Bust Out Your Brushes—We Found the 6 Trendiest Paint Colors for 2023

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Just like a great pair of jeans, paint has a transformative power, capable of transforming even the most blah spaces into a room worth spending time in. It’s kind of wild when you think about it: Just a simple coat of paint has the ability to make a cavernous room feel cozy, a dreary, dim space feel like an at-home vacation or morph an office into a place where you can actually WFH.

“Now more than ever, our homes are working hard for us—they must serve a multitude of purposes from a place to work, eat, learn, and relax,” says Sue Wadden, Sherwin-Williams’ director of color marketing. “Using paint and color can help differentiate workspaces from living spaces by creating an area for focus for work and school, and sanctuaries, places of respite totally separate from everything else we have going on at home.”

But choosing the right color is easier said than done. Each shade will look different in your space than it does on Instagram or in the paint store, and there are literally thousands of options out there to wade through. To help you get started, we’re rounding up six hues that will be big this year, plus tons of actual paint colors to try out in your home. Congrats on finding your weekend project!

Nature-Inspire Shades

To truly get color inspiration for the upcoming year, all you have to do is go for a walk outdoors. That’s because nature-inspired shades are the paint pick du jour. Rooted in the grounding effects of the great outdoors, these shades are subtle yet transportive, immediately bringing elements of nature (think: tree moss or the vibrant changing leaves of fall) into the home for an effortlessly stylish living space.

“Green is such an approachable color,” says Nicole Gibbons, Founder and CEO of Clare. “Because green is so prevalent in nature, it almost acts as a new neutral. If you think about how colors play together in nature, green is everywhere, it coordinates with everything.”

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Pretty in Peach

We’re calling it now: Shades of peach are the new millennial pink. Except, instead of the one-note Pepto color that rose to meteoric popularity, the peach hues we’re seeing trend in 2023 are nuanced, complex, and oh-so-lovely. They’re equal parts feminine and classic, with just enough creaminess mixed in that they read as basically neutral. Use this color anywhere you want to bring fresh energy, like a kitchen nook or home office.

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Teddy Bear Browns

Wait! Hear us out: Yes, we're suggesting that you put brown on your wall. But before you descend into a ‘90s-induced spiral, know this: There’s a way to do brown paint that is very (very) chic. This year’s earthy hues have plenty of other tints mixed in (think: pink, lavender, and red), so they’re super dynamic and can read as a different color throughout the day depending on the light in your space.

“We’ve seen a particular interest in naturality and warmth in colors,” says Wadden. “This is where our Color of the Year, Redend Point, comes from—it’s a thoughtful hue that knows how to reinvent a space in the warmest of ways. It’s great for those who are minimalists and looks lovely in bedrooms, living rooms, or dining room spaces.”

BRING IT HOME:

Tonal Textures

Ok, this next pick isn't so much a paint color as it is a texture—but it still counts in our book. Textural treatments are trending in a big way lately, acting as a great way to bring patina and visual interest to a room no matter how new or old it is. These techniques—like lime wash paint or Roman clay—are especially helpful in builder-grade homes, where brand-new everything can leave a home feeling sterile and lifeless. The best part? Many of these applications are DIY friendly, so you can totally achieve a high-end look at home in just a weekend.

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*Almost* Black

While a light and airy ethos has permeated the design world over the past few years, a love for drama certainly isn’t going anywhere. True black can be a hard paint color to achieve—and pull off properly—so if a moody, attention-grabbing room is your end goal, turn to almost-black shades of grey, blue, plum, and green to help you achieve the look in a dynamic and layered way.

“Dark tones are dramatic and can serve as a focal point when used for an accent wall or all over in a space,” says Wadden. “Because these shades are neutral, they’ll easily pair with other colors and can be used in any room.” Adds Gibbons, “When we look at our data, [it shows that] darker colors are growing in popularity, and it's ones like navy and black that kind of serve as new neutrals.”

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Fiery and Fierce

If you really want to make an impression this year, look no further than fiery shades of red and orange to help you along the way (Benjamin Moore even named the saturated Raspberry Blush their color of the year). These warmer hues are bold yet approachable, with a perma-summer feel. Red especially is making a comeback, stepping out of the accent shadows, where it was regaled to accessories and fabrics, and instead taking centerstage on the walls of rooms where you really want to announce a presence. While this category may not be the exact shade you should opt for for a cozy, restful bedroom, it can be just the hue an office or living room is begging for.

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