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Homes & Gardens
Homes & Gardens
Jennifer Ebert

17 beautiful living room color ideas that are sure to inspire a fresh new look

Neutral living room with a stone fireplace, gallery wall, a round coffee table, and a curved sofa with yellow check upholstery.

Color is key in a living room. No pressure, but choosing the right shades is perhaps the most important decision you will make in the design process. The living room is hardworking; it wears many hats. You spend a long time in this space, so nailing the right color scheme that works for all its uses is key.

When it comes to deciding on your living room color ideas, it's important to consider not only the desired aesthetics of the room but also its functionality. Of course, you'll want to take inspiration from trending styles, but considering how you spend your time in the room (be it relaxing and watching TV or socializing and entertaining with friends) will also ensure your palette works for you for decades to come.

With a spectrum of shades at your fingertips, deciding on a color scheme that will work with all your other living room ideas and uses can feel overwhelming. However, with these expert-approved suggestions, you will feel inspired and motivated, making the palette picking process far simpler.

1. Go clean and classic with a white living room color scheme

(Image credit: Bess Friday)

It may seem obvious, but sometimes you just can't beat a classic white. A white living room is timeless and unlikely to date, and looks sophisticated when decorated in any interior design style.

Co-Founder and Creative Director of Backdrop, Natalie Ebel, agrees, 'For me, a classic, pure white will never go out of style. It keeps a space fresh and clean while still feeling warm. SUPERMOON (Backdrop's pure white) is a go-to for living room spaces. It’s been one of our consistent best sellers since launch. I think SUPERMOON has resonated so strongly because it doesn’t skew too warm or cool in its undertones, but does have an interesting depth. It's bright and soft without being clinical, a perfect foundation that will live beautifully in any space.

'Crisp, clean the best white paints will add a sense of tranquility, serenity, while also remaining welcoming. There is just something about a classic white that feels physically peaceful, mentally soothing, and calming in a living room,' says Gaelle Dudley, color specialist and founder of GLDESIGN.

Savannah Buttler, designer at Britt Design Group, also suggests choosing white for a living room color scheme, explaining: 'White paint is known for allowing the brain to feel unstimulated and can have tranquil effects.'

2. Don't be afraid of primary colors

(Image credit: Future)

For a sophisticated room full of fun and energy, create a living room color scheme that hinges on decorating with primary colors.

Look to design movements of other eras, such as Bauhaus, from which you could choose primary colors such as blue and mustard yellow, or lavender purple and tomato orange.

You don't have to go full on red, blue, and yellow either. It's important to retain a level of taste. Take the living room pictured above; the designer has used a mustard yellow for the wall color and paired a brighter yellow sofa, creating layers of depth and warmth. The bright green carpet brings the scheme together with an extra pop of vibrancy.

To recreate the look, choose two striking primary colors as a base and ensure you opt for a more subdued version of the shade. The colors need to be bold but not too bright, so choose hues that are paired back to give them a more authentic tone.

3. Create warmth with an on trend rich chocolate brown

(Image credit: Studio Indigo / Luke White)

An enveloping, moody chocolate brown, as shown in the elegant living room above, designed by Studio Indigo, almost always makes a living room feel cozy and snug.

Brown room ideas have had such a revival this year, it's a warming, and sophisticated color choice for the living room, especially. Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director at Little Greene, says, 'The trend for rich, cocooning living spaces that bring a sense of comfort continues with a move toward the soothing power of darker and mid-tone caramels. Rich and indulgent mid- brown ‘Affogato’ perfectly combines the warmth of coffee with the gentle sweetness of vanilla hues to create a cocooning and comforting color.'

A rich and warm brown living room can create a calming feel, too, say experts. 'For a cozy living room, embrace earth tones and hues derived from nature. Warm browns, rich chestnuts, and deep mahogany; these colors bring biophilic benefits into the living room and instill a sense of comfort that makes a space feel more inviting,' explains Sue Kim, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams.

4. Choose a deeply soothing plaster pink living room

(Image credit: Lick Paint)

Chalky, pale tones have always been an attractive choice for interiors, giving rise to delicate, light rooms that are easy to live in. Create relaxed, elegant schemes by pairing these hues with bold accent colors, or opt for impact with one sugary shade.

Pale shades of rose are becoming firmly established as the new neutral of choice in the most stylish of schemes, yet it is in combination with bolder pastels that its delicate allure really comes to the fore, perfect for pink living room ideas.

'Neutral pink is best in living rooms; it’s surprising yet subdued,' says paint expert Annie Sloan. 'Pairing with deep burnt reds, it will create a sophisticated tonal palette with a lot of warmth; alternatively, bright oranges and turquoises with neutral pinks give more of a tropical, jungle intensity.'

Tash Bradley, Director of Interior Design at Lick, says, 'For a lighter, fresher aesthetic that suits any room aspect, Pink 02 is a favorite. This soft, peachy pink is physically soothing – it feels like a warm hug, wrapping the room in comfort and calm. This color is particularly lovely when paired with red accents, or for an earthy feel, bring in sage green accents for a timeless scheme.'

5. Contrast with walls and woodwork

(Image credit: Sarah Brown)

As one of the main rooms in the home, your living room should be treated as a canvas for an exciting and uplifting design that celebrates your favorite colors and design ideas. While a living room that features too many colors can feel overwhelming, a space that incorporates all of your favorite shades in small doses can feel deeply personal and uplifting.

If you're unsure where to start when using contrasting colors, always consult the color wheel. Whether you're using a pink paint on a bookcase or a blue shade to highlight ceiling molding, these small accents can make a living room feel playful and personalized.

Kate Guinness also advises, ‘If you are nervous about using a bold hue in a living room, painting woodwork adds a color shot without overwhelming,' as shown with the bright blue shelving in this colorful living room above, designed by Sarah Brown Interiors.

6. Be on trend with a pale blue scheme

(Image credit: Future / SIMON BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY)

Blue is one of the most popular colors to use throughout the home, and blue living room ideas can come in a variety of beautiful designs. But right now, for 2025, it's a pale sky blue you'll see in the most stylish spaces. It's being used almost like a neutral, a fresh but subtle backdrop that you can still throw most colors at.

Perhaps surprisingly, its red accents you'll see most frequently used in pale blue living rooms. As this room demonstrates, it's far less extreme than it sounds; the red and blue don't clash but work to create a room that feels interesting, but still really livable.

There's the benefit that pale blue is a very calming color too, something you want in a living room shade. 'Blues are a perfect soft tone that can make living rooms feel airy, fresh, and clean,' says Ashley Banbury, Color Marketing Manager at Sherwin-Williams. 'Blues can help to promote calmness by inducing feelings of restfulness and relaxation, and are a common color choice in the palette of many different design styles, such as coastal design, cottage core, and Scandinavian.'

7. Opt for an earthy green

(Image credit: Polly Wreford / Kiera Buckley-Jones)

Green has been named one of the best colors to paint a living room by color experts, with its roots in the natural world often creating spaces that make us feel more calm, grounded, and connected with the outside world.

Green living room ideas promise to renew your connection to nature, and the color green is said to evoke feelings of serenity, vibrancy, and good fortune. For a more subtle nod to green, opt instead for a muted gray-green to channel the quiet luxury trend while creating a peaceful feel.

Helen Shaw, Director of Color Marketing at Benjamin Moore, explains: 'Understated and refined, quiet luxe is calming and subtle yet never boring. Opt for a new neutral such as Hazy Skies, a color with mysterious depth that will add intrigue.'

To style this look, Helen suggests: 'Elevate this captivating base color with layers of texture – dark woods, tactile bouclé textiles, and sleek stone surfaces such as marble and quartz. These will all work together beautifully to create a feeling of peace and calm.'

8. Go for a timeless neutral color scheme

(Image credit: TR Studios)

'I love the calmness that you create when you have a neutral living room palette,' says interior designer Tamsin Johnson. 'But this choice definitely doesn’t have to mean boring: you can create an interesting and exciting space by layering different tones, such as off-whites and beige, then introducing a range of caramels and even accents of black.'

'Natural textures, whether they are stone or wood or linen, can help to anchor a beige living room color scheme. It means that the overall look doesn’t feel too contrived or uptight or overly designed. They bring a laid-back quality that always works well.'

A modern organic living room typically follows a neutral color palette but still feels warm, inviting, and cozy due to its layers of textures and natural materials. Layering neutral browns, creams, and whites is a surefire way of making your living room feel well-designed but also welcoming.

9. Invoke happiness with yellow

(Image credit: Tim Salisbury)

There's no denying that yellow can be a tricky color to work with, and although yellow living rooms are few and far between, this space is a lovely example of how to bring this cherry hue into one of the most used rooms in your home. You don't need to color-drench the walls for a color to have impact.

In this space designed by Anna Spiro, a high-gloss white paint on the walls bounces around a light, making the surfaces nearly appear liquid with shine. Architectural details have been picked out in a beautiful deep yellow, adding not only color but an excellent grounding element. Furniture and accessories in similar but not quite matching tones create a warming spectrum of sunshine across the space.

10. Mix vibrant shades

(Image credit: Vaughan Design & Development / Photography Chris Snook)

For a living room that sings with joy, try colorful living room ideas full of clashing combinations. This is a space for both socializing and retreat, so you want shades that both enliven and comfort you.

‘Pink and green is one of my favorite color combinations for living rooms – they play really well off each other and it’s a great way to cheer up a room,’ says Lucy Barlow, founder of Barlow & Barlow. Balance is key when using a mix of colors. Integrating more neutral tones to offset your bold hues can help bring calm when you need to focus, but then you can turn around and be energized when it’s time to switch off for the day and allow the room to return to its primary function.

Clara Ewart from Kitesgrove says, 'Don’t be afraid to choose bright, bold hues in rooms that are regularly used for entertaining. The joyous burst of color will add to the ambiance and enjoyment of the space. Walls of bright color can also be broken up with artwork and mirrors to soften the impact of the hue. Trusting your instinct is really important when working with color. You should surround yourself with colors you are drawn to and make you happy – just as you do with your wardrobe.'

11. Try out the technique of color drenching

(Image credit: Paul Massey)

A color-drenched living room is guaranteed to always feel cozy and luxurious. Whether it's a deep burgundy, bold blue, or dark green, drenching a room from head to toe in a paint shade creates a statement that showcases your style as the room's rightful designer.

Tash says, 'My go-to tip is to embrace color drenching: painting the walls, woodwork, and ceiling all in the same shade. This creates a more cohesive, immersive feel, avoiding the stark contrast of colored walls against a white ceiling. It helps the room feel more relaxing, cocooning, and inviting.'

This technique works particularly well as a small living room color idea. While the rules used to be, go for lighter colors in a smaller space, taking a darker color across all the surfaces can trick the eye and create the illusion of more space.

12. Embrace the warmth of red

(Image credit: Project Phillip Thomas / Photograph Michael Mundy)

Contemplating red living room ideas? While the color might sound like a dramatic choice, it’s actually a hue that’s easy to live with. Its warmth, the ability to make the room feel cocooning, and its appearance under artificial light make it a wonderful choice for many living spaces.

It's a living room paint color you kind of have to commit to, don't attempt an accent wall, as this will actually look more dramatic against the other neutral walls. Instead, take it across all the walls, and the ceiling, and you'll be surprised by how liveable it is.

13. Layer earthy colors for an organic scheme

(Image credit: Bethany Adams / JL Jordan Photography)

Reinvigorate your living room with a fresh and soothing color palette of limestone, lichen, and sage. Choose a subtle shade of limestone for walls, then layer different but tonal shades of creams or greens on furnishings to create a restful scheme.

A patterned couch will add a punchy highlight to a neutral living room; layer it with cushions depicting foliage and forest scenery.

Finally, bring the garden indoors: mix plants and cacti with fresh spring blooms and accessorize with striking botanical prints, faux coral and crystal geodes for a scheme that is at one with nature.

14. Go for a heritage look with a fresh coastal palette

(Image credit: Annie Schlechter )

Coastal decor doesn't need to be cliché signs and motifs; a coastal color scheme is simply a fresh, yet cozy palette that can be ideal for living rooms.

Take this room as the lesson. Choose a creamy off white paint for the walls, and rather than add in blue with the paint to create that coastal feel, bring it in more subtly with the furniture. And be sure to introduce plenty of texture to the room too, which really softens the white and blue color combination.

15. Go for a moody purple that radiates luxury

(Image credit: Farrow & Ball)

Purple was once thought of as a bit of a 2000s interior design trend, but when done right, it can exude luxury and coziness. A living room painted head to toe in aubergine feels dramatic and encompassing, the perfect retreat after a long day.

Sabrina says, 'If you want to go bolder, I love using Curtain Call. It's this gorgeous deep plum-gray that adds just the right amount of drama. It's perfect for a moody living room or a space where you want to cozy up and unwind. You can pair it with creams or even something vintage and gold-toned to warm it up.'

16. Carefully choose gray for a living room

(Image credit: Reid Rolls / BHDM Design)

Gray can sometimes be seen as a little sad or lackluster, but a shade that balances the right amount of warmth can give a living room a real warmth and classic, heritage feel.

Emily Kantz, Color Marketing Director at Sherwin-Williams, says, 'Selecting the best living room shades depends largely on the desired function and ambiance of the space. Since living rooms vary greatly in layout, lighting, and use, the ideal color is determined by the atmosphere a homeowner wishes to create. For spaces designed to feel elegant or intimate, especially those used for entertaining, Iron Ore SW 7069 is an excellent choice. The deep charcoal hue adds a sophisticated, dramatic tone to the room.'

If going for a darker gray, or any gray for that matter, the way to make it feel less drab is plenty of texture and even warmer colors too – forgot the rules of not mixing grays and browns, gray in 2025 needs those softer shades to make them more liveable.

Choosing the right living room colors needs research. Firstly, never commit to a color without sampling. Order plenty of samples, both ones you expect will work and throw in something a bit unexpected too, just in case it surprises you. Paint or stick these swatches on the wall and live with them for a while, see how they change in the space as the light changes.

While you are working out what's going to work in your space, collate images from magazines and social media, collect swatches, fabrics, and photographs to paint a picture of your desired scheme. This will give you a vision to stick with.

Call in the experts, too, if you need to. Paint is more technical than you think, and if staring at a color wheel is providing you with no living room color ideas, ask for advice in your paint store, or sign up for a consultation with a color expert, you'll find many of the big paint brands offer this as a service.

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