Its a riskier move that not all homeowners feel prepared to make, even with the right guidance.

For those folks, choosing a neutral hue may feel like a safer bet or a better long-term investment.

But even selecting the best neutral for your space can be paralyzing.

Taylor Johnson Interiors in Greenville, South Carolina designed living room with the walls painted Benjamin Moore Wales Gray (1585)

Pictured: Benjamin Moore Wales Gray (1585).Credit:Amanda Anderson Photography

Here, four Southern designers share their go-to neutral paint colors that aren’t white.

Theyre not too over-the-top and yet play effortlessly with bolder hues in any color family.

The Expert: Mary Lauren McBride

Birmingham, Alabama

Maggie Dillon Interiors in Raleigh, North Carolina designed room with a dog sitting in a window seat and the walls painted Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster (No. 231)

Pictured: Farrow & Ball Setting Plaster (No. 231).Credit:Anna Routh Barzin