The full shade list
The table below is the card as printed — shade, undertone, the room it suits, the sheen, the number of coats over putty and why it works in this light.
| Shade | Undertone | Best room | Sheen | Coats over putty | Why it works here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chalk white | Neutral | Ceilings everywhere | Matt | 2 | Reads clean without going blue under LED |
| Warm white | Yellow | Living, bedrooms | Matt | 2 | The safest whole-flat white in Indian light |
| Bone | Pink-grey | Living | Matt | 2 | Softer than white; hides wall undulation |
| Oyster | Grey | Passage | Satin | 2 | Washable where hands touch the wall |
| Sand | Yellow-grey | Bedrooms | Matt | 2 | Warm without turning peach at sunset |
| Mushroom | Brown-grey | Study | Matt | 2 | The most forgiving mid-tone for a small room |
| Clay | Red-brown | Dining accent | Matt | 3 | Needs three coats; two look patchy |
| Terracotta | Orange | One accent wall | Matt | 3 | Strong; pair with warm wood, never with grey |
| Olive | Green-yellow | Study, library | Matt | 3 | Reads as neutral in daylight, as green at night |
| Sage | Green-grey | Bedroom | Matt | 2 | The green that does not date |
| Deep forest | Green-blue | Accent, bar | Satin | 3 | Needs a light ceiling or the room closes in |
| Teal | Blue-green | Feature wall | Satin | 3 | Works with brass; fights with chrome |
| Powder blue | Blue | Kids room | Matt | 2 | Stays soft; darker blues go cold in north light |
| Denim | Blue-grey | Study | Matt | 3 | Reads sophisticated under 3000K |
| Navy | Blue | Accent, wardrobes | Satin | 3 | Almost black at night; light it deliberately |
| Charcoal | Neutral dark | TV wall | Matt | 3 | Makes a screen disappear into the wall |
| Graphite | Cool dark | Ceiling feature | Matt | 3 | Only in a room over 10 ft wide |
| Blush | Pink | Bedroom | Matt | 2 | Goes orange under warm LED; test at night |
| Mustard | Yellow | Small accent | Matt | 3 | One wall or less; it fatigues quickly |
| Ivory cream | Yellow | Pooja, foyer | Satin | 2 | Traditional and easy to touch up |
| Lime wash effect | Variable | Feature wall | Textured | 2 + base | Movement in the finish hides plaster defects |
| Metallic champagne | Gold | Niche backs | Metallic | 2 + base | Use inside a niche, not on an open wall |
| Anti-fungal white | Neutral | Bathrooms, utility | Satin | 2 | Mumbai bathrooms need it; ordinary emulsion blooms |
| Exterior-grade off-white | Yellow | Balcony, chhajja | Satin | 2 | Survives monsoon; interior paint does not |
How to use the shade card
- Identify the undertone before the colour. Two greys with different undertones in the same flat will look like a mistake, and nobody will be able to say why.
- Test on the actual wall, not on a card held against it. A card reflects light from the room; a painted patch reflects light from itself, which is what you will live with.
- Look at it after dark. Blush goes orange under warm LED and navy goes almost black. Both are fine if you intended them; neither is fine as a surprise.
- Budget three coats for the strong shades. The table marks them. A contractor quoting two coats on clay or terracotta is quoting a patchy wall.
Three mistakes this prevents
- Interior emulsion on a balcony. It does not survive a Mumbai monsoon and the chalking starts by September.
- A dark ceiling in a narrow room. Graphite overhead works above 10 ft of width and closes in anything narrower.
- Choosing white without an undertone in mind. A cool white in a north-facing Mumbai flat reads grey and slightly institutional all day.
Download the shade cards (PDF) →
Work out volumes with the paint quantity calculator and read how to choose paint colours.
Frequently asked questions
How many coats of paint do I need?+
Two over a properly puttied and primed wall for most shades, three for strong or saturated colours — clay, terracotta, olive, teal, navy, charcoal and mustard are all marked as three in the table. The third coat is what gives an even depth rather than a mottled one.
Matt or satin?+
Matt on living and bedroom walls because it hides plaster undulation and reads softer. Satin in passages, kids’ rooms, kitchens and bathrooms because it can be wiped. Gloss on walls has effectively disappeared from Indian interiors and is not missed.
How much paint will my flat need?+
Around 110 to 130 sq ft per litre per coat on a puttied surface. A 2BHK of 650 sq ft carpet has roughly 2,200 to 2,600 sq ft of wall and ceiling, so budget 40 to 50 litres for two coats, plus primer and putty as separate materials.
Do I need anti-fungal paint?+
In Mumbai bathrooms, utility areas and on any wall with a north or external exposure, yes. Ordinary emulsion blooms in those locations within two monsoons. It is a small premium and it is the difference between repainting every year and repainting every five.
Can I paint over an old painted wall?+
Only if the old surface is sound. Chalking, flaking or a wall with a damp history needs scraping back, treating and re-puttying first. Painting over a compromised surface transfers the problem to the new coat, usually within a few months and always visibly.