Timeless, livable, and always reliable, whites, beiges, and creams outlive fleeting trends because they seamlessly blend into every setting, of every size and style. There's a reason the majority of the most searched-for paints are neutral – despite color trends encouraging us to be braver with darker, bolder, brighter hues – a classic neutral paint will always have its place. But where do you start when choosing the best neutral paint? Consult the most popular picks from the most iconic brands. We asked designers and Sherwin-Williams color consultants which neutrals always come out on top and have been bestsellers for decades.

Sherwin-Williams' Best Neutral Paints

'Neutral shades consistently rank among the most sought-after colors at Sherwin-Williams, offering homeowners a versatile foundation that complements a variety of design aesthetics,' Emily Kantz, Color Marketing Manager at Sherwin-Williams, tells Homes & Gardens. 'Pure White SW 7005 continues to be a leading favorite, along with Alabaster SW 7008, Agreeable Gray SW 7029, and Accessible Beige SW 7036. These enduring favorites offer a balance of warmth, versatility, and timeless style, making them reliable choices for creating spaces that feel both welcoming and effortlessly sophisticated.'

1. Greek Villa SW 7551

First on the list is a sunny white paint designed to bring life to every home. Named after the sun-bleached facades of Greek architecture, this classic white paint is a favorite for a reason.

'Greek Villa has a beautiful warmth that makes it incredibly versatile,' says interior designer Marie Flanigan. 'It feels soft and inviting without reading too yellow or creamy, and it responds beautifully to natural light throughout the day. I actually used Greek Villa throughout my own home because it creates such a lovely, cohesive backdrop while allowing the architecture, furnishings, and collected pieces to shine.'

'I love pairing Greek Villa with natural materials that bring depth and character to a space,' Marie explains. 'Rich wood tones, antique brass, natural stone, and textiles with beautiful texture all complement its warmth. I also think contrast is important, whether through darker furnishings, a moody accent color, or an antique with a wonderful patina. These layers keep a predominantly white space from feeling flat or overly pristine.'

'I'm always drawn to using white in ways that celebrate architectural detail. Rather than introducing several competing colors, consider carrying the same white across walls, trim, and even ceilings, allowing subtle shifts in sheen to create dimension. I also love the idea of pairing white walls with more expressive elements, like richly stained millwork, decorative plaster, or beautifully detailed upholstery. It's a wonderful way to create a fresh, timeless foundation while still giving a room a distinct personality.'

2. Alabaster SW 7008

A bright yet warm neutral paint with a long-standing reputation, one of Sherwin-Williams' most popular shades is Alabaster.

'Alabaster is a color I’ve been specifying in several upcoming projects,' interior designer Tama Bell says. 'Brighter than Creamy, it has a quiet elegance that feels both warm and clean. I especially love it behind rich browns and reds: its understated character lets these deeper, more dramatic colors stand out. Its balance of crispness and warmth makes it ideal for traditional interiors.'

'Alabaster’s bright, crisp white also works beautifully in modern interiors without feeling stark,' Tama adds. 'I especially love pairing it with blues and greens, leaning into a natural palette that feels like letting the outdoors in.'

'I know white can sometimes be dismissed as boring, but I see it differently. White is a classic for a reason. When carried across walls, ceilings, and trim, it creates a seamless, considered backdrop that feels both timeless and distinctly modern. Sometimes, the simplest choices make the strongest statement.'

3. Agreeable Gray SW 7029

A gray paint with a beige undertone, this warm, comforting gray hue couldn't be more enduring. It combines the best of both worlds into one timeless hue that works in any setting. 'For folks that prefer some coolness in the color or have adjoining rooms that are gray it’s a wonderful choice bridging the gap and bringing in a bit of warmth,' says Monica Stewart, founder of The Misfit House.

Agreeable Gray is the flexible paint color that brings depth and subtle richness without shouting too loudly. While cool-toned grays can feel clinical, this brown-infused neutral couldn't be further from cold. More vibrant hues may be replacing gray in 2026, but for schemes that still crave gentle calm, Agreeable Gray is a clever choice.

'In 2026, we're seeing neutrals used in more intentional and layered ways, moving beyond traditional white walls to create spaces with greater depth and personality,' says Emily. 'One approach is tonal layering, pairing varying shades of warm whites, beiges, and greiges throughout a room to create subtle contrast and dimension. Homeowners can also experiment with color drenching, carrying a single neutral across walls, trim and ceilings for a cohesive, immersive look.'

'Incorporating different finishes and natural materials like wood, stone, and textured fabrics can further enhance the warmth and richness of a neutral palette,' she adds. 'The key is to treat neutrals as an active part of the design rather than simply a backdrop, allowing them to bring character and visual interest to a space.'

4. Accessible Beige SW 7036

Instead of yellow undertones, Accessible Beige is unique in its subtle gray hue. A mix of brown and gray, it has a similar composition to Agreeable Gray, with a decidedly warmer feel.

'The beauty of neutral paint colors lies in their ability to create a timeless backdrop while allowing homeowners to express their personal style,' Emily explains. 'Shades like Alabaster and Accessible Beige offer a softness and warmth that make spaces feel inviting without overwhelming the room.'

A timeless paint color loved for its 'accessibility', this gray-meets-brown pairs beautifully with modern and heritage design styles. 'Their versatility also allows them to complement a wide range of design styles, furnishings and materials, making it easy to refresh a space over time without having to completely rethink the color palette,' Emily adds. 'As homeowners continue to prioritize comfort and personalization, these adaptable shades provide the perfect foundation for a home that feels both current and enduring.'

5. Creamy SW 7012

Cream paints are loved for their warmth compared to starker, brighter white paints. Creamy, one of Sherwin-Williams' most popular warm-toned whites, is the perfect middle ground between subtle and still enriching and warm.

'This is my current favorite,' says Tama. 'Creamy is a soft, warm off-white that strikes just the right balance – and has a bit of a buttery feel without being too yellow. One of the things I love most about this color is its versatility. It feels equally at home in a space filled with natural light or in a room that gets very little. It’s a beautiful, dependable backdrop that makes a home feel warm and inviting without overwhelming the space.'

Paired with organic greens or dark wood tones, Creamy comes to life. In this cozy bedroom (pictured above), the green headboard and vintage furniture create contrast against the neutral paint, giving it an even more characterful, comforting feel.

6. Natural Choice 7011

'Natural Choice is another favorite', Tama says. 'This one leans a little more toward taupe, giving it a subtle sophistication that works beautifully in open, contemporary spaces. It still has that warmth and creamy quality I love, but with a slightly cooler undertone that feels fresh and modern.'

While Natural Choice, Agreeable Gray, and Accessible Beige all share common ground, what sets them apart is their undertone. Natural Choice has stony, sandy undertones that make it feel a little gentler compared to the richer beiges. It works well in rooms blessed with daylight, bringing just the right amount of warmth to make a big room feel cozy, while also breathing life and brightness into small rooms that need a lighter paint choice.

'It’s a wonderful option when you want a neutral that feels soft and inviting while still keeping things clean and current,' Tama adds.

Bold, vibrant tones might be ruling color trends, but there will always be a place for warm, inviting neutrals that make every home feel sophisticated and classic. From sandy beiges that provide gentle depth to off-whites with the right amount of yellow, these six shades are loved by designers for a reason.

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The past year has been one of the most exciting for kitchens, especially when it comes to color. Rich, moody hues from burgundy to chocolate brown, and various wood tones have dominated, encouraging homeowners to be a little more experimental rather than playing it safe. But designers say it's time to start looking at new colors, and there are a few they are secretly wishing their clients would go for more often.

It's not because these kitchen colors are going out of style, but there's definitely space in designs right now for less expected palettes that feel unique and unexpected. It could be switching out rich browns for lighter tones, or replacing colors we have already seen a lot of with muddier, earthier versions. These are the seven shades they're placing under the spotlight, and how to bring them into your kitchen tastefully and timelessly.

1. Muddier Shades of Yellow

Butter yellow kitchens have made a mark on the design world this year. Soft, light, and utterly charming, it's a color that brings unexpected softness to a hardworking cooking space. But it's not the only shade that brings warmth to kitchens – and designers say it's time to start looking to muddier yellows.

'I’d love to see more of a faded straw or parchment yellow in kitchens. It’s a very gentle, almost aged-looking color that brings wonderful warmth to a space without dominating it. I’m always interested in colors with a little complexity, rather than feeling too clean or predictable. This kind of muted, earthy yellow has a quiet character to it and can work beautifully in both contemporary and more traditional spaces, bringing warmth and personality without feeling overly bold,' explains interior designer Laura Stephens.

Following that aged, earthy style, several designers are also wishing for more ochre color schemes in 2027. 'I love a yellow with some dirt in it. Out here in the desert, the landscape is all dusty ochres, weathered browns and sun-faded earth, and golden ochre has that same quality: the warmth of yellow without the sunshiny Brady Bunch hyper-cheerfulness. It feels familiar without looking like a period reproduction, and I’d love to see more people take a chance on it,' explains John Maloney McNamara of Coosa.

'I would love to see more kitchens embracing yellow-based browns – those wonderful earthy shades somewhere between cinnamon, caramel and ochre,' agrees Melissa Hutley, Co-Founder of Hutley & Humm. 'They are often overlooked in favor of safer neutrals or more familiar greens, but they have such warmth and depth. They feel grounded and timeless, but can also be surprisingly fresh when paired with the right materials. We used a rich caramel shade (Caddie) in a recent project, and it completely transformed what could otherwise have been a purely functional space into somewhere with real character.'

Decorating with muddier yellows proves incredibly versatile. For something classic, ochre cabinets with warm white walls feel elegant and inviting, while a space color-drenched in a muddier tone creates a bold, playful scheme without ever feeling trend-led. It's also a color palette you can introduce through textiles, like a kitchen towel, rug, or even upholstered seating.

2. More Complex Blues

While blue kitchens have been popular this year, designs have been embracing moodier, inkier shades. They might work beautifully in many spaces, but designers are ready for brighter, lighter tones to make a comeback in kitchens.

'I love sky blue,' says interior designer Lizzie Green, who is keen to see this shade grow in popularity again. 'I feel like trends pull people into the safer navy territory, and there are so many incredible, braver blue shades that still give that feeling of serenity and calm.'

And even if sky blue feels a bit bold for your style, dustier blues are an alternative that still feels a little lighter, but with a more muted finish. 'For the more traditionalist, we would love to see more dusty blue or chambray colored kitchens. The southern hospitality that just spills from a soft blue kitchen is unmatched. It’s welcoming, cheerful, and pairs well with a light, bright home. We would drench the cabinets in the color since it is natural-adjacent; the more, the merrier,' says Sarah Fontanez of Pomme House.

'I’d love to see more of a dusty, slightly faded blue-gray in kitchens. Blue is a familiar choice, but I think we often gravitate towards either very pale blues or much stronger navy shades,' agrees Laura. 'A softer, more muted blue has a lovely depth to it and feels a little less expected. It can be calming without feeling cold, particularly when you bring in warmer tones and plenty of texture.'

If filling your kitchen with blue feels a little bold or overwhelming, smaller infusions feel just as stylish. 'I would use it on kitchen cabinetry, perhaps pairing it with warm off-white walls, natural timber and stone to stop the overall scheme feeling too cool,' says Laura. 'I also love the idea of bringing in small touches of a contrasting color through fabrics, artwork or a patterned blind, so the blue becomes part of a wider palette rather than the only point of interest.'

3. Rusty Reds

Burgundy and oxblood are perhaps the most coveted kitchen color trends of the past year, and show no signs of falling out of favor. While there's still a place for these richer, moodier tones, designers are ready for a greater variety of reds to be used in designs, particularly rustier reds with a bit of age to them.

'I’d love to see more kitchens using a muted, rust-red brown – something closer to the color of oxidized iron than a traditional red. It has warmth and depth, but feels more unusual and nuanced than the burgundies and deeper reds we’ve seen a lot of recently,' says Sophie Pringle, Founder of Pringle & Pringle.

'It’s a sophisticated color because it has an earthy quality that sits naturally alongside timber, stone and aged metal. I think people can sometimes be hesitant about using red in a kitchen, but when you move away from anything too bright and choose a more complex, brown-based shade, it can feel surprisingly timeless.'

It's the sort of color that adds a charming warmth when introduced in smaller doses, or creates a bold and beautiful scheme when used more confidently. 'I’d consider using it on an island or lower cabinetry, perhaps against softer, chalky walls and a natural stone countertop. It would also be beautiful alongside a characterful timber, particularly one with a darker or more expressive grain, with aged brass or bronze hardware to bring out its warmth,' Sophie adds.

'I’d be careful not to make everything too coordinated; the color is most interesting when it sits alongside materials with their own character and variation. For a more confident scheme, you could carry it onto the walls or pantry joinery, but I’d always consider the light in the room and the surrounding finishes before deciding how much to use.'

4. Olive-Toned Wood Stains

If you want to design a classic kitchen, wood cabinets are always a timeless choice. There's been a lot of conversation about the finish, from white oak to richer, darker tones, but in 2027, designers are ready for clients to choose more colorful stains, with olive green at the very top of the wishlist.

'I’d love to see more kitchens embracing colored timber, particularly wood stained in an earthy olive green. Rather than covering the surface with paint, staining allows the natural grain and character of the wood to remain visible, while introducing a layer of nuanced color. Olive is a particularly lovely shade for this because it has an earthy quality that works beautifully with natural stone, warmer woods and softer neutral tones. It feels unexpected without being overly bold, and brings color into a kitchen in a way that still celebrates the material itself,' says Sophie.

'I'd look at using an olive stain on an island or a run of timber cabinetry, allowing the grain to show through and giving the wood a slightly more individual, layered quality. It works beautifully with lighter stone countertops and warm, natural finishes, as well as darker timber elsewhere in the scheme. I think it’s important not to make the stain too uniform or opaque; the beauty is in the variation of the grain and how the color settles into the wood. It’s a lovely alternative to painted cabinetry if you want to introduce color but retain the warmth, texture, and character of natural timber.'

5. Softer, Muted Shades of Purple

Purple has long been a controversial color in interiors, but plums and aubergines have been slowly emerging following the burgundy trend. As the taste for purple kitchens returns, designers are hoping for more muted shades, whether it's a softer take on plum tones or lighter shades, like lavender and mauve.

'Smoky lavender is a color I secretly wish more clients would choose. I’m thinking of a soft, gray-brown lavender rather than anything too sweet or pastel. It has the quietness of a neutral but brings so much more personality to the kitchen, and it shifts beautifully throughout the day as the light changes. I’d introduce it on the cabinetry, either throughout the kitchen with a simple door style or just on the island, then pair it with creamy stone, warm oak, and aged brass so it feels layered and sophisticated rather than overly colorful,' says Rayana Schmitz, Founder and Principal Designer of Firefinish Interiors.

Even shades of purple with a bit more depth work in this palette. 'I would love to see more clients choose a soft, muted plum for their kitchen cabinetry. Not a bright purple, but a plum with a little gray and brown in it. It’s warm and rich, and depending on the light, it can almost read as a neutral. This color reminds me of the beautiful, layered interiors you see in older British homes,' says interior designer Tanya Smith-Shiflett.

'I’d love more clients to consider a muted plum,' adds Melissa Selvaggio of Melissa’s Designs & Co. 'Something with a little brown in it, almost the color of a ripe fig. It has the richness people love in a dark kitchen, but there’s a softness and warmth that makes it feel inviting. It adds a little spice while still acting as a neutral, which makes it surprisingly easy to pair with so many different woods, stones, and metal finishes.'

6. Unexpected Brown Tones

Brown kitchens might not sound new or unexpected, but the shades designers want to see more of in 2027 lean lighter and more complex than the richer chocolate tones of recent trends. Look to natural materials and landscapes for inspiration – colors inspired by the outdoors will never feel dated.

'I would love to see more clients consider brown for kitchens, particularly the warmer, complex browns: tobacco, chestnut, and cognac. Brown has often been treated as something that happens naturally through wood, but I think it deserves to be considered as a color in its own right. We shouldn't need wood to use brown. I would happily specify one of these rich browns as a paint color for cabinetry,' says interior designer Blair Burton.

'I'm really into brown painted cabinetry, which feels a little unexpected because you could just use a stain. But there's something about brown, and not just a true brown or a chocolate brown, but browns with undertones: green brown, red brown, even plum brown. Those are some really interesting colors that I feel could be really cute in kitchens,' says Kelsey McGregor, Founder & Principal Designer at Kelsey Leigh Design Co.

7. Warm Orange Hues

It's been a while since orange kitchens have trended. It's a bold color that can feel rather daunting to decorate a cooking space, especially as a room that's not as easy to repaint. But with terracotta kitchens falling back into favor, designers say it's time for bolder shades to make a comeback, too.

'Persimmon. A deep orange with red in it, like the fruit in late autumn. Clients are afraid of orange. They picture something loud. But a true persimmon is rich and grown up. It glows at night, flatters skin, and makes every meal look better. Fashion has trusted orange as a signature for decades. Kitchens never have,' says interior designer Vanessa Katzen.

'It's such a playful color, so she recommends getting creative with how you use it in a kitchen. 'In lacquer, on an island or a bank of lower cabinets, against a quiet room,' she suggests. 'Pale plaster walls, a creamy honed limestone, oiled walnut, and dark bronze hardware. The persimmon becomes the room's focal point. For a bolder client, run it floor to ceiling in a pantry so it is a discovery behind a door.'

It's clear to see why designers want to see more of these kitchen colors in 2027 – they feel more unique and unexpected after trends filled with lots of similar shades. You don't have to fully commit to any of these hues, either. A few decorative pieces in a bold color can instantly transform a kitchen.

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There's a long-standing saying that 'blue and green should never be seen'. In fact, this myth has floated around for some time, but anyone who knows a thing or two about color knows that, in practice, it couldn't be further from the truth.

There are tried-and-tested, long-loved color combinations for rooms, and then there are unexpected pairings that aren't always obvious, yet feel just as timeless when done well. This is where pale blue and green slot in. Yes, they might both be on the cooler side, but with some thoughtful styling, cozy layering, and attention to hue and undertone, these two hues couldn't be a better match.

Characterful, timeless, and always uplifting, here's how designers pair pale blue and green side-by-side.

Sage green and blue might be a trendy color combination, but pale blue and lush green are the timeless pairing with plenty of character.

It's more than a color trend, explains interior designer Lucy Doswell. 'It’s the oldest pairing there is, sky above and foliage below, so the combination always feels calming and familiar. Blues and greens have been used in classic interiors for centuries and still look fresh. It’s also easy to live with – it works with antiques, modern art and bold patterns alike, so a room can morph and grow without the colors ever feeling dated.'

'What I value most is its adaptability,' adds Lucy. 'Here (above) it holds portraits, contemporary photography, antique furniture, a graphic Kilim rug, and it all works together. The room started with the dahlia block print fabric from Clarence House on the slipper chair. Then the added layers of olive green, brown and aubergine felt like the right mood for a study meant for gathering and lingering. The teal blue wallpaper with gold detailing draws the eye upwards and makes you feel enveloped in the colors of the room.'

Paler, soft blues are replacing navy blue kitchen cabinets and darker wall colors. In this rustic farmhouse kitchen, a pale blue dresser is paired with a fresh, mossy green. Balancing freshness with nostalgia, the color combination brings a real comfort to this one-of-a-kind kitchen.

'We wanted to create a palette that felt connected to the natural world, with each color bringing something different to the space,' explains Christina Bull, Studio Lead at Sims Hilditch. 'The green cabinetry and botanical wallpaper introduce freshness, while the softer blue of the dresser provides a gentle contrast. We also added a touch of yellow through ‘Buena Vista Gold’, which translates as ‘good view’. It reflects our thinking that even the hardest-working spaces in the home can be beautiful. Warm wood and brass details bring further depth and balance, ensuring the overall scheme feels welcoming and full of character.'

'I think blue and green work beautifully together because they are colors we instinctively associate with nature,' Christina says. 'They complement one another without feeling overly matched, particularly when used in softer, more nuanced tones. They also sit comfortably alongside natural materials, pattern and antique details, which makes the scheme feel as though it has evolved naturally with the house.'

In this cozy living room, sky-blue walls and sage green built-ins create a sense of tranquility. Characterful upholstery and vintage layers act as sources of comfort, while the paint colors are the uplifting touch that transports you to a place of relaxation.

'The client wanted this north-facing room to feel uplifting and inviting. We painted the walls a sky blue that brings the essence of sunshine even when the real thing is lacking,' explains interior designer Pandora Taylor.

Perfect for creating cheer on gray days, the soft tones mirror the sky on a sunny day. 'The pale green sits calmly next to the blues, creating contrast without trying too hard,' Pandora adds. 'The soft tones throughout create a calming space you want to spend time in. Blues and greens are so tied up in our unconscious with the beauties of summer – green grass and blue skies – they can't fail to delight.'

The Pale Blue & Green Edit

Pale blue and green are timeless paint colors in their own right, but side-by-side, they couldn't be more classic. On top of that, they're uplifting, soothing, and enduringly sophisticated, designed to make any room feel instantly more inspiring.

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Well-designed rooms don't use color in isolation; the whole palette works together to bring color harmony through a mix of hero colors, background colors, and sidekick colors. But what exactly are these 'sidekick' colors? Sidekick colors are present in all of the most interesting rooms, working alongside the hero color to support it, without taking over. These secondary colors can be quiet, but they tie the whole palette together and stop room color ideas from feeling disjointed.

'I think it's important to design with a color palette rather than relying on one color to carry a room,' says designer Lacey Michalek. 'Even when we have a dominant color, we're always looking for coordinating shades that complement it and bring something different to the space. Those supporting colors create contrast, add depth, and keep a room from feeling too one-note. Without them, even a beautifully designed space can start to feel a little flat.'

And so, if you're intrigued by this color term and want to know how to use it to add more design flair to your own home, designers share all you need to know here, from how to choose sidekick colors to real-life examples.

What Are Sidekick Colors?

While you may not have heard the term 'sidekick' colors before, they're present in most well-designed rooms. Essentially, sidekick colors are the supporting colors within a room, working to enhance or lift the hero color (the color that has the strongest visual impact). Sidekick colors aren't to be confused with background colors that form the foundation of the room and are often neutral tones.

Think of sidekick colors as the ones that work to support the room's color palette, rather than being the focal point.

The key thing to keep in mind when thinking about sidekick colors is that they can be all sorts of colors, from soft shades to much bolder ones. What makes a sidekick color a sidekick color depends on the wider palette of a room, and how the colors relate to each other.

'We use sidekick colors in our projects because the right layering creates depth and balance,' says designer Linda Eyles. 'Although they play a supporting role, they are just as important as the hero color in a room because they make the star look rich and vibrant. A space with no sidekick appears dull and flat.'

Why Sidekick Colors Matter

Designers will tell you that creating a color hierarchy, where each color has a specific role in the room, is what makes rooms feel intentional and grounded rather than random. Within color hierarchies, sidekick colors are essential in bridging the gap between the hero color and the foundation, bringing a sense of harmony and calm.

'Sidekick colors are so important because they add depth and interest to a space without competing with the main color,' explains Amy Peltier, owner and creative director at Peltier Interiors. 'Sometimes you barely even notice them because they're used so subtly or sparingly, but that's exactly the point.'

'They help the dominant color shine while giving the room a more layered, interesting feel,' she adds. 'Without those supporting colors, a room can easily feel a little one-note or flat, even if the main color is beautiful on its own.'

When sidekick colors add contrast to the hero color, rooms tend to feel more elevated. 'I think the magic of a room often comes from the things you don't necessarily expect to see together,' says Ansley Majit, creative director at Lark + Palm Interiors. 'A sidekick color gives a space another dimension, a little tension, and often a bit of personality. Without it, a room can feel a little too coordinated, a little too predictable.'

'I love when there's a color that feels slightly unexpected but somehow makes everything else in the room better,' says Ansley. 'It's that little twist that takes a room from pretty to interesting.'

Sidekick colors serve another purpose, too: they can be used to soften what would otherwise be a high-contrast palette, making bold colors more digestible. You'll also find that they are a great way to incorporate the latest color trends that you perhaps wouldn't want to use in a large proportion.

How to Choose a Sidekick Color

While the idea of adding a sidekick color to a scheme makes a lot of sense, how do you actually go about choosing one? There are a few different ways you can go with this, but essentially, it's about considering what color will work well alongside your hero shade.

'If we're designing something calm and subtle, I'll gravitate toward softer, more muted shades that complement the dominant color without competing with it,' explains designer Lacey Michalek. 'But if we're going for a moodier, more dramatic look, I love incorporating richer, more saturated versions of the dominant color to create a stronger contrast. A sidekick color doesn't necessarily have to be quiet. It just needs to work with the dominant color in the palette.'

Alternatively, you could choose your sidekick color by pulling existing colors found more subtly in the room. 'Usually, there's a pattern or rug in the room that helps establish the color palette,' advises Amy Peltier. 'We'll pull colors from that inspiration piece and decide which one will take center stage and which ones will play a supporting role. The key is making sure those secondary colors complement the overall design without shifting the entire feel of the room.'

'Other times, we're simply working with a palette of two or three colors that look beautiful together,' says Amy. 'But I always think it's important to have one star of the show. The supporting colors might be softer in intensity, lighter in shade, or just used more sparingly. Otherwise, you end up with too many cooks in the kitchen, and suddenly every color is fighting for attention.'

The color wheel should be your friend when choosing sidekick colors – giving you a reference point of the harmony between different colors. 'We often choose a color that is complementary to the main shade we are using in the room,' says Linda. 'In other words, a hue that is on the opposing side of the color wheel. These supporting sidekick colors pair well together because they each appear richer when side by side.'

'It also works to pair what I think of as 'sister' colors – shades that sit beside one another on the color wheel – blue with green, for example, or pink and red,' Linda adds. 'These combinations tend to be a little more playful and vibrant.'

That said, sidekick colors can be less formulaic and unexpected. 'Sometimes it's a color that feels completely unrelated at first glance,' says Ansley. 'I love playing with combinations that aren't immediately obvious. The goal isn’t really to match, but to create something that feels layered, complementary, and a little less expected.'

How to Decorate With Sidekick Colors

If you're looking for some real-life examples of sidekick colors, read on to gain inspiration from a range of designer projects, from kitchens to living rooms.

Choose Complementary Colors

Complementary colors, those that sit opposite each other on the color wheel, bring harmony to rooms, despite being contrasting. This approach is shown in this kitchen, where muted green works are the hero color, along with soft pink as the sidekick.

'This kitchen has a very neutral foundation, so we introduced soft green on the island and a warm, rusty pink on the upholstered stools to bring in some color and contrast,' explains Lacey. 'Neither shade is overpowering, but together they add contrast and personality to the space.'

Go Tonal With Analogous Shades

Another way to use the color wheel when choosing a room's color palette is to look for analogous colors – those that sit beside each other. Rather than bringing contrast, analogous color schemes are tonal and tend to feel calmer.

'We chose to color-drench the dining room in a soft green, giving the space an enveloping feel,' explains Lacey. 'For the sidekick color, we incorporated blue through the upholstered dining chairs and drapery to create a gentle contrast. Because both colors have a similar softness, they complement each other beautifully without making the room feel busy. The blue adds another layer of interest while maintaining that calm, inviting atmosphere.'

Mix Warm and Cool Tones

Mixing warm and cool tones adds contrast to rooms and can be a great way to add more depth to palettes. In this white living room, the dark blue works as the hero color, while the coral cushions are the sidekick color that brings warmth to the otherwise cool-toned palette.

'Blue is definitely the dominant color in this living room, but we wanted the space to feel feminine, fresh, and lighthearted, so we introduced a beautiful salmon color through the pillows,' explains Amy. 'Blue and orange are complementary colors on the color wheel, so this softer, salmon interpretation works beautifully against the blue.'

'The combination feels colorful and layered without losing that strong blue identity,' says Amy.

Layer Earthy Colors

Although hero and sidekick colors can be contrasting, choosing shades with a shared earthiness helps bring cohesiveness to the palette. In this nursery room, soft green walls are teamed with mustard yellow, which brings interest and design flair to the space, without feeling totally random or disjointed.

'Mustard as a sidekick color is great when paired with more classic shades like blues and greens,' says designer Shelbie Cox of Shelbie Cox Studio. 'It adds a playful yet elevated feel to the spaces that are decorated with it.'

Let Pattern Inform Your Color Scheme

Pulling a sidekick color from an existing pattern in a room is another designer-approved way to approach sidekick colors, helping to add cohesiveness. 'The wallpaper really sets the tone with its warm, earthy palette, and then we introduced this beautiful blue on the ceiling,' explains Ansley.

'There is a small touch of a version of this blue in the wallpaper, but we pushed the saturation with the color to create this lovely contrast between the two,' she adds. 'The blue brings a freshness and lightness to the room that keeps the warmer tones from feeling too enveloping. It's a little unexpected, but it also feels completely natural. Without it, the room would be lovely, but I think the blue is what gives it that extra bit of personality.'

If in Doubt, Go for Green

If you're not sure which color to add to lift your palette, designers often recommend decorating with green. It's one of those colors that works with pretty much every other color, since it feels natural.

In this bedroom, green adds interest and stops the blue and white combination from feeling flat, but it doesn't make too much of a statement. 'Even with the green incorporated into the design, you still look at this room and immediately think of it as a blue room because the majority of the palette is made up of varying shades of blue,' says Amy.

'Green is actually one of my favorite sidekick colors because it can almost disappear into a space,' she adds. 'Think about greenery in a vase. Technically, you're introducing another color, but it feels so natural that we almost treat it as a neutral. That's what makes green such a wonderful supporting color. It adds freshness, depth, and interest without taking attention away from the main palette.'

Sidekick colors are important in all sorts of color palettes, whether they're bold and daring or soft and muted. Either way, they work quietly to bring unity to the space, from balancing bolder tones to adding much-needed contrast and depth.

By thinking of each of your color choices as part of the wider palette, rather than in isolation, you'll find that your rooms feel far more considered and intentional. Don't forget that referencing the color wheel is a helpful starting point – choosing either complementary or analogous colors always works well.

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Color is one of the most powerful tools in interior design. It can entirely transform not only a room's look, but the way it feels, too. But any interior designer will tell you there's a balancing act between choosing a brave shade and ensuring a colorful room can truly endure.

Yet, these colorful homes from our October issue strike that balance perfectly. Some are 'quietly colorful' and others braver in palette; but the beauty of each of these rooms is their unique, timeless, and comforting use of color in its many saturated, subtle, and sophisticated forms.

While, of course, some of the latest color trends can be seen throughout, and a handful of hues that feel particularly 'in season' make an appearance, these room color ideas couldn't be more classic. From laid-back living rooms layered in warm neutral tones to an elegant dining room bar swathed in deep green grasscloth, these are the six colorful spaces we here at Homes & Gardens absolutely loved in October.

1. A Study Woven with Seagreens and Blues

Believe it or not, vibrant colors can align with traditional architecture. In fact, designer Lindsey Herod made bold color work in a beautifully classic home.

Here, a palette of seagreen and blue sings against one another, bringing freshness to this study-meets-home-office. 'The color palette is essentially a richer, deeper interpretation of the blue-and-green tones used in the living room, creating a sense of continuity while giving the study its own mood,' explains interior designer Lindsey Herod. 'The homeowner loves music, so we wanted the room to feel equally suited to work and to unwinding. We incorporated a record player and designed the space as a more relaxed music lounge, as well as an additional seating area.'

'I love a four-seat arrangement with an ottoman in the center. It’s such an inviting configuration for conversation and entertaining, and it works especially well in a room that needs to serve multiple purposes. The study functions as his workspace, but it’s also a place to sit, listen to music, and spend time, so we wanted the overall feeling to be comfortable, layered, and welcoming.'

2. An Enchanting Sage Green Bedroom

As we toured around an old townhouse rewritten by Zoë Feldman, a charming green bedroom captured our hearts. The enchanting sleep space swathed in sage green paint made us rather envious of the little girl lucky enough to call the room her own, but also proved to us the soothing tranquillity of sage green.

A quiet color designers are using to create calm, the sage green walls bring just the right amount of character and calm to this bedroom. 'In the daughter's bedroom, we color-drenched the room in a soft grey-green that she could grow into and added in deeper greens in the furniture and accessories for a tonal look', explains Zoë Feldman.

Paired with blush pink bedding, a yellow striped bed, and deeper, organic greens, this bedroom is a lesson in how to create an enduringly timeless children's bedroom.

3. An Intimate Home Bar Swathed in Green

This cozy, cocooning home bar couldn't be more comforting. Featured in a Toronto home designed by Sabrina Albanese, it might be one of the smaller rooms in the house, but its hard to deny its elegance and enduring charm.

Deep green wallpaper and a painted green ceiling create the illusion of intimacy and coziness. The rich wood panelling works side by side, gently enriching the conversation corner. 'The color was selected to make the room feel intimate and quietly dramatic,' Sabrina Albanese tells us, 'with the warmth of a well-worn private members club. The oak panelling gives the space structure and weight, while the green wallpaper above it softens the architecture and draws the eye around the room.'

Rich, cozy, and endlessly sophisticated, luxurious materials, moody colors, and ambient lighting are a match made in heaven in this space. 'It is a deep muted green with a blue, mineral undertone. Textural and very atmospheric rather than bright,' Sarah adds.

4. A Rich Red Kitchen That Exudes Luxury

In this colorful townhouse designed by Olivia Emery, vibrant colors were threaded throughout the home, but the rich burgundy kitchen stood out and left us pining for a comforting cooking space that invites and impresses.

While red has been quietly taking over kitchens for some time, this elegant cooking space feels entirely its own. Thanks to Farrow & Ball's Preference Red and Drop Cloth, as well as some rather luxurious green marble, it's the perfect balance of moody yet still open and bright.

'The color palette was inspired by a magazine clipping the client had of a red kitchen which was in our original discussion pile; we started by looking at greens and blues for the cabinets, but the space was asking for something a bit bolder,' explains Olivia Emery. 'The amazing worktop had already been chosen, and it felt a bit too safe to match with it, so we went for something which was such a contrast that they both spoke out in their own right.'

5. A Comforting All-Brown Sleep Space

Chocolate brown may be a popular fall color trend, but it's also a timeless color that can cocoon and enrich for autumn and beyond. This cozy bedroom is nestled within a Dallas home that brings two distinct tastes together, where the remodel centred on finding a harmonious balance between clients with very different design preferences.

'The palette really came from balancing the couple’s very different points of view. She gravitates toward something more feminine, with a bit of Marie Antoinette romance, while he prefers a more avant-garde approach,' Sara See of Sees Design explains.

'We started with a chocolate-brown raffia by CMO Paris to cocoon the room, then layered in softer, more romantic elements. The linen bed canopy feels intentionally relaxed, but we lined it in a Dedar silk moiré with matching trim to give it an unexpected layer of elegance. Custom monogrammed Leontine bed linens, toile-style drapery and a plum wool-flannel loveseat finished with Houlès trim add femininity, while the antique nightstands bring a sense of history. '

'The whole room became a balancing act between his and hers: romantic without being overly sweet,' adds Sara, 'and sophisticated without feeling too serious.'

6. A Sitting Room Layered with Gentle Pattern and Color

In this Sophie Garland-designed London townhouse, a cheerful plaster pink living room beckoned us to stay. While the pink walls are subtle and soothing, they're also just warm enough to gently enrich the room.

Sophie didn't just rely on classic paint ideas to introduce color; instead, she layered nostalgic patterns, vintage furniture, and vibrant soft furnishings for a dose of whimsy and lived-in charm. Cozy without feeling too seasonal, it's a lesson in using color timelessly, and keeping things inspiring and cheerful without straying too far into one feeling.

'I wanted a soft, pale pink that would bring warmth to the room while still feeling light and neutral,' Sophie Garland says. 'This provided a calm backdrop for the color and pattern introduced through the fabrics and artwork, allowing these elements to bring character and personality to the space without it feeling too busy.'

Each of these rooms uses colorful in its own unique way. From gentle, sage green schemes to spaces layered with a spectrum of rich browns, they prove the power of color in its many comforting forms.

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Design trends over the past few years have proven that a confident approach to decorating with color pays off, giving rooms a richness and depth that is difficult to achieve with neutrals. But even with this in mind, you're not alone if the idea of actually bringing bold colors into your home causes hesitation.

Thankfully, there are some simple decorating tricks you can employ to make bold colors feel balanced, livable, and even calm. It's not about shying away from bold colors or using them sparingly, but knowing how to use them within a whole-room palette to create harmony.

And so, if you're curious about how to pull off the boldest room colors confidently, read on to explore designers' seven tried-and-tested tips that help keep colorful spaces from looking chaotic.

1. Pay Attention to Paint Color Undertones

Paint ideas are one of the most impactful ways of decorating with bold color, so it's incredibly important to choose the right shade. Bold colors used on the walls, when chosen well, can result in a livable space that doesn't feel jarring, but you'll want to start by thinking about the light of your space and how you want it to feel.

'Undertones play a big role any time you are selecting a paint color,' says Arianna Barone, color expert at Benjamin Moore. 'If the room is very dimly lit and you are not bringing in extra artificial lighting, look to more of a midtone than deeper, richer hues. If the room receives a lot of natural light but you want it to feel more cocooning and comforting, then consider opting for deeper, darker hues.'

Sampling is especially important when decorating with bold paint colors, and you may be surprised by how differently they read in situ. 'When a bold color is chosen online or from a small swatch, it can feel striking at first glance, but it rarely reads the same across an entire room,' explains designer London Walder. 'Light changes it throughout the day, while surrounding materials and finishes influence how it feels.'

In this bedroom, designer Lindsey Herod opted for Sherwin-Williams' Bluebird Feather on the walls. Although bold and saturated, the space feels restful since it has been balanced with warm wood tones, textiles, and pattern, while the paint shade itself adds depth. Paler blue paints that lean more gray can often feel distant and flat in bedrooms – using bolder paint colors more confidently can actually end up feeling much cozier.

2. Choose the Right Paint Finish

Just like choosing the right paint shade is important when decorating with bold colors, so is choosing the right paint finish. Instead of defaulting to a matte finish, think about how it can enhance the color as it responds to light throughout the day.

In this living room, designer London Walder, principal designer and founder of London Walder Interior Design, used Sherwin-Williams' Black Fox, a warm-toned black paint, in an eggshell finish to create a moody, sophisticated feel. 'When working with bold colors, the finish is just as important as the color itself,' she says.

'The low sheen allows the richness and warmth of Black Fox to come through without excessive reflection or shine,' London explains. 'The subtle finish softens the overall effect of such a deep, saturated color, making it feel inviting rather than overwhelming. The goal was to embrace the room's proportions rather than fight them, creating a sense of warmth and calm while still making a bold design statement.'

'In a smaller room, the combination of a dark color and low sheen creates an enveloping, intimate atmosphere,' she adds. 'The understated finish allows the furnishings, patterns, and textures to provide contrast and dimension rather than competing with the walls.'

When using gloss finishes with dark paint colors, the effect will be much more dramatic, creating an almost mirror-like appearance. Both can work well – it just depends on how you want your space to feel.

3. Color-Drench Your Bold Paint Colors

Once you have decided on the best bold paint color and finish for your space, the next step is to consider how you will apply it. While it can be easy to assume that using your bold paint color sparingly, such as on an accent wall, will make things feel calm, the opposite is often true. Color-drenching, where the paint is used on the walls, joinery, woodwork, and doors, creates a wraparound effect that can actually make the color feel more livable.

'Color drenching creates a cohesive scheme, allowing the walls and woodwork to sit together rather than compete,' says designer Sarah Brown, who opted for this paint technique in this cozy living room. 'Sometimes with bold colors, you have to fully commit, and this technique is a great way to do that in a confident and considered way. It also helps the room feel more connected, while allowing furniture, artwork and accessories to stand out.'

'Carrying a bold color across the walls, trim, and ceiling reduces contrast, creating a surprisingly calm and cohesive environment,' agrees London Walder. 'When thoughtfully considered in context, even the boldest colors can feel timeless and livable for years to come.'

4. Repeat Your Bold Colors Throughout the Space

Using a bold color on the walls or as a piece of furniture doesn't mean you should avoid using it again – repeating the shade throughout the space brings harmony and can make the color more digestible. 'When a random bold hue shows up in a space with no other reference point in the home or the room, it confuses the senses,' says Lindsey. 'When I use a bold stroke of color, I make sure it finds its way into the room in a smaller way in a fabric or textile, for instance, or even artwork.'

While the dark green walls in this bathroom make a statement, the repetition of green – through the flooring and accent chair – gives it an intentional look.

When following this approach, colors don't need to match exactly – some tonal variation can add interest. 'What makes this room work so well is that none of the greens are an exact match,' says designer Lauren Saab. 'Each has its own tone and texture, which adds depth and keeps the room from feeling like the same shade of green is being repeated everywhere.'

To carry this out in your own home, focus on finding balance between the colorful elements. 'If everything is fighting for your attention, you've gone too far,' says Lauren. 'It's important to give the eye somewhere to rest, whether that's through a contrasting material or even a little negative space. You don't need to repeat a bold color in every corner of a room for it to feel cohesive.'

5. Create a Color Hierarchy With the 60-30-10 Rule

Creating a hierarchy between your room colors helps even the boldest of colors to feel balanced, rather than chaotic. One of the best color hierarchy formulas to follow is the 60-30-10 rule, which is demonstrated in this cozy bedroom.

'The 60-30-10 rule establishes a balanced color palette, with a dominant hue making up 60% of the space that sets the overall mood,' explains designer Erin Fearins, partner at Stollar Fearins Welch. 'A secondary color accounts for 30%, introducing depth and interest through either contrast or subtle tonal shifts. The final 10% offers an opportunity for an unexpected accent that brings personality to the room.'

'The 60-30-10 rule can provide a sense of balance without rigidity,' Erin adds. 'Tonal variety and subtle shifts in color allow a palette to feel layered and chic without being overly coordinated.'

In this bedroom, the color hierarchy started with the dark red walls. 'We embraced the 60-30-10 rule in this cozy bedroom by establishing a restful foundation with rich, sienna-colored walls,' Erin explains. 'Layers of complementary terracotta and umber colors introduce subtle tonal variation and depth, while unexpected berry hues in the silk bedding provide a pop of contrast that feels sophisticated yet playful.'

6. Balance Bold Colors With Neutrals

Decorating with neutrals shouldn't be forgotten when employing a bold palette – they can provide a visual break and add softness to the room. 'I love a room that embraces color, but I also think it's important to give that color a little breathing room,' says Ansley Majit, creative director at Lark + Palm Interiors. 'Neutrals can be helpful in creating that balance, allowing the stronger colors to shine without everything competing for attention.'

'If everywhere you turn there's another bold statement demanding your attention, you can start to feel a little assaulted by the room,' adds Ansley. 'There needs to be a moment of relief, somewhere for your eye to rest, so the color can really shine.'

That said, choosing the right neutral tones for your space is key. 'I'm always looking at how colors relate to one another rather than whether they technically match,' says Ansley. 'Undertones matter, but I don't always like everything to be perfectly coordinated. In fact, sometimes the most interesting combinations come from mixing warm and cool tones.'

'In this room, Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball has a beautiful dusty, moody quality to it, and the natural materials bring in warmth and texture without introducing another strong color,' she adds. 'There's a balance between the richness of the walls and the softness of the other elements that makes the room feel inviting rather than overly decorated.'

Remember that neutrals offer more variety than the traditional shades you might first think of, too. 'Neutral doesn't only mean beige or white,' says Ansley. 'Natural woods, woven textures, and even deeper, muddier tones can act as neutrals in a space. I think the goal is to create a room that is interesting to look at, but also comfortable to live in. You want the color to make an impression, not exhaust you.'

7. Add Natural Texture to Your Scheme

Balancing bold colors isn't just about the other colors in a room, but the textures, too. Wood tones, for example, bring a natural feel to rooms, allowing bold colors to work alongside them without taking over.

This library room demonstrates this balance between color and texture, with a dark green sofa and teal ceiling teamed with wood-paneled walls. 'The natural wood grounds the room with organic texture and tones, providing a neutral background that lets the bold colors shine without competing,' says architect and designer Nadia Palacios.

'When designing a room with bold colors, wood can act as a connective thread,' she adds. 'It’s a neutral tone for the stronger colors to stand out against, but it also creates a through-line.'

To keep things looking cohesive, look for shared undertones between the wood and bold colors. 'We always make sure the tone of the wood is reflected in selected colors and echoed in the other elements,' says Nadia. 'If the colors are warm, the wood should also be warm-toned. In this room, the central art piece, the ceiling paper, curtains, and throw pillows all play off the wood. It’s all about making bold choices while finding ways to connect them.'

How livable and balanced a room feels isn't just about which colors you use, but how you use them. When a room is decorated confidently with bold hues – using them to color-drench, repeat throughout the space, and sit alongside other colorful shades – the space feels like it has been designed with intention, while using neutrals and texture adds breathing room.

Whichever approach you go for, the key is to focus on creating relationships between each color, so the whole-room palette feels connected, rather than disjointed.

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How do you create a kitchen that has all the charm of an English country scheme without the architectural details that make these spaces so coveted? You take inspiration from the color palette, of course.

Country kitchen ideas are always a coveted style – now more than ever as homeowners want to create cooking spaces that feel warm and inviting. The materials are more natural, the finishes a little more rustic, and the kitchen colors undeniably softer. And while white, sage, and various shades of yellow have proved exceedingly popular recently, designers say apple green is the kitchen color trend that will bring the essence of an English country style into your home. Here's why this lesser-used hue is back in style, and how to decorate with it tastefully and timelessly.

There's something so instantly cozy about an English country kitchen. They always feel so homey, filled with natural wood details, a more lived-in style, and colors that reference the natural world. But the typical colors have become a little bit repetitive – especially when it comes to green.

Sage green has dominated in recent years, offering a soft hue that balances the richer wood tones. And while it might be a classic color, designers are starting to agree that it feels a bit obvious and overdone, especially as we head into 2027. But apple green feels new and exciting, or, in the words of interior designer Nels Crosthwaite Eyre, 'it’s fresh and doesn’t date.'

It's a color that hits that middle ground between bright greens and subtler, almost pastel shades. It retains the softness of sage yet feels more considered and rooted in country style. 'There is a certain softness that needs to be achieved when doing a countryside kitchen, and the apple tones hit the mark,' Nels adds.

Apple green isn't a singular shade. Much like different apple varieties, the tones vary from very pale to more saturated. 'It's not as vibrant or fresh as a minty green or sage, or as earthy as a deep yellow-based green (which I also love),' says Louise Robinson, Founder of Studio Marron. 'It brings a freshness which is light and pretty and perfectly suited to the traditional joinery so often found in an English country kitchen.'

'I love the hint of nostalgia apple green brings to a kitchen,' she continues. 'It reminds me of cozy country cottages and connects beautifully with the garden without feeling overpowering or overly vibrant. They never get old – apple green, for me, is timeless.'

For a stronger take on the trend, look to shades like Benjamin Moore's Apple Green and Apple Lime Cocktail, or Behr's Sparkling Apple. These tones are the strongest of the apple green palette and bring a striking contrast to natural wood tones and neutrals throughout the design.

If you prefer the paler iterations of the palette, Farrow & Ball's Cooking Apple Green reads beautifully in light and dark rooms, while Green Ground offers a lightened version of the classic, giving darker kitchens an instant lift. Benjamin Moore's Apple Blossom offers a slightly muddier version of apple green that feels right at home in a country kitchen, and Sherwin-Williams' Apple Slice is the palest of shades, reading almost yellow in some lights.

The colors you pair each shade with will also have an impact. Used alongside warm white, your kitchen scheme will feel crisp and fresh, perfectly balanced through the seasons. Soft blues and yellow with apple green create that more traditional country aesthetic, while richer tones like brown and orange add a richer, more fall-adjacent feel.

How you introduce apple green to your kitchen is a personal preference. Painted cabinetry is a classic choice, while painted walls paired with neutral cabinets offer a more playful balance, especially if you have paneled kitchen walls. You can even go bold and color-drench your entire kitchen – Louise recommends painting all the millwork apple green for 'maximum impact.'

'I like to be bold with color, so whether it's joinery or walls, it makes an impact,' Nels explains, noting that subtler infusions are just as stylish. 'If you are more cautious, you could bring it in through light fittings and lampshades or window treatments. Even a small nod, like a seat cushion, would work too.'

Shop the Look

Green kitchen ideas are always in style, but apple tones are a less expected way to bring this timeless palette into your kitchen. Really consider how you bring apple green into your kitchen, the shades you choose, and the colors you pair it with – these details will all impact how this emerging hue will feel.

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Mint green may once have been dubbed dated, associated with midcentury bathroom suites and Formica kitchen cabinets, but it's making a quieter, more sophisticated comeback in 2027. While the powdery hue has retro connotations, designers are revisiting this fresh but soft shade in more subtle, timeless ways, turning mint green from sickly sweet to endlessly chic.

From pale powdery greens that shift in the light to minty fresh paints infused with blue, there's a reason mint green is becoming one of the biggest color trends of 2027. Here's how designers are using it in their schemes.

While mint green can read a little sweet, beside organic wood tones and bronze hardware, it transforms into a fresh, sophisticated, and surprisingly timeless shade.

'This color was the dominant color in my client's kitchen,' says interior designer Chauncey Booth, 'which is the central room of the house and one that opens up to many different living spaces. It's a color that had to mix well with various different elements. This powdery blue-green pairs beautifully with the rusty orange and saffron hues of the living room and dining room, but also offers a quiet, paler contrast to the mossy greens and petrol blues of the adjacent family room.'

'To me, green is always a neutral and its effect really depends on how you use it,' Chauncey says. 'Mint green, when combined with other pastels or pinks, can read preppy and sometimes childish, but when you pair it with bronzes, browns and olive tones, it becomes a much more sophisticated color. I think recent trends push it in the direction of the latter, which is why you're seeing more successful uses of mint.'

If you admire the grounding powers of sage green, mint is an equally soothing, more unique alternative with a crisper edge. Unlike sage green paints, mint green has a blue undertone that gives it a fresh feel. When applied to cabinetry, it adds a playful, unexpected edge to hardworking spaces that are in need of a little vibrancy.

'This paint color (pictured above) is a lacquered finish of Benjamin Moore's Pleasant Valley,' says interior designer Lindley Arthur. 'The color was inspired by the background of the IKSEL dining wallpaper in the adjoining dining room. We also loved the crisp feel of it against the connecting kitchen, which is classic white with touches of walnut.'

'The shade sits somewhere between green and blue, both of which are heavily used in interior spaces,' Lindley adds. 'Mint is fresh, crisp and unexpected – and grounded enough to not read too sweet.'

Mint green can read almost neutral at times, too. Paler versions of the minty hue are surprisingly subtle and can cocoon a room in gentle saturation that quietly sings in the background.

'I find pale minty green to be an amazingly flexible color, almost like a neutral,' interior designer Brandon Schubert says. 'It can span from one room to the next without feeling overwhelming. And it’s very easy to mix other colors in with it. So for this space (pictured above), we had two connecting rooms. I wanted them to be decorated in the same color, and I didn’t want to use white. I chose to paint the kitchen joinery in the same color to create a feeling of contemporary uniformity in the more traditional interior.'

'This is Farrow & Ball Blue Gray, which is a magical color that shifts from green to blue depending on the light,' Brandon says. 'It’s so easy to work with. It’s fresh and happy while not overwhelming. It’s a color you can really live in. Day after day, without getting tired of it.'

On the other end of the color spectrum lie bold mint greens designed to stand out. Infused with blue tones, Appalachian Trail by Benjamin Moore might be an unexpected living room color choice, but in this modern heritage-style living room, it sings with the antique furniture and natural light.

'Mint green is a refreshing twist that brings real vibrancy into the scheme. While it's not a shade typically used in a traditional living room, it balances out the more classic, vintage details. 'We were drawn to the idea of a paint color that felt both historic and fresh as the backdrop to the collection of antique mahogany furniture that our client sought to incorporate from her family,' says interior designer Sarah Vaile.

'Mint green is naturally beautiful, as the name suggests, and also pairs well with a lot of warm tones. It is steeped in history, with its use dating back to Ancient Greece and Egypt,' she adds.

The Mint Green Edit

While mint green has retro connotations, in 2027, designers are using it to breathe life and freshness into their schemes. In traditional interiors, it provides balance and contrast, and in modern schemes, it brings an all-important dose of freshness and tranquillity.

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When it comes to making a room more exciting, more interesting, color is often the go-to. How do you add instant depth to a neutral room? The answer is so often through bolder color. But when vibrancy and saturation aren't the aim, and you want to keep things as clean, serene, and neutral as can be, what can you rely on instead?

Interior designers say it's all about using the right textures, tones, and time-worn pieces to create layers of comfort and character within your scheme. From drenching your walls in the perfect off-white paint to creating warm pockets with lighting, making a white room feel cozy and interesting without relying on just more color is possible – and it lies in these five simple steps.

1. Opt for an 'Off-White' Paint As the Base

Instead of drenching your walls in brilliant white paint, introduce an off-white that's infused with warmer undertones. This will give you a great base for building a warm and layered but still neutral white room.

'White is one of the most versatile colors; it can be used as both a striking main color or a quieter highlight, yet it is often one of the trickiest shades to choose,' explains Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director of Little Greene. 'Because there are so many nuances and hues, finding the perfect tone of white can be challenging. I recommend starting with the orientation of your room and the times of day you use it. Consider the amount and direction of light entering the space, and if you will be using it in daylight or with the lights on; these factors can completely alter the appearance of a color.'

'An all-over white paint scheme will provide a bright, fresh finish. However, true brilliant whites can feel harsh and sterile. Slightly softer ‘off-whites’ are far easier on the eye,' Ruth adds. 'With a suffused brightness, Haye White was created in pursuit of a great ‘everywhere white’; a softer, warmer alternative to Umber-toned Slaked Lime and Ochre-based Silent White. The new Haye White is perfectly balanced with a touch of both umber and ochre. As it features such a small amount of ochre, you get a warm, easy-on-the-eye white rather than a cream, and because it’s yellow ochre and not a ‘yellow’ pigment, it creates a natural feel with a little warmth from the redness in the ochre.'

2. Incorporate Warm Lighting

We hear the term 'pop' of color a lot, but instead of scattering bold doses of color through soft furnishings or artwork that will clash with your neutral palette, focus on creating warmth and interest with lighting instead. Layering different types of living room lighting creates a lived-in, cozy feel in even the most minimal spaces.

'Lighting plays a huge role in making a neutral space feel warm and inviting rather than critical,' says interior designer Abbie Naber. 'Incorporating warm white lighting (2700-3000K), layering the light sources (wall sconces added in with table and floor lamps), and adding subtle accent lighting creates depth and a softer atmosphere. Allowing natural light in can add dimension and bring texture to otherwise simple surfaces,' she adds. 'The goal is to create a space that feels warm, layered, and nuanced.'

3. Add 'Tonal Textures'

Texture in interior design is always important, but in white rooms where color is limited, it's crucial. 'Minimalist spaces are most successful when they are layered with natural materials and subtle texture,' say Genevieve Webb and Ashley Mutch of Feather Hill Interiors. 'We like to start with a clean foundation of soft neutrals, then bring in warmth through stone, wood, metal, and tactile textiles. A sculptural piece, whether it is a chair, a sofa, a light fixture, or a hand-formed ceramic, can create interest without overcrowding the space, keeping everything clean, open, and intentional.'

'While neutral palettes remain gorgeous, timeless, and elegant, layering textures within those neutral tones is key to avoiding a flat, dull feel,' agrees Jordan Yasgoor, Creative Director of Reid Witlin Textiles. 'In both hospitality and residential design, we're seeing spaces come alive through materials like bouclé, raw woods, honed stone, soft linens, and matte ceramics. One of my favorite minimalist approaches is starting with a soft neutral base and adding tonal textures – think a chunky knit throw on a linen sofa, or a vintage patterned rug over a light wood floor.'

4. Use Greenery to Add Natural Colors

Decorating with plants invites rich green tones into a room, perfect for creating some contrast against white walls or neutral furniture. It creates some variety without compromising the serene, chaos-free feel of an all-white room.

'Bringing the outdoors in is a technique I use to bring warmth and coziness to a space,' says Leigh Kirby of Weatherleigh Interiors. 'Personally, I like to incorporate wood, stone, metals, branches, or florals to create a calming and tranquil environment. I find that warmth is enhanced when utilizing materials found in nature or colors that mimic the exterior landscape. This is why you find so many spas or wellness centers that infuse elements of nature in their design. And who doesn't love their home feeling like a spa-like retreat?!'

5. Bring In Vintage Details

Last but by no means least, decorate with vintage. Adding characterful, pre-loved pieces almost always gives a scheme a familiar, nostalgic feel that can instantly make it feel more authentic. White rooms lack the comfort and saturation that color provides, so embracing a little patina is a clever replacement.

A gilded gold mirror can quickly add contrast to a blank white wall and introduce subtle shine and color without standing out from the rest of the scheme. Similarly, vintage furniture, like a low-slung midcentury armchair or a rustic wooden armoire, gives a room a sense of story and character that makes it feel instantly more layered.

To make a white room feel less clinical (without relying on color), find alternative ways to evoke the comfort and character that come with vibrant hues. In this case, it's using preloved pieces to create layers of character and personality.

The Cozy Neutral Shopping Edit

Making a white room less clinical starts by selecting a warm white or neutral base and layering soft, organic textures on top. Comforting lighting should fill as much of the room as possible, and sizeable plants will bring a grounding feel that offsets the clinical connotations of white schemes. To finish off the look, introduce at least one vintage piece, whether it's a piece of furniture or a statement painting to anchor the room.

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Benjamin Moore just released the 'Feels Like Fall' palette, a seasonal whole-home color scheme inspired by the organic tones that surround us during this time of year. While the palette features a few typical hues that crop up in fall color schemes (burnt oranges and burgundy, we're looking at you), timeless warm neutrals and deeper shades create plenty of balance.

'When you think of fall, certain colors like taupe, amber, burgundy, and persimmon often come to mind,' Arianna Barone, Color Marketing Manager at Benjamin Moore, tells Homes & Gardens. 'Those are the colors we tend to see a lot of through this season change. We wanted to create a color palette that stretched a bit outside of that but still had the cozy, inviting feeling that comes inherently with fall. You have those more iconic fall shades, and those that feel a bit more unexpected but still cohesive. The neutrals bring the balance and versatility to an otherwise saturated palette.'

Featuring a scattering of the usual fall color trends and some unexpected additions, the palette balances freshness with moody, rich tones. 'Because the palette isn’t filled with only fall foliage colors, that prevents it from feeling overly seasonal,' Arianna explains. 'When we create these seasonal palettes, the expectation isn’t that people will repaint their homes every season, but if they are trying to create that feeling that fall gives, these are good colors to consider.'

'While these colors could all work together in a space, I would choose one for the walls and bring in the other colors through artwork, textiles, accents, etc,' she adds. 'These colors could also serve as a beautiful whole-home palette offering a charming color flow from room to room.'

First in the mix is the earthy red paint, Southwest Pottery. Its faded finish creates a softer, more subtle look that makes walls drenched in burgundy feel less overwhelmed and dark, perfect for small rooms or spaces that lack daylight. 'A nuanced hue that captures the warmth of brown and red-toned kiln-fired clay, Southwest Pottery is a red-based brown that brings warmth and presence to a space,' says Helen Shaw, Director of Marketing (International), Benjamin Moore. 'Pair it with muted cream tones for an elegant, timeworn feel, or introduce rich bronze accents to bring a touch of Old World opulence.'

A fall palette wouldn't be complete without a brown-infused orange. Refreshingly, Greenfield Pumpkin feels more like a warm neutral than your stereotypical pumpkin orange, making it a timeless shade that lasts beyond fall. 'Greenfield Pumpkin is a deep, distinguished shade with warm yellow and brown undertones,' Helen says. 'Its richness brings depth and dimension to a room, but balancing it with a warm, sandy beige or an almost-neutral green keeps the scheme feeling relaxed rather than overtly seasonal.'

To balance the warmer, richer hues, there's a trusty neutral paint throw in the mix, too. The ultimate beige, Benjamin Moore's Manchester Tan is a liveable alternative, perfect for pairing alongside the red, deep green, or orange for balance. 'Manchester Tan is a fresh, sophisticated beige inspired by stately sandstone façades,' says Helen. 'Delicate green-brown undertones give this soft neutral added depth, while pairing it with a feathery light blue creates a calm, airy feel in a bedroom or bathroom. In a living room or dining room, introduce rich brick through upholstery, curtains, or accent furniture for added warmth and contrast.'

Manchester Tan is not the only neutral in the Feels Like Fall palette. A warm gray paint brings a clean simplicity to counteract the bolder autumnal hues. Bridging the gap between the red and deep browns, its purple undernotes bring a real sense of cohesion. 'Hints of violet and brown bring a velvety richness to Elephant Gray, giving this medium gray a modern, sophisticated feel,' Helen adds. 'Pair it with a cool, dark blue-gray for a scheme that feels refined and quietly dramatic, or use it alongside softer neutrals to create a more understated backdrop.'

An almost black paint with a rich brown finish is the moodiest out of the six shades. 'Black Bean Soup is a rich black grounded by brown undertones, offering warmth and depth while retaining the versatility of a neutral,' Helen says. 'It’s an ideal choice for spaces where a bolder backdrop is needed, from cozy snugs to characterful kitchens. For maximum impact, use it across the walls, ceiling and woodwork to create an enveloping, cocoon-like finish, then layer in rich furnishings, soft lighting and candlelight for a warm winter retreat.'

Last is a dark green hue that evokes a real seasonal feel, reminiscent of wintry pine trees. 'A dark, muted olive green inspired by the lush rolling hills of the Italian countryside, Tuscany Green is rich, warm and naturally grounding,' she adds. 'Use it on its own in a home office or kitchen for a more enveloping feel, or soften the look with a muted sage green with a soothing gray cast. It’s a good example of how deeper, autumn-inspired shades can feel timeless when balanced with quieter tones.'

Benjamin Moore's 'Feels Like Fall' palette is the perfect balance of seasonal and livable. Yes, there's a scattering of deep oranges and earthy reds, but it's balanced by timeless neutrals that make the palette feel enduring, classic, and refreshingly far from stereotypical.

'These six shades capture the warmth and richness we naturally gravitate towards in autumn, while offering a more considered take on traditional fall color,' Helen explains. 'The palette brings together deep neutrals, earthy tones, and softer, muted hues, creating a versatile collection that can be layered together or used individually throughout the home.'

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Benjamin Moore has just announced 'Webster Green' as its Color of the Year for 2027. Moody, rich, and effortlessly luxurious, the deep forest green hue offers a glimpse of the colors set to dominate the scene next year.

While it's not the first green color of the year for 2027 (a spectrum of greens from calming sages to earthy khakis have debuted so far), it's unique in its depth and richness, a sophisticated jewel-tone that exudes quiet, timeless luxury.

Helen Shaw, Director of Marketing at Benjamin Moore, tells Homes & Gardens, 'Webster Green is a quintessential green that bridges timeless design with contemporary aesthetics. Benjamin Moore selected it as Color of the Year 2027 for its sophisticated composure that enlivens and adapts across design styles. This color nods to timeless palettes that have shaped interior design, yet supports the current desire for trusted, grounded hues that create distinctive and noteworthy spaces.'

'Webster Green is a confident hue with undeniable personality; this quintessential green transcends styles and timeframes with ease,' Helen continues. 'From its presence in Benjamin Moore's archival hand-drawn renderings to forward-thinking points of inspiration, Webster Green exemplifies enduring relevance and classic appeal through the ebb and flow of trend cycles while anchoring and elevating a thoughtfully curated palette of colors.'

A timeless paint color rooted in heritage yet just as fresh and grounding as more vibrant hues, Webster Green strikes a balance between classic and current – an on-trend color for 2027, but a timeless choice too. 'Webster Green embraces heritage while encouraging personalization and a contemporary view,' Helen adds. 'It celebrates a classically inspired hue that homeowners and designers are drawn to time after time, whether as a standalone color or paired with other colors and materials for spaces filled with character. Webster Green and its complementary hues are relied upon to create versatile, lasting interiors that transcend color trend cycles.'

'Webster Green reflects this timeless appeal by pairing reassuring stability with optimistic energy. Its composed nature feels both rooted and forward-looking, while enhancing spaces that feel distinctive, collected and continually new,' she adds.

When decorating with greens like this moody forest hue, pull tones from Benjamin Moore's 2027 Color Trends palette for balance and harmony. Made up of soothing neutrals (White Down, Antique Copper and Shakespeare Tan), grounding pastels (Nelson Blue and Wild Aster) and deep jewel tones (Durango and Townsend Harbor Brown), it's designed to make this deep forest green as livable as it can be.

'Webster Green sits at the core of the 2027 Color Trends palette,' Helen explains, 'surrounded by seven complementary hues that demonstrate the breadth and versatility of this confident shade. Tawny browns, dusky pastels, softened off-whites and sophisticated ochres come to the fore, creating a palette that takes cues from the past while expressing a fresh and on-trend presence today. Together, they offer a considered approach to color, with plenty of scope for creating spaces that feel both characterful and enduring.'

'Webster Green is an incredibly versatile shade and can be used in a number of ways depending on the feel you want to create. For a more immersive look, try color drenching a study, or introduce it through kitchen cabinetry for a little more character. It also works particularly well alongside cozy off-white with featherlight softness such as White Down, which can be used on woodwork, doors and skirting to soften a hallway. In a bedroom, pairing Webster Green walls with warm white woodwork and a watery pale blue ceiling creates a subtle contrast, bringing freshness and definition to the scheme.'

The Webster Green Edit

Greens seem to be ruling the roost in 2027, and for good reason. Webster Green is moody, rich, and enduringly sophisticated, perfect for bringing a dose of heritage into your space while keeping things fresh and modern in keeping with this year's color trends.

'For 2027, color trends are moving beyond fleeting moments, instead focusing on hues that earn their place in the home,' Helen adds. 'While microtrends come and go, there is a growing desire for homes to be intentional, enduring and deeply personal. This shift places greater emphasis on color families that have stood the test of time, continuing to evolve beautifully with each new era.'

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There's a regal new red coming for oxblood in 2027. Mylands has just named Huguenot™ No.49, a sumptuously moody, deeply characterful crimson, its Color of the Year. And in a sea of cliched-to-death oxbloods and screaming scarlets, it does actually feel quite fresh. Which is funny, considering it's been sitting in the archives of a paintmaker founded in 1884.

Wealth. Power. Passion. Crimson is historic shorthand for all of the above, and it’s not just Mylands resurrecting this forgotten colorway. It’s all over Lulu and Georgia’s new collection, from "Crimson Rider" wall art and button-tufted Talcott Striped Pillows to a charming bead-legged side table collaboration with designer to the stars Heidi Caillier. But crimson is cropping up in more humble corners, too. On Wayfair, washable, antique-style rugs abound, adding a rich touch to the kitchen or laundry room. It even served as the color pop of choice alongside grass-court green in Venus Williams’s court-centric collaboration with Crate & Barrel.

What makes this storied shade feel novel, then, might be less about the shade itself but the company it keeps. Or, more interestingly, the colors it's replacing. Mylands calls crimson a fresh alternative not just to cliched-to-death oxbloods, but to blues and greens, as color trends move away from cooler tones and toward warmer, heritage-inspired shades. The new neutral?

So, no: crimson isn’t just for Christmas. Or even fall-winter, for that matter. Shop the new moody hue du jour.

The Round is Homes & Gardens' collection of the must-have pieces shaping styles, trends, and ideas. It brings together thoughtfully curated products that express a single moment – offering readers inspiring ways to style their homes through seasonal themes, emerging looks, and everyday pieces.

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Looking over the houses we have featured recently, there is one detail that so many have in common. Color, yes, but more specifically, color used on built-in bookcases and shelving – turning them into vibrant feature walls that give rooms personality and depth.

While we have seen plenty of color drenching over walls, it's proving an impactful way to transform a bookshelf into something a little more special. These corners are chances to channel our creativity and get adventurous with bold, inspiring colors that become the perfect backdrop to collections and decor. From rooms wrapped in color to alcoves fitted with bold shelving, this is how designers are using this bookshelf trend.

For rooms with walls drenched in moody tones, colorful shelving provides a vibrant contrast. In the room pictured above, Tamsin Saunders, founder of Home & Found, used a bold red to bring a playful edge to the scheme. 'The house needed color,' Tamsin explains. 'All the walls and all the furniture were shades of gray, and it was feeling very sad and unloved. Color is such an important part of a home – it is the biggest determinant in how a room feels.'

'This small study, on the north side of the house, was white and empty save for a large eighteenth-century mahogany linen press which dominated the room,' she continues. 'I wanted it to feel snug and cozy – the kind of room you would want to hunker down in. I painted the walls a soft plum to absorb the weight and solidity of the armoire and the bespoke joinery (shelves and desk) red to blend with and in response to that.'

While each color works hard to bring comfort and coziness, the shelving brings a real enticement to the space. Paired with the moody plum walls and mustard fireplace, it's the perfect balance of characterful and fresh.

Color-drenched shelving isn't just a way to create a section or 'pop' of color; it's an opportunity to transform a blank wall into a vibrant statement that anchors the room.

This pink and green built-in bookcase becomes the focus of the living room. 'The client is an author, so she wanted to create a dedicated space to house all her books alongside a spot for her piano,' explains Jo Beresford and Anna Butler, founders of Beresford Butler. 'We started by showing her a beautiful Designers Guild fabric to cover the piano stool, and the color palette started from there. Rather than painting the entire room green, we wanted the interior inserts of the shelving to be painted in Farrow & Ball's Lake Red to beautifully frame and show off her collection of books and artifacts.'

'A bold, colorful bookshelf is a brilliant way to use color when you want to add impact and personality but feel slightly nervous about committing to a full room,' Jo and Anna say. 'It also looks really smart and can elevate some quite simple, inexpensive shelving. Highlighting architectural features can be just as impactful; we love introducing two contrasting colors if possible because it creates wonderful depth.'

While color-drenching is impactful, it can also create balance. In this library, the deep green shelves feel harmonious, rather than overwhelming. 'In this room, because the walls are lined with bookcases, the dose of color isn’t small, but it is effective,' explains Elizabeth Macfarlane, co-founder of Macfarlane Van Der Heul. 'It delivers real impact – instant mood. At the same time, counter-intuitively, color drenching the bookcases has a calming effect in this room.'

'Books are wonderfully colorful, but en masse against white shelving, their spines can feel busy – colors, images and typefaces competing for attention,' Elizabeth says. 'The green here creates visual balance, a place for the eye to rest and makes the collection feel composed rather than cluttered.'

'We wanted to create a room in the spirit of a traditional gentleman’s library and began with a desk with a lovely green tooled leather top. The particular shade of olive we chose for the joinery is from COAT paints. It’s called East for Trees and has just the right nostalgic masculine feel – evoking the green baize of card and billiards tables and the green of cloth-bound books.'

'Color drenching the joinery here does more than add color; it draws attention to the decorative detail,' Elizabeth adds. 'The paneled cupboards, the cornice, the library lights and the papered ceiling. It also draws attention to a very personal collection of books and objects. The result is a room not only with color, but architectural presence and personality.'

Bold bookcases aren't just about introducing color into your scheme; they are a way to create a visual statement and change the mood of a room. 'Be brave and bold,' advises Tamsin. 'Don't wimp out with painting only tiny sections of ‘color' – think of the whole room as your canvas – gentle tonal shifts even in stronger colors will look a lot softer and gentler than big jumps from one color to another.'

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At this time of year, warmer tones tend to dominate the conversation – yellows, oranges, reds, and browns – all very cozy hues, as you would expect to be drawn to as we head into the cooler months. However, this year, an unexpectedly cool-toned, zingy shade is squeezing in among the typical colors of the season.

Not a classically 'fall' color, cornflower blue has been getting an honorable mention whenever we speak with designers about the color trends for the year ahead. Not quite a light blue and not quite a vibrant cobalt, it's a very livable, mid-toned blue that's calming and cocooning while also feeling fresh and uplifting. Here's how designers are using this uplifting color in their schemes.

In this light-filled kitchen, a cornflower-blue range and hood stand proud at the center. 'The cornflower blue really came from the clients,' explains its designer, William Lyon. 'Early on, they told me they wanted a cornflower-blue oven and range hood, and I knew immediately that they weren’t afraid of color. From there, the palette grew around that sense of optimism.'

'We balanced the blue with warm woods, natural stone, brass, and softer, quieter tones so it could be a strong point of view without feeling disconnected from the rest of the home,' William explains. 'The goal was always for the house to feel bright, cheerful, and full of personality, but still comfortable enough for everyday family life.'

'I believe that blue behaves like a neutral when you give it the right things to live alongside. Rather than repeating the exact same shade everywhere, I like to let a bold blue have its moment and then surround it with warmer, more natural materials. That contrast keeps the color from feeling too precious or overly coordinated. A room feels calming when there’s balance. You can absolutely make one confident choice; everything around it doesn’t have to compete for attention.'

Cornflower blue is undeniably vibrant, but paired with warm white paints and eclectic decor, it feels remarkably uplifting, perfect for cheering up our homes in the colder months.

This colorful living room features Farrow & Ball's Bothy Blue, a cheery, ultramarine paint. 'It is a vibrant, uplifting color with an inherently happy feel, but it has an underlying elegance due to its deeply saturated tone, which typifies its thoughtful historic roots,' explains Joa Studholme, Farrow & Ball's Color Curator. 'Such a strong tone should be used with restraint – moderation is the key. If you drenched a whole room in this color it would be overpowering and uncomfortable, so it's a great choice for woodwork combined with a neutral soft wall or for furniture.'

'I would advise not to use this color with a bright white on your ceiling or trim – the contrast will be too stark, and the room will look unsophisticated. A complementary white like Shaded White or School House White will result in a much more considered space.'

While cornflower blue can overwhelm small rooms, it can also give them a real sense of purpose and permanence. Whether it's a powder room or a small study, committing to a bold, playful shade like cornflower gives these 'secondary' spaces just as much presence within our homes.

'This is the guest bedroom in a very hardworking annex space,' says Jennifer Pelzig, the designer behind Parnsip Design. 'The room is very small, but it was important that it felt considered and not an afterthought to the main house. The color-drenched cornflower blue is both peaceful and cocooning, creating an inviting space for guests to retreat to.'

'The right shade of blue is important; natural shades that can be found in nature are more soothing to the eye,' adds Jennifer. 'In this small space, there is very little else other than the bed in the room, so we color-drenched the ceiling for maximum impact.'

The Cornflower Blue Edit

Cornflower blue is an elegant room color idea that brings real cheer to homes. Yes, it's a little bold, but paired with layers of organic materials, warm neutral tones, and a touch of eclectic decor, it's a vibrant, playful twist on all the usual fall color trends.

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British paint brand Little Greene has announced Marle, a soft mid-brown paint, as its Color of the Year 2027. While it's technically a neutral, this gentle, clay-inspired hue couldn't be further from boring; it balances sophistication with just the right amount of moodiness.

Marle isn't the first brown in the Color of the Year 2027 line-up so far (Dunn-Edward's French Press Coffee made its debut last week); it's unique in its layered, complex nature, designed to bring an effortlessly lived-in feel to every interior.

'Heavy on yellow ochre but with plenty of black to desaturate and soften, and a touch of red oxide to offset the greening of these two pigments, Marle is a perfectly balanced mid-tone brown paint, making it easy to incorporate in any scheme,' Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene, tells Homes & Gardens. 'Containing a touch of red alongside rich golden yellow hues, Marle feels naturally present and connected to a variety of other colors within a room.'

While 'safe' neutral tones have shifted away from recent color trends, Marle balances being both deep and interesting with being livable and versatile. Yes, it's a brown paint, but its rich undertones make it just as characterful as the bolder hues we are seeing rise in popularity. Designed to cocoon light-filled, open spaces, and bring warmth and saturation to rooms tighter on square footage, it's just as versatile as a an off-white or beige paint.

'Gone are the associations of dated 1970s interiors and drab or dull spaces; it is wonderful to see browns such as our Color of the Year for 2027, Marle, re-taking their rightful place in contemporary interiors,' says Ruth. 'Browns are being embraced and recognized as warm, earthy and indulgent shades. Due to their gentle and subdued nature, Brown-based hues can be used in every room of the home; they are the perfect choice for bedrooms, bathrooms and living rooms, or any space where you wish to create a restful atmosphere.'

The beauty of Marle is that it can warm a space and create a cozy feel without dominating small spaces. When decorating with browns like Marle, pair them with fiery, orange-infused reds for contrast or gentle, plaster pinks for a soft, cocooning color scheme. It works with organic colors too, like grounding greens that bring out its earthiness.

'A combination we see so often in nature, mid-tone brown Marle will also partner beautifully with greens,' Ruth advises. 'Pair it with the vibrant Boxington to provide a subtle nod to nature, which will work wonderfully alongside natural materials such as stone, wood, wicker or rattan finishes.'

'For a playful approach,' she adds, 'consider pairing with gentle pinks such as Mochi. I love to see this pairing used in surprising settings such as kitchens, where the grounding nature of Marle will add gravitas and sophistication to the light-hearted and whimsical use of pink.'

Neutrals like Marle may be overshadowed as brighter, bolder color choices dominate interior design trends, but Ruth says these balanced neutrals are coming back.

'Over the past few years, we have seen color trends move through rich blues into teals, then softer, nature-based greens, before moving towards stone-based neutrals and richer caramel tones,' Ruth explains. 'Recently, we have seen a shift to mid-tones, balanced colors, gentler, yet still characterful shades with less intensity, where the saturation is turned down.'

'We have seen a shift; colors are becoming very balanced, neither too cool nor too warm! If they were to sit on the PH scale, they would sit at 5 or 6. Our new mid-tone brown, Marle, embodies this approach; it will add depth without overpowering a scheme. It is a quietly confident shade that adds character whilst allowing other design elements, be they patterns, colors or textures, to shine.'

Little Greene's Color of the Year for 2027 couldn't be more classic. It's a mid-tone that's saturated and rich, without straying into moody. 'Marle feels sumptuous and impactful, yet relaxed and grounded, Ruth adds. 'It is the perfect brown for creating spaces that feel intimate and cocooning, whilst exuding warmth and comfort.'

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There are few decor ideas as effective at transforming a room as a fresh coat of paint. And while your choice of paint color sets the mood, the most stylish rooms are embracing creative ways of using that color that go far beyond painting four walls.

From tonal interpretations of color drenching, high-gloss finishes, and painting often-overlooked architectural details in a room, 2027 is looking to be a color-confident year when it comes to using paint. Not only do these new ways of painting a room add design flair, but they can make spaces feel far more atmospheric.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we caught up with designers to get the lowdown on the paint trends predicted to lead the way. Below, you can browse each of them for some fresh paint inspiration while getting useful tips from designers on how to pull them off successfully and the color trends that make them shine.

1. Gloss Finishes

Recent years have seen plenty of appeal for decorating with dark paints, bringing a moody and immersive feel to rooms, but as we head toward 2027, designers are taking this a step further with gloss paint finishes. Not only does this give a room more dimension by reflecting light around the space, but it adds another layer of drama and intrigue.

In this living room, the NYC-based designer Jennifer Hunter chose Farrow & Ball's 'Brinjal' to drench the room (along with a fun floral wallpapered ceiling) in a 'Full Gloss' finish. 'I love how reflective a full gloss finish is and how it changes throughout the day,' she says. 'In natural light, it’s incredibly reflective, bouncing light around the room and keeping the space feeling light and bright. At night, it takes on a completely different mood. The sheen catches the warm glow of lamps and sconces and makes the walls feel almost luminous. It adds so much depth and dimension to a room, and I love the way it makes the color feel that much richer.' To achieve that much-desired rich coverage look, prep your walls first with Farrow & Ball's Wall and Ceiling Primer.

While it could be tempting to coat the ceiling in the same dark hue, Jennifer advises a lighter approach on the ceiling when using gloss paint finishes. 'One of my favorite tricks is to keep the ceiling white, which gives the eye a place to rest and helps balance all of the sheen on the walls,' she says. 'If I’m feeling a little more adventurous, I’ll wallpaper the ceiling with a pattern on a white ground. You still get that light, airy feeling overhead, but the wallpaper adds another layer of interest without competing with the glossy walls.'

2. Colorful Trimwork

While trimwork is often painted default white – whether that be in neutral rooms or those with more colorful walls – designers are proving that this isn't a surface to forget about. In 2027, expect to see the boldest of colors used on architectural details, from door frames and baseboards to window frames and paneling.

In this colorful living room, the red window frames not only add a fun pop of color, but they create a cohesive look alongside the warm-toned cork wallpaper. 'White would have distracted from the rich colors of the room and made it look busy,' says the Boston-based designer Cecilia Casagrande.

When choosing a color for the trim, Cecilia usually takes inspiration from the decor. 'I generally pull a color from either the wallpaper, window treatment, sofa, or art in the room,' she explains. 'And of course, making sure it is either a nice complement or contrast to the wall. The in-between can be wishy-washy.'

Don't forget to use a good Painter's Masking Tape when painting architectural details to achieve a neat edge.

3. Tonal Color-Drenching

Color drenching has arguably been the biggest paint trend over the last few years. In rebellion against the controversial accent wall, color drenching provides a more modern, cohesive way of decorating with paint where the same shade is used all over a room. But as we look ahead to 2027, designers are taking the sentiment of this popular paint trend and adding more depth and movement by using a mix of tonal shades.

At first glance, you may think this living room is drenched in one color, but there are actually three different shades (and finishes) used. On the walls, Benjamin Moore's 'Robin's Nest' was used in an eggshell finish, 'Copper Patina' in a high-gloss finish on the molding and trim, and 'Par Four' in a flat finish on the ceiling.

'I wanted this room to feel completely immersive and transportive,' says designer Avery Cox, based in Austin. 'Drenching the room in these robin’s egg blues and pale gray greens helped to distort the experience of being in the space by altering the white balance completely and flooding the visual sense with color.'

'Color drenching shouldn't be interpreted literally,' she adds. 'Every room still needs some contrast, so choosing one color and finish for a room devoid of other elements may not give you what you’re looking for. Plan to use a few different finishes and tones near the original color to provide a bit of contrast. Adding structure to the room through applied molding or paint applied as architecture helps make the space feel more dynamic and layered.'

Looking for help choosing colors? Benjamin Moore's Classics fan deck allows you to compare similar shades, so you can see how they appear alongside each other before purchasing.

4. Colorful Joinery

In the same spirit as a more colorful approach to trimwork, designers are making way for a new paint trend: colorful joinery. Rather than painting joinery, such as built-ins and shelving, the same color as the walls or defaulting to a neutral tone, a much more impactful look can be achieved with a pop of color.

In this case, the wood-clad walls meant that it wasn't about matching the joinery to the walls, but about giving them their own identity. The designer, Julia Miller of Yond Interiors, based in Minneapolis, chose Benjamin Moore's 'Henderson Buff', a soft yellow-green paint. 'We wanted the joinery to provide a little moment of contrast and playfulness against the dark wood,' she explains. 'The chartreuse also felt like a natural extension of the palette we had already established throughout the house. It brings some energy to the room without taking away from the warmth and character of the original paneling.'

'Adding color to the joinery can be a nice way to bring color into a room without covering up other materials that you want to celebrate,' Julia adds. 'In this cabin, we wanted to keep all of that beautiful dark paneling, so the painted built-ins gave us an opportunity to layer in another color and create some contrast.'

When painting woodwork such as built-ins, don't skip the primer, which can help achieve a more seamless finish. Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start Primer is designed for use on interior wood.

5. Hand-Painted Botanical Motifs

As interior design trends continue to favor decor ideas that feel truly personal, it makes sense that this is extending to paint trends. In this powder room, the burgundy color scheme gives the room a moody, sophisticated feel, but it's the hand-painted flowers that give it its personality.

'The walls are Venetian plaster by Segreto matched to our trim color,' explains designer Lindsey Herod, who is based in Houston. 'Then, Segreto hand-applied white plaster flowers on top of the Venetian plaster.'

Rather than being a random design choice, the floral motif nods to the homeowners' interests. 'Since our client loves gardening and the landscape designer planned a vine to grow up the stucco exterior just outside this window, bringing that botanical vining motif inside with these handmade chalky white plaster flowers, leaves, and vines felt appropriate as a reference to the outdoor spaces,' Lindsey explains. 'These elements juxtapose the shiny, varied texture of the Venetian plaster walls.'

'Think about the elements or motifs that bring you joy and find ways to bring them into your home,' she advises.

6. Lifting Neutral Rooms with Pockets of Color

Using paint in an interesting way doesn't mean that the whole room needs to be colorful. As decorating with neutrals continues to evolve – moving away from all-white schemes to those with more contrast and interest – we're seeing designers use touches of colorful paint in the most pared-back schemes.

This can be an especially effective paint idea in large spaces that need some definition, suggests Louisiana designer Anne Underwood. 'The ceilings are tall in this dining room, and the blue-painted trim raises the eye to focus on what’s above – an energetically artful ceiling,' she says. 'It really puts an exclamation point on the thick-profile wood trim that might otherwise go unnoticed. Here, the trim is the focal point, creating a “frame” around the wallpapered ceiling.' Using an angled paintbrush can help you achieve a neat finish when painting architectural details like this.

'Keeping the rest of the room simple with strategically placed boldness feels crisp and fresh,' Anne says. 'While there are traditional furnishings in the room, the bold blue trim elevates the space in an unexpected, modern way.'

'If a homeowner is timid about using bold color or wants an easy way to inject some energy into a room, painting the trim is a great first step,' she adds. 'You can go bold because it’s a small part of the overall room and not a huge commitment. It will also aid in moving your eyes around the room.'

7. Colorfully-Painted Ceilings

Ceiling paint ideas have been quietly emerging as a fun way to decorate with paint in recent years, but as we near 2027, expect to see rich and bold shades used on the fifth wall to add real depth and an immersive feel.

While soft, tonal colors are no doubt stylish when applied to the ceiling, using much bolder colors makes a statement and delivers impact. When paired with lighter walls, the look is easy to live with. 'When the room is white, you can get away with using almost any color, and it will still look classy,' says Boston-based designer Sarah Scales, who used Benjamin Moore's 'Bermuda Turquoise' on the ceiling. 'It brings a type of energy,' she adds.

When choosing the best bold paint shades for ceilings, it's all about the rest of the color scheme and the mood you want to create. 'Go for an off-kilter color,' Sarah advises. This teal paint is 'not a navy as one might use in a historic home,' according to Sarah, but 'it brings a certain energy to a kid’s bedroom.'

Shades such as Farrow & Ball's 'Vardo', a deep teal, would achieve a similar atmospheric look, but you could also explore warm paint shades such as Benjamin Moore's 'Garrison Red' to create a cozy and cocooning space. Once you've chosen your paint color, this Paint Roller Kit with Extension Pole can help you reach the ceiling.

The theme uniting the biggest paint trends for 2027 is a focus on creating interiors that feel dynamic, layered, and personal. Rather than using color sparingly or as an afterthought, it is being used boldly to set the whole mood of a room.

While new ways of color drenching set a truly atmospheric feel, creatively applying color to smaller architectural details or joinery can be just as impactful, especially if you're new to decorating with bold color.

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While I have been clinging onto the end of summer throughout September, now October is upon us it's time for me to reset my home for the change in season, starting in the room I spend the most time over fall and winter – the living room. But beyond the usual textile swaps, I'm focusing on color, which can have a huge impact on how cozy a room feels.

While it's easy to think of rich neutrals – warm browns, rich beige, and cream tones – as the most failsafe option when it comes to cozy colors, ochre is the far more interesting shade designers are using to boost warmth while bringing real depth to a room.

Ochre may sound bold, but the right variation (muted and golden rather than overly bright yellow) is actually really easy to live with, while bringing a lot more warmth than typical neutrals. I've rounded up my favorite cozy living rooms that use ochre in various ways, along with tips and tricks from designers on how to style this earthy color trend.

1. Add Golden Ochre to the Ceiling

Decorating with ochre paint doesn't need to be conventional. Instead of bringing this shade to the walls, why not explore ceiling paint ideas? Not only is this a fun, unexpected way of using paint, but it brings plenty of warmth to a room, especially when the walls are a soft neutral.

'We wanted to very significantly warm up the space without a radical remodel, and the addition of this saturated ochre color helped us to achieve that goal,' explains interior designer Jessica Helgerson, who used Farrow & Ball's 'India Yellow'. 'Walking into the room feels like being enveloped in a cozy, sunny hug.'

'The ceiling is very often the surface that gets forgotten in modern interiors,' she adds. 'In a large room, this design omission is particularly felt, and we wanted to address that.'

When using an earthy yellow paint on the ceiling, decor can help make the space feel cohesive, rather than disjointed. 'The rest of the room’s decor, particularly the curtains, helps to pull that wash of yellow down into the room so that it isn’t an isolated plane of color, and helps it feel integrated into the space,' Jessica explains. That said, the overall living room color scheme can still be fairly pared-back. 'The palette for the space is a very restrained one, with warm ochres and terra-cottas balanced with cooler grays.'

2. Bring Warmth to Crisp White Walls

In modern living rooms with crisp white walls, ochre upholstery is a wonderful way to warm up the room without needing to repaint. Here, the white walls bring freshness, while the ochre-colored armchair makes the space feel cozy.

'The walls were recently painted white, so we wanted the furnishings to bring the colors,' designer Michelle Gage explains. 'The ochre is a warm hue that balances well against the cool teals and plums in the room. It also pulls directly from the custom sofa's print, so it shows up in more pieces than just the chairs.'

And while brighter shades of yellow can work well at adding interest to these types of rooms, these richer and muted variations tend to be better at making the space feel warmer and cozier. 'Ochre is a more sophisticated hue than just a sunny yellow,' Michelle adds. 'This room needed some depth and warmth – which this golden hue was able to deliver on.'

3. Drench the Walls in North-Facing Living Rooms

In north-facing living rooms where the natural light is cooler, there are few paint colors as effective as a warm ochre. Brown-based versions, such as Benjamin Moore's 'Classic Caramel', counteract the cool natural light with their warm tones and bring much-needed depth.

'This room had previously been painted in a gray, cooler color, and we wanted to move away from that cold palette and towards something much warmer and more inviting,' explains designer Laura Stephens, who opted for Paint & Paper Library's 'Caddie'. 'It is a north-facing room, so we were particularly conscious of choosing a color that would work with the quality of the natural light rather than fighting against it.'

'I think warm shades can be incredibly effective in north-facing rooms because they bring a sense of warmth and depth that cooler colors can sometimes lack,' she adds. 'Rather than thinking of ochre as a difficult or very dominant color, I like to treat these warmer tones almost as a neutral. They can provide a beautiful backdrop for other colors while making a room feel instantly more welcoming.'

Beyond the walls, pattern keeps this room from feeling flat. 'When you have a strong wall color, it can be tempting to keep everything else quite plain, but I think that can sometimes make a room feel flatter,' Laura explains. 'Layering smaller patterns creates a sense of depth and gives the eye lots of little details to discover.'

4. Ground the Space With an Ochre Rug

Rugs are a great way to introduce a secondary color to your living room in a large proportion if you're looking for an alternative to paint ideas. Here, the large-scale rug grounds the living space with the furniture grouped on top of it, while it feels slightly playful – yet still sophisticated – alongside the muddy lilac walls.

The designer, Ashley Lavonne, chose the ochre rug to add tension between cool and warm tones. 'The ochre tones were brought in to balance the coolness of the lilac walls and denim-y blue Roman blinds,' she explains. 'The rug added a lovely warmth to the room and tied into the embroidery of the sofa while the light fixture felt like the perfect bookend for the palette.'

5. Add Ochre to Cool Color Schemes

If your living room follows a cool color scheme, that doesn't mean you can't decorate with ochre. In rooms where cool tones dominate – think cool whites, icy blues, and grays – ochre can be just what's needed to add an element of the unexpected and make the space feel much warmer.

'The ochre on the chair and ottoman works well in this living room because it keeps the space from feeling too precious,' explains designer Linda Eyles. 'Its vibrancy is dynamic up against the more traditional blue and white elements.'

The reason this works well comes down to the rules of the color wheel, where complementary colors (those opposite each other) feel harmonious. 'Adding a pop of color is easy to do – just focus on a palette of complementary colors like blue and yellow,' Linda adds. 'They naturally suit one another, so you can take a bit of a risk and use a slightly more unusual version of the shade, like ochre rather than lemon, for example.'

6. Layer Warm Tones on Warm Tones

While ochre works well when balanced with cooler tones, rich paint shades, such as Sherwin-Williams' 'Bosc Pear', are incredibly effective when layered with warm tones: think burgundy, deep reds, and orange.

'I like to mix colors, patterns, and textures so that a room feels as though it has evolved over time rather than been overdesigned,' shares the designer Rosanna Bossom, who layered richer warm tones to complement the ochre walls. 'Here, the patterned upholstery, rug, marble, artwork and different furniture finishes all add layers, but the warm undertones running through them tie everything together.'

'There is a balance to the room, but not forced symmetry,' she adds. 'I find perfect symmetry can feel quite formal and less inviting. The slight irregularity makes the space feel more relaxed, personal, and lived-in.'

If you're looking for more ochre paint recommendations, Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, shares some favorites: 'Ochre-based, caramel-hued yellows such as ‘Elysian Yellow’ or mellow, honeyed shade ‘Bombolone’ are wonderful choices for living rooms, where these warm, earthy shades are perfect for delivering restful spaces that exude calm warmth and charm, without regressing to cream.'

7. Bring Warmth to Traditional Rooms With Ochre Drapes

For a more subtle addition of ochre – but equally warming – consider dressing the windows with ochre window treatments. In neutral living rooms, they add depth and warmth, without feeling overly colorful.

'Yellow is my favorite color, and this rich, gold hue works well with so many other colors – olive, ebony, coral, green, and terracotta,' says designer Meg Lonergan. 'The windows in this living room were extremely large, and I knew we had to balance them with something bold and unforgettable.'

When using ochre on a large scale like this, choosing the right shade is key. In this case, a vintage-inspired hue was chosen to complement the traditional decor. 'I thought about English country houses when selecting this particular palette,' Meg explains. 'We wanted something cheerful while maintaining a sophistication that allowed the antique rugs, furniture, and our client's prized collections to be showcased beautifully.'

Shop the Look: Decor That Works Beautifully in an Ochre Living Room

There are few colors as effective as ochre in adding warmth and depth to living rooms, and unlike bolder color trends, it feels timeless, working as a richer alternative to neutrals. And while painting your living room walls ochre is no doubt stylish, it doesn't need to be used in such large amounts. Elevating a neutral living room with ochre textiles can be all that's needed to boost warmth and add richness.

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Rooms such as living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms are often those that need to feel the brightest, rather than the moodier feel of cozy bedrooms or snugs. And while it's easy to assume that relying on bright paint colors is the easiest way to achieve a light and airy look, it's certainly not the only option.

There are plenty of decor ideas that can help a room feel light and bright, such as choosing the right window treatments, using reflective materials, and decorating with mirrors, to name just a few. So much so, these decor ideas can even make rooms decorated with dark paint colors feel airy.

If you're wondering how to make your house lighter without changing the color scheme, read on to discover designers' favorite ideas.

1. Reflect Light With Lacquered Paint

Rather than just thinking about how light your paint colors are, don't forget about paint finishes. High-gloss and lacquered paints have a high sheen level that bounces natural light around the space, making them an effective choice for small rooms or those that don't benefit from ample natural light.

'A reflective lacquer paint on the ceiling amplifies the natural light, creating a luminous finish without using color,' the NYC-based designer Meagan Camp says about this breakfast nook. 'The sheen draws the eye upward, enhancing the room’s sense of volume and making the space feel brighter, airier, and more generous.'

You could extend this idea to all four walls, but keeping it to the ceiling can be a more livable interpretation. And while earthy neutrals such as Benjamin Moore's 'Revere Pewter' would work brilliantly in a gloss paint finish, it works with richer paint colors, too. In small rooms or those where you want to create a more atmospheric feel, mid-tone paints such as Farrow & Ball's 'Oval Room Blue' with a glossy sheen can result in a dynamic space that doesn't feel at all dark.

2. Balance Wall Colors with the Flooring

Decorating with dark paints doesn't mean your room can't feel bright. In certain spaces, especially those that receive plenty of natural light, dark walls can work well when carefully balanced with the rest of the decor. In this breakfast room, the mid-tone flooring ensures there isn't too much contrast with the dark walls.

'The mid-toned terracotta brick floor provides a visual bridge between the deeper wall color and lighter ceiling color,' explains designer Shannon Adamson. 'If the floor was similarly light like the ceiling, having all contrasting surfaces could be jarring.'

Since flooring is a costly investment and not always something that's able to be changed easily, you could focus on decorating with rugs to lighten the scheme. 'A mid-toned floor could be achieved with a carefully selected area rug, if the existing flooring is too light or dark,' Shannon advises. 'Taking color inspiration from existing architectural features (in this room we complemented an existing fireplace tile surround) or even colors found outside the window is a good foundation for a cohesive color palette.'

3. Choose Surfaces That Bounce Around Light

Material choices, especially in rooms like kitchens, can have more of an impact on how bright the space feels than you might first think. In this cabin kitchen, designer Shannon Adamson used a range of different materials that collectively bounce light around the room.

While the teak kitchen cabinets feel richer, the kitchen countertops are made from Silestone quartz, and the range hood is made from metal, complete with a gloss paint. 'I would describe the finish on the countertops as satin; they are somewhat reflective without being shiny,' Shannon says. 'They bounce light around the room and reflect the playful backsplash tile,' she says.

'We wanted to stay true to the seaside home's mid-century roots, so the palette mixes teak cabinets, cedar ceiling planks, and earth tones,' Shannon adds. 'Those finishes can feel heavy on their own, so mixing in a little warm white with some hits of sheen helps to liven things up. The custom range hood was painted to match the retro-inspired range, and the glossy finish on both allows some reflectivity without feeling too sleek.'

4. Place Mirrors Strategically

Decorating with mirrors is an incredibly simple but effective way of making a room feel brighter. But to make the most of this simple decor addition, be strategic about where you place them. 'Placing a mirror opposite a window with natural light is an old design trick that helps maximize daylight in a room,' says New Jersey-based designer Jessica Hobson. 'The mirror's reflective surface bounces sunlight around the room, making the space feel instantly brighter.'

To make the most of this clever trick, 'opt for a style with a large mirror surface and a smaller frame to maximize the reflective quality,' adds Jessica.

If your mirror is going to be displayed above a piece of furniture, make sure not to hang it too high. 'I usually go about six to ten inches above the piece to ensure it doesn't look like it’s floating in space,' she adds.

'A rule of thumb for mirror size when hung above furniture is half to two-thirds the width of the piece; when trying to maximize light, opt for the larger size to give you the most reflection,' says Jessica.

5. Extend Window Treatments

The idea of hanging curtains to dress a window in a room where brightness is the goal can seem counterintuitive, but hanging them higher and wider than needed can allow you to benefit from the natural light when they're open during the day, while allowing maximum coziness in the evening.

'When trying to maximize light in a room, I always hang the window treatments as high as possible,' says Jessica Hobson. 'This not only makes your windows feel bigger but also allows maximum light to come through. If space allows, I also extend the curtain rods on either side of the window. This has the same effect as hanging them higher: it allows the full width of the window to show and lets in all possible natural light.'

'Hang the rod four to twelve inches above the window frame; this will allow all the light to come in and make your ceilings feel instantly taller,' Jessica recommends. 'If the room has crown molding, I like to mount the rod just below the crown. Extend the rod six to twelve inches on either side of the window if space allows. The window fabric should skim the trim rather than block the light.'

The same applies to window blinds, too. 'For a window shade, make sure to do an outside mount, hung four to ten inches above the window,' says Jessica. 'The width here can stay closer to the moldings; I typically extend between two to four inches on either side for shades. This technique will make the windows feel more grand.'

6. Include Layered Light Sources

Living room lighting ideas are one of the most important decor elements to consider to create a brighter space, regardless of the color palette. 'Relying on one overhead fixture is probably the biggest lighting mistake I see,' says San Francisco-based designer Regan Baker. 'Light isn't just about lumens; it's about layering. When you have sources at different heights doing different jobs, you're bouncing light around the room instead of just beaming it down from one point, and that's what actually makes a space feel bright and alive rather than just lit.'

'A room lit only from above can also feel a little clinical, almost office-like, while lamps at eye level and sconces washing up a wall create pools of light that make a room feel inviting,' Regan adds.

If you're working with an open-plan space, group it into zones, suggests Regan. 'I typically layer in ambient light (recessed cans, a statement pendant, or daylight itself), task lighting like lamps positioned where people actually sit and read, and accent lighting, a small picture light or sconce on art,' she says. 'For a good-sized open living space, I'd usually land somewhere around five to eight light sources total once you count everything, though they're rarely all on at once.'

7. Add a Mirrored Wall

Another way of utilizing mirrors to brighten a room is to add a mirrored wall. This doesn't need to cover a full wall – even a small portion clad with mirrors can help bounce light around the room.

'This banquette area was originally in a dark pocket of the home, and given the layout’s petite footprint, we had to get creative about bringing in more natural light without adding any additional square footage,' says designer Sarah Goesling of Chicago-based Goesling Group. 'Incorporating a mirrored wall behind the custom seating area allowed reflected natural light to surround the entire banquette, organically brightening the room, and maximizing the space for the client’s lifestyle.'

If your room follows a darker color scheme, this is an especially good idea. 'We use mirrored surfaces in a lot of darker, more saturated spaces that feel like they need more light,' says Sarah. 'It's a nice way to counterbalance darker, saturated tones, and reflect whatever fabricated light is already in the room, whether that's sconces, pendants, chandeliers, or anything similar.'

You can get creative with your choice of mirror, too. 'We tend to choose some version of a distressed, antiqued, or even bronzed mirror,' Sarah adds. 'This adds more intention and dimension, making the piece feel more hand-touched and less manufactured.'

With these creative decor ideas, even a room with mid-tone walls can feel bright. While, of course, some rooms benefit from a white color scheme, you should think twice before defaulting to this when decorating. You may find that richer colors feel more interesting, while some simple lighting swaps, reflective materials, and well-chosen window treatments provide all the lightness you need.

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Color reads differently in every kitchen. Light levels, the direction the room faces, and the other finishes in the space all impact how beautiful or underwhelming your chosen shade will be. It quickly becomes the most complicated, and most important, decision of the entire design process.

So how can you choose a kitchen color scheme that balances timeless style, personalized design, and actually looks good in your home? For interior designer Amber Lewis, the process is simpler than you might think.

Here's her tried-and-tested method for choosing the right kitchen colors every time, where to draw inspiration, and how to create a cohesive look, whatever your design style. Honestly, her advice has just made choosing the right kitchen color so much easier.

With so many paint colors on offer, even narrowing the options down to a shortlist can seem overwhelming. It gets even harder when you're choosing something that feels timeless yet still brings character and personality to your design. The list of requirements is getting longer, and knowing where to start feels infinitely harder.

But for Amber, finding the right kitchen color always begins with the inspiration. 'I always start outside; the landscape and architecture of the home inform the direction before I ever open a paint deck,' she explains. This is where timelessness comes in: nature never dates, nor does architecture, and choosing a color that fits your home's age and history will help to narrow the ideal palette.

'Moving inside, I think about how the different elements of the room – architectural details, materials, and layout – interact and influence each other. I want the space as a whole, and each individual element, to feel connected without feeling overly coordinated or themed,' she continues.

'I’m always trying to strike that balance, and the color palette plays a huge role in achieving it. When each surface is having a conversation with the next, instead of simply sharing the space, a color choice feels intentional rather than accidental.'

One of the most important elements of the kitchen color selection process is sampling paint colors in your space and moving them around the room to see how they look in different light levels – that's how you find the best colors to paint your kitchen depending on its orientation. But for Amber, a specific sample type is crucial for accuracy.

'Get real samples – not paint chips, but actual painted boards – and live with them in the space at different times of day,' she advises. 'Undertone is everything; a white can read yellow, blue, or green depending on the light, and you won't know until you actually watch it change from morning to evening.'

And while white kitchens are popular, especially for a scheme that ages well, it's not the only option for a timeless design. Stronger colors have a place in classic style – especially if you take Amber's advice on where to find inspiration. And there are a few colors she often returns to.

'I love French sage greens, inky blue-blacks, and creamy warm whites,' she notes. 'I’m also not mad at a bold pop of color when it makes sense; I’ve been known to go for soft blue-greens and rich browns, too. I will always vote for color palettes that have a bit of personality and character but won’t lose their depth as trends come and go.'

The process doesn't end here, however. Once you've created a shortlist of paints that read beautifully in your kitchen, make sure they sit cohesively alongside the other finishes and materials you want to bring into the room, like countertops, hardware, and tiles.

'Layer your samples the way you'll actually live with them – a cut of your countertop stone next to your cabinet color, and that pair alongside your kitchen flooring sample,' she suggests. 'Step back and get a good look. There is technically no wrong combination as long as it feels cohesive to you, but I will say: pick one hero material (usually your stone) and let everything else support it rather than compete with it.'

If you want more kitchen design advice from Amber, find out what she has to say about decorating your kitchen for fall and the future of kitchen design, or pick up a copy of her brand-new book, Interiors: Curated Spaces from Start to Finish (Clarkson Potter/Penguin Random House), available to purchase now on Amazon.

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As much as we love a warm, grounding, and organic-inspired palette, sometimes a delicate, light-infused pale blue is just what a room needs to feel fresh, airy, and forever calming.

From the lightest pale blue paint to deeper sky blues, lighter, powdery blue hues have seen a resurgence in the last year as a cooler, more interesting replacement for whites and pale creams. While the beauty of these 'new neutrals' is that they always feel gentle, Farrow & Ball's 'Borrowed Light' is the uplifting and delicate paint color designers are loving.

Inspired by the light that trickles through narrow windows, Borrowed Light is perfect for brightening bedrooms or accentuating light-filled sunrooms; it's a cool but soft paint that couldn't be more versatile – and these rooms prove it.

Pale blue paints like Borrowed Light can bring a joyous, fresh feel to interiors rather than the muted feel of an earthy color scheme. When applied in rooms flooded with daylight, the paint comes to life. In this scenic dining nook, the pale blue creates a soft backdrop, ideal for easing you into the day or providing comfort come evening.

'We loved this color because it is a pale blue but not a baby blue; it has a strength to it because it's saturated,' explains interior designer Meg Lonergan. 'I loved mixing this color with white and navy – the indigo of the stained oak barstools and the ebony cane breakfast chairs really popped against Borrowed Light, same with the chalky white of the ceramic pendants over the island and the milk glass of the table pendant.'

Meg recommends pairing this pale blue with 'colors like yellow, other blues, even orange (which we had in some artwork in that room) really sang against this happy shade of blue!'

The beauty of pale blue is that it really can behave like a neutral – a background color that adds a little something more but doesn't restrict the rest of the color palette. Borrowed Light is versatile, but in bedrooms, it's exactly the sort of color our walls crave. It complements rather than overwhelms, and allows pattern, decor, and furniture to shine.

'Borrowed Light has a gentle warmth that makes it incredibly easy to live with,' says designer Phoebe Hollond of Studio Hollond. 'It feels fresh and airy without being clinical, creating a calm and warm background. Its tone shifts beautifully throughout the day as the natural light changes.'

In this bedroom, Phoebe used it as the perfect backdrop for 'mixing textiles, lots of warm, soft, and bold prints all dancing together – with striking modern pieces such as lighting alongside antiques like bedside tables, armchairs, and artworks.'

'I chose this shade because it feels soft and luminous, and it works beautifully in a little boy’s bedroom,' says Parisian interior designer Hava Castro. 'This soft shade went over all the walls in this bedroom to create a more cocooning, enveloping feel, while allowing the poetic wallpaper on the ceiling to really stand out.'

Borrowed Light brings a tranquility to the space. It feels neutral, yet uplifting. Matched with the darker blue window frame, the sky-blue shines. 'I like pairing it with contrasting tones,' she explains, 'in particular, Stiffkey Blue on the window. I also love combining it with soft, natural materials, such as the cream linen curtains and the light oak desk.'

Light affects this paint color in a unique way. It accentuates architecture and brings an openness that works so well when creating a sense of calm, as designer Laura Stephens found when choosing the perfect color for this serene bedroom.

'Borrowed Light has such a lovely softness to it,' says Laura. 'I wanted the room to feel calm and light, but not cold or too obviously ‘blue’. It has a slightly chalky, almost silvery quality which works beautifully with the natural light in the room and creates a really gentle backdrop for the more colorful fabrics and antique pieces. I also love how it changes subtly throughout the day, which gives the room a bit more depth than a very flat, pale blue might.'

The pale blue contrasts beautifully with lived-in layers and pieces with patina. As Laura adds, 'I love pairing pale blue with warmer, natural tones so that it feels layered rather than too pretty or sugary. Here, we’ve used oak, warm linen, ticking stripes and lots of white, alongside touches of green and a little red in the textiles. I think blue works particularly well with earthy greens, soft reds, ochres and natural timber. I also like mixing in pattern and texture e.g., stripes, checks, embroidered fabrics and slightly faded vintage pieces, as it stops a pale blue room from feeling too uniform.'

'The aim was to create a bedroom that felt relaxed and collected rather than overly decorated. We kept the walls and bedding fairly quiet and let the fabrics, vintage pieces, and little details bring the personality. The pale blue walls tie everything together without feeling like they’re competing with the other colors in the room.'

The Light Blue Edit

Borrowed Light is gentle, grounding, and refreshing. It's subtle enough to let architecture shine, yet saturated enough to bring substance to a room. While cool tones can get lost among today's striking color trends, there will always be room for paints that exude freshness and light.

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There is a familiar shorthand for a restful bedroom: reach for a pale blue, soft gray, or cool green and let the color do the calming. Yet serenity cannot be selected from a paint chart by temperature alone. A cool shade can feel soothing, but it can just as readily turn chilly, flat or clinical once it meets the room’s particular light, finishes and furniture.

The bedroom color mistake, designers agree, is not choosing a cool color; it is choosing one on the assumption that cool automatically means calm. Warm whites, mineral neutrals, earthy pinks and even ochres, browns and muted reds can be every bit as restful. What matters is nuance: the undertone, the saturation, the light at different hours, and the way the whole room works together.

The Bedroom Color Mistake Designers See Again and Again

A paint chip is never the whole story. In a bright showroom, a blue-gray might appear crisp and composed; on the walls of a north-facing bedroom, it may read steely by afternoon and dull after dark. Pair it with brilliant-white trim and cool bulbs, and the effect can be closer to a clinic than a rest-inducing retreat.

‘Cool tones can go from serene to waiting room surprisingly quickly,’ says Tamara Kaye-Honey, creative director and principal designer of House of Honey. ‘It usually happens when the color is too blue, too clean, or lacks enough warmth and depth to balance the room’s natural light.’ She is not opposed to cool hues, but favors versions that feel ‘a little dirty, moody or unexpected,’ with gray, green or earthy undertones rather than an icy cast.

Amanda Leigh and Taylor Hahn of House of Rolison often see the problem in developer-led interiors, where true whites and cooler neutrals form a bright shell but bear little relationship to the woods, textiles, art and furniture inside it. ‘That disconnect is often what makes a space feel more like a building than a home,’ they explain. Under the 2700K lighting they typically specify, a markedly cool wall can look bluer while every warm element looks more yellow, visually dividing the room.

The room’s orientation can amplify the effect. Ali Childs, founder of Studio Alexandra, notes that a clean blue or gray can feel especially stark in a north-facing bedroom when it is teamed with brilliant-white woodwork and other cool finishes. Sam Goold and Katie Bolton of Danebury Design Studio make the same observation: clean whites, pale neutrals and gray-blues can become flat in limited natural light, particularly on a gloomy afternoon or in the evening.

This is not an argument for banishing blue or green. Evan Shane Krenzien and Pierce Jordan of Shane & Pierce use what they call ‘warm blues,’ including Portola Paints’ ‘Sirene’, whose depth makes it enveloping rather than stiff. Goold and Bolton similarly look for enough depth and ‘muddiness’ to make blues and greens comforting. The distinction is subtle but important: calm comes from the character of the color, not its category.

Cool Colors Aren’t the Only Way to Create a Calming Bedroom

Warmth does not have to mean high energy. The most restful warm shades tend to be softened, desaturated, or grounded with brown, gray, yellow or red, giving them complexity without visual noise. Think creamy white rather than optic white; mushroom instead of silver-gray; plaster pink in place of candy pink. Clay, tobacco, ochre, warm stone and mossy green can all create a sense of shelter.

Kirsten Blazek of A1000xBetter gravitates toward colors drawn from nature, particularly ochres, rusts and rich, brown-based greens. In lighter rooms, she values a creamy off-white such as Dunn-Edwards ‘Historic White’: soft and inviting, without pulling too strongly toward another color. Jennifer Sucher, founder and lead designer of Sucher Studios, often turns to a desaturated peachy pink. She describes its radiance as a ‘warm hug,’ particularly welcome in places with cold weather and gray skies.

Pink’s calming potential is a recurring theme, provided it is earthy rather than saccharine. House of Honey’s favorites include Farrow & Ball ‘Setting Plaster’ and ‘Dead Salmon’, while Studio Alexandra used Edward Bulmer ‘Rose Pink’ at its Vivian Road project for the shade’s soft, barely pink warmth. In a small, north-facing bedroom, Danebury chose Edward Bulmer ‘Clove’, a shade the studio calls a ‘tomboy pink’: earthy enough to sit comfortably beside a dark patterned headboard, pictures and layered textiles.

Ochre can be equally gentle. In the guest bedroom of its Pasadena Craftsman project, Electric Bowery used Benjamin Moore ‘Citrine’ as a sunny but soothing backdrop to natural bedding and vintage pieces. Deeper earth tones can work almost like neutrals, too. House of Rolison recommends Benjamin Moore ‘Barista’ for an enveloping brown, ‘Nicolson Red’ for a muted historic red, and ‘Mohegan Sage’ for a subdued green. Its go-to light neutral, Benjamin Moore ‘Dulce de Leche’, has enough pigment to connect naturally with wood, stone, plaster and aged materials without the sterility of true white.

Dark does not mean disruptive, either. Jessica Blue of Jessica Blue Interiors likes to color-drench bedrooms from ‘head to toe’ in shades ranging from blues and greens to flesh tones, warm grays and marigolds. Benjamin Moore ‘Aegean Teal’ and Sherwin-Williams ‘Arugula’ are among her top choices. Shane & Pierce suggests Portola Paints ‘Costes’ for an earthy, moody effect, or ‘La Catedral’ and ‘Rustica’ for darker rooms. A deep shade can allow a bedroom to become intimate rather than forcing it to look bigger and brighter.

It’s All About the Undertones

Two paints with the same broad label can behave like entirely different colors. A white may carry blue-gray undertones that sharpen in cool daylight, or creamy yellow or pink notes that soften beside timber and linen. One beige can glow gently; another can tip toward green or gray. The undertone is the quiet influence determining what the eye actually sees once the room is furnished.

‘Undertones are the entire plot,’ says Kaye-Honey. ‘A gray can suddenly go lavender, a beige can go yellow, and a white can become aggressively blue.’ Her advice is to paint large samples in the room, then inspect them in morning light, afternoon light and lamplight. A bedroom has multiple personalities, and the color must work with all of them.

House of Rolison assesses paint beside flooring, wood species, stone, upholstery and window treatments, and under the project’s specified artificial lighting. ‘We want to know what that color is going to do at eight o’clock at night when the natural light is gone,’ the designers say. A cool wall beside something very warm can exaggerate both, making blue look bluer and yellow look yellower.

For Sucher, slightly green undertones make blue feel aged and lived-in; orange tempers pink’s nursery associations; rusty brown makes burgundy less jewel-like; and yellow gives green warmth. Blazek takes a different but compatible approach, searching for ‘true colors’ that remain relatively consistent as light and neighboring shades change. Both demonstrate why the descriptive name on the can matters less than testing the color in context.

Alexandra Azat, founder and principal of Plaster & Patina, extends the idea beyond a single paint. High contrast creates visual tension by continually pulling the eye toward abrupt transitions. Tone-on-tone palettes and color drenching soften those boundaries, allowing the eye to move more easily around the room. Her preferred restful neutrals take their cues from outdoors: warm browns, stone hues and moody creams such as Farrow & Ball ‘Stony Ground’ and ‘Oxford Stone’.

The Colors Designers Recommend for a Restful Bedroom

No single color family owns the idea of calm, but designers repeatedly return to nuanced colors that are difficult to define in one word. Mushroom taupe, dusty blush, muddy olive, putty and warm stone sit between familiar categories; that ambiguity gives them depth and helps them shift gracefully through the day.

For a warm base, Shane & Pierce favors Farrow & Ball ‘Joa’s White’, whose reddish undertone adds depth without reading pink, alongside Farrow & Ball ‘Off-White’ and Sherwin-Williams ‘Shoji White’. House of Rolison uses Dunn-Edwards ‘Cottage White’ when a room needs brightness and Benjamin Moore ‘Swiss Coffee’ when it needs still more, retaining warmth even as the palette approaches white.

For mineral neutrals, Childs recommends Paint & Paper Library ‘Stone III’, used at Studio Alexandra’s Hill House project to support the soft furnishings without feeling bland. Azat’s ‘Stony Ground’ and ‘Oxford Stone’ offer moodier interpretations of cream and stone. House of Honey suggests Benjamin Moore ‘Pale Oak’ or Farrow & Ball ‘Mouse’s Back’, while its deeper picks, Farrow & Ball ‘Pigeon’ and Benjamin Moore ‘Vintage Vogue’, become cocooning with soft textiles and warm lighting.

For richer color, Jessica Blue favors earthy shades with an offbeat edge: Benjamin Moore ‘Pelham Gray’, ‘Palace Ochre’ and Sherwin-Williams ‘Dried Thyme’, a sophisticated green-gray. Sucher’s options range from Benjamin Moore ‘Apricot Beige’ and ‘Richmond Green’ to Portola Paints ‘Fairview’. Danebury often returns to Edward Bulmer’s ‘Lute’, ‘Jonquil’, ‘Lilac Pink’, ‘Invisible Green’ and ‘Azurite’, several of which are available in different strengths for a quieter dose of color.

Not every warm bedroom needs painted walls. In her Montauk project, Nina Freudenberger used warm white-oak paneling as a neutral, allowing the grain and tonal variation of the wood to supply depth. It is a useful reminder that the room’s dominant color may come from a natural material rather than a paint can.

How to Make Any Bedroom Color Feel More Calming

Wall color sets a mood, but it cannot create a restful room in isolation. The best schemes are layered rather than matched: linen and wool, natural wood, an antique rug, aged metal, woven details, art and pattern all temper the painted envelope. A dark wall may need pale bedding for relief; a light wall can take deeper woods and upholstery. The push and pull gives the room dimension without making it busy.

Childs treats wall color as one layer among texture, furniture, lighting and pattern. Blazek looks for a similar level of saturation across the colors in a room, allowing different hues to feel tonal and cohesive. Jessica Blue takes a more complementary route: she might balance a blue bedroom with red or pink, then add a touch of green, uniting the mix through varied scales of pattern and tactile pieces such as a rug or hand-knit throw.

Danebury often begins not with paint but with a curtain or headboard fabric a client loves, allowing the wall color to grow from the broader decorative scheme. The studio considers the ceiling and woodwork at the same time, too: brilliant white can interrupt a nuanced wall, while matching woodwork creates an enveloping effect and a complementary neutral adds definition.

Lighting deserves equal attention. Warm, low-level sources soften color after dark and create pools of illumination rather than flattening the room beneath a single glaring bulb. Kaye-Honey layers bedside lamps, sconces and even candlelight, observing that ‘nobody wants to relax under a 4000K LED.’ The exact color temperature is only part of the answer; placing light at different heights makes the room feel intimate and useful.

Finally, allow the scheme to feel collected rather than purchased as a set. House of Rolison combines pattern, worn woods, leather, linen, wool and pieces with patina so that the room feels personal. The designers’ test for success is revealing: when the temperatures and undertones work together, you stop noticing paint, lighting, furniture and textiles as separate decisions. The bedroom simply feels settled.

That is the more useful definition of a calming bedroom. It need not be pale, cool or perfectly coordinated. It should feel comfortable at the hour you use it most, connected to the materials around it and personal enough to invite you to unwind.

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Benjamin Moore has revealed its best-selling neutral paint colors, and no, they aren't just beiges and whites. In 2026, the definition of 'neutral' is changing, and these popular shades prove that colors we consider to be 'safe' background shades are getting bolder and richer.

We spoke with Helen Shaw, Director of Marketing at Benjamin Moore, to delve into how neutrals are working in a design world where the use of color has never been bolder, plus her tips on how to decorate with these iconic neutral paints. 'These four neutrals stand out because they each have their own character, offering something beyond a standard beige, gray or taupe,' Helen explains. 'Their subtle undertones give them depth and allow them to work across different interiors, styles and lighting conditions, while still providing an easy foundation for a scheme.'

1. Manchester Tan

The perfect mid-beige paint, Manchester Tan is ideal for rooms that need something a little warmer than white, but nothing too moody or dramatic. It's infused with a touch of yellow and earthy brown, so it feels deep and rich, yet well-balanced.

'Manchester Tan is a fresh, sophisticated beige inspired by stately sandstone façades,' explains Helen. 'Delicate green-brown undertones give this soft neutral added depth, while pairing it with a feathery light blue works beautifully in a bedroom or bathroom for a calm, airy feel.'

Paired with earthy colors like a terracotta sofa or a deep olive green headboard, Manchester Tan gets even more interesting. 'For a living room or dining room, introduce rich brick tones through upholstery, curtains or accent furniture to bring warmth and contrast to the scheme.'

2. Pashmina

Pashmina has slight gray undertones that make it feel a little moodier and richer than Manchester Tan. It's similar to a stone or slate gray, but without the really cool notes.

Benjamin Moore's Pashmina is easy to style, but it shines against warm tones, like plaster pinks, ochres, or burnt oranges. 'Perfectly balanced between warm and cool, light and dark, Pashmina is a timeless taupe with soft, moody undertones,' says Helen. 'Its stony character works beautifully with almost any color, while a delicate blush undertone adds warmth.'

Consider the colors that go with beige for a well-balanced scheme. 'Pair it with rich oranges for a welcoming, energized feel, or muted mid-tones for something softer and more understated,' advises Helen.

3. Antique Pewter

A green-gray paint that couldn't be more timeless, Antique Pewter is a cult favorite. It falls somewhere between the two hues, providing the freshness of green with the neutrality of gray.

'Reminiscent of a rich patina, Antique Pewter is a muted green grounded by a touch of gray,' Helen says. 'Part of the Classics collection, its subtle green undertone gives this pewter shade plenty of depth, while its versatility makes it equally suited to contemporary and more traditional interiors. Use it across walls, ceilings or trim, or pair it with period lighting and upholstery for a more classic feel.'

It's also a great choice for homes in need of some character, as it evokes a heritage feel while still pairing beautifully with more modern interior design styles.

4. Hale Navy

We often say it: blue is a neutral. The right blue can act like a neutral anyway, and Hale Navy is one such shade. It's such a versatile paint despite being a darker color, as its undertones are so balanced; it doesn't lean too warm or too cool, too green or too gray.

'Hale Navy is a ‘use-anywhere’ navy with a classic maritime feel, which helps explain its enduring popularity,' Helen says. 'Its rich depth works particularly well in busier spaces such as living rooms, while it can also bring character to kitchen cabinetry, whether paired with an industrial scheme or more traditional Shaker cabinetry. Against crisp white, the contrast feels striking while still creating a calm, timeless space.'

'In 2026, we're moving beyond the idea of neutral as simply being safe, pale, or pared-back,' finishes Helen. 'Today's neutrals tend to have more depth, with subtle undertones of green, pink, yellow, blue and brown bringing color and character into the scheme. We're also seeing them used more confidently, whether layered tonally, color-drenched, or paired with richer accents.'

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Right now, the interior design world loves color. It's been bye-bye neutrals and hello reds, blues, greens, and yellows, with vibrant shades topping the color trends of 2026 and beyond. So, unsurprisingly, many once-loved neutrals feel 'bland' and 'boring'.

However, whenever we speak with designers about the rise of color, everyone is so quick to say; but nothing will replace a timeless neutral. There's always space for those shades that feel warm, soft, and cocooning. And Farrow & Ball's Mouse's Back is one such shade – a whisper-soft, comforting mid-brown that dances in daylight and cocoons in the darker hours. A brown paint oh-so gentle, it's named after the fawn-toned fur of a British field mouse.

'Long-term Farrow & Ball fans will always have a place in their heart for Mouse’s Back,' explains Joa Studholme, Farrow & Ball's Color Curator. 'It feels like the backbone of our palette. Perfect for those who desire a restrained traditional look, Mouse’s Back feels like it has been plucked from the utility area of a historic house. This gray-brown classic is quiet in nature and totally timeless, and although understated, it is a really clever color, more saturated than a classic neutral but just as versatile.'

In this breakfast nook designed by Alexandra Azat, founder of Plaster and Patina, Mouse's Back brings a gentle warmth that cocoons the eating area. It accentuates the wall paneling and architectural features without creating too much depth or heaviness.

'Mouse's Back is one of my absolute favorite moody browns,' says Alexandra. 'It's the color of my old primary bedroom, my old sunroom, and my current design studio, so to say I love it is an understatement! I think it is such a great balance of warm but not too warm. I love pairing it with warm stained, neutral woods like walnut or white oak,' adds Alexandra. Organic materials and paler neutrals let the depth of Mouse's Back shine whilst finding common ground with its earthiness.

'As we turn towards comfortable colors in our homes, this quiet dark tone is the perfect choice, sitting effortlessly alongside natural materials such as weathered wood and flagstone floors,' explains Joa. 'Its muted quality is ideally suited to being used on both walls and woodwork (and particularly paneling) for a sophisticated muted atmosphere.'

'Its laid-back tone sits perfectly beside other subtle tones like Pigeon and Treron for a slightly mismatched and very relaxed scheme,' Joa adds. 'I favor using it in boot rooms, and particularly on floors where it has a certain muted feel that is favored in modern homes for a cozy soft look, reflecting our yearning for heritage tones which feel restorative and reflect the spirit of craftsmanship we all hanker for.'

In this small kitchen (pictured above), Mouse's Back feels just soft enough to warm the space and create a cozy feel without dominating its small parameters. Paired with the rustic wooden countertops and vintage ceramics, it's a lesson in balance.

'I think Mouse’s Back really comes alive alongside rich, earthy colors and materials with age and texture,' says Russell Loughlan, founder of The House on Dolphin Street. 'Here we’ve paired it with deep reds, dark-painted furniture, rush seating, worn timber, aged brass and simple ceramics. I love that mix of confident color with pieces that feel collected and a little imperfect, so it keeps the room from feeling too formal or overly designed.'

'The ground floor of the house is naturally quite dark, so rather than fighting that with pale colors, we decided to embrace it with a strong, Georgian-inspired palette,' Russell explains. 'Mouse’s Back has a wonderful earthy depth to it; it feels warm and enveloping without becoming heavy, and has much more character than a straightforward mid-brown. There’s a definite Georgian influence to the palette, and friends have actually nicknamed this front room ‘The Dolphin Street Tavern’ because it has such a Dickensian feel to it, which I rather love.'

'It also works beautifully as a bridge between the two reds in the adjoining spaces: Preference Red to the left and Picture Gallery Red to the right. They’re both strong colors, but Mouse’s Back has enough presence to hold its own between them while allowing the reds to really sing. So rather than trying to make a dark, intimate room feel larger with a pale color, we embraced that sense of enclosure. Mouse’s Back gives the room warmth and depth, and makes it feel incredibly inviting.'

'Interestingly, in the lower light it reads slightly greener on the walls, which is another reason it works so beautifully with natural greenery. Those fresh greens really bring out the complexity of the color and lift the whole palette.'

Mouse's Back is a soft, delicate, and versatile mid-brown paint that shines in historic settings as well as new. Yes, it's a 'safe' neutral, but it's a timeless one too.' There is something special about a room where nothing is shouting,' Joa says. 'Mouse’s Back works because it doesn’t beg for attention but rather works as a backdrop, letting the things you want to feature take center stage.'

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September is always an exciting month in the interior design world. Yes, it's a month of seasonal change when our homes become cozier, but it's also a time to get a clearer sense of what the year ahead will look like, especially in terms of color, as 'tis the season of Colors of the Year.

And so far, 2027 color trends couldn't be more inspiring. While not all of the shades have made their official debut (there's plenty still to come over the next few weeks), each shade announced so far feels part of a greater shift in how we are using color in our homes. There's not a neutral in sight – if we needed any more evidence that we are all tired of bland 'safe' colors, the Color of the Year announcements so far are it.

From Sherwin-Williams crisp 'Celery' green to Dutch Boy's 'Deep Rooted', a grounding terracotta, these paint colors speak to our emotions; they are uplifting, or cocooning, or energizing, certainly very far from boring.

Valspar: Cottage Door

Valspar's 2027 Color of the Year is Cottage Door 8004-38E, an on-trend powder blue paint that feels calming, soothing, and refreshingly cheerful.

Cottage Door is the perfectly usable blue paint, that falls right in the middle of the color spectrum, the perfect balance of light and dark, warm and cool. It's infused with gray undertones, too, so while it is still inherently a blue paint, it's still calm and usable.

'Cottage Door celebrates the unique beauty inside us all,' said Sue Kim, Director of Color Marketing at Valspar. 'This mid-tone neutral blue is reflective and warm, with timeless appeal that feels personal and grounding. Cottage Door captures blue’s natural sense of security and trust while serving as a colorful new neutral that layers effortlessly into the home. It creates spaces that feel balanced, comforting, and inviting.'

Graham & Brown: Rose Earth

Family-founded paint brand Graham & Brown's Color of the Year for 2027 is a grounding, restorative dusty pink titled 'Rose Earth.' With faded terracotta and plaster notes, it's a 'new neutral' paint color that feels as subtle as beige or taupe, yet far more interesting.

A calming color with a heritage feel, the chalky rose paint rethinks neutrals as we know them. It also gives us a clear idea of where color trends might be heading next year, as shades that provide calm and ease become just as important as eye-catching, buzzworthy hues that feel like an instant statement.

It's not the only earthy color in the round-up either; plenty of organic, nature-inspired hues that feel familiar and comforting have been crowned Colors of the Year.

Behr: Grounded

Behr's Color of the Year is the moodiest of the roundup so far. Saturated and rich, it's a deep, mossy green hue with a real luxurious edge.

Named 'Grounded' for its natural roots, the dark green paint is designed to bring a cocooning feel to any room. 'Grounded is a reminder that the most meaningful spaces are the ones that help us connect with the rhythms of everyday life,' explains Kayla Kratz, Head of Color at Behr Paint Company. Behr has curated a full 2027 Color Trends Palette, which features a collection of complementary hues inspired by nature, too.

It's also a reminder that color is more than just a way to decorate your home. It's an opportunity to create real emotion and feeling in your environment, and in the case of Grounded, that's a sense of calm, restoration, and instant comfort.

Dutch Boy: 'Deep Rooted'

Dutch Boy's color of choice is an on-trend terracotta hue titled 'Deep Rooted'.

'Our 2027 Color of the Year feels alive with possibility while being rooted in the familiar warmth of nature,' says Lisbeth Parada, Color Marketing Manager, Dutch Boy Paints. 'Deep Rooted offers a color that feels rich, grounding, and deeply human. Its earthy orange tone creates a versatile foundation for spaces that celebrate individuality through bold contrasts and layered textures.'

This orange-infused terracotta paint might be one of the bolder paints so far, but its warmth and depth make it perfect for rooms in need of a little comfort. Reminiscent of sun-baked pottery, it's an inviting, warm neutral filled with possibility.

Dulux: Soulful Sage

Another green in the mix, English paint brand Dulux announced that 'Soulful Sage', a pale green with a heritage charm, is the Dulux 2027 Color of the Year.

Sage has had a bit of a resurgence over the past few months, so it makes sense that the British paint brand chose to spotlight this shade du jour as one to watch in 2027. A brighter, fresher take on sage green paint as we know it, it's a liveble, timeless green with a distinctly calming feel.

'Glow', 'Light' and 'Lift' are the three new curated color stories by Dulux, each designed with a unique purpose for the home. 'Soulful Sage' sits at the center of these palettes, designed to beautifully pair with a range of warm neutrals, moody tones, or organic shades.

Sherwin-Williams: Celery

Green paints are a common theme in the 2027 colors of the year. While sage and dark olive feel familiar, Sherwin-Williams' crisp, apple-green called 'Celery' is a refreshingly unexpected choice.

'Celery shows that our connection to nature isn't going away, but the way we're interpreting nature-inspired color is evolving,' Ashley Banbury, Color Marketing Manager at Sherwin-Williams explains. 'We're moving toward hues that still provide a sense of comfort and restoration but also bring more freshness, lightness, and personality into the home. Rather than creating spaces that feel overly styled or perfect, there's an emphasis on interiors that feel welcoming, layered, and reflective of everyday life.'

Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year 2027 is an exciting, zingy green that feels striking as well as soothing. Infused with yellow, it's the perfect paint choice for those of us looking to bring a little freshness into our homes.

The line-up might be varied, but each color feels like part of a greater shift towards intentional decorating. Through color, we can make our homes feel personal, comforting, and authentic, whether that be a dark olive paint that cocoons or a mid- blue that soothes.

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Pumpkin-spice, moss-green, and earthier versions of every summer color trend crop up like clockwork as soon as September strikes, so it's refreshing when fall color schemes stray from tradition with something unexpected.

Meet: mustard and burgundy, the rich, characterful, and always comforting color combination that gently alludes to autumn while still looking elevated. While the red and yellow color combination has long been loved, designers are embracing the deeper, richer, more saturated version of the pairing this season.

'Mustard yellow and burgundy work harmoniously to bring warmth into a space, making them a particularly effective color combination as the seasons turn and cooler natural light sets in,' says Helen Shaw, Director of Marketing at Benjamin Moore. 'The rich, warm hues create a welcoming backdrop for autumn, balancing boldness with earthy undertones that bring a cozy, seasonal glow indoors.'

Burgundy and yellow work perfectly alongside the olive green cabinets in the charming farmhouse kitchen. The scheme was inspired by nature, uplifting those earthy olive tones with the vibrant yellow and rich red. 'The large window over the sink at the back of the kitchen overlooks a beautiful and lovingly tended garden, which was a great source of color inspiration,' explains Laura Parkinson, director of design studio Palmer and Stone. 'It had previously felt very cold, so part of our brief was to create a warm and inviting kitchen for our client who are keen cooks.'

'Following the surge of interest in burgundy in clothing fashion, we've definitely seen a rise in interest in using it within the home. Our studio color palettes tend to keep to a more natural or tonal base, and then we might add a brighter, or more 'acid', color into the mix to cut through,' Laura continues. 'In this case, we've used a warm red-burgundy that feels very natural alongside an orange-yellow that is much sharper. The addition of a few other colors in the mix (in this case khaki green and a deep sky blue) stops the yellow and red from overwhelming the space.'

'As this is a north-facing room, bringing in warmth was our priority,' explains Rachel Taylor, founder of interior design studio Bucknall James and designer of this living room. 'Despite the huge windows, the previous off-white walls left the space feeling rather flat, so we knew color would be key. Our client fell in love with the Ikat rug by Luke Irwin, and this became the starting point for the rest of the scheme.'

'We wanted to create that cozy, enveloping feeling that draws you in on a gloomy winter's day, the kind of room where you light the fire and settle down to watch a film,' Rachel explains. 'At the same time, it was equally important that it didn't feel dark or heavy, so Edward Bulmer's Trumpington on the walls felt like the perfect balance. Come summer, the light flooding through the windows transforms the room into a sunny, uplifting space.'

'The combination of mustard and earthy burgundy works particularly well paired with brown antiques to ground the scheme and add depth,' Rachel adds. 'Adding pattern to break up any block colors softens the impact as well as connecting the colors, like the rug, artwork and cushions in this project. Warm, autumnal tones especially are being embraced, and it's easy to see why, as they are so pleasing to live with. For us, this project was about creating a space warm and cocooning, yet still light, cheerful, and full of life.'

The ochre yellow paint and rich burgundy paint bring an effortless warmth to this cozy living room too, adding a sense of heritage and character. 'I’ve always been drawn to those slightly muddy, earthy colors that you find in old houses,' says Russell Loughlan, founder of The House on Dolphin Street. 'I didn’t want the room to feel as though it had been designed around a color scheme, though,' he adds. 'It’s much more about layering things that I love, so old furniture, ceramics, textiles, and letting the colors build up naturally. I think rooms are much more interesting when everything isn’t perfectly matched.'

'Burgundy and mustard have that wonderful, slightly old-fashioned quality to them, which I mean in the best possible way. They’re colors you see in old textiles, paintings and historic interiors, so even though they feel very relevant at the moment, there’s something quite timeless about them too,' he adds.

'I think the key is not to be too literal with them. I wouldn’t necessarily have a mustard wall and then feel I needed to find exactly the right burgundy to go with it,' Russell advises. 'It’s much nicer to work with variations like ochre, tobacco and warm yellow alongside rust, oxblood and deep red. That slight mismatch is what makes a room feel layered rather than decorated.'

'I also like one color to do more of the work. In this room, the ochre is the backdrop and the burgundy comes through much more strongly in the furniture, so they’re not fighting for attention. And then I’d bring in plenty of things that aren’t really ‘colors’ at all, so old/dark wood, aged brass, natural linen, dark brown, ceramics.'

While deep red and yellow aren't a typical kitchen color combination, they're a great way to introduce depth and character to the cooking space. Hence, interior designer Lucinda Kellaway applied a pink-tinted burgundy paint to this kitchen island and used a pale mustard shade on the kitchen cabinetry.

'I wanted the kitchen to feel warm and welcoming, but with a bit of drama. The rich burgundy island brings depth and character, while the yellow is softer and sunnier for balance,' Lucinda explains. 'Yellow and burgundy certainly seem to be a combination to watch right now, but they’re also colors with heritage roots and real longevity. I think we’re all becoming braver with color again, which is lovely!'

When pairing the two together, refrain from being too literal. 'I wouldn’t try to match the accessories too closely,' adds Lucinda. 'I’d bring in natural materials like wood, warm whites, and a little pattern to create contrast. The aim is for everything to feel layered and considered, rather than overly coordinated.'

When bringing two rich shades like mustard and deep red into the home, paint expert Helen says it's crucial to let one color lead. 'To create balance between these saturated shades, use the 60:30:10 rule – allowing one color to take the lead, the other to work as an accent, and a warm neutral to anchor the scheme.'

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Choosing a bright, light color for your kitchen often feels like the 'safe' choice – it's why white kitchens have been the go-to for decades. But, the risk is that these fresh, bright shades can create a kitchen that feels cold and uninviting – words no one wants used to describe their home.

What you want is a balance – colors that feel warm and inviting, but never dark or small. The right kitchen colors hit the sweet spot, adding just the right amount of saturation to feel cozy and create a space you'll never want to leave.

So which warm kitchen colors are the best choice to create spaces that still feel elegant and timeless, but always inviting? Whether you're a fan of neutrals or prefer something more statement, there are plenty of kitchen colors that add warmth without creating a dark, dingy box room. It's about the right paint application, selecting thoughtful shades, and knowing when to drench a color all over the kitchen or stick to just the cabinets. These are the warm kitchen colors designers recommend, and how they introduce them tastefully.

1. Rich Brown Hues

We couldn't talk about warm kitchen colors without bringing brown into the equation. This rich, moody hue acts as a dark neutral, and while it's most synonymous with fall, it feels chic in every season and pairs beautifully with classic kitchen materials like marble, wood, and brass.

It's one of the most versatile palettes, too. You can introduce brown through your kitchen cabinetry in paint colors (Broccoli Brown by Farrow & Ball and Tudor Brown by Benjamin Moore work beautifully for brown kitchens) or wood stains, as well as cozier zones like seat cushions and pillows on a kitchen banquette, or via the upholstery on bar stools.

In designer Jess Cooney's kitchen, brown hues show up throughout, from the dark wood cabinets to the upholstery present in the dining nook. It adds warmth, richness, and a sort of classic style that's hard to achieve with paler tones.

2. Soft Yellow Shades

Warm colors come in many shades and tonal variations, but if there's one hue that radiates warmth in a kitchen, it's soft, almost muted shades of yellow. It's a color that transitions seamlessly through the seasons, and depending on the color pairings, a yellow kitchen can read earthy or more neutral-adjacent.

'It’s such a warm, sunny color and instantly lifts the spirits. I particularly love the more earthy, ochre yellows as they have a softness to them and are incredibly easy to live with. Yellow naturally brings a sense of sunshine into a room, so even deeper, muddier shades still have this wonderful luminosity. It adds warmth without making the space feel heavy and works particularly well in kitchens because it feels so cheerful and welcoming,' says interior designer Uns Hobbs.

'If you’re nervous about color drenching an entire kitchen in yellow, introduce a contrasting color on the island. In this kitchen, I paired the yellow cabinetry with a deep aubergine island, which grounds the scheme and gives the room more depth. Keeping the countertops and walls pale also allows the yellow to really sing without overwhelming the space.'

3. Classic Wood Tones

If you want to combine warm color with timeless style, wooden kitchen ideas tick both boxes. Particularly with natural and darker finishes, the grain and surface variations bring texture and richness without committing to a solid paint color.

'I love bringing in wood tones to make a kitchen feel warm and inviting. We introduce wood in a variety of ways – through stained tongue-and-groove ceiling treatments, a wood-stained kitchen island, or even through cabinetry,' says interior designer Anne Pappas.

Wooden kitchens have a reputation for being better suited to more traditional schemes, but it's a material that works just as stylishly in modern design. 'I think there are so many ways that wood tones can look modern – we love white oak for cabinets, Cypress (which is indigenous to our coastal region) and Mahogany for kitchen islands.'

4. Deep Red Hues

The autumn months always imbue that warm, cozy aesthetic, so looking for fall colors is always a charming source of inspiration. And one such hue has been proving a timeless choice in kitchens lately. 'Deep red is another favorite of mine for kitchens. It creates a much cozier, richer feel and works beautifully if you want something a little more cocooning,' says Uns.

'Used thoughtfully, deeper shades such as burgundy can make a kitchen feel cozier without making it feel smaller. It’s about balancing the color with natural light, coordinating materials and the surrounding palette,' adds paint expert Dominic Myland. Burgundy kitchens are proving the most popular of the color family, but deep reds include rich aubergines and muddy oxblood hues.

The beauty of deep reds is that they are timeless, classic, and pair beautifully with materials from marble to soapstone. The color pairings you can create with deep reds are surprisingly versatile, from warm neutrals and soft pinks for a lighter space to bold yellow for a more maximalist kitchen.

5. Warm, Muddy Neutrals

Warm kitchen colors don't just refer to more saturated or moody shades – neutral kitchen ideas are included, too. Departing from crisp whites and cool grays, warmer, muddier neutrals, from putty shades and taupes to mushroom kitchen colors, create a cocooning feel while maintaining a light, inviting room.

'Taupe is the quiet workhorse – it’s warm and grounded and neutral-adjacent, which is a comfortable choice for homeowners,' says Anna Franklin, principal of Stone House Collective. 'Colors with warm undertones create a rich, storied, somewhat architectural feeling, whereas your stark whites and grays often feel sterile.'

There are a few ways to decorate with this palette. A warm, earthy neutral on the cabinets adds depth, while lighter walls add subtle contrast and a light-enhancing finish. Alternatively, a dark cabinet color, whether it's a rich brown or soft green, is highlighted by a warm neutral color on the walls. Look to shades like Oxford Stone or Joa's White, both by Farrow & Ball, for these warmer, muddier neutrals.

6. Earthy Greens

Green kitchen ideas come in an array of shades – soft sage and pistachio tones add the right amount of subtle saturation to bring a cooking space to life, but if you're looking for warmth and coziness, consider deeper, earthier shades like olive, artichoke, and moss. Take this olive green townhouse kitchen, for example. The mix of earthy greens creates a warm, inviting atmosphere without feeling imposing.

'Green is a perfect color choice when you want to avoid a true neutral or wood tone. Pulling colors from nature is an assured way to create a kitchen that feels warm, inviting, and timeless,' says interior designer Kristen Pena. 'You have to be mindful of tone, especially with green in a kitchen. It’s all about tone, saturation, and your materiality.'

'Painted cabinetry is the first place we suggest adding these colors,' Anna adds. 'From there, we layer warmth in through countertop stone and backsplash selections, since those are the next-largest visual real estate in a kitchen. The common thread here is scale: cabinets, counters, and backsplash all take up enough visual space that committing there makes a real impact.'

7. Deep Charcoals With Warm Undertones

Charcoal and black paints may sound bold for a kitchen color, but when you choose the right shades (and undertones), the result is surprisingly alluring. 'We often gravitate towards darker, more atmospheric colors,' says Nick Cryer, Founder of Berkeley Place, who says seeking out shades with brown or red undertones, rather than blue, is the secret to these more daring, dramatic colors.

Decorating with darker colors relies on warm undertones to ensure your kitchen feels inviting, rather than cold. 'These are colors with real tonal depth, which respond beautifully to changing natural and artificial light. We return to them particularly in period kitchens, including rooms people often assume are too dark to carry a strong color: lower-ground floors, single-aspect rooms or spaces with limited natural light.'

In this kitchen, the dark charcoal palette works for two reasons: warm undertones and a large window that fills the kitchen with natural light, so it never feels dark or uninviting. 'Color is never static; much like pigment in a painting, its character is determined by the light around it,' Nick notes. 'A charcoal with warm undertones responds particularly well to afternoon sun and warmer artificial light, revealing subtle brown and red notes as the light changes.'

We spend so much time in our kitchens; it makes sense to decorate them with warm, inviting colors. These designer suggestions show that warmth comes in many colors, from neutrals to moody hues, so you can embrace the look no matter the size or style of your kitchen. For more inspiration, this year's kitchen color trends have plenty of unexpected ideas to bring your cooking space to life.

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Red, yellow, green, and brown – these are the classic colors of autumn. They come back into style every year, signaling the start of cozy season and mimicking fresh fall foliage with their warmth and rich shades.

But this autumn, we’re noticing a new fall color trend joining forces with the greats – purple. Like a slightly cooler, more refreshed version of the oxblood and burgundy tones that took over the design scene last year, purple brings an elegant edge to traditional fall color schemes. This regal color is deep and alluring, and it spans from richer shades like plum and aubergine to cool and saturated tones like grape and royal purple.

Purple was all over the Fall/Winter 2026 runways earlier this year, with Loewe, Tory Burch, and Celine all featuring the shade. Plus, our favorite home decor brands have featured its elegance in their fall collections, like GreenRow's Plaid Pillow with its purple-toned pattern and Anthropologie's Nature Scene Wallpaper in chic shades of purple. Crate & Barrel's fall drop has plenty of purple picks too, from the Calda Blanket and the Bowen Pillow Cover to the Anneli Upholstered Bed.

The warmth of traditional fall tones needs a cooling complement, and this year, that color is purple. Shop our favorite purple picks for fall below.

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Pioneering paint brand Lick has launched an eight-shade palette, inspired by the shift towards more personal, collected interiors. Featuring three new paint colours alongside a handful of familiar favourites, the 'A Soulful Home' palette provides comfort through colour.

Whilst the palette aligns with 2027 colour trends, its liveability is what makes it unique. 'When we started thinking about the 2027 Colour Edit, I kept coming back to the idea that the most successful homes are the ones that feel completely connected to the people living in them,' Tash Bradley, Director of Interior Design at Lick, tells Homes & Gardens. 'You can walk into a room and almost immediately sense when it has been designed around someone's real life rather than around an image of what a beautiful home is supposed to be.'

'That became the starting point for A Soulful Home. We wanted to explore how colour can help create that emotional layer within an interior – the warmth, familiarity and personality that makes somewhere feel like your home.'

The eight-shade paint edit balances vibrancy with calming hues, perfect for creating a lasting scheme that inspires and endures. The palette features Blue 05, soothing Green 09, classic White 03, grounding Brown 02, and moody Teal 03. Three new shades are joining the palette, too: rich Red 07, bold Green 23, and calming Pink 14.

'We're surrounded by so much visual inspiration now that it's incredibly easy to know what everybody else's homes look like,' explains Tash. 'But I think the interesting shift for 2027 is that we're beginning to turn that attention back onto ourselves: What colours am I naturally drawn to? What memories do they bring back? What environments make me feel at my best? How do I actually want to live in this room?'

The Soulful Home edit is filled with room colour ideas based on feel as well as look. 'The palette has been built around those different emotional needs,' Tash adds. 'You have the cocooning depth of Red 07, the grounding quality of Brown 02, the nurturing softness of Pink 14, the restorative feeling of Green 09, alongside the joy of Green 23, the uplifting quality of Blue 05 and the stimulating richness of Teal 03, all given breathing space by warm White 03.'

'And there's a reason we've created an edit of eight colours rather than declaring one single colour of the year. We very rarely experience colour in isolation. The feeling of a colour changes according to what you put beside it, the materials around it, the light, and even the proportion in which you use it. We wanted to give people a palette they could interpret rather than a trend they had to follow.'

The most timeless paint colours are those you're drawn to. These eight shades reflect colour trends, yet provide comfort and familiarity that will last beyond a year. Saturated, rich, and ultimately grounding, they're shades that work side by side or solo.

'You might be drawn to three of these colours; someone else might choose a completely different four. That's the point. Soul isn't an aesthetic. It's personal,' Tash explains. 'So although these colours reflect where we believe design and culture are heading in 2027, they're really an invitation to look inward rather than outward. Instead of asking, ‘What should my home look like?’, it's about asking, ‘What do I want my home to give back to me?'

'What I love about these eight colours is that there's this wonderful overarching warmth to them – and I don't simply mean that they're all ‘warm colours’. There's a warmth in the feeling of the palette. Before you even look at the palette, my advice would be to work out the purpose of the space you're decorating – and I don't just mean whether it's a kitchen, bedroom, or living room. Think about the life that actually happens there.'

When bringing the palette into your home, Tash advises to start by considering how you use each room. 'I'd start building a palette of perhaps three or four colours, rather than thinking that every shade needs to appear as paint,' she says. 'That's another reason we create an eight-colour edit: colour is relational. Change the proportion or placement of a colour, and you can completely change how it feels.'

'For example, you might fall in love with Pink 14 and use that as the dominant colour across the walls of a living room. Then look to Brown 02 as inspiration for the sofa or a beautiful piece of furniture, and bring in Teal 03 as a smaller accent through a rug, cushion, artwork or lamp. Suddenly you've taken three colours from the same edit but interpreted them entirely through your own furniture and possessions.'

'That's what I want people to have fun with. Don't think of the Colour Edit as eight paint colours that need to go onto eight walls,' she says. 'Think of it as the starting point for the entire room. Pull those shades through upholstery, rugs, curtains, ceramics, artwork, natural materials and pieces you already own.'

You could even take the full palette and allow it to travel through the house, changing the hierarchy from room to room. One shade becomes dominant here, another appears as an accent there, and suddenly there's a subtle thread connecting the whole home without every room looking the same.'

Built upon emotion rather than fleeting trends, A Soulful Home is filled with emotive, comforting, and restorative hues that serve a purpose greater than just aesthetics. 'Ultimately, a soulful home isn't something you can copy,' Tash says. 'It's built from the colours, objects, routines and little everyday moments that mean something to you. Work out how you want to live first, and then use colour to support that feeling.'

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Heritage paint brand Little Greene has added 27 new comforting colors to its books. Refreshingly current yet rooted in the past, each new paint feels distinct but quietly connected – responding to the color trends of the moment while drawing on palettes that have endured for centuries.

The new paints are scattered among Little Greene's Colors of England and Color Scales collections. From orange-infused ochres to light-changing teal-meets-green, these timeless paints bring warmth, comfort, and gentle saturation into the home.

'Color trends are always an evolution rather than a revolution,' Creative Director of Little Greene, Ruth Mottershead, tells Homes & Gardens. 'Over the past decade we've watched the mood move through rich blues into teals, then softer neutral greens, then bold yellows that deepened into ochres and caramels, before settling into stone-based neutrals and indulgent browns.'

'For the latest colors, we had really noticed consumers looking for balance,' she explains. 'If you imagine today's most-loved neutrals sitting on a pH scale, they'd sit right in the middle at a five or six, neither too warm nor too cool.'

Six new colors feature in the Colors of England collection, a line inspired by English history and heritage. Ashes of Marigold, a retro orange, represents the defining colors of the 1970s. 'Over the past decade, color trends have slowly drifted away from pure bright orange ‘Marigold’, whilst warm terracotta tones and burnt orange shades have become more popular,' says Ruth. 'Our new Ashes of Marigold carries the vibrancy of orange, yet is tempered with a subtle touch of black. It reads more as a gentle, earthy terracotta rather than a vibrant statement color.'

Shades like Perpetual Blue feel just as rooted in the past. 'I'm particularly drawn to Perpetual Blue at the moment,' says Ruth. 'It's taken from a surviving paint palette belonging to Winston Churchill, from his studio at Chartwell. It's a mid to deep blue with a touch of green running through it, so it responds beautifully to changing light throughout the day. It would work wonderfully color-drenched in a study, or used more sparingly as a grounding note against softer neutrals.'

For those who enjoy decorating with neutrals, Parlour, a plaster hue with pink notes, is light, fresh, and enduring. Inspired by the parlour room at Dyrham Park near Bath, the pale pink paint is perfect for schemes that need an uplift. 'There's an appetite for fresh, gelato-toned pastels, gentle, characterful colors like Floss and Parlour that feel joyful without ever being overpowering,' adds Ruth.

Next comes the twenty-one new hues featured in the Color Scales collection. The warm neutral Barge Stone – a complex, green-infused beige is available from light to dark. Barge Stone grew directly out of the popularity of our Portland Stone, says Ruth. The citron green Boxington has also been expanded into a graduated Color Scales family, a reduced lime with a touch of red oxide of iron, elegant in dining rooms and hallways.

'These 27 new colors sit at the next point along that story,' says Ruth. 'We've taken the red oxide and intense heat out of our caramels and burnt oranges to create gentler shades with less intensity, and we've moved away from the colder greens and blues that were so popular a few years ago, in favor of warmer versions like Celestial Blue, Boxington and Hammock. So yes, they very much respond to where color is heading, but they're also simply an honest reflection of what we're already seeing and feeling ourselves.'

'Trends never really jump; we notice shifts, and if you look back, you can trace those changes in the use of color,' Ruth explains. 'In 2016 we saw a lot of blue, which had grown out of a love of gray in the early 2010s. That moved through rich blues into teals, then softer neutral greens, then into bold yellows that deepened into ochres and caramels, and more recently into stone-based neutrals and indulgent browns. This transitioned into burgundy, deep reds, pinks and aubergine, colors that bring such a lovely sense of intimacy and quiet grandeur to a room.'

'At the same time, we noticed people pulling away from the caramels and chocolate browns that had been so loved a few years ago, wanting something with a little less heat and intensity. Marle is another favorite of mine,' she adds. 'It's a luxurious mid-tone brown, heavy on yellow ochre but softened right down with plenty of black. Used all over, it creates the most cocooning, intimate feeling in a room. I love it in a bathroom paired with Mochi on the opposite wall.'

Little Greene's twenty-seven new paint colors balance both emerging trends and what homeowners want right now, along with timeless classics that will never date. Each has its own place in the collection, inspired by either the heritage hues that defined the past or the shades that are most popular today.

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Heritage interiors brand Graham & Brown has announced 'Rose Earth' as its 2027 Color of the Year. Grounding, restorative, and effortlessly comforting, this muted dusty pink offers an early glimpse at the paint and color trends set to shape interiors in the year ahead.

'Our in-house design team works a year ahead, closely monitoring lifestyle and interiors trends to anticipate the colors and styles that will resonate with our community,' says Iona Graham, Brand & Marketing Controller and fourth generation of the Graham family. 'We began seeing a strong shift towards warmer and earthier tones, which helped select Rose Earth as our Color of the Year for 2027.'

While plaster-pink shades enjoyed a major moment in interiors a few years ago, Graham & Brown's latest pick proves that our love for muted, earthy hues is far from over. Rose Earth feels warmer and more grounded, bringing a subtle depth to the soft pink trend and making it easy to imagine in both contemporary and more traditional spaces.

Alongside its Color of the Year, Graham & Brown has also unveiled its Design of the Year, 'Roselle Grove' – a rich floral pattern inspired by Chintz – and its Mural of the Year, 'Red Rose County', which takes its cues from the rolling Lancashire landscape.

'The studio expects this versatile shade to make a real impact throughout 2027 and beyond,' Paula Taylor, Stylist at Graham & Brown, tells Homes & Gardens. 'Reflecting the growing desire for interiors and colors that feel warm, inviting, and grounded. As consumers move away from cooler, minimalist schemes, we're seeing an increasing appetite for colors that bring comfort, authenticity and a sense of connection to the home.'

It's easy to see why. With its warm, plaster-like quality, Rose Earth brings a gentle sense of comfort to almost any scheme. A neutral with character, muted pinks are a smart choice for spaces that need a little more depth and warmth without tipping into anything too dark or moody.

'Rose Earth captures this shift perfectly, combining the natural warmth of clay-inspired tones with a timeless elegance that works across a variety of styles and spaces,' says Paula.

And much like the recent resurgence of the sun-faded pastel trend, this softer take on pink looks set to have staying power. 'Warm, chalky plaster tones are emerging as the new neutrals for 2027,' adds Paula. 'Their understated warmth and versatility make them an ideal foundation for a wide range of color palettes, creating a sense of softness and quiet sophistication within the home.'

'These muted, earthy shades also reflect the growing desire for interiors that promote wellbeing and connection to nature,' adds Paula. 'Rooted in biophilic design principles, colors inspired by clay, stone and natural minerals help bring a feeling of balance and tranquillity indoors.'

Consider textures and colors that go with pink when introducing Rose Earth into your scheme. 'Ultra-matte finishes and raw, tactile textures will be key for the season ahead, making Rose Earth particularly effective on textured surfaces where natural light can enhance its depth and warmth,' Paula advises. 'Pair it with organic materials such as wood, stone and linen, alongside soft sage or olive greens, to create a beautifully calm and restorative atmosphere.'

'For a more immersive look, consider color capping to create a cocooning effect. Using tonal shades from the same color family across walls, ceilings and woodwork adds depth and sophistication,' she adds. 'For example, a rich warm brown such as Elderton can be used as a grounding shade, gradually transitioning into Rose Earth to create a seamless and enveloping scheme.'

'You could also pair it with wallpaper to bring character to the room, with our Design of the Year, Roselle Grove, or Mural of the Year, Red Rose County.'

Rose Earth Shopping Edit