Interior Living Room Colors

Most families spend the bulk of their time in the living room, so it's important to make sure you have decorated the living room in a way that provides a comfortable, restful and updated place for your family to relax. One of the quickest ways to update a living room is by changing the color, both on the walls and in the accessories. Color trends in the coming years tend toward traditional "comfort" colors, but that doesn't mean they have to be boring. Does this Spark an idea?

Earth Tones

Choose a latte color for walls or furniture, then add pops of color in accessories.

Start with a base of earth tones, like a creamy latte color, on the walls. What's great about this color scheme is that you can add many other colors to it to provide that "pop" you need. For example, with latte-colored walls, you can use a deep chocolate color to accent furniture with pillows or even end tables and other furniture. Frosty gray is another complementary color, which can be used to paint the trim around latte-colored walls. Burgundy adds a little drama to the latte, chocolate and gray scheme.

Gray

Gray can modernize a room quickly without making it feel cold.

Another wall color option is gray. While you should be careful not to overdo this color or risk making the area look cold and dreary, gray can actually look warm, light and inviting. For a modern room, paint an accent wall in a charcoal gray, and use it as a display wall for art or metal pieces with brushed nickel or silver-colored frames. Paint the remaining walls in a lighter, silvery gray color. Accent the room with a charcoal or blue couch, sleek metal and glass tables and splashes of red or pearlescent pieces to add interest.

Green

A very light cucumber green can be beautiful when paired with white trim.

Perhaps tied to increased interest in "green living," green is a color seen more and more often in living room decorating. Begin with a very light green, like the inside of a cucumber. Accent the room's trim with white, and place darker green pillows or bright glass accents in the room to offset the light colors on the walls. Exercise caution when painting with darker greens, as you might end up with a dark "cave" of a room rather than the forest glen you're looking for. Avoid institutional greens as well, which will make your living room much less inviting.