Decorating your lounge space comes with so many exciting opportunities, perhaps none so defining as your choice of living room colour schemes. After all, colour has such an impact on both the feel of a room and how you feel within it.
The world is your oyster when it comes to choosing a palette for your living room, no matter if you’re into calm tones or statement shades. That said, before you start you should really consider what you want the finished room to offer you.
‘Think about how you will use the room,’ advises Emma Deterding (opens in new tab), Founder, Kelling Designs. ‘If it’s a room that you’re going to be watching TV in or spending time with loved ones, then choosing deeper, darker hues will help to create a cosy atmosphere. If it’s a space that’ll be used for working, then light, bright colours are more appropriate to keep you focused and energised for.’
Whichever direction you decide to head in, rest assured there are living room colour ideas aplenty for your space.
Living room colour schemes
‘Whether you’re drawn to muted, neutral tones or bold, vibrant shades, the key to successful living room colour schemes is to strike a balance,’ advises Flora Hogg (opens in new tab), Colour Consultant at paint company Craig & Rose. ‘As long a feeling of balance is achieved, any colour scheme can be a winning combination.’
1. Dive in to dark and moody tones
(Image credit: Future PLC/Paul Massey)
Deep, dark greys and blacks were once rarely seen in living rooms, but they’ve been increasing in popularity thanks to their super chic finish and versatility. This family of colours work equally well in traditional homes and they do in ultra modern builds.
The trick to dark or black living rooms is to approach them as you would whites. Treat them as a neutral and forget about the colour, instead focusing on the base. Whether this is warm or cool will dictate if it can work in the space. As a rule of thumb, cooler undertones tend to suit south-facing rooms, while warmer tones work best with north-facing light.
2. Build on a neutral base
(Image credit: Kelling Designs)
‘If you’re afraid of using all-out colour, then building on a neutral living room base is the way to go,’ advises Emma from Kelling Designs. ‘By opting for living room colour schemes in a base of beige, white and grey on key elements such as walls, floors and bigger pieces of furniture, you will create a timeless base.’
‘This will allow you the flexibility to change up your look whenever you feel with smaller, more affordable accessories. You can also then play with colour on these accessories, opting for bold colours and prints elements such as textiles, lamps and decorative accessories.’
3. Think pink as a new neutral
(Image credit: Future PLC/Joanna Henderson)
‘Pink has become a popular alternative ‘new neutral’, offering a more contemporary finish,’ notes Punam Chada, Buyer, Carpetright (opens in new tab). ‘When used in a tonal scheme, it provides a serene and calming feeling.’
When it comes to maxing an impact with pink living room ideas the key is to mix both the coloured tones and the accompanying classic neutrals to avoid these type of living room colour ideas from feeling sickly and sweet.
4. Work methodically
(Image credit: Future PLC/Anna Stathaki)
‘When creating your living room colour schemes, opt for a streamlined palette using just two colours to create a balanced and cohesive feel throughout the room,’ advises Patricia Gibbons, Head of Buying, sofa.com (opens in new tab). ‘If you have an upholstered sofa for example, this would be one of your two dominant colours in the space, choose a wall colour to complement.’
‘The general rule of thumb is to pair a colour with a neutral as the foundations if you are going for a traditional scheme. You can always incorporate various pops of colour and pattern on accent pieces and through the use of accessories. This will create impact by adding depth and character, tying everything in together harmoniously.’
5. Try the ‘new grey’
(Image credit: Benjamin Moore)
‘One new neutral on the block is muted green,’ says Helen Shaw, Director of Marketing at paint company Benjamin Moore (opens in new tab). ‘Gentle and subdued, soft green hues add more interest to a scheme than a traditional neutral, such as off-white.’
‘A pale sage green for example can take you from season to season, feeling fresh in the spring and snug in the autumn. Green living rooms have a strong connection to nature, creating a versatile foundation upon which to add textured furnishings and décor.’
6. Look to heritage tones
(Image credit: Future PLC/Anna Stathaki)
Hark back to the era of the bohemian Bloomsbury Group for on-trend living room colour ideas. The mix of statement shades might sound garish, but this look is all about choosing the more muted and duskier versions of the brightest and boldest tones.
If you’re unsure of where to start with these, one option is to first choose your dream sofa. ‘We are big believers in choosing your main sofa and building a colour palette around it as the first place to start for living room colour schemes,’ says Patricia from sofa.com. ‘Some prefer wallpaper and paint first, but this may sometimes restrict adventurous sofa choices!’
7.Choose classic neutrals
(Image credit: Future PLC/James Merrell)
Who says colour has to be bold to be beautiful? Channel the Scandinavian look by embracing a neutral colour palette. The role of neutrals in our homes right now is to create cocooning, cosy spaces – shifting away from the cooler neutrals of greys. An effortless blend of white, beige and stone hues creates a harmonious scheme with a timeless appeal.
This look works best when all the elements are kept neutral, from the walls paint through to the natural wooden furniture.
8. Dip into navy blues
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Simon Whitmore)
Create a brooding sense of intrigue by painting your walls and surfaces in a dramatic dark shade. On-trend darker shades of paint may feel like a risky move but, in the right context, shadowy tones come into their own. Hence why they continue to prove a popular choice for current living room trends.
Create an entire backdrop that blends in by painting a radiator and a wall of shelves to match or play it safer with a feature wall. When using accents of dark paints the key is to balance it with large areas of neutral.
9. Perfectly pair pink and blue
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Georgia Burns)
Give blue living rooms a new edge by pairing with pink. This look works best when you choose a rich blue combined with a dusky, grey-pink, creating a sophisticated scheme far from the childlike connotations of baby blue and pastel pink together.
10. Mix and match your greens
(Image credit: Future PLC/Polly Wreford)
Take heed from your favourite mixed salad or bunch of foliage for trendy living room colour ideas. The colour spectrum for green encompasses everything from vibrant emeralds to gentle mints, and they all work together beautifully.
Have fun with mixing and matching different tones and shades of green throughout your space for a nature inspired finish that will offer just as much style cred as it does calm.
11. Combine botanical greens and marine blues
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Chris Everard)
Pair marine-inspired colours of green and blue to create a calming scheme which echoes the colours of a coastal landscape. Add extra character to a neutral space by layering different floral and fauna patterns on fabrics and ceramics, leaving your living room wall decor, floor and sofa in block colours to keep the look from becoming fussy.
12. Turn to warm beige and taupe
(Image credit: Dulux)
Forget everything you’ve ever thought about beige and taupe being boring. These shades offer so much to a space, and provide more warmth than the cooler neutrals found in white living rooms.
‘These lighter colours work best in smaller living rooms,’ notes Gisela Lancaster, Head of Buying, Sofology (opens in new tab). ‘These colours are highly reflective, maximising the effect of natural light and creating the illusion of space in your living room.’
13. Add terracotta accents
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Dominic Blackmore)
Create different moods in a neutral living room with colourful accessories. ‘Bold without being overpowering, shades of spice, rust and terracotta are design staples that lend themselves to a multitude of decors, from Scandi to Mid-Century,’ says Gisela from Sofology.
‘Although typically considered autumnal shades, when carefully accessorised, these earthy tones can add an element of warmth to a neutral scheme all year round.’
14. Invite the sunshine in with cheery yellow
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Simon Whitmore)
The feel-good vibes of yellow can instantly create a sunny decor. Walls painted in buttercup yellow provide the ideal backdrop for any furniture style, particularly neutral and grey. Add further rays of sunshine with brighter yellow accessories to compliment the walls.
‘We’re seeing more and more people experimenting with vibrant hues, such as yellow, that add an unexpected splash of colour,’ notes Carpetright’s Punam.
15. Try and all-grey scheme
(Image credit: Future PLC/ James Merrell)
Grey living room colour schemes are still popular, and are bound to be for some time yet. Keep yours feeling fresh by colour drenching with your chosen shade. Think walls, shelving and even flooring in the same colour.
Carefully considered accessories will help lift the look and keep it from feeling flat. Look to colour combos from mid-century living rooms for inspiration here with tones like olive green and burnt orange.
16. Pair up your pastels
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Polly Wreford)
Opt for impact with a sugary shade. Decorating with pastels doesn’t necessarily create childish living room colour schemes. Pair with furniture and accessories in a darker colour, which will serve to balance the lighter tones.
Use matt emulsion to create a fashionable low-sheen look – a velvety, almost chalky finish – ideal for uneven walls in the living area.
17. Go luxe with jewel tones
(Image credit: Future PLC/ Dominic Blackmore)
Deep turquoise, jade green, true pink, amethyst, citrine and emerald. This group of gorgeous colours work naturally together for a vibrant, non-clashy mix. Offset with black, grey and white to create a successful scheme. Walls painted in a flat steel grey let you use jewel tones fearlessly on fabrics and accessories.
18. Pack a punch with warming plum
(Image credit: TBC)
Warm up your living room in the colder months with plum tones. Combine shades of claret and dusky rose to create a toasty and snug purple living room ideas.
Colour-block the main wall with a port-wine red to introduce a rich, heritage element. Prevent the living room colour schemes from going into overdrive by using softer mauve-greys, browns and greys for accessories and other elements in the room.
Which colour combination is best for a living room?
“There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to picking the right colour scheme for a living room – it really is dependent on you, your personal style, and picking colours and a design scheme that is a true reflection of you,’ advises Emma from Kelling.
‘In terms of fail-safe colour schemes and combinations, there are some old and trusted combinations that will always work. Blue and orange, yellow and blue, pink and green, and beige/neutral tones will always work with anything bright that packs a punch.’
What colours make living rooms look bigger?
‘The trick to make any room look bigger is to create the illusion of extra light and space,’ says Helen from Benjamin Moore. ‘If the room is blessed with plenty of daylight, it’s a great help. But the effect can also be achieved by choosing a paint finish that reflects light well, for example a semi-gloss or gloss.’
‘In terms of colours, using a clean white can also be hugely successful at opening a room up, as white – from all the shades on the colour wheel – naturally reflects the most light.’
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