The living room—host to everything from social hours and quiet afternoons with a good book to family game nights and sushi-and-movie dates—is one of the most versatile parts of your home, and it should have a design aesthetic to match. This year, a mix of soothing neutrals and deep, dramatic hues are dominating. And though they might be on opposite ends of the aesthetic spectrum, all of these trending colorways can give the living room an inviting sense of personality and warmth.
“We’ve lived in a particularly uncertain and tumultuous world the past few years. Consumers are looking for a sense of calm,” says Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr. Calm, however, doesn’t look the same from one home to the next. For some, this means warm neutrals or rich browns; others feel most at home with dashes of fun brights or nature-inspired greens. The end result, however, should be standard. “When they step into their living space, people want to feel like they can take a deep breath to immediately feel calm and centered,” says Woelfel. Ahead, we rounded up the living room color trends that should be on your radar for 2024.
Tan and Khaki
Courtesy of Farrow & Ball
Neutral paint colors are a timeless choice for living rooms, which often serve as a backdrop for everything from your annual holiday cocktail party to rainy-day board game marathons. “Neutrals are a natural trend because they have the ability to clear the air and provide a clean background for endless design and decor possibilities,” says Woelfel. “These are the colors to watch for in comforting and cozy settings: sand, beige, tan, khaki, and brown, from spicy cinnamon to rich and decadent chocolate.”
Nicole Gibbons, founder of Clare, agrees—her customers are gravitating towards these hues at home and on social media. “In the living room, people continue to play it safe and be more adventurous with their furniture and accessories,” she says. Expect to see neutrals with warmer undertones, like Clare’s Neutral Territory or Like Buttah, rise in popularity. “Warmer neutrals give spaces those cozy, comforting, inviting vibes,” says Gibbons.
Warm Browns and Reds
Farrow & Ball
Plush browns and bold reds are major shades to watch this year—in the living room and throughout the rest of the home. “For a living room, I recommend one of my favorite browns, Urbane Bronze, because it can create a sense of sanctuary in a room where you want to be cozy and also inject a shot of energy in the space where life unfolds,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams.
Looking for a more neutral take that melds red and brown? Try Redend Point. “It’s a nourishing blush-beige that can easily coordinate with the furniture and décor of a living room thanks to its versatility,” says Wadden.
Outdoor-Inspired Greens
James Merrell
Green, the most popular color of the last few years, continues to be a favorite, whether you’re channeling the bright hue of spring grass, an emerald ocean tone, or the mind-clearing mid-range shades that surround you during a walk in the woods. Green’s many shades have increased in popularity year over year and will continue to “trend up,” says Gibbons. “Shades of green work in any room, and it’s a color derived from nature. You can envision it better than you could a yellow or a pink, since when you walk outside, you see green everywhere,” says Gibbons.
There are light and misty greens like Breezeway, that feel uplifting and calm—or shades like Back to Nature, an herbal green captures the rejuvenating sense of being outdoors. Want to go bolder? “Deep shades like Vine Leaf are timeless go-to colors for walls, cabinetry, and more,” says Woelfel.
Darker Tones
Courtesy of Sherwin Williams
It might be intimidating to go all in on a darker hue, but the effect it has on a living room is quite bold and dramatic. A darker color, like Behr’s 2024 color of the year, Cracked Pepper, can also have the added effect of grounding a space and giving lighter-colored accents room to shine.
