It's Official: These 7 Paint Color Trends Are Out

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Updated on Nov 18, 2020

Cristina Cianci / MyDomaine / Anastasiia_Guseva / Getty Images

Which color should I paint my room? It's a question everyone encounters throughout life, yet it remains equally daunting every time. Perhaps the nervousness comes from the reality that what paint saves us in upfront costs, it makes up for in blood, sweat, and tears. In other words,—you don't want to get it wrong. Yes, paint is a cost-effective way to transform a space, which means it can also go terribly wrong if the tone isn't right. So how is one to know which paint color ideas to try and which to avoid?

For one, paint companies like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Behr are tireless at studying trends and coming up with color reports. Every year, their teams scour the globe, attend fashion shows, and search high and low for the next big color trends—which they then report back to the press and eventually consumers. Curious to know which paint color ideas they handpicked for this year?

We studied the major paint brands' trend reports to dissect the most popular colors this year. Pick up a few tester pots and get painting.

Retire Lilac, Try Ice Blue

Marble backsplash in a blue gray kitchen — Jersey Ice Cream Co.

Lilac might have been a leading trend for many interior designers in past years, but paint companies are predicting upswings for ice-cool tones like Benjamin Moore's Iceberg and Sherwin-Williams's Icelandic colors, both in the companies' top trend reports. The fresh colors go hand in hand with the minimal Scandinavian interiors that are growing in popularity.

Try icy blue tones on your kitchen cabinets.

Benjamin Moore Iceberg $38.00

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paint color Icelandic by Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Icelandic $30.00

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Retire Mint, Try Guacamole

Living room with green walls — foreveryoursbetty / Instagram

Mint used to be everywhere, but this year predicts deeper, more sophisticated olive tones to dominate interiors everywhere. These darker tones were prominently featured in both Benjamin Moore's and Sherwin-Williams's trend reports.

Pair guacamole hues with fresh ice-blue tones for an unexpected and decidedly modern twist.

Benjamin Moore Guacamole $38.00

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Sherwin-Williams Saguaro $30.00

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Retire Gray, Try Sand

Taupe gray bedroom with crystal chandeliers

Gray was the 2016's color of the year according to Pinterest, but since then, warmer tones have begun to enter the minimalistic landscape. Companies Behr and Benjamin Moore both predict sand tones to be big next year.

Try two-tone walls and tone-on-tone décor to give your taupe tones a modern take.

paint color Sandlot Gray by Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore Sandlot Gray $38.00

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Behr Silent Sands $29.00

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Retire Blush, Try Dusty Rose

Rose Quartz was the color of the year, Pantone told us in 2016, but this coming year, pinks will become decidedly darker and dustier. Old rose tones are at the forefront of trend reports.

Paint the walls—and ceiling—for a modern take on old rose and a cozy effect that's ideal for small spaces.

paint color Roycroft Rose by Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Roycroft Rose $30.00

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Behr Everything's Rosy $26.00

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Retire Navy, Try Sealskin

Black Paint Color Ideas — Fantastic Frank

We saw a resurgence of black and navy tones, but next year's dark interiors have a warmer gray feel—one that's almost brown. This keeps dark interiors from feeling too cold.

Use warm grays in a small space to maximize moodiness.

Sherwin-Williams Sealskin $30.00

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paint color Nightshade by Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore Night Shade $38.00

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Retire Fiery Red, Try Mustard

Pop living room in yellow orange and green — Laurie Rubin / Getty Images

This year marked the return of fire-engine red and other similarly bold tones—it's still a big color in fashion too. Next year is no different, with more bold tones entering the paint landscape, but the trend steers closer to mustard yellows.

If you're feeling too color-averse to paint an entire room bright yellow, infuse your interior with mustard accents.