Switched to desert-toned paint after 6 years of fighting dust

For the longest time I kept painting my interior walls white like every other desert house I saw. Finally realized after repainting my living room near Tucson for the third time that the dust just shows up worse on light colors. My neighbor Patty used a warm terracotta from Sherwin-Williams and her place looks clean for weeks while mine looked dirty after two days. Has anyone else gotten better results going darker with their wall colors out here?

3 comments

3 Comments

zara_sanchez12d ago

My neighbor Patty used a warm terracotta from Sherwin-Williams and her place looks clean for weeks while mine looked dirty after two days. She told me she went with a matte finish too, which really helps hide any dust that does settle. I decided to try a similar approach and went with a muted clay color for my hallway, and I've noticed I only have to wipe down the walls once a month instead of every week. The darker tones definitely blend the dust in way better than anything light ever could.

kellygrant12d ago

I totally get what you mean about the dark tones hiding dust. I actually repainted my living room a similar muted clay color, and it's wild how much less noticeable the dust is now. My friend gave me the tip to go with a matte finish like Patty did, and it really does make a difference (especially since I have two shedding dogs). I used to wipe down my walls every week with a light color, but now I can go a month or two without even thinking about it. The warmer tones also make the room feel cozier, which is a bonus I didn't expect.

miasanchez12d ago

Honestly I was skeptical when my sister first told me about this. I've been painting houses for years and always figured lighter colors were the way to go for that clean look. But last fall I finally tried a muted clay in my own place and yeah, I was wrong. I've got a shedding cat and two kids who treat the walls like napkins and I swear I only notice dust like every two months now. The matte finish really does the heavy lifting too, it just blends everything in so nothing catches the light. I don't see myself going back to white or beige anytime soon.