For years, light colors have ruled the walls of well-appointed homes—but recent insights suggest it may be time move to different hues. According to new data from Zillow, homebuyers are showing a preference for bold, nature-inspired colors over traditional light palettes, signaling a shift toward more dramatic and expressive interiors. Think deep greens and blues.
We flipped through our archives and curated the following collection of rooms, each showing that dark paint is no longer a risk—it’s a statement.
For the dining room of this Rumson home, designer Jessica Fischer of JFD Creative blanketed the walls with Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy. “Since it’s more intimate, the dining room was the perfect space to create a moody atmosphere,” Fischer says.
Designer Leslie Kramer of Lighthouse Home & Design went bold in this 1932 Verona colonial. For the walls, she used Sherwin-Williams Night Owl, a deep blend of green and charcoal gray.
The office of a Burlington County home gives off masculine and moody vibes thanks to Benjamin Moore’s Kendall Charcoal, selected by designer Brittany Wurzak Hakimfar of Far Studio.
In a Chatham colonial, designed by Emily Gernie and Genevieve Bottoni of EGB Interiors, the living room’s custom Evening Dove walls provide perfect contrast to the Rob Delamater prints and the Rebecca Atwood cloud-blue drapes.
Though the entryway of a Montclair home is painted a bright white, the walls of the dining room are a different story. All of the woodwork, including the tall wainscoting and most of the surrounding walls, is painted in a deep green-gray. “It has almost a moody restaurant feel,” says designer Wayne Norbeck. “In the evening, against the pale wood floors, it really glows.”
Dark wallpaper is an alternative to paint, as the homeowner of this Westfield home found. Designers Hilary Hefner and Michelle Rosen of More Design used pleated gold-fabric wallcovering from Innovations for the dining room, giving it an intimate, club-like feel.
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