When curating your home’s color scheme, there is one natural place to begin: your living room. The center point of your home is where you will probably spend most of your downtime, and it’s likely to host all who pass through your home. So, while your decorating decisions matter in every room, this is an inevitable starting point.
If you’re looking for colors to never paint a living room, you may have already started to factor several elements into your future living room color scheme (including how the color makes you feel and how it looks in a particular light). However, with the new year only a small number of weeks away, we confess that color trends are on our minds, too.
5 living room colors that could fall out of fashion in 2023
Looking for paint ideas that will dominate trends (rather than fall out of favor) in 2023? These are the hues designers are avoiding in the months, and years, ahead.
1. White
(Image credit: Future/ James Merrell)
The suggestion that all-white living room ideas may be unfashionable is not short of controversial. However, this tone has had its day among reputable experts.
‘White-on-white monochromatic color schemes are waning as people are wanting to add more personality and uniqueness to their rooms,’ says the designer Heather Humphrey from Alder and Tweed (opens in new tab). They explain that, as people spend more time at home, they are wanting their rooms to express/reflect more of who they are, and white doesn’t always exhibit this.
As surprising as their suggestion may be, they are not alone in their argument. Michael Gilbride from Michael Gilbride Design (opens in new tab) emphasizes the suggestion – adding that white is also falling out of fashion in terms of practicality.
‘A favorite among designers on social media, Chantilly Lace (opens in new tab), is giving way to nuanced tones and texture wall treatments,’ he says.
‘We lived through a collective moment where crisp white walls and monochromatic decor were a visually soothing hallmark on our handsets but are impractical for families with children, let alone their children’s toys and growing art projects. Shades of white can have such rich depths to experiment with, but paint treatments, like color washing, can give depth and texture to any home.’
2. Gray
(Image credit: Lisa Cohen / Future)
Arguably the second most provocative choice on the list – designers argue that decorating with gray should now come with caution.
‘Gray is definitely on its way out,’ Heather Humphry Alder and Tweed say. ‘As people are seeking to create cozier spaces, they are moving away from cooler tones and leaning more towards warmer, neutral shades of camels and nudes.’
Designer Genevieve Chambliss from Vieve Interiors (opens in new tab) similarly adds that the time has come for gray to make way for warmer tans, beiges, and browns that make a better neutral backdrop in your living room.
‘While you can still incorporate elements of gray here and there, avoid gray paint and gray-washed furniture, so you’re not stuck in the trends of the last decade,’ Genevieve adds.
3. Blue-green
(Image credit: Future / Carolyn Barber/ Kate French)
The attraction behind an aqua-toned scheme is understandable, as this colorful living room idea is one of the most striking yet therapeutic you can find. Though, in all its benefits, Genevieve warns that some houses are not designed to ‘off an aqua living room palette’ – so in some cases – it is better to look for warmer, more versatile shades that complement every style of home.
‘While some coastal living rooms may still be able to pull off an aqua living room palette, the soft blue-green tones are far less prominent in living room design than they used to be,’ she says. ‘These soft ocean colors have made way for more muted, weathered denim tones for a casual look. We’re also seeing deeper dark blues paired with warm neutrals in living rooms for a color pallet reminiscent of swanky menswear.’
4. Blush
(Image credit: Polly Wreford / Claudia Bryant)
With the release of Greta Gerwig’s Barbie scheduled for 2023 – and the ever-growing interest around Barbiecore – it may seem contradictory to say that pink room ideas are better left unexplored. Though while this hue may be making headlines in other spaces, Genevieve suggests that the ‘bright warmth of blush or millennial pink is no longer the go-to color on the warm end of the color spectrum for the living room.’
‘We’re now seeing more muddied brick reds, terracottas, and rusty oranges making their way into living rooms for much more nature-inspired warmth,’ she says. ‘Try velvet pillows in these tones to make your living room feel cozy and rich.’
5. Pastels
(Image credit: Jody Stewart)
Though it is true that ‘pastels’ do not qualify as one color, the designers at Heather Humphry Alder and Tweed predict that future interior design trends will see a move from these tones to more earthy, cocooning colors that will nurture you and your guests as you rest.
‘Lighter, pastel shades are shifting to colors with more depth, as styles gravitate towards darker, more moody spaces that still feel really natural and classic,’ they say. Will you change the way you paint as we approach the new year?