The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (2024)

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (1)

From versatile neutrals to the brightest of brights.

By Hadley Mendelsohn and Kate McGregor

As the center of your home, your living room is where movie nights, intimate conversations, and lazy Sunday afternoons happen. When you're designing the space, the paint color is one of the easiest ways to make an impact and express your personality. The best living room colors can shift and fit any event, mood, and time of day. And while the process of picking out and buying a paint color for your living room is a daunting task (so many swatches!), you can ace it with our help.

Neutrals like white, off-white, and greige are the most popular paint colors for living rooms. However, neutrals (and living room trends) aren't for everyone, so we found a number of statement-making shades for those who like to stick to the center of the color wheel. Before you choose a living room paint color, it's important to think about what kind of living room you want to have. If you're looking to make an impact, we recommend a bold hue like a jewel-tone color or a vibrant blue. If you're looking to reflect light and make your living room feel bigger, opt for a light neutral or pastel to help bounce light around the space. For a cozy vibe, choose a deep paint color like forest green or navy to make your living room feel snug and sheltering.

Whether you're a Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee devotee like Leanne Ford or prefer a punchier palette, we found the 55 best living room paint colors for your design style.

1

Stormy Blue

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (3)

In House Beautiful's 2023 Whole Home, Arianne Bellizaire gave the entryway a more modern sensibility by using two shades of blue paint (Farrow & Ball Hague Blue and Oval Room Blue) to simultaneously enhance and ground the damask wallcovering.

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2

Barbie Pink

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (4)

Isabel Ladd doused the walls of the 2023 Whole Home owner's suite in Shallot to energize the space. "Pink and red can get a little preppy," Ladd says. "The olive trim balances with a touch of weird, which I love."

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3

Bridgerton Pink

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (5)

To celebrate this home's historic architecture, Caitlin Wilson chose complementary colors that enhanced the living room's molding and felt feminine: (walls) and Wimborne White (trim). The finished room is pink on pink with a bit of blue and a hint of green.

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4

Moody Mahogany

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (6)

Hema Persad, CEO of Sagrada Studios, doused this salon in ; "broke apart" a circular sectional, fire-pit-style, to encourage conversation; and added brass interior shutters for that wanderlust vibe.

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5

Sunshine Yellow

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (7)

Claire Staszak of Centered by Design hoped to embrace a plein air lifestyle indoors in our 2023 Whole Home's sunroom. She pulled down the trellises, repainted them in , then reinstalled them. A tasseled valance—reminiscent of Parisian café awnings—along with a marble bistro table and all-weather draperies in a Morris & Co. stripe deliver European ambiance in practical style.

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6

Poppy Red

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (8)

In British tastemaker Lucinda Chambers' London home, she makes the boldest moves work—nonchalantly recalling when she painted her sitting room primary red and yellow based on her youngest son's suggestion that it match his Lego bricks. For a bold, energetic red, try Clare Sriracha.

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7

Gray-Purple

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (9)

In a Cape Cod–style home for a couple of empty nesters, Lauren Nelson painted the living room walls in Farrow & Ball Dove Tale—a warm gray with purple undertones. It keeps the atmosphere neutral yet inviting.

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8

Pearl

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (10)

A soft white paint with a slight gray cast can easily make your living room a spot you want to spend all day in. Take it from Sharon Rembaum, who dressed this living room with textured pieces in a neutral color palette to boost its overall coziness.

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9

Cerulean Blue

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (11)

Garrow Kedigan used Benjamin Moore Lakeside Cabin on the walls of this cozy corner. The faded cerulean blue acts as a soft backdrop to the rich orange and gold decor and dark gray sofa.

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10

Cloudy Green

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (12)

Reminiscent of the outdoors and luxurious spas, sage green can instantly make your living room feel welcoming. In this speakeasy-inspired room by Brooklinteriors, Art Deco, eastern, and bohemian elements blend together against walls painted in Clare Dirty Martini for an opulent but casual atmosphere.

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11

Sunny Yellow

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (13)

Lively yellow walls can instantly brighten up your living room—whether you have big windows or small openings for natural light. In this room by Taylor Anne Interiors, Farrow & Ball Citron adds energy to the tropical yet modern space.

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12

Ebony

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (14)

Set a moody yet cozy scene by painting your living room walls and ceiling a soft shade of ebony. For Sean Anderson's client, comfort and function in the living room were crucial for entertaining. So he painted the room in Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore and layered items that told the homeowner's story for a welcoming atmosphere.

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13

Red Clay

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (15)

Designed by Melanie Turner, this living room's walls are painted in Sherwin-Williams Windswept Canyon. The furniture is united by a common color way that pairs nicely with the paint.

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14

Frost Blue

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (16)

Frost blue walls—painted in Benjamin Moore Philipsburg Blue, to be exact—offer the right amount of softness in this room by Jenny Wolf. Gold-framed art and a textured rug add warmth.

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15

Teal

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (17)

"It's a vibrant happy blue while not being too overwhelming," says Rudy Saunders of the color on the walls of his studio apartment on the Upper East Side of New York City. It's Fine Paints of Europe Jefferson Blue from the Dorothy Draper paint collection.

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16

Sangria

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (18)

Krsnaa Mehta aimed for a salon-like feel in the heart of his India home. The sangria-and-blue palette of the living room achieves the inviting look that's best suited for entertaining.

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17

Cream

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (19)

This sunny living room by Thomas Callaway exudes warmth despite the grand size and ceiling height. Callaway broke the room into zones to enhance intimacy, used soft buttery glaze on the walls to give the room a golden glow, and layered rich yet mellow fabrics.

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18

Dark Blue-Green

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (20)

Cecilia Casagrande chose rich jewel tones for her own Boston Colonial's living room. The paint color——straddles modern and traditional styles and is perfect for a historic home. She also mixed contemporary elements with more traditional ones to play with that juxtaposition of old and new.

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19

Buttercream

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (21)

Anna Spiro made the windows in this nook extra sunny by painting the frames in buttercream yellow. (Try Farrow & Ball Dayroom Yellow for a similar look.) Instead of painting the walls blue, she covered the hardwood floors in the cheerful color.

20

Pitch Black

The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (22)

Dark black walls and lots of warm gold and caramel tones make this living room by Ariene Bethea super cozy but also formal and regal—the ideal balance if your living room doubles as the family room. She used Sherwin-Williams Tricorn Black.

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The Best Colors to Paint Your Living Room Walls (2024)

FAQs

What is the most popular color for living room walls? ›

Neutrals like white, off-white, and greige are the most popular paint colors for living rooms. However, neutrals (and living room trends) aren't for everyone, so we found a number of statement-making shades for those who like to stick to the center of the color wheel.

Which color of paint is good for a living room? ›

White living room paint is a timeless and versatile choice. Cream living room paint tends to have more yellow undertones that are silky and rich. Cream, like other white paint colors, is also very versatile. For a more striking palette, combine cream with bright greens, reds or yellows.

What is the best color combination for a living room? ›

From all-white to beige to gray, taupe, or a classic color combination of black and white, you can mix neutrals together in a cohesive way to keep a small living room feeling balanced and harmonious. Paint walls, trim, and ceiling in the same color for a modern feel that will make the space feel larger than it is.

What is the most relaxing color for a living room? ›

Tranquil blue hues

Studies prove that shades of blue are known to reduce stress, anxiety, lower blood pressure and can even help you sleep better!

What is the color rule for living rooms? ›

It's a classic decor rule that helps create a color palette for a space. It states that 60% of the room should be a dominant color, 30% should be the secondary color or texture and the last 10% should be an accent.

What is the color trend in living rooms in 2024? ›

Benjamin Moore's 2024 Color of the Year is Blue Nova, a cool and captivating shade of blue with the prettiest hint of violet. The intriguing color choice stems from the desire to travel both near and far — even outer space! This midtone blue has an almost cosmic quality that carries an adventurous spirit into the home.

Which color is beautiful for living room? ›

Additionally, grey is a popular colour choice for painting living rooms, as it creates a calming atmosphere while also providing a neutral backdrop for other colours and patterns. 2. Orange Colour Combination Living Room: An orange colour combination living room is vivacious, energising, and awakens the senses.

Which colour is positive for living room? ›

Positive Vastu Colours for Living Room

Other positive vastu shastra colours for living room include blue (light blue or navy blue), green (light green), and pink (pale pink). Certain warm colour tones such as yellow, orange, red, and terracotta red are also considered auspicious by Vastu Shastra experts.

Should I paint my living room all one color? ›

A room with just one color can overwhelm visitors, especially if the room is painted an especially vibrant or dark color. Instead of being cozy and welcoming, the room could feel too intense and overpowering. It's essential to be careful with your color choice to avoid falling into this trap.

What color is on trend for living rooms? ›

It is no surprise that so many of us are choosing a neutral living room colour scheme – classic grey, cream and white are all in favour – whilst three shades of versatile blue appeared on the list. The top 12 most popular living room colours for 2024 are: Green.

What is the new color for 2024? ›

Inspired by exploration, Benjamin Moore named Blue Nova (825) as its Color of the Year for 2024. The cosmic, blue-violet blend encourages adventure, beckoning everyone to indulge in new experiences.

What color calms anxiety? ›

Green – Quiet and restful, green is a soothing color that can invite harmony and diffuse anxiety. Blue – A highly peaceful color, blue can be especially helpful for stress management because it can encourage a powerful sense of calm. Purple – In many cultures, shades of violet represent strength, wisdom and peace.

What is a happy color for a living room? ›

'Yellows are known to lift a mood and evoke a feeling of warmth and joy,' says Shaw. 'For something a little more trend-led, consider painting just one wall in a bright yellow and then a tonal hue or white for the upper wall which will keep the space feeling fresh and open. '

What is the best color for mental health? ›

Blue: calmness, serenity, peace

Blue has the opposite effects of red and is the most soothing color. Primary blue is used in therapeutic settings for meditation and relaxation because it helps you unwind, find peace, and become more comfortable expressing your inner feelings.

What color house sells fastest? ›

White is one of the best colors for selling a home because it's simple, timeless, and not influenced by personal taste, which allows potential buyers to see it as their own blank canvas. And when buyers can see your home as a blank canvas, it dramatically increases the pool of buyers you appeal to.

Should living room be a warm or cool color? ›

Warm colors are typically used to create cozy and intimate spaces. Brighter warm colors are often associated with energy, playfulness and happiness including Million Dollar Red 2003-10, Orange Burst 2015-20, and Sundance 2022-50. Warm paint colors are popular in kitchens and living rooms.

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