Paint & Color Trends 2022

Each year, Fixr.com reaches out to industry influencers and top interior design experts to find out their take on the latest paint and color trends. We asked 64 experts about their recommendations for homeowners hoping to incorporate new colors this year.

Each expert contributed their opinion on the top paint and color trends for 2022, including popular interior color palettes, what is recommended for selling, top colors for each room, and the most popular wallpaper patterns, among others. This thorough, visual report breaks down all the paint and color trends that will be making an impact in the months to follow.

For 2022, we found an overwhelming embracement of warmer and earthier tones for any room in the house. Although neutrals remain strong, greens and nature-inspired hues and patterns are taking over the interior design outlook this year. Homeowners seem ready to adopt a more vibrant and organic palette in spaces to breathe and create a sense of calming and freshness.

Key Trends and Findings

Sage green is the top choice for both living rooms and bedrooms.
Warm neutrals, earthy colors, and neutrals with pops of bold colors are the top interior palettes.
Textiles will be the most common way to introduce new colors into the home.
Green and nature-inspired themes will be the most popular choices for wallpaper this year.
The powder room is the most popular place to include wallpaper.
White and off-white are the best colors for interiors and exteriors when selling a home.
Black is the top color for front doors.

Top Interior Paint Color Trends in 2022

Warm Neutrals & Earthy Tones Are the Top Color Palettes

When experts were asked to choose which three interior palettes homeowners are choosing the most in 2022, they selected warm neutrals, earthy tones, and neutrals that include pops of bold colors as an accent. Of these, warm neutrals received the most votes with 66%, earthy tones captured 59%, and neutrals with pops of bold colors received 52%.

These palettes are all indicative of the recent change in interiors over the last few years. Gray was the most popular shade for several years, but people have begun to slowly shift away, using warmer tones while still keeping things neutral.

As Patti Johnson explains, “Homeowners are wanting to break away from gray tones but [are] not quite ready to jump on the color wagon so we paint or wallpaper an accent wall to give them a point of transition.” Including color this way lets you incorporate many other shades - such as pops of bold colors - in your design, while keeping things overall neutral, and therefore “safe.” Earthy tones like green and brown also work particularly well with most warm neutrals. MacKenzie Cain noted, “Homeowners are looking for warmer colors; bringing the calming outdoors inside.”

Green Natural Hues for 2022 “Color of the Year”

Natural green tones have also begun to grow in popularity overall. In the last year, 7 out of 8 companies chose green as their color of the year for 2022, and the 8th company chose a shade of brown. In our recent Color of the Year 2022 report, experts gave their opinion on which one they think homeowners will use the most.

These natural colors are beginning to be seen everywhere, with earthy shades becoming very popular in many areas right now. Natural colors and shades of green offer a unique appeal to homeowners, giving green its moment. Green is considered the color of growth, health, wealth, and well-being. The color is also closely linked to the environment and a focus on being “green” and eco-friendly in your home and lifestyle. Coupled with the obvious connection to nature, many homeowners may look to green as the fresh new shade to focus on this year. As Karen Otto predicts, homeowners are going to want “a return to the outside in, tranquility and peace” for their homes this year.

Ways to Incorporate Colors and Design in 2022

Textiles & Paint Are the Top Ways to Introduce New Colors

When asked how they thought people would incorporate new colors into their homes in 2022, 55% felt that textiles would be the most common method, followed by painting a whole room (42%) and wallpapering a whole room (39%).

Textiles, such as pillows, curtains, rugs, bed linens, and throws, are all fantastic ways of adding color to a home. This is a great way to incorporate and try out pops of bold colors, which experts believe is going to be a popular color trend this year.

Painting a whole room came in second with 42% of the vote, and while this is a great way for people to include color if they want to dive right in and embrace it, it can feel more permanent. For this reason, people who are not completely sure of their choice may shy away from this treatment, which is why it falls behind textiles.

Wallpapering an entire room takes third with 39% of the vote. Wallpaper can bring in one color or several colors at a time. It can also introduce a pattern or create a focus in the room, so it is as much about the color as it is a theme or enhancement of the area. Like painting, wallpaper feels more permanent, so people often need to know they will love it before committing. If you wish to try out wallpaper in a room, a big plus point is the wide variety of options available, which are on-trend in 2022.

The Most Sought After Wallpaper Patterns in 2022

Green or nature-inspired wallpaper, chinoiserie, and geometric designs were chosen as the most popular wallpaper patterns for 2022.

Wallpaper has begun trending upward in popularity for interior design over the last few years. As mentioned, 39% of interior design experts believe wallpaper is how people are most likely to incorporate color into their homes now.

Of the most popular wallpaper patterns, 56% of design specialists chose nature-inspired and green papers as the most popular this year. This ties in well with the trend of natural, earthy tones and the various colors of the year. With wallpaper, you can introduce the color in a natural way and also create an entire theme.

Chinoiserie-inspired patterns are also popular. These can include nature-inspired designs like mountains, cranes, and outdoor landscapes and also a wide range of different looks and styles.

Geometric patterns take third place. These can be a good choice for modern spaces and those wanting to include some color without a specific theme or other style. Geometric designs can be good backdrops for a room where you want some color and interest but nothing that overwhelms the space.

The Most Popular Places to Add Wallpaper in 2022

Experts say the most popular place to introduce wallpaper into your home in 2022 will be the powder room. This space received an overwhelming 88% of the vote, with ceilings and dining rooms both receiving a distant second place with 28%.

The powder room is the ideal place for wallpaper for several reasons. This small bathroom is often considered a more formal space than other bathrooms. In some homes, it may be reserved for guests, and it often features decor that might be considered too formal or impractical for daily life.

The ceiling is a more unique place to wallpaper. This area has begun to grow in popularity as a space to include color and pattern in recent years. By wallpapering it, you call more attention to it, which can shift the focal point of the room, making it seem closer or farther away depending on the color and pattern used.

Dining rooms have always been a place to incorporate wallpaper. Like the powder room, this room is often more formal than the rest of the house and does not receive as much daily use. For this reason, it is a safer choice to include something new in your interiors.

Different Colors for Different Spaces

Living Room Color Trends 2022

53% of experts answered that they felt sage green would be the most popular color for living rooms in the coming year, followed by cool off-white (48%) and cream (46%).

Sage green for living rooms tracks with the nature-inspired, earthy, and green colors that have recently begun showing up in other trends. Sage green is a warm green with a yellow undertone, so it works well with many warm neutrals.

In second place is a cool off-white tone with 48%, while cream comes in third with 46%, and taupe follows with 44%. Off-white, cream, and taupe are all neutral shades. Cool off-white and taupe both differ from the other trends of warm neutrals, while cream fits in nicely with those categories.

This is interesting because it makes sage green the outlier - it is not a neutral color, but it is a popular shade. This could depend on how people use their living rooms. Those who use it more as a family room or informal space may gravitate toward a bolder hue like sage green, while those using it as a formal space or for receiving guests may want it to remain more neutral in tone. All three of these neutrals can also be backdrops for colors introduced through textiles. So anyone who wants to include some color in their decor but does not want to commit to something might do well to choose a neutral shade like one of these for their walls. Both cool off-white and taupe will work particularly well in smaller living rooms as they can help make the space appear larger. Cream would work best in larger spaces, making it appear slightly cozier while still staying light.

Bedroom Color Trends 2022

Sage green is also the popular choice for bedrooms this year, receiving 48% of the vote. Cream and taupe take second and third place respectively in this area with 38% and 30% of the vote.

Bedrooms are more private areas than living rooms, so anyone who wants to try a color for the first time may feel more confident about it in a bedroom versus a living room. Given that bedrooms are for sleeping and relaxing, and natural shades like green can help with stress reduction, it also makes sense that this would be the dominating shade this year.

Cream and taupe are both neutrals, but one is warm in tone while the other is cool. Both neutral colors can work well with a range of other colors - including green - so anyone who wants to introduce color via bed linens could make good use of these colors on the walls.

Front Door Color Trends 2022

When it comes to the color of your front door, 56% of experts answered that they believe black would be a popular color in the coming year, followed by 36% answering wood tones, and 22% answering royal blue.

Black as a color works well with nearly every shade of home exteriors. It can add a pop of contrast to white homes - white being the most popular siding color and the most recommended for those looking to sell their homes - and can add depth to homes of a wide range of other shades, including green, tan, blue, and red. For this reason, it can make a safe color choice no matter what your other exterior shades are.

Wood tones can be very popular with certain architectural styles, such as Craftsman homes. However, they may not work with other siding colors, looking best with greens, natural wood siding, and some shades of blue. Royal blue can work well with white and some other shades, but it is much more limited in what it can work with.

Colors That Sell

81% of interior design experts believe that whites and creams are the best colors for selling a house in 2022.

This mirrors the recommendations from 2021 Paint Color Trends, when the same shades received 63% of the vote. Warm neutrals like tan and beige received 36% of the vote this year, up slightly from 32% last year. Whites and creams make a neutral, clean, fresh backdrop for many rooms. You can still include color in your textiles if you want to add personality to the space, but it can make it easier for prospective buyers to see their own furnishings in a space when looking at a white or light-colored wall.

White is the most frequently recommended color for painting the exterior of a home to sell for the second year in a row.

This year, white received 58% of the vote, while it took 53% last year. Off-white, however, has increased dramatically from 25% to 41% of the vote this year. Both colors have been fairly popular for home exteriors over the last few years. This is true regardless of the region and architectural type. White and off-white can both make a home look fresh, clean, and new regardless of age. These colors have nearly universal appeal, helping improve the curb appeal of a home and making it more likely to sell in a timely way.

How to Use Paint and Color to Add Resale Value to a Home

How your home looks plays a big role in how people receive it and what they may be willing to pay. As Marcia Moore points out, “A fresh coat of paint is the least expensive way to make your home attractive to buyers.” By painting inside and out, you help create a fresh slate for the entire building. It is all about making the right impression as Dahlia Mahmood states, “Starting with your front exterior you can enhance your curb appeal with timeless color selections or you can go bold with a vibrant front door... the right first impression is key to gaining interest for potential buyers. From the moment they enter the home, create a fresh and cozy mood using classic neutrals that warm the heart.”

Perceptions and what is popular can change from region to region and by architecture, so you may need to do some research if you plan to paint before selling. Karen Otto advises, “Do a search online of homes in your area that have recently sold. Observe color trends both on the interior and exteriors of the homes you see online in your neighborhood. Trends can change geographically so what works in Dallas may not in Miami.”

What looks good to one person may not always work for another. For this reason, Anastasios Gliatis recommends, “Colors that are appealing to the masses like shades of whites or gray tones. A cool palette is always soft on the eye, maintaining a sense of cleanliness, providing an airy, positive vibe. Whites are also great colors to enhance the height of space and showcase elegantly any details the home has to offer, such as crown moldings, door details and fireplaces.”

Adapt the Trends for Your Home

When trends begin to surface, it is often a reflection of larger trends in society and what people are seeing and reacting to outside of their homes. People may want to make changes to their decor that reflect their state of mind or the state of the world as they view it. Experts feel these trends will be the next focus of homeowners in the months to come.

Every home is shaped not only by its architecture but by the people who live in it. By embracing and utilizing the trends that speak to you, you help create a living space that reflects your goals and ideals for the coming year. Look to these trends for inspiration and ideas for how you can give your home a fresh new look in 2022.

Methodology

These results were compiled from a questionnaire undertaken by 64 experts in interior design. These respondents were given a series of multiple-choice and open-answer questions. Percentages shown in the report are rounded, and in some cases, the least-chosen options were grouped together and appear as “other.” Sizes of elements in some of the graphics are not 100% accurate to the percentages shown to ease the legibility of trend representations.

Each survey participant was selected for their role in the interior design industry based on their work, role in social media, overall influence, and recognition in the industry.