Choosing the perfect living room paint color is no easy feat. There’s so much to consider: your home’s architectural style, the size of your living room, the amount of natural light that pours into the space, and, of course, the overall mood you want to create. And to make the matter even more complicated, most paint brands offer a plethora of colors.
While you should certainly stay true to your design style and be privy to top home trends, designers say there are certain living room paint colors you should stay away from. Use their insights below to land on the right shade for your space.
Greige
Greige may seem like a timeless choice, but designer Maggie Griesbeck of MNG Design says don’t be too quick to cover your walls with the hue (she recommends sticking to cabinetry, though). “Greige colors consistently fall flat for me these days,” Griesbeck says. “I find this color dated and dingy.” Instead, she prefers a bright white—think Benjamin Moore's Simply White or Sherwin-Williams' Greek Villa.
Cool Gray
For Burcu Ercetin of Design & Curations, cool, blue-based grays have to go. Once natural light hits this color, a living room takes on a sterile effect, she says. “For a while cool, blue-based grays were everywhere, but it often reads flat and a bit cold, especially in natural light. It can make a space feel less inviting and harder to layer with warmth and texture,” Ercetin explains.
Designer Jennifer Pacca agrees, noting that warmer shades are better for pulling a living room together. “Gray had its moment, a long one, but it has now become a color you can easily date to a specific time,” Pacca says. “Warmer palettes feel more current, inviting, and better suited to how people want their homes to live today.”
New Jersey-based designer Beth Diana Smith isn’t onboard with gray either. “I would love to not see gray anymore in living rooms,” Diana Smith admits. “It's been overdone for the wrong reasons and is being associated with minimalism and modernity, but is often used as a cold neutral.” Her top paint color recommendations run the gamut and include shades of green, purple, pink, and even warm whites.
Cool White
Any type of cool white detracts from a room’s appeal and welcoming vibe, according to designer Sasha Bikoff. “Unless you live in a gallery loft space, I would try avoiding a cool super white that lacks warmth and feels more commercial,” Bikoff says. “Lean into a warmer golden white, which plays off really nice with natural light and gives a room the sense that it’s been lived in for a long time.”
Black and White
There’s one living room color combo that designer Kerrie Kelly says it’s time to give up: black and white. “It can be great for a commercial application, but when we’re talking about living rooms, it’s just too harsh and lacks livability,” Kelly says.
Her take on the best alternatives? “What we’re seeing now—especially coming out of Milan [the Salone del Mobile design fair]—is a shift toward tonal, nature-inspired palettes—think warm mineral tones, softened clay hues, muted olives, and layered ivories,” Kelly explains. “These colors have depth and subtle variation, and they connect beautifully to materials like wood, stone, and textiles.”
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."
