What is the greatest color for a living room? Interior designers always go with these tried-and-true options.

WHAT IS THE BEST COLOR FOR A LIVING ROOM?

No single hue is best for a living room, but experts agree that neutrals and green tones are ideal for entertaining and unwinding after a long day.

‘Living room paint is the best approach to swiftly and easily transform a space, defining an area, adding flair and character to create an inspiring environment,’ says one expert. Ruth Mottershead, creative director of Little Greene, explains (opens in new tab). ‘The first thing to consider is how you want to feel in the space: peaceful and cocooned or lively and vibrant?

‘Living rooms are an excellent place to experiment with color. By employing multiple colors on your walls, you may introduce color to a single space without overwhelming it. Pair clashing colors in varying strengths for an exciting and dynamic combination and a striking finish that frames the elements of a space, or go for tone colors like those in our Color Scales range for a relaxing and harmonious approach.’

1. CALMING NEUTRALS 

Regarding living room ideas, neutrals are a safe and common choice that can be lovely when applied in the appropriate tones. ‘Because the living room is a place for mingling and relaxing with family and friends, it’s crucial to choose a color scheme that complements the mood or ambiance you want to create while also developing your style,’ says Helen Shaw, UK director for Benjamin Moore (opens in new tab). ‘Non-clinical whites remain a popular choice for consumers seeking an uncluttered aesthetic for their homes, serving as an excellent backdrop for personalizing the space with statement furniture and accessories.’

Avoid glaring whites when considering neutral living room ideas because they might cast shadows and make the area appear cold. Instead, choose ivory or other warmer tones in the pale range. Dark woods, older items, and the straighter lines of Scandinavian-style furniture stand out beautifully against these colors. It is a highly adaptable scheme.

‘Living rooms tend to be areas where you entertain, sit to watch television, or read a book, but you want it to have some character,’ says Tash Bradley, director of interior design at Lick (opens in new tab). ‘The colors I always think look beautiful in living spaces are beiges, like a really warm soft beige – our Beige 01 (a light caramel hue) and 03 (a soft, earthy tone) are great examples of this.’ These hues are incredibly comfortable, very sturdy, and they look fantastic with more arduous furniture, such as a navy blue sofa or a green velvet cord sofa, or if you wanted to incorporate black in there.’

When decorating with neutrals, it is crucial to incorporate flashes of color and a diversity of textures to keep the area from blurring and becoming dull.’ Adding layers of texture to neutral home ideas with soft linens or fascinating vintage objects adds a damaged, aged character to a clean environment.

2. ORGANIC GREENS

Surprisingly, decorating with green is also the most acceptable option for a living space. Green living room ideas have been named one of the most calming hues by paint professionals and color psychologists.

‘Green is the neutral hue of nature,’ explains Tash. ‘Because your eyes do not have to acclimate to the hue green in a living room, you immediately feel peaceful. Our Green 13 (a bright sage green) is a famous green because it is zesty and full of life, and it looks great with a pink sofa. If you want to go more classic, you might have a more neutral sofa and make the color the focal point. I usually recommend including a lot of plants.

Funnily enough, Green 02 (a gentle sage green with a tinge of blue) is our best-selling hue of all time, and it looks awesome in a living room.’ Green room designs are adaptable due to the wide range of colors available. Choose a deep forest or mossy green for a striking design that quickly relaxes and speaks to quiet tranquility. Alternatively, choose a more bright hue to mimic the colors of young leaves and tree tops, such as purer bottle green.

‘Think about putting a contrasting ceiling, so maybe do Green 02 on the walls and Beige 03 on the ceiling – that’s a great combination,’ Tash suggests.

WHAT COLORS WILL BE USED IN LIVING ROOMS IN 2022?

Greens, greys, and blues are among the most popular hues for living room trends in 2022. Some of these daring selections deviate from the trend of white, lifeless living rooms and add more relaxing yet dramatic themes into the home.

WHAT COLORS BLEND WELL IN A LIVING ROOM?

While there are numerous methods to make a dark space appear brighter, utilizing milder colours like warm neutrals, light blues and greens, and warmer tones like yellows and oranges may all assist to brighten a living room and make a tiny room appear larger.