Dark wall colors have been tainted with a bad name for some time now – and we think it’s about time that reputation was stripped. 

The dimmer shades of the rainbow are often neglected when decorating our homes, with many folks fearing they will block out light and contract the space.

Contrary to this popular belief, dark colors can actually create the illusion of a larger room by absorbing the light and blurring the edges of the room. An inky-toned backdrop also serves to visually expand the size of furniture, making sofas and beds appear grander than they really are.

However, there is one major faux pas people make when using dark colors – failing to paint the skirting boards. This simple error can seem minor, but it has the potential to completely erase all your hard work.

“This is really key, and you must do this if you do nothing else,” interior designer Kate Watson-Smyth told Ideal Home magazine. “If you are using a dark color, you must paint your skirting boards to match your wall, and that will make your wall look taller.”

An expert in using dark colors, Kate also has a number of other top tips for nailing these trickier shades.

Paint your radiator

Once you’ve filled in the skirting boards, your next call-of-action should be the radiator. Leaving the heater white is a common mistake when painting with dark colours, creating an unsightly distraction from the overall aesthetic of your room.

“So just get some eggshell paint, wood or metal paint and paint them to match the wall,” Kate advises. “They will disappear, and yes, they will still work.”

 Expand the ceiling

Don’t worry, this technique doesn’t involve shattering your precious roof. Kate recommends painting to an invisible line several inches below the ceiling when using dark colors. Add a few coats of lighter paint to the leftover space and voila, you’ve created the illusion of a larger room.

“It blurs the edges of the ceiling down over the top of the wall,” Kate explains. “Because you are not drawing attention to the outlines of the room. You’ve folded the ceiling down.”

 Don’t paint the ceiling white

Our go-to color for the ceiling is often pure white, but it doesn’t have to be.

Many DIY painters shy away from other colors, afraid that they will close in the room. Kate encourages novice renovators to be more experimental when painting the ceiling, reminding them of the wide variety of other neutral tones available.

“We spend a lot of time agonizing over the color of our walls,” she says. “We test it and we buy samples, and then the default position is to slap white paint on the woodwork and the ceiling.”

Choosing paint colors is one of those activities that sounds fun, but in practice quickly becomes overwhelming. After all committing to a room full of color is different than buying a bold accent chair, it has to suit all moods, all purposes and there are limitless options. We quickly become paralyzed with choice (or deadlocked in an argument with our partner) so most rooms are delegated to a safe white, gray, or beige. That’s one of the reasons why British paint company Farrow & Ball keeps precisely 132 curated paint colors in its famed color card, updated each year with just the right shades.

Faded Terracotta is one of the eight colors from Kelly Wearstler’s collaboration with Farrow & Ball.Trevor Tondo

To celebrate 75th anniversary, the Dorset-based paint company brought in discerning outside eyes for the first time, collaborating with California interior designer Kelly Wearstler on eight new colors for 2021. For a company that only introduces a few colors every couple of years, this is huge.

If there is such a thing as a “status paint” then Farrow & Ball is it, even earning a dedicated Saturday Night Live skit. The secret is in the colors, all whimsically named (Dead Salmon, Manor House Gray, Hague Blue) and hand-mixed from a proprietary 13 pigments that include a hefty dose of black. “The extra black makes things feel familiar, like a perfectly worn pair of jeans,” says Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball.

The color palette also includes neutral tones like Salt.Trevor Tondo

For Wearstler, who has used Farrow & Ball colors decades with her clients (who range from Hollywood celebrities to luxury hotels), the opportunity to create her own colors was an exciting one. “Color is such an important reflection of who we are and what makes us feel good,” Wearstler says. “Especially as we approach the end of this pandemic, I wanted colors that felt optimistic, happy.”

Each color she chose is tied to a specific memory in Los Angeles, like the faded terracotta tiles she found in a Silverlake vintage shop and the muted gray-green of the Southern California landscape.

Wearstler swears by her moodboards, which are really trays she makes full of swatches, photos, and objects related to each aspect of her projects. For those choosing colors for their homes, Wearstler recommends getting personal. “Go into your closet to see what colors you have and what colors you look good in. Choose a few pieces of art that you are drawn to. Things you like. You’ll see some sort of theme where you can start connecting the dots,” she says.

The colors are light and energized, they instantly make you happy,” says Charlotte Cosby, head of creative at Farrow & Ball.Trevor Tondo

She also recommends testing it out in real life as much as possible. “Think about where you want the color to be, if you are painting walls, the ceiling, millwork, window frames, and what texture you want. It will all begin to tie together,” she says. Simultaneously working on the new Downtown LA Proper while launching this collection, Wearstler painted some of the rooms in her new palette, playing with combinations and immersing herself in them. She likes the results so much that Farrow & Ball’s new colors will be part of the decor when the hotel opens.

But, for those who still can’t decide which color to choose, her palette is meant to be foolproof. Wearstler and Cosby went over each color painstakingly with light boxes to ensure that the colors held up in all types of light, from “gray England to bright California and even New York, which casts a greenish light,” according to Cosby. Like a well-edited capsule closet, Wearstler’s palette works well together or alone. As Cosby says.”You honestly can put any combination of these together, you can’t mess it up.”

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The best green paint brings the verdant, soothing tones of nature into the home and have a deeply calming impact on a space. But which green paint is right for your room? The experts explore the effects of green paint shades, tone to choose and how to style them. 

Best dark green paint colors

From deep forest greens to rich olive tones, dark green paint colors make a bold impact on a wall, turning a room into a nature-imbued cozy retreat. ‘A dark green is particularly effective for giving us a soothing feeling in rooms where we seek comfort such as a bedroom or living room’ says Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director of Little Greene. ‘Dark greens make us feel reassured and comfortable,’ agrees Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands. ‘Because they’re so prevalent in nature, they bring a sense of calm to a space and they help us feel connected to the outside world.’

‘Dark green paints feel adventurous and add character and depth to a scheme – they’re versatile and work well across the home’ explains Helen Shaw, UK Director of Benjamin Moore. ‘Intimate and classical, dark greens are very forgiving and practically everything goes with them’ enthuses interior designer Martin Brudinizki. 

‘A reassuring color, dark green makes one think of libraries, ancient woodlands, and stability. It’s a brilliant alternative to navy blue and in these times of turmoil it provides a therapeutic feeling in a space,’ adds Annie Sloan, color and paint expert.  

‘The saturated Hunter Green 2041-10 is grounding and encourages a connection with nature. It’s a classic tone and a reminder of our environment which can help us feel inspired as well as bringing life to a room’ says Helen Shaw, UK Director of Benjamin Moore. ‘I like the deep Hunter Green for traditional spaces such as libraries, media rooms, guest rooms or on country kitchen cabinets,’ agrees interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

‘My favorite is Dark Brunswick Green which looks sophisticated while still perfect for creating an intimate atmosphere,’ says Ruth Mottershead, Creative Director, Little Greene. ‘It’ really creates a cozy feeling and works well in small spaces that don’t see a lot of light.’

‘Studio Green is increasingly being used instead of the leaden greys so popular over the last decade,’ says Joa Studholme, Farrow & Ball’s Color Curator. ‘Its rich pigments respond extraordinarily to light, magically appearing much greener where it is surrounded by white, and in poor light conditions its deep hue appears almost black.’

Best green gray paint colors

A modern and uplifting neutral, gray green colors speak of soothing herb gardens, natural stone and freshness, and are a stylish, more interesting alternative to gray and white paint, adding depth and personality. ‘Soft hued gray green paints create a restful space,’ explains Cathryn Helsby, Head of Creative at Earthborn Paints. ‘They’re one of the best green paint tones to complement house plants and subtly bring the outdoors in.’ 

‘Adding grey pigment to green paint creates a moodier and muddied color, offering a rich earthiness that makes the overall tone more peaceful’ agrees Tash Bradley interior designer and color expert at Lick. 

‘At Studio Ashby our favorite color is definitely green and we tend to err towards more grey, chalky shades for a fresher approach,’ says Co-Director Fiona Blanchot. ‘Our favorite green paint is Green Smoke by Farrow and Ball as it’s cozy and calming – almost meditative.’

‘Gray greens like our Tuscan Olive feel neutral and sometimes even a little cool, so use these in light filled rooms where they add a crisp green edge,’ advises Tricia Guild OBE, Founder and Creative Director of Designers Guild. ‘It also works brilliantly as a neutral for doors and skirting as it harmonizes with both bright and chalky shades.’

‘I love gray greens – our Chalk Paint™ Château Grey is an endlessly rewarding shade, beautiful paired with lots of natural accents such as slate, marble, and light-colored wood,’ says Annie Sloan. ‘It works wonderfully as a color for kitchen cabinets or in garden-facing sitting rooms.’ 

Best green exterior paint colors

Using one of the best green paint colors outside blends man-made spaces and objects in the garden or on the exterior of the house with nature, buoying the natural and merging outside and in. ‘Play with tonality on the outside of buildings – a deep British racing green can feel smart and formal for exterior woodwork, while turquoise on a bench brings a moment of whimsy to an orderly garden setting,’ advise designers Campbell-Rey. ‘Using green outside is a great way to introduce a sense of uniformity while the other elements of the garden – borders or a meadow for example – are encouraged to go wild.’

‘Greens are a really useful way of connecting a building with the outdoor environment. Because we are so used to seeing green in nature, using it outdoors can help a building communicate with its surroundings,’ says Dominic Myland, CEO of Mylands. ‘Look at the colors around you and choose something that works with the visual references already outside such as a green from a nearby tree or one that tones nicely with a neighbor’s paintwork.’

‘Folly, Eicó’s soft grey/green sage exterior paint blends beautifully with nature and is very sympathetic to the environment,’ says Rishi Subeathar, founder of Eicó and Nordfärg paints. ‘Try it on doors, window sills, fences or gates to fully surround yourself with green.’

‘For a bold, impactful color which creates a strong outdoor presence, we love the amazing teal green Mid Azure Green by Little Greene,’ says Studio Ashby Co-Director Fiona Blanchot. ‘It’s a traditional tone, but feels contemporary when used externally.’

‘For cooler colors on your exterior walls like greens it always a good idea to make sure they have a touch of yellow in them like our Balmoral, to create a soft, calmer outside look,’ says Cathryn Helsby, Head of Creative at Earthborn Paints. ‘The olive tone creates a beautiful, natural-looking exterior, which blends the home serenely into its natural surroundings.’

Best green paint colors for bedrooms

‘The most important aspect to choosing a paint color for the bedroom is that it must be a tone you like and are drawn to. Generally, soothing natural shades work well in this setting,’ explains sleep expert Christine Hansen, CEO of Sleep Like A Boss. ‘Pastel colors such as soft green, blue and lavender calm and relax, and help with anxiety. Avoid dark colors which will make you feel more confined and won’t motivate you to get up in the morning.’ 

‘In the bedroom, we want to feel rejuvenated and energized as we wake up, and safe and relaxed as we wind down for sleep, so colors should be soothing and not overwhelming,’ agrees health and wellbeing-focused interior designer Oliver Heath., pointing to green as a brilliant master bedroom idea. ‘Calming, natural color schemes include soft blues, greens and browns.’

Best green paint colors for a living room

‘The living room is somewhere to relax and plays a key role in supporting our wellbeing and comfort at home, so it’s a place for a natural color palette,’ advises Oliver Heath, health and wellbeing-focused interior designer. ‘A small living room could be made to feel ‘cocoon-like’ using darker hues or bright and airy with lighter tints. Regardless of the shade, toning-down the color intensity here will create a peaceful atmosphere.’

‘Choose a living room shade based on the tone you want to set – our moods are highly influenced by color,’ advises wellbeing expert Christine Hansen. ‘Green, blue, grey and tan all help reduce stress and neutral shades work well to help calm a busy mind. The best green paints will soothe you – avoid intense and dark hues as they are very stimulating.’

Best paint colors for a kitchen

‘The kitchen should be a light, bright space, so painting it in cool shades will foster the concentration you need to cook – sage green kitchen ideas are a big trend for this reason. ‘White and pale gray tints will make a small kitchen look bigger, while natural tones will soothe’ explains wellbeing expert Christine Hansen. ‘Whatever kitchen paint color you go for, this is a room for hosting, so make it something inviting and friendly.’ 

‘When choosing what color to paint the kitchen walls, consider what will be flexible and suit activities ranging cooking, eating, socializing, entertaining and working,’ says health and wellbeing-focused interior designer Oliver Heath. ‘The kitchen should be bright and stimulating – different shades of white can provide a good backdrop, interjected with pops of brightness to keep the it fresh. The lights can always be dimmed in the evening to make the space more atmospheric.’

What colors go best with green?

‘Green is hugely versatile, which is why it’s probably the most useful color in a designer’s palette,’ say designers Campbell-Rey. ‘Olive green with pale blue, grass green with coral pink, eau de nil with a deep cherry red, it works with almost everything, especially other greens.’

‘Greens are incredibly adaptable and pair well with many different shades, from soft coral and blush to golds, naturals and electric primary colors’ explains Creative Director and Founder of Claybrook Rob Whitaker.

‘My absolute favorite shade to team with one of the best green paints has to be pink, it is just wonderful – the color combination of flowers!’ enthuses Francesca Wezel, Founder of Francesca’s Paints. ‘Blue and green also green work well together, a reminder of the sky and the green of the forest.’ ‘Pink and green should always be seen!’ agrees interior designer Martin Brudinizki. ‘It brings to mind gelato stands in Naples and beach houses in Palm Beach – the perfect combination.’ ‘Whether you’re pairing a dark green with a pastel pink, a sage green with an earthy terracotta pink, or a hot pink with a bright green, they all work!’ adds color and paint expert Annie Sloan.

‘Often people say “blue and green should never be seen”, but the right modern green with an aqua or turquoise blue looks stunning,’ says Rishi Subeathar, founder of Eicó and Nordfärg paints. ‘Khaki shades look good teamed with tan or earthy shades, even pink and fresh lime pop when teamed with clean white for a more modern feel.’

How to choose a paint color for a living room

‘Consider what atmosphere or energy you want to create in the living room when choosing a paint color,’ says Little Greene Creative Director Ruth Mottershead. ‘Take your time choosing as you spend a great deal of time here, particularly evenings and weekends,’ advises Creative Director and Founder of Claybrook Rob Whitaker. ‘Think how the room will feel at night and on darker autumn evenings or wet afternoons.’ 

‘Before selecting your living room paint of choice, think about how you use the space what aesthetic you’d like to create,’ says UK Director of Benjamin Moore Helen Shaw. ‘Are you looking to create a cozy and atmospheric living room, or somewhere that is light and bright? Or maybe you want both!’

‘Don’t forget to consider your existing furniture, soft furnishings and accessories – pick a color that will complement them’ adds says Rishi Subeathar, founder of Eicó and Nordfärg paints.

‘Living rooms are shared by the whole family and visitors so it best to make the color one conducive to relaxation and entertaining’ concludes Creative Director and Founder of Claybrook Rob Whitaker. 

How to choose paint colors for a bedroom

‘Bedroom colors are a very personal choice – generally pale greens or soft grey greens are super relaxing and the darker greens are sexy and comforting in a dark, cozy way, says interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard. ‘The shade must give you the vibe that you desire for your bedroom and sanctuary.’

‘In bedrooms where you don’t get loads of sunlight, or where it’s much cooler, go for a green with a warmer tone and that will give you balance’ says Lick’s interior designer and color expert Tash Bradley. ‘You want to combine that beautiful botanical vibe that only green can bring with plenty of softness too to fall asleep to.’ 

‘Choose tranquil and muted tones which create bedrooms that are flexible and restful’ agrees Joa Studholme, Farrow & Ball’s Color Curator. ‘For the bedroom opt for a color that’s soothing and calming to aid sleep, and consider how it will change with the light of the day’ adds Francesca Wezel, Founder of Francesca’s Paints. 

During quarantine, Maris Mann-Stadt, an environmental engineer in western Massachusetts, began using the dining room of her house as an office. She and her husband had previously entertained in the dining room a handful of times a year, but a workspace was a much better fit for the pandemic. Its paint color presented a problem, however. The dining room walls were a deep salmon hue, a kind of dark pink. As the sun went down the room got depressingly dark. “I have a bad habit of forgetting to turn on lights when I work late,” Mann-Stadt said. So the couple decided to repaint.

Stuck at home in quarantine for the majority of this year, non-essential workers have been forced to set up temporary offices on any spare flat surface, making repainting walls less of a luxury than a necessity. Any interior gets monotonous when inhabited 24/7; paint offers a way to dramatically alter your space without the need to break your bubble by bringing a professional into your home. Like exercise equipment manufacturers and sweatpants designers, house-paint companies have been booming during the pandemic. The luxury paint brand Farrow & Ball’s revenue has gone up 20 percent this year and online sales more than tripled, according to the company. “As soon as lockdown was introduced, we saw an increase in sales,” Edel Nicholson, the head of marketing for the Irish paint brand Curator, said. “Demand has grown exceptionally high, specifically because it was a product people could do themselves.”

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Yet remote workers must make a very personal choice: which color best suits ongoing quarantine? Perusing Benjamin Moore swatches at a local store, Mann-Stadt and her husband first considered grey. “It turns out the grey I liked was way too dark once I primed and put a sample up,” she said. One shade of blue was too reminiscent of a bathroom. Their final choice was a light greenish-blue, organic but not obtrusive, adapted to the longue durée of the pandemic—dining-room entertaining isn’t likely to come back any time soon. “The color has really grown on me,” Mann-Stadt said. “It’s nice to have as the days get shorter.”

Curator is a two-year-old brand launched by General Paints Group, which was founded in 1953; it distributes across the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States. Over quarantine, the company has had to add manufacturing capacity, splitting into morning and evening shifts. Aside from the increased demand, the staff also discovered that buyers wanted different colors than they did before. An entire quarantine palette has taken shape.

Like Mann-Stadt, many have realized that darker colors can feel claustrophobic when you have to stare at them all day. Curator’s most popular grey, a flat, dark hue called Shavehook, dropped by almost 90 percent between March and September of 2020, when compared to the seven months before Covid-19. It amounts to a rebellion against the 2019 aesthetic. “The grey from the twenty-teens,” said Garry Cohn, an independent designer and color expert for Curator. “Everyone has pushed that aside.” Browns and reds are out, too. What we want on our walls now are blues and greens; organic neutrals; and a handful of bold pinks, yellows, and purples that Cohn classifies as “escapism.” Glossy paint is seeing a surprising resurgence, too.

Global sales of Curator’s three most popular greens—Fisherman’s Boat, Dock Leaf, and March Day—increased by 59 percent during the pandemic while a few of its neutrals—Scalloped Silk, Soft Bisque, and Stoney Way—increased 57.8 percent. Rather than urban excitement, the selection conjures an outdoor adventure, or perhaps the waiting room of a well-appointed doctor’s office. We want to be reassured, not overstimulated, by our wall colors. It’s a contrast to Pantone’s 2019 color of the year, the electric Living Coral, which was described as “vivifying and effervescent.” “Everyone is a bit upset; they want things clean,” Cohn said. “They’re choosing positive colors because when things are negative, you want to be out there with something positive.”

Anxiety over the pandemic incites a desire for stability and timelessness, something beyond the chaotic present. Farrow & Ball likewise saw sales of blues increase 28 percent over last year, particularly Hague Blue and Stiffkey Blue, two warm, rich hues that wouldn’t be out of place in a cozy home library—which is perhaps the kind of environment we’re seeking to replicate during the oncoming winter. “Deep blues can help convey a feeling of calm and creativity, which is what people are looking for, now more than ever,” said Anthony Davey, the company’s CEO.

Another strategy of quarantine adaptation might be to make the walls as ignorable as possible to give the illusion of space. For Farrow & Ball, colors like Down Pipe, Railings, and Cornforth White, are also surging in demand. Laura Marsh, a magazine editor living in Brooklyn, repainted her apartment’s bathroom from off-white to ultra-white. “For me, it has got to be minimalism all the time if we are basically going to be trapped in here all winter,” Marsh said. If there’s nothing to notice in a wall color, maybe you can’t get bored with it.

The internet has made it easier to plan your own repaint, even before quarantine, with customers posting their own shots of rooms painted just about any color on social media. “Before you needed a color consultant and designer; now we have Pinterest,” said Sally Erickson Wilson, the chair of color and materials design at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. But professional help is still in demand: Farrow & Ball’s color consultancy, which now operates by video chat instead of in person, has been more popular than ever.

“During Covid, people sat for too long and just thought about what they want to do,” the New York-based designer Amy Lau said. Her studio has been “slammed” with clients first calling to redecorate their Manhattan apartments after they moved to second homes, then redo their second homes, too, once it became obvious they would be there for a while. The materials Lau hears requests for follow the new mold of Quarantine Chic: “Light and airy, ranging from creams to blues and celadons.” Beiges punctuated with pops of color are popular, as is art wallpaper with aggressive patterns, especially in small spaces like bathrooms. Lau cites Calico Wallpaper, Fromental, and Artemis Walls, which makes peel-and-stick wallpaper—a less permanent option than painting.

Refreshing the walls has a way of turning your home into an unfamiliar space, tricking you into believing you haven’t been marooned there for eight months. We’re seeking any kind of novelty. Some of Lau’s clients are even nostalgic for that relic of global travel, the hotel room. They request hotel signatures like headboards with inset lights, recessed lighting, and outlets or USB ports hidden in drawers. The accessories evoke the feeling of “creating your own little universe, that anything’s possible,” she said.

Rayman Boozer, the founder of the New York design firm Apartment48, usually works with bright, saturated hues, but during the pandemic has turned to “softer, calming colors: silky blues, quiet greys, and subtle shades of pink,” he said. “Color therapy is definitely at play.” What kind of therapy are we looking for with this diaphanous palette, like a day at the beach or gazing up at a slightly cloudy blue sky?

“Green is associated with calm,” Wilson noted of the quarantine palette, citing Michel Pastoureau’s book The Colour of Our Memories. “Blue is also deeply embedded in the idea of trust.” According to a report from Interbrand, a third of the best-known companies in the world use blue for their logo color; trust is certainly something we could use given the constant variation of COVID-19 best practices. In the context of chromotherapy, green is said to bring a sense of harmony and blue reduces anxiety; blue lights have been used to reduce crime and even prevent suicide attempts. Maybe the painted walls bring a bit of these vibrations, too.

But the science of color psychology is shaky and abstract: “color is consciousness itself, color is feeling,” William H. Gass wrote in his essay On Being Blue. It might be better to look to symbolism, the ideas and objects that we want to bring into our homes while we inhabit them. According to Carl Jung, blue is “the color of water and can thus represent the unconscious.” “Blue is also the bluish-green sea that houses the spirits of the dead,” Jung wrote. Beyond evoking the missing outside world, maybe the quarantine palette is an attempt to adapt to our newfound mode of introversion and accept that we’re living within our own heads for the time being.

Whatever preferences evolve during the pandemic, it seems likely that the reverse will be popular whenever it’s over and the masks can come off: crowded restaurants, live events, bright hues instead of colors of comfortable insulation. According to Curator’s Garry Cohn, we can’t depend on the popular palette staying consistent—color is always a matter of fashion. Cohn suggests that our current trend is the reverse of the 1970s. Instead of moving from the sunny colors of the ’60s to Annie-Hall browns and neutrals, we’re going from neutral 2010s-era grey back to a wider rainbow. “We’ll be bold and colorful by the year 2029,” Cohn predicted.