There are some old favourites, and a few surprising entries
Green, grey, and blue are the most popular living room colours for 2024. Search data analysis has found that we are making bolder choices in our living spaces, embracing bright and rich shades, as well as some more unexpected colours.
It is no surprise that the ever-popular grey came in second place, whilst three shades of versatile blue appeared on the list. Classic cream and white continue to be in favour, with fewer of us choosing the cheerful pinks, yellows and reds.
The top 12 most popular living room colours for 2024 are:
- Green
- Grey
- Blue
- White
- Black
- Cream
- Teal
- Navy
- Beige
- Pink
- Yellow
- Red
Read on for our take on the top 12.
1. Green
The ultimate in nature-inspired decoration, green is the most popular living room colour for 2024. The versatility of green makes it a bit of a gift in interior design, but doesn’t make it easier to narrow down your choice of colour combination – as a general rule, paler shades can desaturate rooms with lots of warm oranges and pinks, and deep greens are a great accent for neutral rooms.
2. Grey
There is always an argument for not fighting the natural characteristics of your home. If you have little natural light, or particularly low ceilings, it can be worth leaning into the cosiness of it all with a wash of grey on your walls.
3. Blue
The first of three blue shades on our list. If you introduce a heavy dose of blue into your living room, there can be a tendency to pare back decoration elsewhere. It’s certainly not the only design route however, as you can see here, adding rust reds, warm mustard shades and piles of pattern makes for a warm and inviting space.
4. White
A much-maligned colour for parents and pet owners, but one that is hard to beat in a country living room. White can look stark or overly pristine, which can be offset by introducing warming elements such as painted wood, and a sumptuous off-white carpet.
5. Black
Despite being one of the boldest of design decisions, black living rooms is proving more popular than classic cream. Decorating with black will naturally take a bit more consideration, but as a general rule of thumb, we would always be inclined to use an off-black – one that leans towards graphite grey, or mixed with a softening blue – with a subtle sheen to better catch natural light.
6. Cream
Classic cream came in sixth place, perhaps indicative of a move away from neutrals. Cream certainly doesn’t have to be plain however if you just consider it a base from which to build a richer and more colourful palette. We love the slick of beetroot red here that creates the impression of a lower ceiling – a clever design device for expansive rooms that lack cosiness.
7. Teal
Green-toned blues offer a bit more warmth than mid or light blues, an effect that can be further pronounced with the use of burnt orange or shades of reds. Teal is a particularly good choice if you tend to decorate with antiques as it sits so well with traditional woods such as mahogany or walnut.
8. Navy
If you’re decorating with a rich navy, take your design cues from this elegant living room by Paint & Paper Library. A rich navy can look near black without adequate natural light, but wall panelling helps by adding some lovely highlights and shadows.
9. Beige
The warmest neutral on our list, beige is a great choice if you want a light but cocooning colour for your living room. Pale pastels may not be an instinctive colour pairing here, but we love how fresh and uplifting this room looks.
10. Pink
Pink has been slowly creeping back into interiors – Dulux’s colour of the year 2024 is a soft blush – hastened only by the popularity of the Barbie movie. But the real-world take is far more moderate, favouring a whisper-soft rose, natural clay or reddish mauve.
11. Yellow
The most cheerful choice in the top 12, and a deceptively versatile one. Cooler variants of yellow with undertones of green look fresh and citrusy, whilst natural materials – like the wooden furniture, stone fireplace, and wool carpet shown here – soften the shock of yellow on the walls.
12. Red
The last colour on our list is a rich and warming red. This living room uses a quilt as a lovely alternative to paint or wallpaper, and a gentler approach to using bold colour on living room walls.
