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Choosing living room color


Tips for Choosing Interior Paint Colors

By

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons has over 10 years as a color and interior design consultant. She writes about ideas and tips for beautifying your space and incorporating decor trends into your home. She wrote the book "How to Sell Your Home Without Losing Your Zen" and has been featured in the "Huffington Post," "Better Homes & Gardens," and additional publications.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 04/20/22

Fact checked by

Emily Estep

Fact checked by Emily Estep

Emily Estep is a plant biologist and fact-checker focused on environmental sciences. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and a Master of Science in Plant Biology from Ohio University. Emily has been a proofreader and editor at a variety of online media outlets over the past decade.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

The Spruce / Jesi Lee

The easiest way to choose the best interior paint colors is to start with the colors you love. When you start with the colors you love, you are not bound by traditional color schemes for a particular decorating style. With your favorite color as your base color, you can use it to create a color scheme around it. Your favorite colors can be the perfect inspiration for your new color palette for the whole home.

Here's how to find out what your favorite color means and how you can decorate with it.

Find Paint Color Inspiration

Magazines and catalogs have always been the staple of decorating inspiration. You have access to thousands of pages of inspiration on the internet. Retailer sites can be inspiring with their room vignettes, and paint brands can also show you ways to use color in your home. Social media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram offer color inspiration that is refreshed in real-time. Pinterest is great for creating inspiration boards for your favorite ideas, so you can keep all your ideas in one spot.

The Spruce / Jesi Lee

Use Color Theory to Create a Color Scheme

You don't have to study color theory to get great ideas from a little color wheel. These inexpensive color tools can generate color scheme ideas quickly. With a turn of the wheel, you can see how colors might relate to each other and learn the basics of color theory. While you probably won't be painting your home in the exact colors you see on the wheel, you can choose shades of those colors at your favorite paint store.

It's easy to use a color wheel to create a color scheme once you learn a few easy concepts.

The Spruce / Jesi Lee

Get Creative With Neutral Paint Colors

Just because you choose neutral paint colors doesn't mean they have to be laid-back. You can rev up your neutral color palette by being creative with how the colors are used. A striped wall in neutral colors adds tons of style but still keeps the room looking relaxed. Neutral wall color with a pastel ceiling is a sneaky way to add color without losing the soothing vibe of the space.

Patti McConville / Getty Images

Pull Your Paint Color From a Print

One of the easiest ways to choose interior paint colors is to start with a print fabric. Throw pillows, bedding, and even table linens can provide you with paint color ideas. If you're creating an accent wall, look to the boldest colors in the print. If you would like to choose a paint color that is more subtle or for a larger space, look at the color in the small details of your print fabric. Take a fabric swatch to the paint store, so you can choose paint strips to view at home.

The Spruce / Jesi Lee

Look Outside for Ideas

Bringing the outside in is a popular inspiration for color schemes. Whether you choose foliage green or the laid-back blues of the beach, exterior-inspired color schemes are meant to be restful and relaxing. Be sure to sample your favorite paint colors at all times of the day and night and with the window treatments closed and open to get the most realistic view of your possible choices.

If you're going to use your landscape as inspiration, observe some dos and don'ts of decorating with green.

Zia Soleil / Iconica / Getty Images

Find Your Paint Color in Artwork

An interior designer's secret is choosing colors from artwork in your home. Most artists are masters of color and light, creating their color schemes for their pieces. You can benefit from their insight by choosing colors from a favorite piece of art. You can also choose complementary colors from the same work of art to create a color scheme.

Spaces Images / Getty Images

Look to Historical Color Inspiration

Just because you love Craftsman color schemes doesn't mean you have to decorate in a Craftsman style. Historical paint colors are offered by many of the paint industry leaders. Use these collections as inspiration and tailor them to your decorating style.

Benjamin Moore's Damask Yellow is a rich and warm wall color that would work well in a variety of decorating styles, including Craftsman and mid-century modern.

 Benjamin Moore

Try a Lighter or Darker Shade

Sometimes all you need is a little adjustment to find the right interior paint color. Before you abandon your paint color choice too quickly, consider a lighter or darker shade of the same color. Many paint colors appear on a paint strip in gradual shades, but you can also ask your paint store to customize it by percentages of light or dark shades.

This wall features Sherwin-Williams Muddled Basil.

Sherwin-Williams

How to Use Undertones to Find Your Perfect Paint Colors

You can be unpleasantly surprised by the undertones when choosing interior paint colors. Simply explained, undertones are the colors lurking beneath your favorite paint color. A simple beige may not be all that simple if it has a strong green undertone. The only way to accurately read how an undertone will appear in your home is to sample the color. Undertones from other surfaces in your room can also change the way your paint appears due to reflection, so sampling is essential.

Make sure you know how undertones work and why it matters when you're choosing interior paint colors.

 Wayfair

Do Your Homework Before Shopping

Choosing the right interior paint color starts at home. Before you head to the paint store to gather paper samples, gather inspiration from catalogs, magazines, and fabric swatches. This will keep you from grabbing too many paint color options on your first trip to the store. The hardest part of choosing a paint color, at first, is having too many options.

Once you narrow down your paint color choices, return to the store for paint color samples to try at home. This step is crucial to finding the perfect color.

Stockernumber2 / Getty Images

Sample Your Paint Colors Before Committing

This is a simple rule that should never be ignored. Always sample any paint color you're considering. When you are committing gallons of paint and hours to your project, you have to get the color right the first time. You don't want to skip this step. If you look at the back of the paint store, there are stacks of cans of returned paint from people that did not take the time to sample first. Don't be one of them. Make sure to calculate exactly how much paint you'll need, as well, so that you minimize waste.

Remember, sampling paint colors is the most important step in finding the right colors for your home.​

The Spruce / Jesi Lee

How to Flow Color Throughout Your Home

If you're decorating a small home, flowing paint color throughout the rooms can give the illusion of a larger space. Flowing paint color through your home can also create a relaxing vibe. The most stunning way to use flowing color is to choose a neutral paint color that will be your signature hue for your home. Each room can have its accent colors, or you can use the same accent colors in different amounts in each room. Keep flooring similar from room to room, and consider molding to tie everything together.

Astronaut Images / Getty Images

Use a Color Consultant

If you would like a new color scheme and aren't sure which interior paint colors to choose, a color consultant can point you in the right direction. A color consultant can provide you with paint color ideas to sample or even a custom-designed color palette for your home.

Before you meet with your color consultant, gather ideas and inspiration to share with them so that they can see what you have in mind. Ask if your consultant can visit at a particular time so that he or she can see the challenges that the natural lighting poses for your space. Don't be surprised if your color consultant suggests changes to your lighting to correct color problems in the room.​​​

Andreas von Einsiedel / Getty Images

Paint Color Apps Can Make Choosing Paint Color Easier

Choosing a paint color can be easier with the use of a phone or tablet app. Paint color apps have been evolving and improving since they were first released, so you might want to check them out again if you've tried one in the past and it didn't work for you.

The most popular paint color apps give you the ability to match a color you see anywhere, as long as the phone or tablet camera can read it. Though it may not be an exact match, these apps can suggest similar colors. The best apps can also offer color palettes created around your color and ways to share your palettes with friends on social media. Look for extra tools like paint buying tips and basic DIY videos

Sherwin-Williams

Still not sure which color to choose? Take our short personality quiz and learn which color palette is right for you!

8 Color Tips That Will Totally Change Your Home

By

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons

Diana Hathaway Timmons has over 10 years as a color and interior design consultant. She writes about ideas and tips for beautifying your space and incorporating decor trends into your home. She wrote the book "How to Sell Your Home Without Losing Your Zen" and has been featured in the "Huffington Post," "Better Homes & Gardens," and additional publications.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 01/12/22

The Spruce / Sarah Crowley

A room filled with new furniture may not be in your budget right now, but you can still make big (and awesome) changes to your home. Paint color is the easiest and least expensive way to update your home. An accent wall is the most popular way to make a big color statement in any room, but there are other ways to make a colorful update.

Colorful accents are also easy to add with inexpensive throw pillows, small accent rugs, and DIY painted furniture. If you are adding pops of color to your home, try using accents in only one or two colors throughout your home. Choosing one or two colors as accents in every room is an easy way to update your color scheme and make your home look more pulled-together.

6 Ways to Stage Your Home for Free

Wall color in the living room - how to choose, 100 photo-ideas of living room interior

The living room is rightfully considered the center of the apartment and the house, since it is in it that relatives and friends gather for rest and relaxation after a working day. For a good mood, relieving nervous tension and a complete distraction from everyday life, the color of the walls in the living room is selected taking into account a number of rules used by professional designers around the world.

Selections

The right color scheme allows you to visually make the room bigger and more spacious, fill it with light, support the overall concept and even eliminate some of the room’s shortcomings.

Color selection criteria

Not all walls have to be painted the same tone, but there must be a balance in everything. The floor and ceiling finishes are pre-thought out so that all surfaces blend well with each other.

Influence on the choice of cardinal directions

Any palette can manifest itself differently depending on the degree of natural light. This factor depends not only on the size of the window openings and their openness, but on the side of the world from which the room is located.

  1. South. Often, sunlight is not only enough, but also in excess. In order to reduce the “temperature”, it is recommended to use moderately cool shades (white, blue, turquoise, gray).
  2. West. During the daytime peaks, the room can be too hot and light, so there should be cool shades, such as mint (closer to blue), deep blue, gray, brown.
  3. East. It is recommended to give preference to pink, brown tones, which will favorably beat the sunrise and compensate for its lack in the afternoon.
  4. North. Due to the coldness and short duration of the sundial, you need to choose warm, soft shades (beige, coffee, green, yellow). They will not only add light to the room, but also visually fill it with the sun.

Before choosing the color of the walls for the living room, you need to consider the location and intensity of the lighting fixtures. If they are located around the entire perimeter of the room (in the form of LEDs or built-in lamps), the tint palette can be changed depending on the desired effect.

Feng Shui in the colors of the living room

The use of Eastern teachings in the selection of interior colors allows you to determine the direction of vibration and energy, which will positively affect the mental and physical health of a person. The doctrine is based on the main elements: Wood, Fire, Metal, Water and Earth. At the same time, the finish should lie on smooth, even walls so that nothing interferes with the movement of positive energy.

Feng Shui color characteristics

When choosing not one, but several wall colors in the interior of the living room, it is important that they indicate one direction to enhance energy. You should be guided not only by the above characteristics, but also by your own preferences in order to create a cozy interior.

Optimal solutions

Gray background

A modern, popular palette that is suitable for both classic and loft styles, minimalism, modern. For greater effect, it is complemented by geometric textures. Due to the variety of shades, it is suitable for rooms of different sizes.

Yellow range

When choosing, you should pay attention only to pastel and calm, and not bright and flashy shades, which will negatively affect the rest and cause nervous tension. Sunny, warm yellow is associated with summer, comfort. In spacious rooms it can be used for all walls, in small living rooms - for interesting accents in decor, photos, etc.

Browns

Mainly used for classical solutions. For accents, more saturated and deep shades are chosen, for the background - coffee, chocolate, etc.

Olive shade

Well suited for Provence, Scandinavian style, country. A soft, natural, pastel shade of green is suitable for rooms of different sizes and locations. The noble tone gives coziness and comfort, goes well with other soft tones.

Light orange

Associated with rich summer colors. It is used for various interior solutions, it will become a highlight of mixed style in classic and modern. Pairs well with turquoise and grey. Favorably looks in dark living rooms, the windows of which face the north side. It also compensates for the lack of lighting.

Shades of beige

A popular, versatile, practical color that can be used to decorate any living room. The room will turn out warm, harmonious. Bright, rich colors, imitation of brickwork, textured plaster are used for decor.

Shades of turquoise

The turquoise palette will give a feeling of freshness, freedom, spaciousness. Shades are presented as rich and deep, as well as pastel, fresh. It goes well with different color options, while not overloading the interior. Makes a cold palette softer and more appropriate. More suitable for spacious rooms, plays well in accents.

Natural shades of green

A natural, comfortable palette that symbolizes life. Various shades are used in the interior of the living room. Often gamma is used for zoning space. It goes well with shades of gold, brown, floral prints.

White background

Strict and restrained, but at the same time, a neutral color that can be used as a base for any style. Its tint palette is wide and varied, and textured application will open up new facets of white. The palette visually expands the room, fills it with light and warmth, eliminates dark corners.

Characteristic stylistic palettes

  1. Contemporary. The modern style allows for more vibrant colors such as blue, teal, emerald, lilac, etc. A combination of several contrasting scales in one room is characteristic.
  2. Scandinavian. The style is characterized by the use of beige, gray and white tones, as well as shades of blue. The color should be harmonious, maintain spaciousness.
  3. Classic solutions. These areas are characterized by muted, calm ranges of brown, green, blue. The interior uses only one shade, wallpaper with a pattern is used for accents.
  4. Loft. A modern solution for decorating a living room. Mostly cold, calm tones are used for the interior. Gray and white goes well with brick. For such an "industrial" idea, you can use black.
  5. Country. A rustic theme is impossible without natural shades, such as brown, green, pale yellow, blue, peach, olive, etc.
  6. Provence. The base is pastel colors such as olive, beige, lavender, etc. It has a natural, restrained palette.

The palette of each style may vary depending on the functional purpose of the color, the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe room, and personal preferences. If, according to the design project, the implementation of non-standard tones is appropriate, there are no restrictions on bringing such an idea to life.

Color combinations

The use of several combinations is possible only if the living room area is 25 square meters or more. Then one of the zones can be decorated for relaxation in soothing colors, the other can be finished for receiving guests, etc.

Color choice for a small living room

To decorate a small living room, light, soothing colors are used that will be in harmony with other elements of the interior. It is better to refuse patterns and prints, because because of them the room may seem smaller in size. For bright accents, decor items and furniture are used.

To visually enlarge the room, you need to think over a lighting scheme that will emphasize the color of the walls favorably, as well as hang mirrors. If you use wallpaper or decorative plaster, they should be discreet, monochrome, without unnecessary details that could adversely affect the visualization of the space. An interesting solution could be to paint the accent wall in a different shade, if you choose the right color.

Living room color - 140 photos of the right color combination in the living room

With the help of these recommendations, the selection of colors for the interior of the living room will be greatly simplified and will not take much time.

Whatever style is preferred when designing a living room, the color scheme is of great importance when decorating its interior and design. Of course, now the range of colors is very wide and it is extremely difficult for a simple layman not to get confused and make the right choice. But if an independent search is somewhat difficult and has not yielded results, it is recommended to contact specialists in these matters, who will select an option as soon as possible, taking into account all your wishes.

List of issues to be discussed in detail below:

Choosing the right color scheme for the interior of a room is not an easy task, but with the help of the recommendations below, it can be solved in the shortest possible time.

Table of contents of the article:

Skillful combination of colors

All colors are conditionally divided into two types: — cold and warm.

It is very important to take into account the following point: - If you are doing the design of the living room on your own, then you should not mix both types, it is better to choose one color line, because these shades are too contrasting.

To combine a warm tone and a cold one, it is necessary in such a way as to prevent a sharp transition in the color scheme, and also so that the combination of colors in the living room looks proportional - only a professional can do this. It is important to remember that a small percentage of a warm shade when decorating a living room in cold colors will not spoil the overall picture with its presence, but, on the contrary, will add elegance and sophistication to the interior. You do the same if you use a line of warm shades in the color of the walls of the living room, you just need to dilute it with a moderate amount of cold shades. Thus, the harmonious combination of colors in the living room will eloquently make it clear that the owner of this room has great taste and an amazing sense of style.

Pay attention to which direction your living room windows point? Do your windows point south and do you often have too much sunlight in the room? In this case, we choose a line of cold tones, otherwise the feeling of unbearable stuffiness and heat will never leave you, and the existing air conditioner will not save the situation.

Popular colors for decorating the living room

Living room in white - this color must be introduced very carefully and in moderation to prevent its overabundance, otherwise you will feel like you are in a hospital room.

The beige color in the living room as shown in the photo is a very picky color, it is good because it will not be difficult to choose furniture made of wooden materials for it. Decorating the walls in the living room in beige is an almost perfect solution.

Brown color in the living room will complement the interior with a touch of practicality, but its overabundance is fraught with the merging of furniture and walls together. It also needs to be used in moderation.

Zoning by playing with color and other devices

If the color of the living room is kept in one tone, as you can see in the photo, we highlight the resting place with a different shade, without sharp transitions. To highlight a particular area, it is not necessary to resort to changing the color of the walls of the room, just use the pictures.

Also, artificial light sources are ideal for zoning, it can be either lamps or floor lamps or the same sconces, and it doesn’t matter what color you chose for the living room.

Another ideal option to focus on the seating area is easy to implement with large outdoor houseplants, regardless of the color schemes appearing in the living room.

Recommendations that help to perfectly combine different colors while maintaining a sense of taste and style

  1. The combination of brown and beige tones must be diluted with black, but again, you need to know the measure, it should be very small.

    Learn more