The COVID-19 pandemic has nudged homeowners to lighten the mood set by the color in their spaces. While gray has been dominant inside homes in recent years, it may now feel too gloomy, a new study says.
Earthy and warmer neutral tones are replacing grays as the most popular shades, according to 54% of 68 design trendsetters recently surveyed by Fixr, a home renovation resource. Sixty-three percent of designers said that whites and creams are the shades to pick for those selling their homes in 2021. Overall, 81% of designers believe that quarantining has strongly affected homeowners’ color choices.
Designers believe that Benjamin Moore’s Aegean Teal and Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze will be the most used “colors of the year” by homeowners this year. Blue also has become a popular choice for personal spaces and for sending soothing vibes inside a home, the survey finds.
Also, white has become the dominant choice for exteriors. White is expected to be the leading choice for exterior colors to sell a house in 2021, according to Fixr’s report.
Some other findings from Fixr’s color trends report are:
Light-colored furnishings: Light natural tones, and light colors in general, received the most nods from designers for furnishings. It marks a move away from the darker brown and dark gray furniture to soft natural tones. “Light and natural tones on the furniture would coordinate well with the natural and neutral colors for the walls, also making the ideal backdrops for some fun, bold colors added by accent pillows or art,” the report notes.
Adding pops of color: Sixty-five percent of designers say that textured walls and wallpapers likely will lead the way for accent walls. Textiles—pillows and bed linen—can be a popular way to incorporate newer colors into a home.
Most popular colors by spaces: Room by room, the following hues proved the most popular:
- Home office: Off-white or navy blue
- Kitchens: natural and earth tones or shades of green
- Bedrooms: Blue (dominant choice)
Source: “Paint & Color Trends 2021,” FixR (Feb. 4, 2021)
