The most common question we get asked is, “What color drapery should I buy?” Well, there's one major factor that you need to take into consideration. It's the color of your walls!

Before you choose your draperies, you need to set the base for a beautiful room. That’s why we partnered with Paintzen – an amazing on-demand painting marketplace – to bring you the best painters for your home. Wall color is one of the most important factors when choosing your draperies, and you want to be sure that it’s done right.

Paintzen offers the 3,500+ shades in Benjamin Moore’s catalog, ensuring that you’ll get a great fit for your room. Hesitant to splurge on a paint contractor? They also offer a DIY Program that ships everything you need – paint, drop cloths, rollers, etc. – right to your door.

(Don't forget to read to the end! We've got an exclusive offer from Paintzen for our readers!)

So how do you choose the right drapery for your paint color?

Let's start with white walls:

The benefit of white walls is that you have the option to choose any color you’d like. For a cleaner, more understated look, go for sheers or light neutrals. For a bolder approach, try darker or brighter shades. Don’t forget to consider your home furnishings – you should pick a shade that coordinates well with your furniture. 

In the photo above from the bedroom of SFGirlByBay, you can see our Mist Gray draperies against a white wall. The color offers just a bit of contrast versus a similarly white drapery and fits well with the monochromatic color scheme.

How about some color?:

Keep in mind the undertones when choosing window treatments. If your walls are a warm color, you should pick window treatments in a similarly warm tone. Optionally, you can choose window treatments in the same color, but in a slightly different shade (a bit lighter or darker). This is especially good for smaller rooms, because the curtains act as an extension of the room, making it appear larger. White draperies also pair well – if with a pastel tone, it offers a fresh image, with a darker color, high-contrast. 

An example of this is in the photo above - Miss Mustard Seed opted for our Oyster draperies to match her baby blue walls. Isn't her home airy and refreshing?

Whereas this room, with bright red walls and white draperies, offers a different style. While the white on red is pretty drastic, this works, drawing the eye to the windows.

And neutrals?:

For a modern and clean look, pair neutral walls with similarly neutral draperies in a tone that's slightly darker or lighter. In general, because draperies are investment pieces, we suggest that you go for a shade that is more likely to withstand the test of time - so whites or grays in similar undertones as your wall color work quite well. If you choose to go with color, pick one that’s already accented in the furnishing.

Take a look at our Belgian Linen draperies in Natural in the dining room of Jennifer from Town and Country Living. The draperies have the same warm undertone as her walls, but in a slightly different hue. 

And dark colors? Blacks?

Dark walls can make a room seem smaller than it is, but if you coordinate all the colors in the room, this creates a visual cohesion that stretches the boundaries of the walls. Try choosing draperies in a similar color as your wall to mimic this effect. Otherwise, try going for a contrasting color to draw attention to your windows.

Take a look at Melaine's bedroom. She went with Optic White draperies that definitely stand out from the black walls. How eyecatching!

I want some more concrete recommendations!

We've got you covered! We took a look at a few of Paintzen’s most popular shades - here's what we think:

We love the white-on-white look, so we would definitely recommend our Belgian sheer draperies in Off-White for a sleek, clean, and modern feeling. Want more lighting coverage? Our Mist Gray fabric looks great against white walls. 

This is a beautiful light warm gray shade, which pairs well with many textiles. Pair this with our draperies in Optic White for a simple, fresh feeling, like in this dining room by @decorgold. Dark gray draperies would also look great with this, adding a bit of contrast to a mildly colored room. 

Because this is a warm beige color, we decided to pair this with our drapery in Oyster – it’s an off-white that leans warm, which complements the paint color. In this nursery designed by Finnian's Moon Interiors, the color cheers up the room nicely.

For a pale warm green, we recommend draperies in shades of white to keep the room feeling fresh. Sheer draperies, like our Belgian linen sheers in Off White, allow light to shine through while giving you privacy. For more light coverage, our Oyster drapery would pair well. 

@jquinnmiller decided to pair his green walls with our Belgian Flax Linen draperies in Mist Gray. Doesn't it look pretty great?

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Oh, how a fresh coat of paint does wonders to a room!

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