The Best Colors To Paint Your Closet, According To Our Expert Painter

Closets are crucial for helping you store your clothes, footwear, and accessories, so you shouldn't overlook these helpful parts of your home. Regardless of your type of closet, you should put as much effort into maintaining and cleaning it as you would any other aspect of your house. If you notice that the wall paint is wearing off, there is peeling, you find any other issues, or if you just don't like your current closet's paint color, it may be time for a fresh paint job.

You should always put significant thought into which new color you plan to paint your closet. If you can't decide on a hue and want or need advice, Andre Kazimierski, CEO, Improovy Painters Chicago, spoke exclusively to House Digest and offered his expert opinion. Believe it or not, Kazimierski advises against anything bold for painting your closet, suggesting that you keep that area of your home more sleek and subtle.

Pay close attention to the rest of the room's colors when determining the hue for the outside of your closet. "I recommend painting your closet exterior to match the rest of your room because this is the most cohesive design choice," Andre Kazimierski told us in the exclusive interview. "Closets aren't typically a focal point in a room, so painting them a different color will draw unnecessary attention to them." Therefore, you should not use your closet as an excuse to attempt to create the perfect accent wall, as doing so will likely appear more awkward and forced than chic and attractive.

Since you should avoid anything with too much contrast when painting your closet's exterior, remember to stay close to the room's wall color — or even just use that same hue. For instance, if the room's walls are tan, paint the outside of the closet tan to match. White is also a good choice to accompany light, neutral wall colors. Or, if the walls are a brighter hue like purple, you may want to stay on theme with a soft lavender or lilac look. 

It's even more crucial to keep the paint light and neutral inside the closet, as an overly intense color can clash with your clothes' hues and patterns, potentially making dark pieces look lighter and bright, colorful garments appear to have different tints due to the contrast. "As for the interior, I suggest pure white or a light neutral such as beige or light gray. These colors provide a bright backdrop that reflects light, making it easier to see the contents of your closet clearly," Andre Kazimierski noted in the exclusive with House Digest. "If you are thinking of repainting your closet, avoid bold or overly dark colors, which can make the space feel smaller and dimmer. Bold colors can also clash with the colors of the clothing in your closet, making outfit selection more challenging." 

Thus, remind yourself that lighter is always better for closet interior paint options, and neutrals are better than bold colors. In addition to traditional white, beige, and light gray, some other practical and appealing choices can include ivory, soft tan, and cream. If you want to follow Kazimierski's advice, some colors you should never use for the inside of the closet are black, red, blue, and green, as these hues will appear super bright or dark, which may overwhelm you when looking in your closet. Save those louder hues for other aspects of your home, and keep the closet classy and understated.