Living rooms are the heart of the home, spaces where we gather, relax, and express our personal style. The color scheme of a living room sets the mood, influences the atmosphere, and reflects the homeowner’s personality. Moving away from traditional neutrals, here are seven eye-catching living room color combinations that inject vibrancy and character into any space, proving that bold is beautiful.
Browns, Blacks, Whites, & Greens
In the hillside Birmingham home of architect Paul Bates, a sophisticated palette of browns, blacks, whites, and greens brings to life a space that is both elegant and deeply connected to nature. The abstract paintings by Jean-Marc Louis add an artistic flair, while the Italian articulating movable chandelier introduces a dynamic contrast, demonstrating how a balanced use of color and texture can create a harmonious and inviting living room.
Deep Plum & Mossy Light Green
Lucy Doswell’s design for an Upper East Side house features a striking combination of deep plum and mossy light green. The tufted deep plum corner couch against the graphic green wallcovering brings a touch of drama, lowering the lofty parlor to a more intimate scale. This pairing shows that bold, rich colors can coexist beautifully with softer tones to create a space that feels both luxurious and personal.
Burnt Red & Light Yellow
Designer Palmer Weiss’s California home showcases a vibrant interplay between burnt red and light yellow. The burnt orange drapery and pelmet encircle a wall of windows, complemented by yellow accent pieces. This color combination exudes warmth and energy, making the living room a focal point of lively conversations and sunny dispositions.
Pale Apricot and Blood Orange
In Summer Thornton’s Chicago townhouse, an enormous orange sofa highlights the warm undertones of the apricot living room. The color scheme is both bold and playful, with the velvet mohair chair adding a flirtatious touch. This pairing proves that combining shades within the same color family can create a rich, layered look that’s full of depth and warmth.
Beach Pink and Soft Blues
Inspired by the flowery linen that adorns the plush sofas and tufted armchairs, the living room in a Block Island home, designed by Miles Redd, features a delicate pink and barely-there blue color scheme. This combination enhances the beachy vibe of the house, creating a space that is serene and inviting, perfect for relaxation and reflection.
Reimagined Red, White, and Blue
Designer Anthony Barrata uses striking colors and dramatic furnishings to counter the vast spaces of an Upper West Side pied-Ã -terre. The reimagined red, white, and blue palette, highlighted by an American picture by Tomory Dodge, infuses the space with a sense of boldness and creativity, showcasing how traditional color schemes can be refreshed and revitalized.
Sunshine Yellow and Muted Peach
Designer Angie Hranowsky imbues a late-20th-century Tudor in Austin with vibrant color, giving each room its own personality. The living area, with its bright yellow wall colors, is a testament to the power of vibrant hues in creating spaces that are dynamic and full of life.
These seven living room color combinations challenge conventional design norms and encourage homeowners to embrace boldness in their decor. Whether through the contrast of deep plum and light green or the harmony of apricot and orange, these palettes prove that with the right balance, any color combination can transform a living room into a space that is anything but dull.
