How the Pandemic Changed the Way We Paint Our Homes—and What It Says About Us

The past five years have been anything but predictable. Among the cascade of global events, none reshaped daily life more profoundly than the COVID-19 pandemic. Nowhere was that seismic shift more deeply felt than within the walls of our homes. Once simple sanctuaries, the pandemic thrust our living spaces into the spotlight, morphing overnight into offices, classrooms, gyms, and places of refuge. We began to live in our homes more intensely than ever before, experiencing each corner with fresh eyes and a renewed sense of purpose.

This radical lifestyle shift sparked a DIY renaissance. With global lockdowns in place, routines upended, and a universal craving for comfort and security, homeowners worldwide took matters into their own hands–literally. Armed with limited tools and boundless creativity, they reimagined their homes to meet new needs and feel more personal. To explore this transformation and what it means for us today, we turned to a uniquely positioned expert to offer insight—Tash Bradley, Lick’s director of interior design and color psychologist.

Tash Bradley is the director of interior design and color psychologist at Lick, a British paint and wallpaper company. Over the three years of the pandemic, Bradley conducted more than 6,000 color consultations, an experience that inspired her to write her first book, Master the Art of Color.

A Shift in Color: From Gray to Bold, Joyous Hues

As the first direct-to-consumer paint brand to offer a home delivery service, Lick found itself perfectly positioned to meet the needs of lockdown homeowners. Sitting snugly between luxury paint brands and generic DIY store options, the brand spoke directly to a swelling audience of amateur decorators keen to revitalize their living spaces, which they suddenly found themselves confined to. Unsurprisingly, this surge in interest translated to a spike in paint sales, but more intriguing was the shift in color preferences that followed.

“It’s fascinating from a color psychology perspective,” says Bradley. “Pre-pandemic, people got their stimulation from outside. Homes were a place to rest and shut out the noise. But when that external stimulation disappeared, people started craving it inside their homes instead.” In a flash, the minimalist gray palette that had dominated interiors for years was gone. In its place came an appetite for bold, expressive hues. “People suddenly understood the power of color psychology. There’s no real psychological benefit to gray,” Bradley explains. “Emotionally, it’s flat and uninspiring.” During the pandemic, people felt that and began seeking colors that brought them energy, joy, and comfort.

So gray was out, but not all neutrals were cancelled. “We noticed a growing gravitation toward tones rooted in nature, connecting people to the outdoors,” says Bradley. Think warm neutrals, natural earthy pigments, soft and rich greens, and soothing blues. “What’s nice about these colors is that they are timeless and versatile. Green is nature’s neutral; you can pair any color with green and it looks good.” For those hesitant about embracing bold color, blues, greens, and soft pinks were accessible entry points. “Pink became particularly popular in bedrooms during the pandemic,” she notes. “It has a very nurturing quality to it, and it is physically soothing, so it gave people that sense of security they were looking for in uncertain times.”

Prescribed Styles Turned into Personal Expression

Alongside the color shift came a more profound change in how people approached interior design. “Before the pandemic, people tended to follow established styles—Scandi, midcentury, industrial,” Bradley observes. “Now, there’s a real move toward creating spaces that reflect personal authenticity.” Instead of asking themselves what style they want to create, homeowners are asking themselves how they want to feel in the space, and what they need the space to do for them. Emotional resonance is becoming as important as form, and color is being used strategically to evoke mood, delineate zones, and support well-being.

The Democratization of Design on Social Media

While social media has come under fire recently, it has opened people up to a world of possibilities in the world of interiors. During the pandemic, in particular, it played a uniquely liberating role by breaking down barriers between professional and DIY design content. “Interior inspiration used to be limited to highly stylized magazine imagery, that were aspirational and almost unattainably perfect,” observed Bradley. “But during lockdown, people started documenting their own DIY ventures and home transformations online, resulting in a huge interiors boom on socials, making interior design feel more accessible than ever.”

This democratization of design inspired a new wave of confidence and creativity. People weren’t just experimenting with color, but also with new decorating techniques—painting ceilings, color-drenching entire rooms, adding contrast to skirting boards, and even using paint to create visual zones in open spaces. “Pre-pandemic, traditional decorating rules dominated with color on the walls and white woodwork,” Bradley says. “Then, in lockdown, people got experimental and bold. They explored how color made them feel, not just how it looked.”

Credit:

Werner Straube

Function Meets Feeling

As remote working became the norm, open-plan living—once the gold standard—was reevaluated. “We’ve seen a resurgence in partitions, bookshelves, nooks, and zoning to create more functional, multiuse spaces,” notes Bradley. Even paint has shifted from purely decorative to practical, with people using it to visually divide space for work, relaxation, and family life. Decorating became less about style statements and more about solving everyday problems, creatively and affordably.

Looking to the Future

Though the pandemic is over, its impact on how we use and decorate our homes still holds. With ongoing economic uncertainty, homeowners are rethinking their priorities, holding off on major renovations and seeking small changes with big impact. Paint remains one of the most cost-effective and transformative tools to refresh a space and reflect evolving lifestyles. “People are cautious about spending,” says Bradley. “But they also want to feel secure, connected, and uplifted in their homes.” Upcycling furniture with leftover paint, embracing sustainable choices, and making emotionally resonant design decisions are all part of this ongoing evolution.

“The common thread I see now is a universal feeling of insecurity and uncertainty and a resulting desire for comfort,” observes Bradley. “People want to connect with nature, people, and the community. Color is powerful in creating an authentic space that encourages us to invite people into our homes.”

When the world feels uncertain, your home becomes your safe space. “It doesn’t matter if you rent or own,” she says. “When you close the door behind you, you can be whoever you want. The home is where you should feel your most authentic self, and today, I think people are leaning into that truth than ever before.”