6 Paint Colors All Trendy Homes Will Have by the End of 2023, According to Designers

Poll a handful of designers on the most budget-friendly, high-impact change you can make in a space, and most will probably point to paint. It’s the ultimate one-and-done transformation: A fresh coat of paint has the power to perk up even a single wall. In fact, as James Stanley, founder of New York-based boutique architectural design firm James Stanley NY, notes, “Painting the interior of your home the right color is one of the simplest elements of your home design decisions.” What exactly is the “right” color, though?

Of course, that answer varies from space to space and person to person. If you like to keep up with interior design trends, though, or you just want some color inspo, I asked a few design experts to cast their predictions on the specific paint hues that will likely dominate the rest of 2023. From wall and trim colors to furniture-friendly paint picks for your next DIY, get the lowdown on the six shades you can expect to see everywhere by the end of this year, as well as specific product recs for each.

Per designer Amy Forshew of Proximity Interior Design, “We are loving all the greens this year!” Our annual State of Home Design Survey identified sage as a 2023 color standout, and Forshew personally gravitates toward Sherwin-Williams’ green-gray Sea Salt (SW 6204) as a similar, wall-friendly shade. Consider extending this nature-inspired shade to paintable pieces of furniture, like a wooden IKEA stool. Forshew’s pick for that? Sherwin-Williams’ Talipot Palm (SW 6726). “It’s a nice, basic green that’s intense enough for furniture but not too bright,” she says.

Abigail Horace, principal designer and founder of Connecticut-based Casa Marcelo, is noticing an uptick in blue interior paint preferences across a range of soothing shades. “People are drawn to them because they liven up the space and are versatile enough to work through the seasons,” she adds. Her current blue faves? Clare Paint’s Summer Friday and Headspace, both available in wall and semi-gloss trim options.

While neutral, earth-inspired paint tones have been popular for some time, Stanley expects these hues to have staying power throughout 2023. “Neutrals are timeless and evoke calmness, contentment, gratitude, and relaxation,” he explains. As for his go-to muted shades, Stanley suggests “a peaceful off-white room in a matte finish with taupe trims in a satin finish.” Pull off this combo with Benjamin Moore’s Intense White (OC-51) in a flat finish on your walls, then Abalone (2108-60) in satin for the trim. When it comes to styling, “you can accent the warmth of the neutrals with a pop of color through decor items, such as pillows, artwork, and accessories,” he adds.

Forshew adds that “blush is still trending” by all accounts. Get the muted, pretty-in-pink look via her suggestion of Benjamin Moore Bermuda Sands (2100-60). “It’s great on walls — and if you’re a little demure, cut it by 50 percent,” she says.

Horace is leaning into more mauve and purple tones for her own client projects — including the home rendering pictured above — and only expects the paint color’s popularity to increase. “It provides warmth with a splash of femininity or opulence [and] really dials up the drama wherever it is placed,” she says. Here, Horace used the opulent-looking Benjamin Moore Incense Stick (2115-20) to accent a tall, winding staircase, where it functions like a dark neutral.

For a bit more of a moody wild card, Stanley also cites a modern black paint makeover as one of his favorite 2023 trends, especially when paired with high-contrast white. That said, he ultimately recommends a “chic, tone-on-tone color combination,” like a “black matte finished room with matching semi-gloss trim.” Stanley praises Farrow and Ball’s Pitch Black (256), with the matching semi gloss version to coat the trim, if you’d prefer to stay monochromatic.