22 stylist living room paint ideas

Adding color with paint is a quick and easy way to add style and personality to a living room. Whether your living room is an oasis of calm or home to a house full of children, nothing can transform a space like paint. Take a look at these brilliant living room paint ideas to inspire your own decorating scheme.

Color (even if you’re using neutrals) should be the first thing to consider when you are looking for living room ideas. Ensure your chosen hues work well in your room by applying testers of paint onto sheets of white paper, then tacking them onto each wall you’re thinking of using that color on. 

Leave them up for a few days before making any final decisions, noticing how the light affects the color at different times of day, as well as checking they work well next to other elements, such as curtains or couches.

If you’re not confident in choosing a scheme, go with a pre-selected palette already picked out by the paint brand you’re using, or follow our advice later on working with tonal, harmonizing and contrasting colors.

These paint ideas have been chosen for their suitability for living rooms but also because they are on trend for the year ahead – yet ultimately timeless. Choose a tone that's right for the orientation of your room – east- and north-facing living rooms will need warmer shades than south- or west-facing living rooms. 

Similarly, poorly lit rooms will benefit from lighter shades – unless, of course, you purposely choose to make your living room dark and cozy.