Airy, Vibrant Light Teals - The New Neutral Paint Color
Tired of the same old neutral beige and gray paint colors? Looking to refresh your space with a soothing yet lively ambiance? Then it's time to consider embracing the elegance of light teal paint shades for your home's walls and trim. Keep reading to discover why vibrant light teals are quickly becoming popular replacements for mundane neutrals.
With their calming aqua-green hues, these tranquil shades offer laidback style and subtle punch - injecting rooms with airiness and vibrancy simultaneously. Light teals provide a gentle escape from harsh whites, allowing homeowners to surround themselves in chill refinement. Decorators love recommending the rejuvenating colors too, citing their versatility for modern schemes. Here's why you should hop on board the soothing light teal trend.
What Are Light Teal Paint Colors
First, let's examine what light teal paint entails exactly. As the name suggests, these are lighter, more faded versions of the classic medium teal color known for its cool green-blue fusion. While the regular teal shade is brighter and deeper, light teal offers a softer, more subtle take - hints of vibrancy in a primarily ethereal palette.
Most light teal paint options have a grayish tint or airy quality that sets them apart from their bolder counterpart. You may see them labeled as newsprint teals, stonewashed teals, weathered teals or softened teals. Brands like Behr, Sherwin Williams and Benjamin Moore offer numerous stylish options under the banner of lighter teal shades. Their hazy greenish-blue essence feels almost neutral yet still retaining some gentle punch.
Why Choose Light Teal Paint
So why would you choose muted light teals over deeper jewel-toned ones for home spaces? As mentioned, the former give off more easygoing energy - able to fill rooms with just the right balance of tranquility and gentle vibrancy. Think of light teals as the lighter counterpart to navy blue...one supplies laidback sophistication while the other dramatic boldness.
Decorators love light teal colors because they provide that pleasant pop of color without risk of overpowering a space. While bright emerald or sapphire accents can sometimes overwhelm, softened teals mix seamlessly into schemes - elevating rooms with their chill character. That versatility also makes them easier to incorporate within various color combinations.
In addition, the rejuvenating teal family feels naturally at home in certain areas that benefit from soothing ambiance. Mainly, experts recommend using airy light teal paints for bedrooms, bathrooms and home offices. The colors promote relaxation in bedrooms, refreshment in bathrooms and productivity in offices - all while supplying gentle vibrancy.
Light Teal Paint Color Palettes
Now that the calming allure of light teals is clear, let's explore some popular shades and palettes. Brands like Clark + Kensington, Behr and Valspar offer an array of stylish options under airy aqua-green hues. Some best selling lighter teal paint colors include:
- Behr Spa Blue - misty gray-green
- Benjamin Moore Sleepy Blue - faint green pastel blue
- Sherwin Williams Tradewind - soft gray-green blue
- Valspar Seaglass - desaturated bluish-green with gray undertone
- Clark + Kensington Cove Blue - light airy teal with hints of green and blue
These muted shades retain enough color to avoid feeling dull but still remain far more faded than classic rich teals. Their misty, weathered essence supplies laidback sophistication.
Decorating with Soothing Light Teals
When decorating with light teal wall paint, it's important to consider complementary colors that enhance their chill essence. As the shades themselves hover between feeling neutral and colorful, you have options for accent pairings.
For light teals, decorators often recommend adding creams, whites and lighter tans to highlight the paint's airy quality with bright neutral contrast. Pairing with darker neutrals like gray-blues can also produce smart, stylish results. For some punch, vibrant secondary colors like ruby red, emerald green or even metallics like champagne gold and platinum silver pop beautifully against the soothing teal backdrop.
Painting Different Rooms Light Teal
Another benefit of light teal paint colors? Their varied ability to promote desired ambiance in separate home spaces like bedrooms, bathrooms and offices...
Bedrooms
There's a reason why leading paint brand Benjamin Moore named a popular light teal hue "Sleepy Blue." The muted aqua essence has an innately relaxing effect - ideal for wind down and rest. Made up of cool undertones, the faint colors evoke evenings by the bay, supplying bedrooms with a gentle yet whimsical personality.
Painting bedroom walls light teal can promote relaxation and sleep by creating the ultimate comforting environment. The soft seascape inspiration produces an intimate, peaceful and worry-free atmosphere conductive for restoring mind and body after long days. Specific light teal paint color recommendations for restful bedrooms include:
- Benjamin Moore Sleepy Blue
- Behr Beach House
- Sherwin Williams Raindrop
- Valspar Seaglass
Bathrooms
For bathrooms, the cool calming essence of light teals evokes spa-style pampering. As routines involve renewal and unwinding, the rejuvenating colors perfectly match needed ambiance. Painting bathroom walls light teal can make the space feel like a relaxing retreat - just what you want from the unwinding room.
The lighter muted teals also pair elegantly with white subway tiles, marble veining and chrome/nickel hardware for that refreshing hotel bathroom vibe. Top light teal paint color ideas to make your bathroom feel wholly tranquil include:
- Clark + Kensington Cove Blue
- Valspar Seaglass
- Behr Rainwashed
- Benjamin Moore Hinting Blue
Home Offices
For home offices and other productivity spaces, the gentle vibrancy of light teals does wonders by enhancing concentration without allowing sleepiness or boredom to creep in. The cool tones feel orderly and put-together but the soothing colors prevent austerity and dullness.
Painting office walls light teal can boost focus for studying, emailing, research and any other tasks needing clear heads. The laidback colors supply just enough edge to prevent procrastination. Some top light teal paint shades for home office spaces include:
- Behr Spellbound
- Sherwin Williams Tradewind
- Benjamin Moore Whispering Surf
- Valspar Lakeshore Fog
Achieving the Perfect Light Teal Look
While light teal paint delivers elegantly soothing atmosphere, achieving ideal results depends on proper application. Make sure to start walls with thorough prep - cleaning surfaces, patching imperfections, sanding glossy areas and applying necessary primer.
Primer helps the teal paint adhere evenly to surfaces for truer color representation. Often gray shades work best for bringing out light teal's vibrancy. Use high quality mini rollers and angled brushes to meticulously applytwo finish coats, allowing proper drying between each.
If desired, use painter's tape to section off trim and create perfectly crisp edges. For maximum cohesion, the trim itself can also be painted light teal or a complementary neutral. Follow manufacturer recommendations for top results.
Maintaining Light Teal Walls
One benefit of lighter aqua shades? They resist visible stains and scuffs better than deeper colors, remaining fresher for longer. Still, it's essential to care for teal painted walls properly through gentle cleaning practices.
Over time, marks may emerge on light teal paint requiring attention. Use soft microfiber cloths to spot treat walls, rubbing delicate areas with mild soap and water. Avoid abrasive cleaners or scrubs that could strip the soothing finish.
Depending on traffic and light levels, you may need to repaint light teal walls every 5-7 years as colors fade slightly. When sheen appears dull or flaws appear, apply new coats accordingly following original methods.
Creative Uses of Soothing Light Teals
Looking to experiment with light teals beyond standard walls? The elegant colors also shine through creative specialty applications adding pops of chill vibrancy throughout homes. Beyond painting entire rooms light teal, consider adding the colors via:
- Accent walls or two-tone designs with deeper teals
- Stair riser stripes
- Door and cabinet fronts
- Custom furniture pieces like desks, hutches and storage
Light teal furnishings, pillows, rugs and accessories further let you embrace the colors within schemes. And don't be afraid to incorporate metallics like brass, gold and rose gold to elevate that glamour factor against your new favorite sophisticated hue.
If you're looking to embrace color within your home while retaining easygoing refinement, make airy light teals your next go-to paint choice. The muted shades retain all the soothing properties of blue-green teal while feeling brighter and more neutral.
Allow the fashionable hues to wash rooms in breezy tranquility intermixed with gentle vibrancy. Then coordinate creams, deeper blues, greens and metallics to develop a completely captivating environment channeling both relaxation and style. So why settle for boring beige when light teals supply vastly more intrigue and polish?