The Home Paint Colors Designers Say You'll Regret Most

Choosing the right paint color can be a daunting endeavor when you consider the array of shades available. What’s more, there seems to be a new color trend every season, and each year paint companies introduce a new color of the year. If you’re not sure where to start and you want to avoid choosing a paint color you’ll later regret, we’ve got you covered. We asked interior designers to share the paint colors people regret the most in their experience, so you can avoid making the same mistake.

According to the pros, people most often regret choosing a bright and basic shade or playing it safe with a hue that reads cold and uninviting rather than crisp and clean. If you’re getting ready to embark on a room makeover and are having trouble committing to a paint color, read on to find out the paint colors designers say people regret the most. If you’ve already painted a room in one of these shades and are disappointed, the designers share tips on what you can do.

‘Crayola Box’ Paint Colors

“People most often regret going too ‘Crayola box’ with their paint colors,” say Mallory Robins and Elizabeth Bennett of KOBEL + CO. Instead of resorting to basic bright hues like red, orange, yellow, blue, or green, the designers suggest a more sophisticated and nuanced approach to these shades.

They recommend looking for a paint color that has what they call a hint of “dirt,” rather than being too on the nose. “We love Farrow & Ball’s lineup, as they naturally skew a bit muddier across their full assortment,” they share. For example, if you love the color red and want to make a bold statement in your dining room, opt for a shade with a little more depth rather than a bright tone that feels better suited to an accent wall in a kids’ playroom than to an elegant gathering space. Pay attention to the shade’s undertones, whether it leans warm or cool, and what the paint will look like in different light throughout the day.

If the damage has already been done and you regret painting a bedroom in a bright 'Crayola-box' hue, Robins and Bennett say repainting is your best option. “While repainting sounds scary, it’s undoubtedly a lower investment than trying to Band-Aid a paint color you don’t like with a multitude of other choices,” they say. Chances are, buying artwork, accessories, and furnishings to make the paint color look better will cost more than repainting. While it may be frustrating to cover up a fresh paint job, it’s worth it in the long run.

White

Not all white paint colors are alike. When done right, a beautiful creamy white shade can read as clean and sophisticated; when done wrong, it’s stark and sterile. “A cool white is often the color clients regret; What seems crisp in theory can easily read as icy and flat once it’s on the walls,” says Jessica Alpert, principal designer at Jessica Alpert Design.

If you already paid a professional to paint the walls and repainting is not an option, Alpert suggests ways to soften the icy white walls. “An easy way to soften a cool, icy paint color is to warm up the lighting temperature in the room,” Alpert says. She shares that simply adjusting the light bulbs and fixtures in the room can dramatically change how the color appears, without the effort and cost of repainting.

Robins and Bennett share that another reason people regret using a white paint color is that it feels like you played it too safe. “If you’re craving more depth in your interiors, don’t be afraid to think past a safe white,” the designers say. They agree that the best way to feel confident in your paint choice is to sample well. “Make sure your samples are large and on multiple walls in the room so that you can see them in different lights and from varying sight lines in your home,” Robins and Bennett advise.