Color experts share 8 hues you should remove from your home this year
Business Insider asked color experts which hues people should use less of in their homes this year.
Avoid saturated and grayish blues, as they lack warmth and can be dreary, especially in the winter.
Sage green, which has gray in it, is typically a poor choice for the bathroom.
Business Insider asked color experts which hues people should use less of or eliminate from their homes this year.
Here's what they said.
Gray is drab and dreary.
After years of popularity, gray may be on its way out.
According to Amy Krane, architectural color consultant at Amy Krane Color, "People are leaning toward more colorful, complex color combinations now, which is one reason why the gray train has finally pulled out of the station."
Interior designer and color expert Paula Kennedy of Timeless Kitchen Design LLC told BI the declining interest in gray may be due to an increased desire for warmer hues.
Kennedy said gray's "many different undertones" can appear "drab and cold" and thinks the hue will continue to fall out of favor.
Leave the reflective whites for museums.
Interior designer and color expert Donna Grace McAlear, owner of New Mood Design, advises against using modern, super-bright whites in the home because they can feel cold and impersonal.
According to McAlear, the "brightest and cleanest" hues, like Sherwin-Williams 7757 High Reflective White, might be "better suited to a modern art museum's gleaming, neutral space than the wall surfaces of a personal residence."
As more people seek restful environments that reflect their style, warmer, softer variations will likely surpass stark white in popularity.
Saturated blues can create a dreary ambiance.
According to Kennedy, "saturated blues can be depressing over time."
She suggests eliminating saturated blues and working with a certified color consultant to find feel-good shades to help counter negative vibes during the darker months.
Sage green is a bathroom blunder.
Just as the right colors help to show you in your best light, the wrong hues, like sage green, can throw off the color of your skin.
Kennedy warns against using sage green, particularly in the bathroom, where you're getting ready and looking in the mirror on a daily basis.
"Avoid greens with gray undertones, or avoid green in the bathroom altogether," Kennedy told BI. "Know your skin tone and what colors make you glow."
Black doesn't make a home appear warm or welcoming.
According to Krane, black is losing steam in home decor because it lacks the warmth so many clients seek when they're designing their homes.
"Never of mass appeal, black was used as an accent wall color most often by those looking for a high-contrast situation," Krane said. "But almost every client who hires me for interior color describes the look and feel they want in their home as 'warm,' and black with white doesn't achieve this."
If you still want a bit of drama, opt for a more colorful, bold color that's on trend.
Yellow with green undertones is not complexion-friendly.
Kennedy advises against using yellow with green undertones because it can contrast the skin tone and make one "look sickly."
According to the expert, the green undertones "will bleed through and react poorly to different light throughout the day."
Blue-gray hues can give off negative energy.
Cooler colors will give way to warmer shades, meaning that blue-gray hues are on their way out.
Though lighter shades of the color can create positive energy, Kennedy recommends avoiding grayish blues, which can be dreary, particularly in the already dark winter months.
More people will likely favor brighter, less gray shades of blue that feel soothing, calming, or uplifting.
Stark colors lack personality.
According to McAlear, many builders and flip-home contractors are continuing to incorporate a stark black, white, and gray dynamic. However, she feels this color combination limits the opportunity for personalization in the home and deprives a space of warmth.
"Stark, cool colors — including the white, gray, and black palette — have waned over the past few years and will not make a comeback soon," McAlear said.
The color expert also advises against using stark blues or reds, as they can lack warmth.
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