Choosing the right paint color for your home is an exciting but difficult task. There’s a lot to consider, from the type of room you’re painting, the atmosphere you want to create, the amount of natural light the space gets, and the other finishes in the room. What may seem like an ideal choice at first can sometimes lead to regrets once the roller hits the wall.
As it turns out, even interior designers, with their expert eye for color and design, sometimes make missteps when selecting paint shades. We chatted with three interior design experts to learn about the top paint colors they wish they’d never use.
From unexpected lightness to heavy intensity, here are the top paint colors that even professionals might want to avoid.
meet the expert
- Cheryl Clendenon is the CEO and Principal Designer of In Detail Interiors based in Pensacola, Florida.
- Kanika B Khurana Kanika is the principal designer and founder of Design, a full-service interior design firm based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Pam Hutter He is an accomplished architect, versatile designer, experienced project manager and principal of Chicago, Illinois-based Hutter Architects.
bright yellow
bright yellow This may come to mind if you want to brighten up a space and add cheerful colors. However, Cheryl Clendenon, CEO and principal designer at In Detail Interiors, says using this bright color in her space was a mistake.
“Although cheerful, bright yellow can easily overwhelm a space, especially in small rooms,” she says. “In my experience, it created a harsh, overly saturated environment.”
Clendenon says today she’d choose muted mustard or soft gold tones instead. These soft colors would still bring the warm and sunny atmosphere she wanted without the vibrant over-saturation.
dark purple
“It surprised me,” Clendenon says. “I tried it in a bedroom hoping for a moody, sophisticated ambiance, but it felt heavy and made the room seem smaller.”
While painting dark, moody colors are officially due for 2024 As Clendenon learned, they’re not suitable for every location. Be sure to consider the amount of light your space will receive and the experience you hope to achieve.
Dark colors are best suited for spaces with abundant natural light. In its place, Clendenon opted for deep, soft mauve paint for the same depth but with more openness and elegance.
cool bluish-grey
Another color Clendenon regrets using is a cool, blue-grey. While this color can give a space a sophisticated yet cozy feel, it can also seem cold and sterile, especially in rooms with limited natural light.
he switched warm greige paint Instead, it added the softness and warmth the space was looking for.
dark gray
“One big regret was the dark charcoal gray I used in my home office. At that time, I wanted something whimsical and inspiring, but the colors looked oppressive in the morning light, turning the room into more of a cave than a workplace,” says Kanika B Khurana, principal designer and founder of Kanika Design.
Pam Hutter, principal of Hutter Architects, agrees, noting that dark gray can make a space feel cramped and drab, especially in smaller rooms.
Both designers opted for lighter, warmer colors instead of dark browns. Khurana says he chose one silent sage green As for her home office, that felt more appropriate for a space designed for creativity and productivity, while Hutter says light gray and light blue have been her favorites.
jewel-toned teal
Jewel Tone Can add drama and elegance to a space, but jewel-toned paint can also look heavy and oversaturated. Khurana says this was the case when he used jewel-toned teal in his dining room.
“I imagined it would look rich and dramatic, but it took over the space, especially at night in the warm light,” she says.
Instead, she chose warm gray paint on the walls to bring harmony to the space and serve as a canvas to brighten other elements in the room.
blush pink
Looking for something soft yet sophisticated, Khurrana opted for blush pink in her bathroom, which she ultimately changed. Instead, he chose a neutral, barely-there taupe With enough depth to feel intentional while maintaining a sense of peace.
“I was going for a fresh, modern look, but the pink looked too warm and almost peachy in the bathroom lighting, which clashed with my brass fixtures,” she says.
Mint green
Finally, Hutter says that in his experience, going for a cool-toned green (like mint green) was a mistake. While she was expecting a bright and energetic finale, in reality, it felt cold and uninviting.
Hutter says she now uses warm-toned greens instead of cool-toned greens. Her two favorites are olive green and sage green. in warm, dark green tones Create a feeling of comfort and peace, bring the outdoors inside and create a feeling of harmony with nature.
