12 Living Room Color Schemes That Will Make It Your Favorite Space in the House

Yellow-Green, Navy, and Cream

Yellow-green, deep navy, and pops of cream make this living room ready for game nights, cozy movie marathons, and fireside reading. "Ready your competitive spirit with the rich transitional tones of a yellow-green settee atop a sprawling deep navy rug; garnish club seating upholstered in a complex tomato repeat with golden-raisin velvet pillows, and add a dollop of bright white or cream tones by placing light fixtures with modern shades among geometric accents that can double as conversation pieces when the friendly competition declares a truce over a nightcap," says Jessica Lynn Williams, owner and principal designer of Hendley & Co and RicRac.

All Spectrums of the Color Wheel

If you're a maximalist lover, there is a way to achieve this colorful look in your living room without looking chaotic. It just takes a discerning eye and the ability to assign each color a specific role in the room, says Williams. "We recommend considering color value as your opportunity for achieving contrast," she says. "Try elaborating on a deep blue sofa with a light blue wall paint, or roll out a blush pink rug to stretch the rosy tones of your magenta club chairs."

Williams does note, however, that trying to pull off this look can be a bit much. "It can become overwhelming when many different tones share one space," she says. "If you’re feeling stumped, we encourage beginning with a theme or cultural reference that achieves a complex palette with success and use this as your guide to inform selections and pairings."

Pinks, Peaches, and Warm Hues

"Here, deep natural browns from wooden furnishings and accessories are given a vibrant new life when paired with brighter, more saturated notes from the further reaches of the warm color spectrum," Williams says. "Together, the high and low frequencies establish a vibrant balance—and a feast for the eye."

Pine Green, Cranberry Red, and Charcoal

Gain your inspiration for a living room color scheme by taking a wintry stroll. "Deep pine green upholstery among brass finishing and furnishings of brown or tan is a timeless pairing," says Williams. "Add a punch of cranberry red with pillows or a table runner to create complementary focal points. Give your room permission to embrace multiple shades of a common color by supervising them with an authoritative grounding element of dark neutral charcoal or black coloring, or consider items featuring mixed metals."

Reds, Mustard, and Pops of Turquoise

When deciding how to decorate your living room, consider the colors that already exist in the space to guide the path forward. "In the case of this home-library-turned-hybrid-living room, we started with the orange quality of the built-in bookcases and added red with wallpaper, framed art, and a tomato performance velvet desk chair, and then cooled it down by pinpointing mustard, moss, and turquoise notes in the sitting area," says Williams.

Caramel With Taupe Accents

Create a focal point in your living room by consolidating light-to-mid value taupes and caramels in the center of the space. "A monochromatic color base is a great starting point to achieve an effortless look in your home, but don’t stop there," says Williams. "We encourage embracing a few singular moments of contrasting color to maintain a healthy tension that will establish spatial territory for your living room."

Soft Grays and Natural Wood Tones

"For the living room in this beach house retreat, we embraced the calming tones of Sherwin Williams Sanctuary, a soft gray with gentle green undertones," says Meredith Huck, owner and principal designer of House of Huck. "Our selection was inspired by the natural elements of the beach environment, aiming to create an earthy and organic vibe that complements the natural woods and stone throughout the space. The result is a serene living room that harmonizes with its coastal surroundings."

Beige and Pops of Black

Neutrals never go out of style, as evidenced by this sophisticated living room color scheme. "A can't-go-wrong palette of warm white walls, paired with neutral furnishings in tones of beige with pops of black," says Michelle Zacks, owner and principal designer of Michelle Zacks Designs. "The room draws on cues of European interiors and classic West Village, New York townhomes."

Warm White and Blue

This beach house, modern coastal living room draws inspiration from the home's surroundings, says Zacks. "Warm white walls paired with soothing blue tones and rustic woods," she says.

Dark Gray and White Oak

Bold color brings a striking contrast to the lighter wood furniture in this living room. "A dark gray, almost black, accent wall creates contrast in a mid-century-inspired living room (the exact color is Baby Seal Black by Benjamin Moore)," says Zacks. "The end-to-end Nils & Kasja Larsen String System wall unit in white oak pops against the dark background while helping a TV blend in seamlessly."

Black Accents with Touches of Pink and Light Wood

"Again, a dark touch pops against a light and serene space," says Zacks. "The dark and dramatic fireplace, which is plaster painted in a custom color, stands out against the warm white walls. Other touches of pale pink and light-toned woods keep the living room relaxed."

Muted Neutrals

"We opted for muted neutrals in this living room as a way to calm the space and bring a sense of relaxation," says Kristin Marino, owner of KozyKasa. "The clients are retired empty nesters and really felt it was time to declutter and reinvent their home they built together a few decades prior. We wanted to modernize it without being too 'trendy' so that the design would last for years to come."