A Holiday Paint Gift Guide For Every Personality On Your List
Photo by Brett Sayles
Because sometimes the perfect present is a gallon of paint that explains everything.
Holiday shopping season always brings the same challenge: figuring out what to give the people in your life who either have everything, want nothing, or are simply impossible to buy for. So this year, instead of the usual gift cards, novelty mugs, or scented candles that smell like “Alpine Moonrise,” we’re offering something far more insightful.
What if the perfect gift wasn’t a thing at all, but a color?
Paint, after all, is personality. It’s taste, temperament, and emotional weather patterns in a can. Whether you actually wrap up a gallon or just send this as the world’s most affectionate roast, here is your definitive holiday paint color gift guide, pairing the people you love with the hues that match them best. Featuring Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball, naturally.
Weird Uncle Ted, Who Visits From Seattle and Hasn’t Changed Since the 1970s
Every family has one. He brings stories about mountaintop drum circles, wild mushroom foraging, and the time he almost joined a commune “but didn’t vibe with the elders.” Green Smoke is his color. Deep, earthy, atmospheric, and slightly mysterious, it’s the shade of someone who still burns incense, owns a well-loved flannel, and calls rain “Pacific Northwest sunshine.” It’s the perfect West Coast nostalgia tone to match the uncle who arrives with handmade gifts and leaves with half your leftover pie.
The Sister Who Calls Herself a Minimalist but Owns an Unreasonable Number of Throw Blankets
You’ve seen her home. It looks like a Scandinavian Airbnb curated by a person who keeps a spreadsheet of her houseplants. She insists she’s a minimalist, even though there are eight layers of soft textiles on every surface. Simply White is her spirit shade. Clean, bright, uncomplicated, and versatile enough to work with her ever-rotating collection of beige accents. It’s the color that says: I am serene. I am intentional. I have a drawer dedicated to taper candles.
The Cousin Who Just Started Therapy and Is Now Fully Committed to Her “Soft Era”
Pink Ground is gentle without being precious, grounded without being dull, and soft without dissolving into sweetness. It is, in other words, the exact energy of someone who discovered boundaries in May and hasn’t stopped talking about them since. Pair this shade with journaling sessions, herbal tea, and a growing collection of self-help books, and you have a holiday gift that supports her journey in every sense.
The Father-in-Law Who Has Opinions About Everything (Especially Your House)
Benjamin Moore – Kendall Charcoal
He’s a man of conviction. You know this because he shares his opinions whether or not you asked for them. Kendall Charcoal is bold, confident, timeless, and unmistakably sure of itself. It’s the color equivalent of someone who walks into your home, glances around, and says, “Hmm. Interesting choice.” Give him something equally strong in return.
The Mother Who Decorates for Christmas on November First
Some people ease into the season. She does not. She begins with garland, raises the stakes with ribbons, and ends with a full cinematic display before the Thanksgiving turkey has even thawed. Rectory Red is saturated, committed, delightfully festive, and takes itself just seriously enough. A perfect match for the matriarch who believes holidays should arrive in full force and with proper lighting.
The Brother Who Moved to Brooklyn and Now Describes His Job as “Something in New Media”
Black Beauty is moody, refined, stylish, and slightly mysterious, which is also how he describes his career whenever anyone asks follow-up questions. This is the shade for someone who wears black turtlenecks, collects artisanal coffee gear, and pretends he doesn’t enjoy coming home for the holidays as much as he actually does.
The Aunt Who Drinks Herbal Tea and Has Seven Unfinished Novels in a Drawer
Dreamy, gentle, literary. Light Blue is quiet but expressive, the color of someone who writes in longhand, cherishes old linens, and has thoughts about Victorian architecture. It’s soft enough to encourage creativity but clear enough to keep her from drifting entirely into another century.
The Friend Who Just Bought Their First Home and Is Suddenly Obsessed With Moldings
Benjamin Moore – Revere Pewter
There is a moment in every new homeowner’s life when they discover the beauty of trim profiles, the existential weight of paint sheens, and the thrill of a well-cut caulk line. Revere Pewter is the classic “welcome to homeownership” color. Warm, grounded, flexible, and immediately reassuring, it’s the shade that says: it’s all going to be fine, even when the backsplash quote comes in higher than expected.
The Friend Who Hosts a Holiday Party and Always Has a Signature Cocktail
Farrow & Ball – Preference Red
Preference Red is bold, charismatic, a touch theatrical, and excellent in low light. It pairs beautifully with winter drinks, candlelit dinners, and a personality that fills the room. If there were a paint color that could deliver a monologue, this would be it.
The Grandmother Who Remembers Every Shade of Blue Ever Created
Benjamin Moore – Van Deusen Blue
Every family has a historian of color, and it’s usually a grandmother who has spent decades perfecting her taste. Van Deusen Blue is classic, deep, and dignified. It’s the color of collected wisdom, pristine table linens, and stories that begin with “Back in my day…”
The Partner Who Claims They Don’t Care About Paint Colors But Rejects Every Sample You Show Them
A diplomatic hue for diplomatic negotiations. Mizzle is soft, neutral, calming, and beautifully noncommittal. It looks good everywhere, offends no one, and has just enough personality to prevent arguments. A true relationship-saver.
The Only Gift Guide That Might Actually Improve Your House
Whether you treat this as a playful holiday roast or genuinely wrap a gallon of paint and place it under the tree, matching color to personality might be the most unexpectedly perfect idea of the season. Because everyone has a color: something that reflects who they are, how they live, and what makes their space feel like home.
And if this inspires you to give your own home a gift this year, we’re here.
Winter is an ideal time for interior painting across Fairfield County. From living rooms and bedrooms to trim, entryways, and mantels, a seasonal refresh brings calm, clarity, and warmth into the spaces you gather.
For consultations or winter interior projects, call 475-252-9500 or online.