5 Paint Trends That Will Transform Homes in 2026, According to Interior Designers

The transformative power of paint won't be overlooked in 2026. As we step into a new year, designers say we’re moving away from the stark whites and boring beiges, and toward warmer, deeper, more vibrant interiors.

From chalky limewashes and color-drenched spaces to contrasting cabinetry and warm whites, next year, paint will feel more tactile, atmospheric, and poignant. Below, we spoke to interior designers about five of the trends that will define the year ahead.

Dusty Hues

After years of crisp whites and cool grays, designers are rediscovering the comfort of colors that appear to have softened with time. Dusty hues—sun-faded pinks, muted olive greens, and weathered blues—bring a natural depth to interiors. They're especially suited to spaces where light shifts throughout the day.

Interior designer Nina Seed embraced these lived-in colors in her own home. “I lived with off-white walls in my kitchen for 10 years before deciding to embrace color,” she says. “The kitchen is adjacent to a large lanai, so light reflects differently in the space. I needed to inject warmth.”

She selected two pinks—Farrow & Ball’s Pink Ground for the walls and ceiling, and Sulking Room Pink for the cabinetry—and layered in olive green tones for balance. “Bits of black anchor the scheme and keep it from reading as too feminine, since I live here with my husband and sons," she adds.

Cocoon With Color

The tone-on-tone approach—often referred to as color drenching—is here to stay in 2026.

“Painting walls, trim, and even ceilings in the same color redefines modern interiors,” say Sally Staub and Hannah Ray of Workroom Design Studio. The duo explored this idea in a recent project, enveloping a room in deep navy grasscloth with paint-matched trim and ceiling. The mix of matte paint and woven texture proves that monochromatic design elements can be anything but flat.

Bold Niches

If color drenching is too daring for you, then there's a step in between. “We’re seeing people choose bolder colors like rust reds or moody blues for coffee bars or dining room niches,” says Heather Chadwick, senior designer at O’Hara Interiors. “People are definitely gravitating toward more color than neutrals these days, but we’re using it in these smaller spaces."

Whether it’s a recessed bookshelf painted in ochre or a breakfast nook cloaked in forest green, these bold touches invite personality and play. They act as creative punctuation marks within an otherwise neutral palette—granting homeowners a manageable way to explore vibrant hues.

Warm Whites

“We’re moving away from stark white walls,” says Chadwick. “Even in beach houses or coastal areas where I’m designing, people want less of the bright whites that have been so popular in the past. Now, we’re often taking color inspiration from vacation homes in Mexico, where the look feels earthier and warmer.”

Once the hallmark of minimalism, bright white walls are giving way to softer, more lived-in neutrals like plaster, sand, or linen. These tones trade starkness and sterility for subtlety and softness.

Limewash

Softly textured and calming, limewash has made its way from historic villas to modern interiors. Its tactility creates subtle shifts in tone, and it diffuses light beautifully.

In this primary bedroom, designer Lily Flatley used a soothing limewash from Portola Paints to "create an all-encompassing sense of quiet movement on every wall," she says. "I wanted to make sure the room felt light in the mornings and sultry in the evenings."

For 2026, think of limewash not just in muted neutrals, but as a gentler vehicle for saturated colors, like dusty pink.