11+ Paint Color Schemes that Pair Best with Salmon

Salmon pink is a hue of pinkish-orange that is named after the color of the fish, salmon. It is neither bright nor subtle and instead sits somewhere in the middle.

As a color that is made from both orange and pink, the main colors that contrast salmon are blue and green. This is due to the fact that green is the opposite of pink on the color wheel, and the opposite of orange on the color wheel is blue.

Using contrasting shades will help you bring out the best in each hue and promise a nice balance between the two of them.

In this article, I have touched on the colors that look best with salmon. We also determined different ways for you to incorporate the color into your space without it looking too overwhelming.

Colors that Go with Salmon

1- Aqua

Aqua is a shade of bluish-green that sits more closely to blue than it does green.

Salmon and aqua are good for modern coastal color schemes when paired with soft off-white or pure white. Choosing casual textiles like cotton and linen will promote that relaxed feeling.

A contemporary coastal home would do well to have white sofas, aqua-painted walls, and salmon curtains and cushions.

You can draw out the coastal vibe with themed decors like salmon-colored dishes with seashells or a white and aqua striped rug.

Since salmon and aqua are both quite vivid, they are best when used with another, more neutral color to break them up a bit and balance them out.

This will also ensure the room doesn’t look too overwhelming. Choose either pale gray or white for this effect. You could also choose a soft beige.

2- Black

Salmon works well with neutral hues, including black. If you aren’t sure what colors to go with, black is always a safe bet.

The color combination in this set affords opportunities such as black stair carpets, salmon walls upstairs, and beige walls downstairs.

Black should be used for decorative items like rugs, stair rails, sofa legs, and other such accessories so as not to overwhelm the space.

3- Deep Blue

The complementary color of salmon, deep blue, adds a luxurious touch to a salmon room. It’s also an excellent way to provide a lot of contrast in a room.

Unlike turquoise, deep blue doesn’t give off a bold look. It can feel challenging to work with if you have a smaller room, but if you have a larger one, it looks lovely.

4- Eggplant

Eggplant is just a dark shade of purple that looks good against salmon since salmon is brighter. Even with its bold color, it offers a solid feminine look.

You can use eggplant as the primary color in a room to give it a moody, atmospheric vibe or add highlights of salmon to make a room feel lighter.

An eggplant sofa or rug will provide a bolder statement in the room.

5- Emerald Green

This trendy color is usually paired with dusty pink or mustard yellow.

If you want something less obvious but still beautiful to pair with emerald green, salmon is an unrivaled choice. It is a solid contrasting color to emerald green, and it gives it a quirkier feeling for this reason when compared to subtler colors.

You can use the vibrant contrast between emerald green and salmon to create an accent area. Or you can use the combination in a bohemian style or bring out more contrast.

It works best in fabrics like velvet and suede, so you should be using the salmon in similarly luxurious textures to keep the texture streamlined.

A salmon accent chair would make a striking and bold addition to a room with emerald green walls and may work well in a color scheme with other little decor items.

This includes a handful of salmon faux flowers in a vase or salmon candles.

6- Khaki Green

Khaki green is a grayish-green hue with yellow undertones that is similar to olive green yet just a bit darker.

This offers a muted contrast to the pink tones of salmon and creates a top-notch color combination for achieving a Scandinavian feel.

Take advantage of white and khaki green to generate a subdued-looking base, and then add salmon accents to bring some color and personality to the space.

If the salmon is too feminine, the khaki green will balance that energy out with its dusty look.

Khaki green can also be used in a salmon room to give off a more exotic vibe. For instance, salmon wallpaper with a leaf print in khaki green surrounded by khaki green curtains would give off a contemporary tropical look.

7- Light Turquoise

Pastel salmon was almost always used with light turquoise in the 1980s.

The combo has an oceanic feel that was popular at the time with its retro-modern tropical vibe, and that is something that is back in style today.

The contrast gives a nice balance between the two colors and gives an edgy personality to a room without it being too overwhelming.

Turquoise and salmon also tend to look grand when aiming for a Southwestern look.

8- Mauve

Mauve and salmon palettes create a soothing combination, especially if you opt for pastel salmon.

Look for floral fabrics that bring together both of these colors and pair them with a white or cream background. These can be used in a country cottage-style home or with traditional antique decor.

Little dashes of lemon yellow would also add a summery freshness to these two shades.

9- Navy Blue

This shade of blue is a good choice of color when looking for something to pair with salmon, thanks to the contrast it offers. The darkness of the shade will also mute the salmon a bit to create a more subtle-looking setting.

When emphasizing luxurious textiles, you can add copper or gold to create a more glamorous look.

Bringing navy blue to life with salmon-colored accents can give a space a breathtaking contrast.

Give the walls a sleek yet soft eggshell finish, and choose modern-style furniture like a velvet chaise in salmon pink complete with gold legs. This will make the most out of all of the above colors.

This pair of colors also works remarkably well with white and gray marble, such as Carrara marble, so you can incorporate them to add sophisticated yet playful decor to a kitchen or bathroom.

Paint the bathroom walls salmon and add navy blue accents like a navy vanity unit or a collection of towels.

Consider a pale gray hue in the kitchen with navy cabinets, a marble backsplash or countertop, and hints of salmon on other accessories to pull the look together.

10- Sage Green

This pale grayish-green hue is subtle, but it still brings with it a lively feel, thanks to its similarities to mint green.

The color is so versatile that you can easily create a less formal and playful look in a child’s bedroom using salmon and sage green. Not just for walls, this serene shade will also look great on your bedding and window treatments.

Sage green can make things more open and airy in a small room. Pair it with other light colors like white or cream for a soft and calming look, or use it as an accent color to add a pop of brightness to a space.

11- Teal

Teal is a vibrant hue that creates an equally as vibrant contrast with salmon, thanks to its heavily saturated, bright hue.

It combines green and blue, which is the perfect contrast against salmon’s orange and pink as they are opposites from each other on the color wheel.

This color scheme is a good choice in a modern loft apartment, bedroom, or living room and can be used in styles like art decor or art gallery-inspired spaces.

12- White

White is a neutral hue that looks excellent with just about any color.

Adding salmon pink to a white background offers a modern tropical look that is classy, feminine, and smart.

It’s ideal for those who want salmon furnishings to have a bolder look and is a perfect choice if you like to work with strong colors to create a nice balance in a room.

Why is Salmon So Exciting – Meaning and Symbolism?

The color salmon has a wide range of meanings and associations.

On the one hand, it is often seen as a symbol of hope, health, and happiness. On the other hand, it can also be seen as a sign of warning or danger.

In general, salmon is seen as a cheerful color. It is associated with the spring and summer months when nature is fully bloomed. Salmon is also often seen as a color of good luck and fortune.

This is likely because salmon is the base color of pink. Pink is often seen as a symbol of hope and happiness. Greens and blue greens are full complements to salmon, bringing out its orange tones.

It is a versatile color that can be used in various ways. In the world of fashion, for example, salmon is a popular color for men and women.

For home decor and furnishings, salmon is a popular color choice for many homeowners, painters, and DIYers. When pairing colors, it is essential to remember each color’s meaning.

For example, blue-green is often seen as a calming and serene color. However, when paired with salmon, it can represent danger or caution.

If you are wondering what the difference between coral and salmon is – I would say coral is more pinky orange while salmon is more dusty, gray-pink. The coral is also generally a much lighter shade of salmon color.

Tips for Decorating Walls and Furniture with Salmon Color

Salmon is a distinctive color used to make a bold statement when you paint the walls with it.

You are free to paint a whole room in this color and then take advantage of other shades of furniture in an effort to tone it down. You can also use contrasting colors to make it stand out.

That said, if a room featuring salmon walls is too much, you can instead have an accent wall in salmon and make the remaining walls white or cream.

A fun hobby for many, upcycling furniture can enhance the look of your home without paying a high cost for it.

In order to add a unique touch to your spaces, you can repurpose and upcycle furniture by painting it salmon pink.

To make your dining room quirkier, you could paint old dining chairs salmon but keep the table in its natural wood hue to balance it out.

You could also paint the table a contrasting hue to add a playful look. Most kinds of furniture can be updated using furniture paint.

This includes shelving units, coffee tables, chairs, nightstands, bed frames, dressers, and stools.

Furniture that is painted a salmon color can offer a room a striking, bold look that is otherwise neutral and drab.

It can also spruce up any room that is predominantly navy blue; this will make the room seem a little more open and alive.

Give a Little Boost to Your Room Décor with Wallpaper and Accessories

Take advantage of wallpaper to create an accent wall with salmon colors.

Choose a predominantly salmon-colored wallpaper to create this effect on a larger scale.

Using wallpaper with a floral print works well with salmon hues; the same can be said for geometric patterns.

You can use various pieces of wallpaper remnants to create something of a mural on the wall or frame square sections of wallpaper to create some quirky pieces of wall decor.

If you aren’t sure that having a lot of pink salmon in a room is something you’d be comfortable with, you can always rely on accessories to take care of the salmon for you.

Use this color on cushions, vases, ornaments, artwork, plant holders, blenders, towels, and more.

This will help you achieve a similar effect and give you the color contrast you’re looking for without committing to having an entire room done in color.

The Bottom Line

Salmon is a beautiful pinkish-orange color that sits somewhere between vibrant and muted.

This hue has a wide range of applications and is quite versatile, so homeowners commonly incorporate it into their designs.

With the right color pairing, it can afford you everything from retro-modern looks to modern coastal vibes to fresh Southwestern interior room scapes.

Refer to this article as you decide the best way to incorporate salmon into your interior design projects.