Modern Living Room Colour Ideas
With so many colours available, it can be hard to make a final decision when decorating your living room. Therefore, we’ve put together our top five modern living room colour ideas to help inspire you. Above all, colour is uniquely personal. So, it’s important to choose a colour that works for you and your home. Whether you want to achieve a sense of well-being or create fun and frivolity, your colour scheme is essential. Also, it’s important to consider how certain colours affect our mood as this will influence the overall atmosphere. For example, a living room for entertaining should be warm and inviting with bold colours and a touch or drama. However, if you’re looking for a space to relax and unwind, cooler colours and muted tones are the perfect choice.
First of all, there are a couple of rules when it comes to colour. Most importantly, you need to look at where your living room is situated before you pick up the paintbrush. Whilst south-facing rooms are blessed with natural light that can accommodate almost any colour, north-facing rooms need more attention. But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t many beautiful options for a north-facing living room! As these spaces receive cool light and shade, we recommend picking a palette with warm undertones. This will warm up the room and help create a feeling of cosy comfort.
With so many considerations, we understand choosing paint colours is never easy. However, hopefully these 5 fabulous colour palettes will provide plenty of inspiration to discover the perfect tone for your home…
Light & Bright Modern Living Rooms
Left Image: Extraordinary Interiors By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Debi Treloar. Centre Image: Extraordinary Interiors In Colour By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Catherine Gratwicke. Right Image: Livingetc
Paint: Craftsman's White, Chalky White, Bohemia
A blank canvas, white is pure, clean and incredibly easy to style. Although often associated with Scandinavian interiors, white is a classic colour that complements every style imaginable. So, don’t rule out white when considering modern living room colour ideas that will excite your senses! Firstly, a white interior is timeless and can be easily updated. In the same vein, adding a pop of colour can lift an all-white palette from safe to sensational. However, it’s incredibly important to introduce comfort and texture to stop the space feeling cold or impersonal. From cosy rugs and accessories to statement pieces of furniture, your finishing touches are everything!
Next, it’s time to turn your attention to the right tone. Although there are hundreds of different versions of white, some will suit your home more than others. Rooms flooded with natural light will require cool whites. Whereas, darker spaces that rely on artificial lighting will need warming up.
If you want to add extra interest to white walls, try introducing accents of colour. For example, our lovely Co-founder Lucy’s white living space (pictured) above) features hints of gold paint for a touch of luxury. Or for a more adventurous approach, why not paint the ceiling? Playful pastels such as Bohemia pink get our vote but almost any colour would look amazing. The bolder the better!
Green Modern Living Room Colours
Left Image: Homes & Gardens. Centre Image: Extraordinary Interiors In Colour By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Catherine Gratwicke. Right Image: Livingetc
Paint: Gladstone Grey, Raeburn, Dalloway, Juniper Leaf
If you’re looking for calm and tranquillity but with a nod to the latest trends, look no further than green! Above all, the colour green inspires a strong connection to mother nature. From expansive forests to summer meadows and mountains, green is found throughout nature. And as we seek to reconnect with the natural world, it’s important to set the tone in our homes.
In addition to the natural connection, green is also renowned for balance, rest and renewal. Therefore, making it the perfect modern living room colour idea! Also, it’s fabulously versatile and can be adapted to suit any interior style. A few of our favourite shades include forest green, sage, rich emerald and olive. However, there are so many gorgeous shades of green out there, the choice is yours!
For more traditional modern interiors with original features, subtle tones with a hint of grey look beautiful. On the other hand, in our opinion you can never go wrong with a decadently dark forest green! Finally, you don’t necessarily need to paint the walls to embrace the beauty of greenery. Green accents, from furniture to houseplants are brilliant for introducing colour and promise to bring your decor to life.
Dark & Dramatic
Image: Extraordinary Interiors By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Debi Treloar.
It’s no secret that we’re big fans of a dark and dramatic living room scheme at Rockett St George! And whilst we’ll always promote the power of black paint, there are many options to play around with. For example, midnight blue, dark graphite grey or the rich chocolate tones of Briarwood all look beautiful in living spaces.
However, if you are bold enough to go for black, you really can’t go wrong! As a dramatic colour that is strong, mysterious and sexy, black is a must for any modern living room ideas. Take it from us, a rich black wall will provide the perfect background to make art pop and plants glow. Similarly to white, the trick with black walls is to find a warm hue that will create cosiness and unity.
Also, don’t worry if you’re not working with a grand living room space. It’s a common misconception that black will make your room feel smaller. In fact, it has the opposite effect. So, don’t hold back! Paint the walls and ceilings black and enjoy an illusion similar to looking up at the night sky.
Neutral Modern Living Room Colours
Left Image: & Then They Went Wild. Centre Image: Extraordinary Interiors In Colour By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Catherine Gratwicke. Right Image: YOU Magazine
Paint: Chalky White, Broderie, Emanuella, Cloisters
Gone are the days of grey taking over our interiors! Instead, there’s a new wave of modern neutrals that celebrate warmth, comfort and style in equal measure. These colours range from honey hues to clay pinks and rich terracotta tones. However, the warm undertones in each create a complementary colour palette that will suit any space.
Inspired by travel and our desire to create stylish sanctuaries in our homes, neutrals are no longer dull or drab. Moreover, the sheer range of colour options available ensures that no two neutral spaces will ever look the same. So, step away from grey and start experimenting with sandy shades, caramel colours and paired-back peachy pinks. These colours look incredible against both modern and traditional styling. In addition, they remind of us of travelling through Moroccan souks and rural Italian towns. And on a grey English day, that can only be a benefit!
Beautiful Blues
Left & Right Images: Extraordinary Interiors By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Debi Treloar. Centre Image: Extraordinary Interiors In Colour By Jane Rockett & Lucy St George, Published by Ryland, Peters & Small, Photography by Catherine Gratwicke.
Paint: Portobello, Azurite, Payne's Grey
Blue is the coolest colour in the spectrum, creating feelings of contentment and serenity. It is therefore, a wonderful modern living room colour idea for achieving true relaxation. But as beautiful as blue may be, it’s not without its challenges. For example, the cool tones of blue can risk making north-facing living rooms feel cold and uninviting. One way to counteract this is to introduce balance with warm ochre yellow accessories and gold-toned furniture. Or, you could always opt for rich dark navy walls.
There is something infinitely cosy about inky blues! These tones not only reflect the beauty of the night sky but also create a safe sanctuary to relax in. A feeling that runs across the spectrum, blue is renowned for creating calm and reassuring spaces. Therefore, it is the perfect choice for living rooms where relaxation is the priority.
Another benefit of blue is the effect it has on everything else in the room. In short, blue brings the ultimate sense of sophistication. As a result, it makes a beautiful backdrop for treasured artwork collections and decorative displays! We recommend making the most of this by introducing subtle metallic accents or bright pops of colour. The effect will completely transform your living room into a bold and peaceful paradise.
For more luxury living room inspiration, check out a couple of our other blogs:
- 3 Unique Living Room Ideas
- How to Style Your Coffee Table in 10 Easy Steps
- Colourful Living Room Inspiration
