20+ Apartment Paint Colours for a Stunning Renovation

A cheerful corner bedroom space with golden yellow, orange, and green painted overlapping rectangles on a white wall behind a modern bed and night stands. A cheerful corner bedroom space with golden yellow, orange, and green painted overlapping rectangles on a white wall behind a modern bed and night stands.

Is a full-blown apartment renovation not in the cards? Put the power of paint and colour to work for a refreshing update.

Explore a world of vibrant possibilities with our apartment painting ideas and colour schemes, designed to spark your creativity. Whether you’re living in a cozy studio rental, an expansive warehouse loft, a charming townhouse, a modern condo, or a luxurious penthouse flat, we have the perfect paint colour ideas to elevate your space.

From bold colour to striking accent walls, and even painted furniture, our suggestions will transform your home into a stylish sanctuary. Let your imagination run wild as you mix and match hues to create a space that reflects your unique personality and taste.
A cozy bedroom with deep chocolate-hued walls, a white-painted gallery wall, a bed with black and white striped bedding, pillows and red- printed blanket, and a wicker ottoman. A cozy bedroom with deep chocolate-hued walls, a white-painted gallery wall, a bed with black and white striped bedding, pillows and red- printed blanket, and a wicker ottoman.

1. Combine Warmth and Wow in the Bedroom

Small space? Go big! Dark colours are magnified in small spaces. And don’t worry: You can still evoke calming vibes by opting for an earthy dark hue in your bedroom.

In this hygge-inspired space, two dramatic accent walls in deep chocolate Wenge AF-180 are contrasted by Etiquette AF-50 on the adjacent wall. Here are more ideas for rich, warm hues on bedroom accent walls:

An airy, loft-style living room with a white and yellow accent wall with tall windows, a white ceiling with exposed pipes, and gray, yellow, and wood modern furnishings. An airy, loft-style living room with a white and yellow accent wall with tall windows, a white ceiling with exposed pipes, and gray, yellow, and wood modern furnishings.

2. Bold Apartment Paint Colours Expand Small Spaces

Bold hues have the power to add depth and dimension to a room, creating the illusion of an expanded space. Striking shades like Savannah Green 2150-30, a rich ochre shown here on the lower wall, add a burst of personality to a room. Paired with bright White Heron OC-57 on the upper wall, the living space feels visually elongated.

Complementing the colour scheme with strategic lighting and thoughtfully selected decor transforms this compact room into an inviting and airy environment that feels far from small.

Bright orange and red print bedding contrast nicely in this chocolate brown painted bedroom with white trim and an open white door, revealing an orange painted hallway wall. Bright orange and red print bedding contrast nicely in this chocolate brown painted bedroom with white trim and an open white door, revealing an orange painted hallway wall.

3. Discover Deep Chocolate Paint Colours for Apartments

Deep chocolate paint colours can create a cozy retreat that feels both luxurious and intimate. This decadent tone envelops the space, offering a sense of tranquility that’s perfect for unwinding after a long day.

From nearly black Bittersweet Chocolate 2114-10 to warm Chocolate Truffle 2096-20, walls painted in a chocolate brown hue provide a versatile backdrop that allows different textures and accent colours to take centre stage.

In the bedroom pictured here, Wenge AF-180 on the walls and crisp white Steam AF-15 on the trim and ceiling create a dynamic setting where the vibrant artwork and bedcover can shine.

A wrought-iron bedframe with soft neutral-coloured bedding pairs beautifully with a warm light clay painted wall and a rustic side table with a lamp. A wrought-iron bedframe with soft neutral-coloured bedding pairs beautifully with a warm light clay painted wall and a rustic side table with a lamp.

4. Opt for Earthy Hues for a Cozy Apartment

Painting your apartment in earthy hues can transform your living space into a warm and inviting haven. Neutral tones like lush Venetian Portico AF-185, shown here, create an aura of calm and comfort, making your home feel more connected to nature.

Explore these other earthy hues we love for small spaces that create a soothing backdrop to encourage relaxation:

A wood desk, leather butterfly chair, and stool in front of a two-tone white and teal blue painted wall with hanging plants on an upper shelf, and an adjacent white and gray two-tone wall. A wood desk, leather butterfly chair, and stool in front of a two-tone white and teal blue painted wall with hanging plants on an upper shelf, and an adjacent white and gray two-tone wall.

5. Experiment with Colour Blocking in Apartment Spaces

An apartment space hosts multiple functions. Colour blocking acts as a visual cue to differentiate parts of a room without adding room dividers or walls. It’s an easy way to compartmentalize the different needs of your space, and it opens the door for creative use of colour.

Here, the lower part of the wall in River Blue 2057-10 denotes the home office, while cool Vapour Trails 1556 transitions into the living area. Refreshing Cascade Mountains 862 on the upper wall unites the space.

A cheerful corner office space with a large orange rectangle overlapping a golden yellow rectangle painted on white walls, with an orange desk and shelves, and a light green swivel chair. A cheerful corner office space with a large orange rectangle overlapping a golden yellow rectangle painted on white walls, with an orange desk and shelves, and a light green swivel chair.

6. Create New Rooms with Vibrant Colour

The creative use of colour can transform a living area into two rooms. Here, analogous colours, Golden Gate 033 and Pan for Gold 181 are paired together to visually separate the space, creating a functional home office.

Painting the desk to match the wall not only enhances the visual appeal but also helps in efficiently utilizing every inch of available space. The result is an office nook that is both stylish and practical.

Pretty two-tone taupe and pink painted walls are the perfect backdrop for a comfy bed with soft pink bedding and pillows, and a two-toned wood dresser. Pretty two-tone taupe and pink painted walls are the perfect backdrop for a comfy bed with soft pink bedding and pillows, and a two-toned wood dresser.

7. Breathe Energy into Your Apartment

Feel inspired by the colours that fill your space. When choosing apartment paint colours, keep in mind that colour can impact how you feel. Some shades can evoke a sense of calm, while others can energize the space.

In the bedroom shown here, it’s clear that the apartment dweller was looking to create a calming space with neutral hues. Cotswold AF-150 on the upper wall and Proposal AF-260 on the lower, along with bright white Gardenia AF-10 on the ceiling, come together in peaceful tranquility.

All three colours in the space are part of the Benjamin Moore Affinity® Colour Collection, 144 curated paint colours that can be mixed and matched effortlessly.

A white painted kitchen with black countertops and an orange accent wall behind open shelving. A white painted kitchen with black countertops and an orange accent wall behind open shelving.

8. Use Bold Paint Colours for Apartment Cabinets

Give your apartment’s cabinetry the reset it deserves with a fresh coat of paint. Painting kitchen cabinets is easier than you think. Be sure to use Advance®, a paint specifically formulated for furniture and cabinetry. Advance is available in any Benjamin Moore colour and cures to a hard, high-quality finish.

If bold is your style, make a statement with one of these standout shades:

If you can’t commit to covering your cabinets in colour, consider it for an accent wall behind open shelving. Here, Orange Sky 2018-10 proudly peeks out from Vanilla Ice Cream OC-90 on the cabinets and ceiling.

A cozy, sunlit bedroom with a light blue-painted accent wall, a two-tone muted silver and white wall behind a bed, a wood slatted wall with hanging artwork and a raised wood floor. A cozy, sunlit bedroom with a light blue-painted accent wall, a two-tone muted silver and white wall behind a bed, a wood slatted wall with hanging artwork and a raised wood floor.

9. Pale Blue Paint Ideas to Consider for Apartments

Create a peaceful atmosphere by painting your apartment walls pale blue. This soft hue evokes the serenity of the sky and sea, and when used in a bedroom can promote a sense of rest and relaxation.

Here, Beach Glass 1564, a calming blue with gray undertones, graces the back wall of this loft’s sleeping area. Paired with Cascade Mountains 862 on the beam and ceiling, the result is celestial.

We think you’ll find these other pale blue shades heavenly too:

A bright city apartment living room with a turquoise-painted accent wall, white side wall and trim, two large windows, beige and brown furnishings, and a bike hanging from exposed pipes. A bright city apartment living room with a turquoise-painted accent wall, white side wall and trim, two large windows, beige and brown furnishings, and a bike hanging from exposed pipes.

10. Accent Paint Colours Can Expand Apartments

Trim, ceilings, baseboards, and other oft-overlooked details provide opportunities to heighten apartment decor. Painting basic architectural elements elevates smaller apartments. Imagine your hallway-facing bedroom door in Wood Violet 1428, Hot Lips 2077-30, or Ming Jade 2043-20. Or your floor mouldings in the same hue and sheen as the walls to create a sleek, monochromatic look. Here, window mullions painted in semi-gloss Black Satin 2131-10 frame an ever-evolving live art piece of the city beyond.

Want to pack an even larger colour punch? Any wall can be transformed into an eye-catching focal point. In this apartment, refreshing Cool Aqua 2056-40 speaks volumes.

This eclectic bathroom features a blue painted wall, a white brick wall, a white sink against a gray wall with white tile and a mirror above, and a black-and-white chevron floor. This eclectic bathroom features a blue painted wall, a white brick wall, a white sink against a gray wall with white tile and a mirror above, and a black-and-white chevron floor.

11. Banish the Boring with Colour

Painting is one of the most economical and DIY-friendly ways to customize your space. So why not transform a rental’s standard-issue white walls with a colour that really speaks to you? You can even “try on” our paint colours with the Benjamin Moore Color Portfolio® app’s photo and video visualizers.

Here, a boring bathroom was transformed with the application of three paint colours: powder blue Sapphireberry 2063-60 on the left wall, cool Trout Gray 2124-20 on the wall behind the sink, and White Opulence OC-69 on the exposed brick wall.

A yellow ochre painted kitchen wall features a minimalist wood clock over a brown countertop, with a stainless-steel oven and white drawer underneath. A yellow ochre painted kitchen wall features a minimalist wood clock over a brown countertop, with a stainless-steel oven and white drawer underneath.

12. Explore Bold Colours for Your Apartment’s Focal Point

Does your apartment boast a distinctive feature such as a fireplace, archway, column, exposed brick wall, or built-in bookcase? If so, embrace the power of colour to transform it into a captivating centrepiece.

In this apartment, subtlety was not an option when painting the wall behind the kitchen’s built-in clock. The choice of a bold, vibrant colour, like the striking Savannah Green 2150-30, turns this wall into a dramatic focal point. This vivid shade ensures it commands attention and adds a touch of personality to the space.

A loft entryway with a dark indigo blue pegboard wall holding hats, scarves, a jacket and umbrellas with a light pink front door. A loft entryway with a dark indigo blue pegboard wall holding hats, scarves, a jacket and umbrellas with a light pink front door.

13. Pepper Your Apartment with Painted Graphics

You don’t have to paint your whole apartment—or even an entire wall—to liven up your living space. Swaths of colour can easily perk up any spot.

In addition to being a spectacular stroke of colour, the radiant blue pegboard wall in Starry Night Blue 2067-20 is a functional addition to this small space. It pops against classic bright White Heron OC-57 on the walls.

Considering graphic patterns? Check these out:

A sunny small bathroom with pastel purple walls, a white sink, and a white-trimmed window with gauzy white curtains. A sunny small bathroom with pastel purple walls, a white sink, and a white-trimmed window with gauzy white curtains.

14. Add a Touch of Paradise with Tropical Paint Colours

Even if your apartment is in a landlocked locale, you can still give it a beachy, breezy vibe. If you’re not willing to commit to a whole house palette of tropical paint colours, dip your toes into the water by giving your bathroom a plucked-from-paradise feel.

Here, the walls are painted in Angel’s Wings 1423, a pale violet, making this powder room feel like a seaside resort. Looking for more blissful shades? Try these:

Bright coral pillows and a throw really pop in this serene, greige painted bedroom with an off-white quilt on the bed, an off-white upholstered bench, and natural wood floor. Bright coral pillows and a throw really pop in this serene, greige painted bedroom with an off-white quilt on the bed, an off-white upholstered bench, and natural wood floor.

15. Try These Neutral Tones for Your Apartment

Whites and off-whites, grays, taupes, and earth tones are the most popular Benjamin Moore paint colours used in home interiors, for good reason: Neutral shades make an excellent backdrop for furnishings and art, and complement a range of accent colours.

Here, Natural Cream OC-14 from our Off-White Collection and Thunder AF-685 on the trim create a neutral surrounding for the brightly coloured pillows and throw.

Ready to get started? Explore how to paint a room in seven steps if you are in a DIY mood. And knock down any trepidation by checking out these 11 painting mistakes to avoid.

A bright loft living room painted in the same white hue using different sheens with a world map over modern wall-set cabinetry, a leather butterfly chair, a wood cocktail table with black candles, and several planters. A bright loft living room painted in the same white hue using different sheens with a world map over modern wall-set cabinetry, a leather butterfly chair, a wood cocktail table with black candles, and several planters.

16. White and Off-White Apartment Paint Colours are Classic

For apartment living, white and off-white paint colours are classic choices. You can easily add dimension by choosing different paint sheens. Here, White Heron OC-57 creates an elegant, monochromatic look on the wall and ceiling. A satin sheen on the cabinets contrasts against an eggshell finish on the wall and ultra flat finish on the ceiling.

Explore our entire collection, including these tried-and-true homeowner favourites:

The corner of a sky blue-painted wood bed frame and a light turquoise bench near a white shiplap wall. The corner of a sky blue-painted wood bed frame and a light turquoise bench near a white shiplap wall.

17. Add Colour with Painted Furniture

Give old, rescued, or estate furniture new life with a fresh coat of paint. Before you paint your furniture, consider the wall colour. If you want your newly painted furniture to really pop, opt for a high-contrast or complementary colour.

Colour pairings we fancy for furniture that pop:

A sleek kitchen corner with a coral- painted wall, a white- tiled backsplash wall and floor, white upper wall and exposed pipes, and three sets of drawers: one painted white, the second black, and the third woodgrain. A sleek kitchen corner with a coral- painted wall, a white- tiled backsplash wall and floor, white upper wall and exposed pipes, and three sets of drawers: one painted white, the second black, and the third woodgrain.

18. Consider Colour Blocking in the Kitchen

Show smaller kitchens the love they deserve through colour blocking. Consider using two or more colours to create interesting combinations that highlight kitchen cabinetry, as in the kitchen shown here.

The lower left drawers are painted in crisp, clean White Heron OC-57. High contrast comes via neighbouring drawers in sultry Onyx 2133-10. With a lustrous semi-gloss finish, the impact is dramatic. The third set of drawers adds a surprising twist with beautiful natural wood grain. A sleek accent wall in Raspberry Blush 2008-30 provides a nice paradox to the tiled backsplash wall and floor.

A cheery small kitchen with lavender-gray walls, red-painted cabinet siding, white-painted lower cabinets, wooden floors and a sunny bright window above the sink. A cheery small kitchen with lavender-gray walls, red-painted cabinet siding, white-painted lower cabinets, wooden floors and a sunny bright window above the sink.

19. Light Paint Colours Open Up Apartment Kitchens

The use of light paint colours in the kitchen can dramatically enhance the space in several ways. Hues such as soft white, pale blue, or gentle gray, like Angelica AF-665 shown here, can make a kitchen feel larger and more open. With notes of lavender, this paint choice reflects the natural light to brighten the room.

Muted shades also provide a neutral backdrop that complements various accents, like an island painted in charismatic Caliente AF-290, a bold choice for this otherwise understated kitchen.

A pretty, teal-painted dining room wall with white trim, a teal macrame doorway hanging, flowered branches in a basket, modern furniture, and a hardwood floor. A pretty, teal-painted dining room wall with white trim, a teal macrame doorway hanging, flowered branches in a basket, modern furniture, and a hardwood floor.

20. Explore Soothing Greens for Your Apartment

Green paint colours are linked with nature and tranquillity. In many cultures, the bluish-green hue of jade symbolizes peace, balance, and healing. Incorporating this colour into your space can create a soothing atmosphere and calm the senses.

Jade is a great colour choice for a room where you want to promote relaxation, like a bedroom or living room. When used in a dining space, like Azure Water 677 pictured here, it encourages guests to sit and stay awhile.

Other jade shades to try:

Frequently Asked Questions


Q. What colour paint is used in most apartments?

A. White and off-white paint colours, grays, greiges, taupes, and earth tones make an excellent backdrop for furnishings and complement a range of accent colours. Benjamin Moore has 3,500+ paint colour options that will help you create a space that fits your personal style. Once you’ve found a colour you love, we encourage you to try it on via our paint sampling options to ensure beautiful results.



Q. What is the best colour to paint a small apartment?

A. Dynamic and bold colours add architectural interest to modestly sized spaces. Consider vivid, rich colours, which can complement artificial lighting sources to make a powerful style statement in a small space. Dark hallway? Light apartment paint colour selections can open up the space and make it feel a bit more airy. Consider using a creamy off-white hue from our Off-White Collection.



Q. Which paint is good for apartments?

A. For maximum durability and washability, look no further than Regal® Select Interior paint for your apartment. It’s the paint that has been trusted for generations. Alternatively, you can’t go wrong with Ben® Interior paint. Novice painters will appreciate that it’s easy to apply, easy to touch up, and easy to maintain.



Q. What is the most common paint colour palette for apartments?

A. If you live in a small rental apartment with several smaller rooms, we love our maximalist paint colour palette to bring diminutive rooms to life. On the other hand, apartment dwellers eager to make their small spaces look bigger often opt for pale and pastel paint colours. Paint colour is personal. There is no one-size-fits-all colour palette for apartments—or any dwelling for that matter!



A selection of Benjamin Moore paint colour samples.

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