Colors
"4. Rich Autumnal Colors We’ve been reporting on the shift away from cool gray and white toward darker and warmer tones for several years, and that trend continued at the fall market. While the dusty blues and sage greens that were hot last season are still very popular, a handful of hues in particular stood out to us as the color story of 2026: olive and fir green, brown, ocher and reddish-plum tones, as illustrated by this Loloi Beckham rug."
"Colley decided against placing cabinets above the sink to keep the area feeling as open as possible. “I designed the box shelf instead for displaying nice items, just to keep it fresh and airy,” she says. The interior is lime-washed oak and was custom made. Under-counter lights ensure there are no shadows on the countertop. The fluted glass pendants over the island provide task lighting and add detail. “They catch the light but don’t dominate,” Colley says."
"After: Now the space feels more open and has much more storage. The island is a game-changer. It’s not huge, and the owners were happy not to have bar seating, preferring a dining table, but it has drawers of different sizes on both sides holding everything from cutlery to pans. The built-in sideboard to the left of the floor-to-ceiling cabinets also helps as it contains cupboards to stash vases, placemats, small appliances and more. Painting most of the cabinetry a lovely earthy pink has lifted the whole room and given it a softness that was missing before. There isn’t a separate laundry room, but Colley has placed a washer and dryer in a double cabinet to the right of the sink (not pictured). She wanted to make this cabinet as unobtrusive as possible. “It has flush, push-to-open, flat-fronted doors painted the same color as the wall, so it blends in.” Cabinet paint: Dead Salmon, Farrow & Ball"
"10. Third Color’s the Charm Miyuki Yamaguchi Design Studio balanced warm wood, off-white (a match for Sherwin-Williams’ Alabaster), a splash of soft teal and black accents in this Napa, California, kitchen. The room has many special details, but two to call out are the wood-paneled tray ceiling that mirrors the white oak floors and the tile-backed appliance garage with pocket doors and wire mesh inserts."
"Savor and Relax Imagine doing a few gentle stretches or yoga poses before bed, lighting a scented candle and sipping some chamomile tea while you write in your journal. There are no to-do lists or pinging phones vying for your attention. You can simply be. Imagine how easy it would be to gradually unwind, release the tension of your day and ease into a restful, deep, restorative sleep in a space free of clutter and distractions. Once the busyness of the day is done, make time to simply relax in your newly cleared space."
"Small kitchens. Fully covering the wall usually is your best bet in a small kitchen (or in a larger kitchen that has just a small area for the backsplash). This sort of layout, with just a single backsplash area between the fridge cabinet and the side wall, is common in galley kitchens in apartments and condominiums. Tiling the entire area in one material makes for the tidiest finish, which can help make the kitchen look its biggest."
"3. Tidy the Entry Put away any lingering winter gear, handle piles of paperwork and clean up the newly uncluttered space. If your entry doesn’t already have storage, add a few hooks, a rack or tray for shoes and a basket to collect stray items."
"The homeowners love encaustic cement tile and Kaplan helped them find just the right spot for it — in the mudroom. She added a bench with a metal base for putting on shoes or tossing bags. “I love this bench because it can look dressy or casual,” she says. Kaplan continued the high wainscoting from the sitting and dining rooms into the mudroom, with one special touch. “It really helps to have a designer working with an architect early on in a project in order to create moments like this one,” Kaplan says. “Because we were familiar with the clients’ art collection, we knew that their photograph of the Capitol rotunda would look great in here. So we were able to carve out a special place in the millwork to fit it in at the right height.” Wall paint: Rock Gray, Benjamin Moore Haus Interior Design Elegance"
"2. Deep Sleep Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue paint is a designer favorite, and this Washington, D.C.-area primary bedroom by Heather Golde Home illustrates why. The inky blue with green undertones adds depth and glamour to the room, which has a notable coved ceiling. It’s also a stunning backdrop for the objets d’art filling the fireplace wall’s custom built-ins."
"Designer tip. “Are you afraid of integrating bold pattern into your home? A powder room is a great space to add a commanding pattern or color,” FitzGerald-Wilks says. “It’s a large statement but on a smaller scale, and because you’ll only spend a few minutes at a time in the space, it won’t feel overwhelming.” “Uh-oh” moment. “Believe it or not, our biggest challenge in this tiny room came from an existing outlet placement,” FitzGerald-Wilks says. “We met with our master carpenter as we were hashing out the final height on the wainscot installation and discovered the outlet to be in just the wrong spot to accommodate our ideal height. The client was not keen on the idea of moving the outlet, so after reflecting on the challenge, I determined the outlet and its plate could be rotated 90 degrees, and with minimal repair our wainscot could go in at just the right height.” Wallpaper: Mulberry Tree in navy, Thibaut; vanity: Thornton in Bright Navy and Carrara, 30 inches, Signature Hardware; mirror Haya Scalloped in gold, Uttermost; light fixture: Broche in antique gold, Crystorama Lighting"
"Christina Wikman won a Best of Houzz Design award for this Woburn, Massachusetts, kitchen, which features a warm greige cabinet color (Dropcloth by Farrow & Ball)."
"7. Blank Canvas by Behr If you’re seeking a clean slate for 2023, you can’t go wrong with Behr’s choice of Blank Canvas. It’s pretty clear Behr is making a statement with this choice. And that statement is that most of us probably could use a fresh start. This go-anywhere off-white has a slight warm cast, making it a versatile jumping-off color that can be paired with just about any other color. But because it has a touch of warmth, it also can be used as the dominant color in a room and not feel too cold or sterile."
"6. Raspberry Blush by Benjamin Moore Benjamin Moore’s selection also is a warm pink, but this one is super bold and vibrant. This extroverted hue works best in public areas of a home where an energetic vibe is desired. It’s a conversation-stimulating color for the dining room — good for those who love to entertain. I also could see this paint color working well on a front door. Paired with a light or midvalue neutral siding color and crisp white trim, it would be a fun, welcoming color with which to greet visitors."
"4. Redend Point by Sherwin-Williams If less intense pinks are more your jam, take a look at Redend Point. It’s a medium-dark sand color, which makes it a neutral, but it has a soft coral pink undertone that gives it a twist. This is not your typical tan. The hint of warm pink allows the color to serve as a pleasing backdrop to hues that are more pink- or orange-forward, as seen here. But it’s still a neutral, and as such it can work with a variety of other colors, especially those also on the warmer side of the color spectrum."
"3. Terra Rosa by Dunn-Edwards While greens and blues remain popular with homeowners, increasingly warmer colors are making headway. Terra Rosa by Dunn-Edwards is a cinnamon-rose hue that’s a fresh take on more neutral browns and burgundies. It’s somewhat vibrant but also has an earthy quality; this earthiness makes it a versatile pink. I can see using it in private spaces like bedrooms and bathrooms, but also in more public areas like dining rooms or on front doors."
"2. Everglade Deck by Valspar Rather than promoting one Color of the Year, Valspar has chosen to highlight 12 trending paint colors, as it did for 2022. One of its picks, Everglade Deck, is another saturated blue-green, a bit moodier than Vining Ivy. It has surprising warmth for such a cool color. Here it infuses a bathroom with dramatic, elegant color."
"Bright white walls, ceiling and trim (Extra White by Sherwin-Williams) provide a clean backdrop for full-overlay Shaker-style cabinetry painted a sage-y green (Pewter Green by Sherwin-Williams). “It’s the best choice I made for the house,” Anna says. “This is the third house we have built and wanted something different than white. At first I thought black cabinets, and then my daughter suggested green. The green makes my home come together beautifully.” Solid brass cabinet knobs and drawer pulls add a bit of warmth and shine. The island combines solid wood butcher block with a durable marble-look quartz, giving the couple a spot to prep meals and another for general purposes. But it was a practical decision too. The large island would have required two slabs of quartz to cover the top. Not wanting a seam splitting it, the couple chose to go with end-to-end butcher block to break things up. The sink side of the island includes large storage drawers and a drawer-style microwave. Hidden cabinets on the seating side of the island hold seasonal items. The flooring is wood-look laminate. Cabinetry: Masterpiece Martel Square, Merillat"
"9. Layer With Color Your choice of color isn’t important only for how it looks; it also will have a big impact on how you feel in the space. Get it wrong, and the color will shout at you every time you enter the room. Get it right, and you won’t even notice the color — you’ll just love spending time in the space. A good tip is to layer your color palette: Start with a neutral backdrop and build on color carefully by adding bolder shades through accessories and art. However, neutral doesn’t mean painting your walls a bland shade. You can create a neutral version of practically any color by going either very light or very dark. Think grays, caramels and sandy tones, all of which work in any version from light to dark as a neutral backdrop that you can combine with any other accent color."
"16. Shiplap Shiplap has been showing up everywhere in bathrooms. It adds charming character and visual texture to a space and can help accent the height, width or length of a bathroom depending on the direction it’s installed. Designer Jennifer Whisenant of Noble Johnson Architects ran shiplap in two directions in this Nashville, Tennessee, bathroom. The vertical orientation on the walls helps create the appearance of more height, while the installation on the ceiling accents the room’s length rather than its narrow width. A creamy light beige vanity (Naturel by Sherwin-Williams) adds to the charm. The shower walls, ceiling and main bathroom floor are 12-by-24-inch porcelain tiles that mimic the look of Calacatta marble.
"Periwinkle blue is a rather cool color, so you’ll want to bring in some warmth with wood finishes or warm metallic accents, as was done in this Denver kitchen by Exquisite Kitchen Design."
"paint color is Benjamin Moore 1598" (Silver Lake)
"Hi, Both the vanity and the walls have a custom glaze on them that was mixed on site with myself and the faux painter. The grey color on the cabinets started as the base grey color by the cabinet maker Decora. The base of of the walls is a mixture in the Benjamin Moore 970's. Then it was altered on site with tints and glazes. The floor mosaic is from Prosource in Canton, MA. The base is carrara with a bardiglio dot."
"The wall paint is a deep earthy green, Shade Grown by Sherwin-Williams."
"Dark walls create moody drama in a cozy office-sitting room off the entry. “There was so much white in this house, we needed to add some black for depth,” Chandler says. They used Benjamin Moore’s Cheating Heart paint on the walls and ceiling. They added texture and depth to the fireplace wall by covering it in shiplap."
"A textured green backsplash of glazed ceramic mosaic tile follows the kitchen’s earthy and coastal palette. Swiss Coffee paint from Kelly-Moore adds soft contrast to the trim and walls, while honey-hued wood flooring adds warmth."
" soft green paint, Sherwin-Williams’ Cornwall Slate"
"3. Rhapsody in Blue For this stylish Morrison, Colorado, laundry room, interior designer Laura Medicus used a mix of soapstone countertops, brass hardware, backsplash tile with a handmade look, a patterned cement floor tile and cabinets painted in Benjamin Moore’s Van Courtland Blue. Some of the tricks that make the room so appealing are the way Medicus extended the backsplash and upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling and her addition of a charming rolling laundry basket."
"This vignette from Universal Furniture featuring the Deke swivel chair and Filmore sofa captures the browns, earthy yellows and dark, warm metallics prevalent in many showrooms. Many browns had either purplish or gray undertones — the latter being versatile enough to play nicely with either warm or cool tones."
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