7 Paint Colors That Make Your Guest Room Feel Uninviting, Experts Say

A guest room should feel like an easy exhale—comfortable, and thoughtfully put together in a way that makes you feel at ease. Unfortunately, the wrong wall color can change the entire mood of the space. Certain hues make a room feel colder, smaller, or more tense, even if you have beautiful lighting and bedding.

So which colors should you avoid using in a guest room? Experts say some shades feel altogether unwelcoming—and while they look beautiful in theory, they won't look as elegant on all four walls.

Icy Cool Blue

Cool colors can be serene, but icy versions often have the opposite effect. "They tend to feel impersonal, almost like a hospital or an office," says Jessie Brooks, color theory expert at Davincified. "Guests may subconsciously perceive these colors as unwelcoming or emotionally distant.” 

Stark Gray or Charcoal

Gray can be timeless and versatile, but the stark, steely versions aren't ideal for a guest room. Brooks groups these cooler tones with other clinical shades, noting that they make a space feel emotionally distant. They also strip away warmth and dimension, leaving the room feeling poorly lit and underwhelming. 

Charcoal tones present a similar challenge. Dark charcoal can be striking in the right setting, but in a guest room, it often overwhelms the space. "It can feel oppressive and unwelcoming," says Betina Hernandez, co-founder of VE+GA Studio. These shades absorb natural and artificial light, making the space feel "smaller, dimmer, and less breathable," she adds.

Neon Colors

Saturated hues can be exciting in the right setting, but they rarely create the calming atmosphere you want in a guest room.

“Steer away from vibrant reds, hot pinks, electric oranges, and neon greens," says Brooks. "These are energizing to the point of being overwhelming—they can heighten alertness, and even cause mild visual fatigue.”

Neon tones, in particular, tend to bounce harsh reflections around the room and keep the eye working overtime. Even with natural light, they read as loud and restless.

Red

Red is one of the most stimulating colors you can put on a wall, which is why the brightest, boldest versions will instantly overwhelm a guest room. While they can feel rich and dramatic in dining rooms or library spaces, they're much harder to make work in a restful retreat. 

Hernandez focuses specifically on deep wine red, explaining that, while beautiful, it's “very dark and dramatic, and can make the room feel heavy.” These moody reds absorb a significant amount of light and dominate the room, leaving little space for a softer, more restorative atmosphere.

Yellow

Butter yellow may be having a moment, but in a guest room, it can feel a little dated. When you move to the sharper, more electric end of the spectrum, the effect gets even trickier: "[Acid yellow] casts a harsh reflection on skin tones, and can feel overwhelming rather than cheerful.” 

In many cases, bright yellows also feel like a kid’s room that was simply repainted for guests. To keep the space feeling calm and grown up, it’s best to leave yellow out of the palette entirely.

Muddy Earth Tones

Earthy colors can be beautiful when they're soft and well-balanced, but muddier tones quickly shift the entire feel of a guest room.

"These include certain browns, yellow-greens, and mustard-like shades, which can make a room look aged or poorly lit," says Brooks. "These tones absorb light in a way that creates heavy shadows, giving the impression that the room isn’t clean or cared for, even if it is.”

Instead of warmth, these colors create a dull, shadowy cast that can make the air feel stale, and the room appear in need of a refresh.

Ultra White

While white is often associated with cleanliness, crispy, ultra white shades can look harsh. These hues are “too harsh and bright,” notes Hernandez, and cast stark shadows.

Instead of feeling airy and open, a guest room painted ultra white can feel washed out and sterile, so the space feels more like a gallery than a comfortable bedroom. The unforgiving brightness can also emphasize imperfections.