Exploring Harmonious Colour Schemes for Living Room Paint Ideas

Your living room is probably the most lived-in room in your home. It’s where you entertain, unwind with family and friends, and maybe even sneak in a quick episode (or half a dozen) of your favourite game show! It’s also likely a multi-functional space, doubling as a home office space, or a nook for crafting or reading. 

With so many roles to play, it’s no wonder choosing the perfect living room paint ideas can feel challenging! And that’s exactly why we’ve curated this guide to help you choose the perfect living room colour schemes for your home.

From exploring the colour spectrum, to understanding the psychology of colours, and more, here’s how you can create a living room palette that speaks to your heart!

Impact of Colours on Mood and Atmosphere

Ever been in a room that has bright red walls, and felt uncomfortably hot after a few minutes? Or maybe you’ve felt gloomy, for no reason at all, in a room with the walls painted black and grey. If you didn’t know this already, colours have a profound impact on our moods, and can make or break the atmosphere in your living room. 

Understanding these connections can be a powerful tool when choosing a paint colour for your multi-functional living room. Here’s a quick breakdown of some popular colours and their associated vibes:

• Warm Tones: Reds, oranges, and yellows are often associated with energy, warmth, and stimulation. They can be perfect for creating a lively and inviting space for entertaining guests or getting active. However, too much warmth can feel overwhelming, so consider balancing them with cooler tones or neutrals.
• Cool Tones: Blues, greens, and shades of purple are known for their calming and relaxing properties. They can create a sense of peace and tranquillity—making them ideal for unwinding after a long day or for focused activities like reading or working from your home office nook.
• Neutral Tones: When in doubt, it’s perhaps easiest to turn to a neutral shade! Whites, beiges, and greys provide a foundation for bolder colours or can stand alone for a clean and sophisticated look. There’s also the new kid on the block, greige: a perfect blend of grey and beige, that’s on top of designers’ lookbooks this season. 

Neutral shades offer versatility and can influence the feeling of spaciousness in a room. They also pair well with any other colour in the spectrum; so if you think that these shades are boring, it’s very easy to spice them up by introducing vibrant accents!

Understanding Harmonious Colour Schemes

Now that you’ve grasped the basics of colours and moods, let’s find out how to cultivate the right ambience in your living room. There’s a science behind the creation of harmonious colour schemes, and mastering these basic principles will take your living room paint job from drab to fab! 

The colour wheel, a tried-and-true tool for designers, can serve as a guide. Here are some key colour schemes to explore, all guaranteed to create pleasing and balanced results.

Complementary Colours

It’s a well-known adage that opposites attract, and the same holds true for colours on opposite ends of the colour wheel, too! Complementary colours provide high contrast and vibrant energy. 

Think of a bold red accent wall against muted green walls, or a stunning combo of blue walls and yellow accessories. Complementary hues are perfect for sparking conversation areas or adding a touch of bold, uninhibited drama. But too much contrast can overwhelm, so always use complementary colours in moderation.

Analogous Colours

Looking for shades that naturally flow well together? Analogous colours are those that sit right next to each other on the colour wheel. 

Picture a room done up in shades of light blue, turquoise, and teal. They blend beautifully with each other, and create a cohesive, put-together look—one that feels just right for any space. Tangerine orange, yellow ochre and pale yellow make up another group of analogous colours that will work perfectly together. Just pick any three colours that are close by, and you’ll get the right idea!

Monochromatic Colours

When you choose a monochromatic colour scheme, you’re basically working with different saturations, tints and tones of the same base colour. This creates a very sophisticated and effortlessly elegant look; one that’s very easy to put together for even a layperson!

Think of a living room with an emerald green accent wall, two other walls done up in white and green printed wallpaper, and the last wall painted white with green trim. These choices will create a calming and cohesive atmosphere, perfect for a living room that feels like a serene escape!

Triadic Colours

You can create a visually interesting space with a triadic scheme, which uses three colours that are evenly spaced on the wheel. Think sunshine yellow, a calming seafoam green, and a pop of eggplant purple. This scheme offers a dynamic balance, perfect for a playful and stimulating living room. A triadic colour palette is a bit tricky to pull off, as it needs a practiced eye, but can create picture-perfect spaces with a designer touch.

Different Colour Schemes for Living Room Paint Ideas

Ready for some design ideas? Here are some designer colour schemes for living rooms that you could borrow inspiration from!

Neutral Tones

If you’re someone who craves a sense of calm and timeless elegance, neutral tones are the perfect foundation for your living room. These versatile shades offer a blank canvas that allows you to personalise the space with pops of colour from furniture, artwork, and accessories. An added plus— they create a feeling of spaciousness, which is ideal for a smaller living room!

Here are some inspiring neutral colour ideas to get you started:

• Crisp Whites and Creams: This classic pairing offers a clean and airy feel, perfect for creating a bright and inviting space. Add warmth with natural textures like woven baskets and wooden furniture.
• Greige (Grey + Beige): This trendy greige hue combines the cool serenity of grey with the warmth of beige, creating a sophisticated and balanced ambience. Play with different textures like silken throws, tessellated cushions, and metallic accents for added depth.
• Taupe and Cashmere: Embrace the cosy vibes with a palette of rich taupe and cashmere tones. These earthy hues evoke a sense of comfort and relaxation, making your living room the perfect place to unwind after a long day. Layer in textured, colourful rugs and patterned drapes for a touch of luxury.

Warm Tones

If you love the warmth and vibrancy of yellows, and shades of orange and red, then a warm palette will be the perfect match for you! These inviting hues create a space that feels like a big, warm hug, perfect for relaxing with family, entertaining friends, or simply curling up with a good book! Here are some ways to infuse your living room with the inviting energy of warm tones:

• A Dollop of Sunshine: Embrace the joy of sunshine with yellows, creams, and peaches. These cheerful colours pair beautifully with natural wood furniture and woven accents, bringing a touch of rustic charm. Add pops of coral or mustard yellow for a burst of sunshine, or go for a more elegant touch with accents of deep gold or burnt orange.
• Terracotta Tapestry: Create a warm and earthy atmosphere with rich terracotta, rusty brown, and warm beige. These grounded colours are perfect for showcasing statement furniture pieces in deep brown leather or textured velvet. Introduce pops of emerald green or teal to usher in nature’s vibrancy, or balance the warmth with accents of crisp white for a more modern feel.
• Magical Monochromes: A single warm tone can create its own magic! Explore the depths of colours like terracotta or burnt orange by using different shades, tones, and tints. This approach creates a sophisticated and visually unified space. Add texture and pattern for more visual interest.

Cool Tones

Are you looking for a sense of serenity, relaxation, and a touch of sophistication in your living room? Cool tones may be just right for you! These calming shades create a tranquil escape from the everyday hustle, perfect for unwinding after a long day or enjoying quiet evenings with your loved ones. Here are some ways to infuse your living room with the cooling peace of cool tones:

• Serene Shades: Embrace the calming blues and greens found in nature. Soft blues reminiscent of the summer sky or cool sea greens pair well with white furniture and natural woven accents for a soulful coastal vibe. Add pops of turquoise or aqua for some invigorating energy, or create a more luxurious feel with accents of silver or chrome.
• Dreamy Lavender: Cultivate a sense of peace and tranquillity with calming lavenders, soft greys, and dusty blues. These ethereal colours are perfect for creating a spa-like atmosphere. Introduce pops of lilac or periwinkle for a touch of delightful charm, or balance the coolness with warm wood accents for some grounding energy.
• Keep It Simple: Explore the depths of a single shade like dusty blue or lavender by using different colour saturations, and playing around with different tones. Layer in textures like plush rugs with cool undertones, velvet throws in calming blues, and sleek glass-topped tables for more depth and dimension.

Bold Statement Colours

Dare to be different and explore your bold side? Choose vibrant hues that pack a powerful punch, creating a space that’s undeniably unique. Here’s how to use bold statement colours to create a living room that’s as striking as it is stylish!

• Jewel Tones: Go bold! Dive into the world of luxurious jewel tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, or amethyst purple. These saturated colours create a dramatic and sophisticated atmosphere, dialling up the visual interest to explosive levels! Balance the boldness with plenty of neutral elements like white walls, light furniture, and woven textures. You can introduce pops of gold or metallic accents for a touch of glamour.
• Citrus Splash: Inject a burst of sunshine with energetic citrus hues like lemon yellow, lime green, or tangerine orange. These juicy colours are perfect for creating a cheerful and energised space. Pare down the vibrancy with darker neutrals like charcoal grey or navy blue for a balanced look. Weave in pops of black and white for a graphic touch.
• Colour Blocking for Impact: Take your love of bold colours to the next level with colour blocking, and live life large! This design technique involves using two or more bold colours in distinct sections of the room. You could paint a single accent wall in one colour, or create a colour-blocked feature wall with geometric shapes. It’s a creative way to add drama and visual interest, but calls for careful planning to avoid a chaotic feel.

Pastel Shades for Your Living Room

Pastel shades offer a delightful escape from the stressors of daily life, calming and soothing in the most pretty way! These soft and muted hues create a sense of peace and tranquillity, perfect for unwinding after a long day or enjoying cosy nights. Here’s how to weave the magic of pastels into your living room:

• Pastel Symphony: Embrace a symphony of soft whispering hues like baby blue, lavender, and mint green. Pastels always pair beautifully with white furniture and natural woven accents. Introduce pops of a brighter pastel shade, like turquoise or lilac, for a touch of whimsy, or create a more sophisticated feel with metallic accents in rose gold or brushed nickel.
• Earthy Elegance: Ground your pastel living space with touches of nature’s calming colours. Think soft sage greens, dusty pinks, and calming sky blues. These organic hues pair beautifully with light wood furniture and woven textures like jute rugs and macrame wall hangings. Introduce pops of a bolder natural hue, like terracotta or mustard yellow, for a touch of earthy vibrancy.
• Two-Tone Magic: A pair of two pastels add their own special touch! Explore the delicate depths of colours like lavender or mint green by using different shades and tones, right from barely-there hues to a saturated accent wall that’s still soft and soothing. Look for a balanced space that relaxes and refreshes you. Powder pink and pale yellow are another pair of pastel shades for the living room that work wonders.

Tips for Choosing the Right Colour Palette Ideas for Your Living Room

Here are some tips and tricks to getting your living room palette just right!

• Colour charts confusing you? Draw inspiration from your surroundings instead. Do you have a favourite piece of art, a treasured rug, or a captivating view outside your window? Let the colours from these elements spark your creativity!
• Look outside! Do you love the calming greens and blues of a serene forest, or the yellows and oranges of a vibrant sunset? The colours of nature can provide a harmonious foundation for your living room paint ideas.
• The size, layout, and natural light conditions of your living room will influence your colour choices. Living rooms with ample natural light can handle bolder colours or dramatic colour blocking with darker accent walls. For rooms with less natural light, lighter colours and cooler tones will create a feeling of spaciousness.
• Always try samples of your chosen colours directly on your living room walls. Observe how they look in different lighting conditions throughout the day. Live with the paint swatches on your walls for a few days to see how they interact with your furniture and existing décor.
• Layer in textures—plush rugs, wicker lamps, or hand-knotted macrame are a few ways to add depth and dimension.
• Incorporating metallic accents like gold, silver, or copper will infuse a touch of glamour and sophistication, while also tying together different colours in the space.
  

Dos and Don’ts of Using Colour in Your Living Room

As we’ve already seen, colours can set the mood, create a specific atmosphere, and influence how spacious your living room feels. Here’s a quick guide to the do’s and don’ts of using colour in your living room:

Do:

• Consider the mood you want to create. Warm tones like yellows and oranges tend to be energising, while cool tones like blues and greens promote relaxation.
• Think about the natural light. If your living room gets a lot of sunlight, cool colours can help balance the warmth. In a room with little natural light, lighter and brighter colours can open up the space.
• Embrace the power of neutrals. They create a versatile backdrop that allows pops of colour from furniture, artwork, and accessories to take centre stage.
• Use the colour wheel as a guide. Complementary colours (opposite each other) create a vibrant and energetic feel. Analogous colours (neighbours on the wheel) create a harmonious and calming atmosphere.
• Experiment with different shades, tones, and tints of a single colour for a sophisticated look. This is a great way to add depth and dimension to a monochromatic living room colour scheme.
• Layer patterns and textures. Handloom dhurries, crocheted throws, and embroidered pillows add visual interest and complement your chosen colour scheme.

Don’t:

• Neglect the size of the room. Dark colours can make a small living room feel even smaller! Always pick lighter colours to create a sense of spaciousness.
• Use too many colours. Stick to a maximum of three colours for a cohesive look.
• Forget about balance. When using bold statement colours, use them in moderation. For example, you can use them on an accent wall or in statement furniture pieces.
• Ignore the existing furniture and décor. Always consider how your chosen colours will interact with the furniture and artwork you already have!
• Paint the entire room the same colour without a plan. While a monochromatic scheme can be beautiful, it can also feel bland and supremely boring. Add pops of colour with artwork or artefacts to break things up.
• Choose colours based solely on trends. Trends come and go, but your living room should reflect your personal style and create a space you love.

Ready to Pick Up That Paint-brush?

We hope we’ve given you a fair idea of how to go about choosing your living room paint ideas like a pro! If you’d like professional help with putting your whole home interior together, call in the experts. HomeLane can help translate your colour ideas into stylish reality! Let’s connect.

FAQs

1. What colour paint reflects light in a room?

In general, lighter colours reflect more light than darker colours. So, white is the best colour to maximise light reflection in a room. However, don’t feel limited to just this one option! Light shades of almost any colour will also bounce light around effectively, making your space feel brighter. These include light pastels (think baby blue, lavender, mint green), or light neutrals (think soft beige, cream or rich ivory).

2. Should you paint your living room all the same colour?

There really are no rules! While painting your entire living room the same colour can create a sense of calm and cohesion, there are so many other options that you can explore!

Try an accent wall, with one wall painted a different colour, creating focus and definition to the entire space. This is a great way to incorporate a bold statement colour without overwhelming the space. Or, you could try colour blocking; a technique where you divide the walls into sections and paint them different colours. This can add visual interest and energy in spades.

3. What is a good living room colour scheme?

The best living room colour scheme is what works well for you! Here are some tips:

• For a calming and serene atmosphere: Think of cool colours like blues, greens, and greys. Light pastels also work well here.
• For a warm and inviting feel: Choose warm colours like yellows, oranges, and reds. Light neutrals with warm undertones can also achieve this effect.
• For an energetic and vibrant space: Consider bold statement colours or colour blocking with contrasting hues.

4. Why should you choose a living room colour scheme?

Choosing a living room colour scheme goes beyond aesthetics. It sets the mood and atmosphere of the space, impacting how you feel and how you use the room. 

Colours evoke emotions; cool colours are relaxing, while warm colours excite and stimulate! Colours also affect the perceived size of your space. Lighter colours can make a room feel larger and airier, so if your living room is on the smaller side this is what you should choose.

Do you crave a bold and dramatic atmosphere? Or perhaps a calming and serene retreat? Choose colours that resonate with your taste! All said and done, you should choose colour palette ideas that speak to your heart; to create a space that you’ll instantly fall in love with and enjoy using, every single day!