Fresh Interior Paint Ideas: 2020 Color Trends and Tips

Whether you’re decorating a new home or still house hunting, figuring out which interior paint colors you want to use can be one of the toughest design dilemmas you’ll face. But we’ve got a great starting point — the interior wall color trends for 2020, thanks to the recent announcement from  major interior paint brands of their 2020 color lines. Let’s take a peek at the color trends that are just around the corner.

Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams’ annual color forecast goes in-depth about trends and the new paints the brand is releasing in 2020.

To sum it up, Sherwin-Williams is presenting “45 trend colors, spun into five welcoming and intuitive palettes that bring joy, serenity and focus to the mind, body and spirit.” Those five palettes are named Mantra (softly muted neutrals), Heart (warm, silky earth tones), Alive (nurturing neutrals plus some rich tones), Play (buoyant colors) and Haven (richly subtle shades inspired by the earth’s seasonal cycles).

Behr

Behr’s 2020 Color Trends are similarly divided into themes: Worldhood (earth tones), Restore (coastal vibe) and Atmospheric (muted neutrals).

According to Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr, “2020 marks the start of a new decade, and with that comes a desire for balance – both at home and at work. The new collection of 15 trending hues encompasses themes of wellness and well-being, connected experiences, inviting environments and deliberate color stories.”

PPG

Instead of earth tones, PPG looked to the sea for inspiration. And rather than announce palettes or themes, PPG has a single 2020 Color of the Year: Chinese Porcelain (a deep marine blue). Like Sherwin-Williams and Behr, PPG has also aimed for serenity and balance: “In a world where sleep is viewed as a luxury and the anxiety of a fast-paced world is all too real, it’s only fitting that the color trends for this upcoming year offer escapism in today’s technologically driven society.”

Pantone

While it will be some time before Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year will be announced, its PANTONEVIEW Colour Planner Spring/Summer 2020 color trend forecast indicates a nod to the sea as inspiration. “Mirroring the mood of Spring/Summer 2020, we offer a variety of options so you can explore all color depths from cool blue watery shades to the red-hot thermal bed of underwater volcanoes.”

Trends Beyond Color

Not all wall paint trends are about color. We’ve been seeing more and more wainscoting (paneling on the bottom third of a wall) and implied wainscoting, and all of these options present an opportunity to use more than one color in an elegant, unifying way. Implied wainscoting is when there is no actual paneling, but just a change in paint color, with or without chair rails.

While traditional wainscoting is about a third of the way up a wall, higher lines of demarcation and extra high baseboards are a similar and attractive trend we’re also seeing.

Pay Attention to Light

Walls are not just a blank space for adding artwork. When choosing a color, pay attention to the interplay of the color with a room’s natural and artificial light. Wall lighting is a big interior design trend that adds depth and dimension to your interior paint, illuminating a variety of tones and shades within one color and sometimes even creating patterns with shadows. A nice aspect of this is that a flip of the switch is all it takes to change the look of your walls.

We’re in love with all of the latest nature-inspired colors and the shift in interior design toward serenity and the idea of home as a haven. No matter what color you choose, creating a good feeling at home is one way to make your dream home less of a fantasy and more of a reality. There’s no reason why your new home can’t be where you go to rest and relax, and choosing a great wall paint color is an important step in that direction.

Still looking for a new home to paint? Browse the latest new homes in your area by visiting NewHomeSource.