Living room wall paint: harmonious colour design

Living room wall paint

The living room is the heart of our home. This is where we enjoy time with the family, relax with a good book or watch an exciting film. To turn this place into your personal recharge zone, the right atmosphere is essential. Alongside the interior design with furniture and accessories, the living room wall color plays a decisive role. Wall design with carefully chosen colors and wallpapers creates different moods in the room.

Here you’ll find out how different color nuances work, what contrasts you can create, what the latest trends are and how color theory can help you decide. We’ll also give you color tips and suggestions that will turn your living room into a feel-good oasis.

To our wall paints

Living room wall paint: light or dark?

Choosing the right wall colour for the living room can be a real challenge. You need to bear in mind that every shade creates its own unique atmosphere in a room. Whether you’re adding accents or painting the entire living room wall, colours and contrasts influence how we perceive the space and even affect our mood. Light colours such as white, grey or pastels make rooms appear larger and create an inviting atmosphere. They are ideal for small living rooms or if you want to achieve a fresh and airy feel. Darker shades like brown, dark green or violet, on the other hand, create a cosy and dramatic mood. For wall design, it’s important not to paint too much wall surface in dark colours and to always keep the ceiling light. As a rule, dark tones should only be used in rooms that are already bright and flooded with light, with large windows, as they absorb a lot of light and make rooms look smaller. In dark or small rooms, they can quickly feel oppressive and create a gloomy atmosphere.

The color wheel as a decision-making aid

Colour theory provides good guidance when choosing colours. Complementary colours (e.g. red and green) create strong contrasts and can be used for vibrant accents. You get harmonious combinations by choosing colours that sit next to each other on the colour wheel (e.g. blue and green). Also consider the effect of warm (red, orange, yellow) and cool tones (blue, green, violet). Warm colours make rooms feel cosier, while cool colours tend to have a calming effect. You should also keep these factors in mind when designing your walls:

Patterns: Patterned wallpaper or wall murals can create interesting accents.
Light: The wall colour in the living room influences how light is reflected in the room.
Furniture: The furniture should match the wall colour.
Textiles: Cushions, blankets and curtains can round off the colour scheme.
Direction: Depending on whether your living room faces north, south, east or west, you should choose different shades to make the best use of the light conditions.

Tip: If you’re unsure, you can create a sample for your living room in advance! Paint a colour field of at least 60 x 80 cm, hang it on the wall and observe it at different times of day under various lighting conditions.

Living room wall color:

Which colours are on trend?

Grey

Grey not only offers a wide spectrum of different nuances, it also makes rooms feel inviting, open and clear. This non-color showcases other shades to great effect, but can also bring elegance to a room all on its own. Carefully placed wooden furniture or additional grey tones create a modern look in your living room.

Yellow

Ingredients

Green

Whether sage green, turquoise, reed green or fir green – green tones on the walls radiate calm. The natural effect is enhanced by wooden furnishings and indoor plants. Accessories in blue tones also have a soothing effect. If you want to combine an additional wall colour with green shades, you should stay within the same colour family or opt for beige, brown tones or light grey.

Red

Red feature walls are particularly invigorating and energizing, but should be used sparingly if you want to create a calm and relaxed atmosphere in your living room and main living space. Orange or terracotta are good alternatives to red tones, as they allow for a warmer and cozier wall design. Red can be combined with shades of green or gray, which adds vibrancy. A wine red on the walls is expressive and gives the room a certain elegance. Partners for intense reds can be black or even brown tones. With this wall color, the living room gains a certain mystique.

Beige

“Try a little tenderness” – the motto from the well-known cartoon can be perfectly translated into beige or greige (a mix of gray and beige) on your living room walls. Beige and greige tones are perfect base colors and, combined with bold or soft accents, make great companions. But even on their own, beige tones create a cozy, safe and welcoming atmosphere. Furniture and decor in brown or gray tones can be used as accents.

Pastel shades

Pastels are true all-rounders and the color palette for living room walls is full of promise. These shades are the perfect wall colors for living rooms with little daylight, small windows or very dark furniture. With these light tones, the room appears visually larger and gains a sense of lightness. This effect is created by tinted trend colors on the walls with a very high white content. If pure white or other white tones seem too sterile to you, pastel colors are a good alternative. Unlike reds, you can paint entire walls in pastel tones, highlight them with bright, bold accents, or combine them with another shade from the same color family. Pastel tones include mint green, sky blue, pink, lilac and pastel gray.

Once the primer has dried, you can start painting with the floor paint. If you have chosen a 2-component variant, now mix the two components according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Then grab a roller or brush and paint the floor in one working pass. It is advisable to apply a second top coat after the first coat.

Baufix Color Accents

What else matters besides wall design

In addition to a harmonious wall colour in the living room, you can use the right decorations to set targeted accents. Picture frames are a classic, but they still look great on walls or sideboards. If you prefer something more practical, you should opt for picture ledges. As soon as the cold season arrives, a harmonious lighting scheme creates a cosy atmosphere and shows off living room wall colours to their best advantage. Wall clocks are not only functional, but also make excellent decorations. Wood always creates a timeless ambience and is in most cases a reliable combination partner. It is important not to overload the living room. So focus on a few decorative pieces and repeat colours and shapes.

As an alternative to wall paint, you can also use wallpaper on the walls or decorate a single wall with it. Depending on the wallpaper pattern, you can create a special mood in the room, for example with wallpapers in a natural look.

Which colors look friendly, bright, modern and cozy?

When it comes to wall design, many people want an inviting and friendly atmosphere. In that case, you should opt for a warm interior style when choosing colours. Orange, warm reds, beige tones and earth tones are well suited. You should use strong contrasts only sparingly with this style, at most on a small area, for example as a feature wall or stripe. Shades of blue and green bring calm and a sense of security. You should also take a look at different shades of grey. Depending on its brightness, grey can be particularly effective as a living room wall colour, and there are no limits to your ideas when it comes to personal style in your living space. A highly recommended colour partner for greys is a soft pink.

Conclusion – wall paint in the living room

The wall color in your living room should reflect your personal taste. Current trends and color tips help you get your bearings and find an interior style that meets your expectations. That’s why you’ll find a wide selection of BAUFIX wall paints for living rooms, suitable both for first-time painting and for renovation work. Our BAUFIX professional Premium Crystal White is a popular classic, offering excellent coverage and, being free from preservatives, the perfect interior paint. You can achieve modern color schemes with our BAUFIX color accents. Special paints for kitchens round off our range. Browse through our selection. We’ll be happy to advise you by phone or email.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Which living room wall color is best according to Feng Shui?

Warm earth tones such as beige, brown and green create a cosy and harmonious atmosphere. Yellow, orange or red add extra warmth and vibrancy to the living room.

Which living room wall color has a calming effect?

Green, as the colour of nature, conveys a feeling of calm. It has a balancing effect on the psyche and promotes relaxation.

Which living room wall color looks elegant?

Shades such as deep blue, velvety gray or elegant dark green lend your walls timeless beauty. For a modern look, combine neutral colors like white or beige with accents in metallic tones such as gold or copper.