Goodbye, Beige: Color Is Making a Comeback in American Homes
For a while, American homes seemed to be losing their color. Walls were white. Sofas were beige. Kitchens were white with gray countertops, and entire houses somehow wound up the color of oatmeal. It wasn't necessarily bad. It was clean, calm, and easy to match.
But, after years of neutrals dominating our homes, color is making its way back in. And, judging by the latest home design trends, we may finally be ready to have a little more fun with our walls.
We're Warming Up to Color Again
We're not necessarily jumping straight from white walls to bright orange living rooms. Instead, warmer, earthier shades appear to be leading us out of the neutral era.
Houzz found that we're showing a lot more interest in warmer colors. Searches for rust jumped 178%, while chocolate brown rose 153%. Even the neutrals are warming up. Searches climbed for:
Mushroom: 69%
Sage: 55%
Taupe: 50%
Cream: 44%
Beige isn't packing its bags. We're just giving it some colorful, new neighbors.
One Color Can Take Over the Whole Room
Remember when adding color meant painting one wall? We'd choose a navy or dark green, declare it the accent wall, and leave the other three safely alone.
Some homeowners are going much further. Mentions of color drenching have increased 149% in Zillow listings.
The idea is fairly simple. Instead of stopping at the walls, one color continues across the trim, doors, ceiling, and sometimes even the furniture. That's quite a leap from buying one mustard-yellow throw pillow and calling it a day.
Wallpaper Is Interesting Again
Paint isn't the only thing making our walls less blank. Searches for linen wallpaper have more than doubled, according to Houzz, while interest in seagrass wallpaper is up 94%.
And designers aren't saving wallpaper for one little powder-room wall anymore. Houzz's latest fall report points to more expressive wallpaper choices as homeowners become increasingly comfortable with bolder decisions in their homes.
If you’ve ever spent an entire weekend scraping old wallpaper from a wall, its comeback may require a little emotional processing.
We're Adding Texture, Too
Some of the biggest changes don't involve much color at all. Interest in Venetian plaster has risen 94%, while searches for limewash interior paint are up 53%. Searches for wainscoting also increased by 32%.
All three give otherwise plain walls some depth, whether that's through a chalky finish, subtle variations in plaster, or actual architectural detail. In other words, we're not only changing the color of the wall. We're changing the wall itself.
White Walls Aren't Going Anywhere
Of course, none of this means we need to walk around the house glaring suspiciously at anything painted white. White, cream, beige, and other neutrals still have plenty of fans. In fact, rising searches for cream and taupe say homeowners still want neutral rooms. We’re just a little less afraid of everything else.
After years of white walls, gray kitchens, and enough beige to keep the oatmeal industry alive, our homes are getting some color again. And, this time, it might even make it to the ceiling.
Looking for stories that inform and engage? From breaking headlines to fresh perspectives, WaveNewsToday has more to explore. Ride the wave of what’s next.