Most people would think that color schemes begin and end with the walls and the ceiling, but that’s not entirely true!
The walls make up a significant portion of the room. But it’s ultimately the lights, furnishings and the accessories that really bring out those color schemes you wanted.
Black and white walls?
How about a smidge of red in the throw pillows?
Gold and purple?
Add in a little white to really make those colors pop!
We aren’t just looking at the 5 best living room color schemes, we’re looking at color schemes that live, speak, and breathe designer!
5 Hottest Living Room Color Schemes for a Designer-Look
1. White + Yellow + Brown
Source: Comuna Interior Designers
Historically, designers have been obsessed with the idea of contrast. That is, two starkly different colors that complement one another based on the fact that they’re very different. A typical example would be the age-old combination: white and black.
But as we’re moving into a more minimalist era, it’s time we look at color schemes that are subtle, easy on the eyes, and follow a particular scheme rather than contrast one another.
Frankly, white is the perfect color! How so? Because the color effectively works as a blank canvas that can be embellished with other colors to make them both pop.
We’re not talking about just two colors here, though. We’re talking about three!
- White
- Yellow
- Brown
The yellow is more muted, and the brown is frankly edging towards beige. All in all, the entire color scheme is meant to be minimalist, modern, simple, and crisp.
Picture this:
- A room with walls and architectural designs painted completely white.
- Now throw in a yellow coffee table in the center, with a few yellow chairs here and there.
- For the finishing touch, add in a beige bean bag in the corner of the room, or a few brown frames on the wall.
Remember: The warmness or the coolness of the colors needs to be perfectly in sync with one another to make the color scheme seem coherent!
2. Pink + Gray + Black
Source: Free Space Intent
What comes to your mind when you picture a room that has pink, gray, and black in it? Odds are you probably think some of the things are meant to be in different rooms! We don’t blame you.
Designers have traditionally focused solely on color schemes that they’ve known to work without giving much leeway to color schemes that can work if they’re given enough thought.
Pink, gray, and black actually work!
How so? You need to close your eyes for this one:
Light Gray Walls
The walls and the ceiling in your living room are light gray. The kind that’s almost etching towards white, but still has enough of a gray hue in it to separate the two.
Pretty-In-Pink Pillows
The throw pillows on the couch are pink. We’re talking baby pink here. The pink is slightly warmer than the gray, but not too warm for it to look out of place. Just enough for the throw pillows to pleasantly stand out.
Bold Black Background
The fireplace, the frames, and the architectural finishes in the room are black. The black isn’t subtle – that’d be gray, and we already have enough of it. It’s as black as you can think. This color is your contrasting color.
The baseline is:
- Gray – Base color
- Pink – Popping color
- Black – Contrasting color
It isn’t complicated when you really think about it. If anything, it’s one of those color combinations that you can’t believe you never thought of sooner!
3. Blue + Brown + Sand
Source: Spacemakers Interior Design
The twenty-first century saw a shift in the design paradigm: People want clean, crisp, and simple designs. Whereas previous designs were a bit more, for lack of a better word, obnoxious. But just because something’s in fashion doesn’t mean it’s the only way to go about it.
If you’re looking for a perfect blend between minimal and exuberant, you need to try this color combination: blue, brown, and sand.
- The blue isn’t light blue – it’s practically navy blue, the kind that looks and feels royal.
- The brown is the secondary color and is your standard oak brown.
- The sand is what brings it all together. It’s the accent color that ties the whole look together.
How would this look in your living room?
Blue-Blown Walls
Safe for the ceiling, the walls are blue. You can leave the ceiling white or paint it a light sandy color that’s bordering on white. Too much navy blue and your room might start to feel boxed in. That’s the downside to brighter colors, and might be why designers tend to stray away from them.
Basic Oak Brown Furnishings
Next comes your furnishings and decorations that are chiefly oak brown. You could also go with bare-legged couches and tables with the upholstery being blue and the legs being brown.
Sprinkles of Sand
Lastly, the subtle star of the show: Sand. You can incorporate this color into knobs, frames, lamp shades, and anywhere it can shine, but not outshine the rest of the room.
This color combination is ideal for people who want the best of both worlds!
4. Black + White + Green
Source: Visionary Interior
The very fundamental of choosing a color scheme is to look for something that works in cohesion with one another. It’s worth noting that all colors are a blend of primary colors, which means that every color is meant to complement the other – provided it’s used in the right way.
Black and white is an age-old coupling and it looks like it’s not going to go away so soon. The colors are contrasting one another which is why they work best. Opposites do attract.
But the problem with this color scheme, the chief reason why designers stray away from it today, is the fact that your eyes wander from one corner of the room to the other owing to the stark difference between the two.
The solution? A balancing color! And our pick is light green. Why?
- The color green is associated with natural, earthy, and homely tones.
- Green will complement the starkness of the black, and the sweetness of the white.
- The color serves as a transition color between the two. It’s not light enough to go unnoticed like white, and not dark enough to overpower the room like black.
- By incorporating green elements in your living room, you’re keeping the chief focus inside of the room. Everything blends in perfectly and works alongside one another instead of against one another.
So, the colors will go something like:
- Black – Primary Color
- White – Primary Color
- Green – Accent Color
With two primary colors, you get to pick which one to paint the walls with, and which one to pick furnishings with. Here’s what we recommend:
White Walls
The walls should be white, safe for the fireplace, and architectural finishing that would be black. The contrast isn’t fifty-fifty because it’d be too overpowering this way.
Black Background
The furnishings, especially those alongside the white backdrop, would be black. Bonus points for bare-legged couches that would add in a fourth color, brown to the mix that’d work well with the earthy tones of the green.
Pinch of Pastel Green
Lastly, you can use the pastel green for throw pillows, frames, lamp shades, or anywhere you have both white and black. Enliven your space with color to escape the monotony.
Just because a combination is an age-old classic doesn’t mean it can’t be spiced up a bit!
5. White + Orange + Blue
Source: Dots n Tots Interior
White and black are primary colors that work well with just about anything. This is why they’re mostly used as backdrops or canvases on which you get to lay more colors. However, since they essentially give homeowners a clean slate, layering more colors on them can be a bit overwhelming.
Especially since your room is never just two colors. The layering is where most homeowners go wrong – if you choose two colors, a bright one and a pastel one, the whole room might look out of tone.
Luckily, we picked a color scheme that’s easy on the eyes, simple to incorporate, and touches on your minimalistic and whimsy side: white, orange, and blue!
Here’s how the room would look:
White Walls and a White Ceiling:
You can save a few architectural elements or mantle pieces that could be painted marble blue or pastel blue. The backdrop should stay minimal – avoid orange in the backdrop!
A Burst of Blue
Next comes blue. If 60% of your room is white, make sure that around 30% is blue. The color is your secondary color. You can incorporate this color into furnishings, decorations, and architectural elements.
Orange ‘Oomph’
Lastly, the color that brings it all together: orange! Orange might be dreaded in the design world and people tend to avoid it. But when you’re looking for a pop then it’s the way to go! Use this color sparingly, in only 10% of your room – frames, decorations, lampshades, and such.
Bottom-line
The color schemes you just read about would have looked dreadful had they been incorporated in the wrong way. But luckily, we’ve outlined where to use them, and just how much of them you need.
For more design inspiration, check out Light Vault! We have a range of lighting elements in different color schemes for you to choose from.
