When decorating a living room, choosing complementary colours is key to creating a stylish and inviting space. The colours you select for the walls, furniture and decor will set the overall atmosphere of the room. While personal preference plays a role, there are tried-and-true colour combinations that tend to work well together in living rooms.
Neutral Base Colours
Many designers recommend selecting a neutral shade like white, beige, grey or tan as a base wall colour. This creates a blank canvas you can build upon by layering in pops of colour with decor, pillows, throws and artwork. Some popular neutral base colour options for living rooms include:
| Neutral Colour | Tones |
|---|---|
| White | Bright, airy, clean |
| Beige | Warm, soothing, inviting |
| Grey | Sleek, elegant, versatile |
| Tan | Earthy, cozy, natural |
Going with a neutral wall colour allows you to easily switch up accent colours as trends and seasons change. It also makes the space feel larger and brighter.
Accent Colours that Complement Neutrals
When working with a neutral base, there are many accent colour options that pair beautifully. Consider hues in these popular colour pairings:
| Neutral Colour | Complementary Accent Colours |
|---|---|
| White | Navy blue, forest green, black, grey |
| Beige | Rust orange, olive green, terracotta, yellow |
| Grey | Coral, yellow, teal, chartreuse |
| Tan | Sage green, burgundy, light blue, rust |
The accent colours will be used in smaller doses around the neutral backdrop, so feel free to get creative. Just stick to 1-2 accent colours maximum so the scheme doesn’t feel too busy.
Colour Pairs that Work Well Together
In addition to neutral and accent colour combos, some shades pair beautifully when used equally throughout a living room. Here are some sophisticated colour combinations to consider:
| Colour 1 | Colour 2 |
|---|---|
| Navy blue | White |
| Forest green | Natural wood tones |
| Soft yellow | Grey |
| Rich burgundy | Camel |
| Light blue | Tan |
The key is choosing colours with complementary undertones. Cool tones like blues and greens pair well with warm peach and yellow tones. Vibrant colours can be balanced by muted neutral shades. The most important thing is to select colours you love to create a personalized living room retreat.
Factor in Lighting
The existing lighting in a living room will impact how colours look once they’re on the walls. Natural daylight often makes some paint colours appear brighter and cooler. Soft lamp lighting in the evenings warms up undertones. Consider testing swatches at different times of day. You may opt to adjust your initial colour choice to make sure it looks great under all lighting conditions.
Get Colour Inspiration from Fabrics
Don’t overthink it! Draw colour inspiration right from your existing decor items like pillows, rugs, curtains and artwork you want to keep in the space. Pull one or two accent colours from fabrics you love. Add some art or accessories in those hues. Soon you’ll see a coordinated colour story come together.
Factor in Furniture Stains and Finishes
Map out what large furniture pieces will remain in the living room, taking note of their finishes. Dark leather or walnut stained woodwork can feel imposing against light, bright wall colours. But rich shades like navy or emerald green nicely complement dark woods. Lighter natural, painted or whitewashed furniture stands out against bold saturated hues. Factor in how the walls will interact with wooden tones.
Consider Your Style
Your decorating style will guide your colour selections. For contemporary spaces, neutral greys, blacks and whites provide a stylish backdrop for bold pops of colour in accessories. Traditional living rooms tend to incorporate more muted earth tones and floral patterns. Rustic farmhouse style makes use of natural unfinished woods and organic shades like sages and sky blues. Your colour scheme should bring your style vision to life.
Visualize the Full Space
It’s hard to evaluate colours individually. Decor elements like floors, window treatments and adjoining rooms all impact the palette. Try draping paint colour swatches on the actual walls and viewing them throughout the day. Move them to an accent wall or on large sample boards placed around the room. This helps envision how the completed colour scheme will look.
Test Drive with Paint Samples
Paint companies offer small sample sizes so you can paint swatches directly onto the walls. Test up to 3 colours in strategic areas like behind furniture, near windows or on accent walls. Live with them for a few days to see how you like the look at all hours. This gives you a chance to adjust before committing to painting the entire room.
Consider Your Ceiling Colour
Don’t forget to factor in the ceiling when planning your colour scheme. White ceilings keep the focus on stunning walls colours. Matching the ceiling colour to walls can make a saturated hue feel enveloping. Wood panelled ceilings provide an elegant contrast. Just be sure the ceiling colour you choose enhances the overall palette.
Use Colour to Define Spaces
Open concept living rooms often incorporate sitting, media and dining areas all in one large space. Use colour to visually define different zones. Try painting the TV accent wall navy blue, while walls in the sitting area remain neutral. Or opt for a subtle shade like pale yellow in dining zones to set the mood for meals. Strategic colour placement brings cohesion to multifunctional living rooms.
Look at Larger Colour Trends
Stay up to date on current colour trends to ensure your living room scheme feels fresh and modern. Warm earth tones like terracotta and olive green are popular now, along with deep shades of blue and green. Bold colour pairing like orange and purple or bright red and bubblegum pink are on trend. Visit model homes, blogs and Pinterest for the latest colour ideas.
Consult with a Designer
If struggling to narrow down your colour direction, seek out expert help. Many paint companies provide free in-store consulting to help you coordinate palette options. Try online services like ColorSnap that let you upload a photo of the room and virtually test colours before you paint. Or splurge on an interior designer who can pull together a pro colour scheme.
Gather Paint Chips and Fabric Swatches
Head to your local home improvement store and gather an array of paint colour samples based on hues you’re drawn to. Pick up fabric swatches in patterns and textures you love. Move the paint chips and swatches around, noticing what colours seem to complement one another. This hands-on exercise can bring your vision into focus.
Take the Colour Quiz
Not sure where to start? Try taking one of the many online colour personality quizzes. These fun tests will reveal what palette suits your style preferences. Most quizzes assess whether you lean toward warm, cool, light, dark, muted or bright colours. The results provide a helpful jumping off point for choosing living room hues.
Conclusion
Selecting the perfect colour scheme for your living room requires balancing personal taste, existing elements and style goals. From soothing neutral backdrops to eye-catching colour pairings, the options are endless. Testing colours directly in the room and visualizing the full space will ensure your palette creates a cohesive look. With some thoughtful planning and experimentation, you’ll land on the ideal wall colours to bring your living room to life.