appealing to buyers.

2. Moody tones for the bedroom

desk area with monchrome rug and navy Behr walls

(Image credit: Behr)

Dark bedrooms are hugely popular. Moody blues, such as Sojourn Blue M500-5 could generate an increase of nearly $1,500. Darker tones make perfect sense for a stylish, relaxing and cocooning sleep space, enveloping us like a duvet. The bedroom is a space where bold tones come into their own, as a feeling of light and space isn't such a priority.

3. White for the kitchen

pale kitchen painted by Behr

(Image credit: Behr)

In the kitchen, it's a whole other story. If you want to increase the value of your home, it's all about white kitchen ideas

White kitchens are a true crowd pleaser - while you might prefer a darker hue, you can appeal to the masses with a crisp white scheme. A paint color like Behr's Polar Bear 75 could generate an increase of almost $600.

The Behr palette includes a range of sophisticated colors from neutral mushroom and dove tones to dark navy.

When looking for ways to add value to your home, a loft conversion is often one of the first things that come to mind. Creating more bedrooms in this way, or working on the kerb appeal with some landscaping in the front yard, are tried-and-true options. 

But we can't think of a more cost-effective option of adding dollars to your sale price than a few coats of paint.

Millie Hurst
Section Editor

Millie Hurst is Section Editor at Homes & Gardens, overseeing the Solved section, which provides readers with practical advice for their homes. She has been in the world of digital journalism for six years, having previously worked as Senior SEO Editor at News UK both in London and New York. She joined the Future team two years ago, working across a range of homes brands. Millie formerly worked as Senior Content Editor at Ideal Home, taking care of evergreen articles that help and inspire people to make the most of their homes and outdoor spaces. Millie has a degree in French and Italian and lives in North London.