Paint Color Trends For 2020

After surveying 43 home design experts, Fixr has published the results of its annual color study. The results confirm what many interior designers have been predicting for some time: Our love affair with gray is fading. However, we are still going to be using it for some time.

That’s because gray fits into the cool neutral palette that Americans prefer today. They like those tones for their interior spaces, but they also choose them for their homes’ exteriors. For most of them, it has nothing to do with resale value—they simply like soothing colors.

Here are some of the results of the survey:

The most likely group of homeowners to carry out a painting project in 2020 is married couples with kids.

Couples with kids are the most likely to undertake a home improvement project, including painting, at 46%. This makes sense because children’s bedrooms need to be repainted every 2 to 4 years, much more frequently than other parts of the home.

Couples without children make up 34% of those carrying out a painting project. Trailing far behind are single homeowners, at 11%, and, bringing up the rear, retirees, at 9%.

Why will people carry out a painting project in 2020?

Despite all we hear about the value of a fresh coat of paint to raise a property’s resale price, only 4% of homeowners paint for that reason. Fifty-five percent do so because they want a different look, pure and simple. Since painting is one method that is recommended for making your home look more luxurious and paint can quickly transform a tired-looking room, it makes sense that the majority of homeowners want to use paint to update their spaces. So, the main reason homeowners decide to paint is a personal preference rather than external factors, such as increasing the value of a house or preparing it for resale.

Is the popularity of gray ending in 2020, or will it remain relevant for a while longer?

Designers polled did say that gray, the hot color of the last few years, has seen its day, but that doesn’t means it’s going away. Fifty-seven percent said that that while gray love is fading, many people will continue to use it. Since many designers feel that gray is not going to end any time soon, it makes sense that while it may have hit its peak, gray will continue to stick around for a while.

Which interior paint colors will be the most popular in 2020?

Cool neutrals topped the list, with 57% of respondents agreeing. Jewel tones, which always have their fans, were second, with 20%.

In 2020, the majority of experts agree, cool neutrals such as white, gray and taupe will be the most popular. Cool neutrals work well in nearly every space and they create a blank slate for almost any interior design. The majority of the colors on Benjamin Moore’s list of top ten best sellers and those that top Sherwin Williams’ list are within this palette.

Which exterior colors do you recommend for selling a house in 2020?

Fifty-two percent of experts said white; 52% said gray.

Realtors have been recommending that home sellers paint their homes white in the last few years, while charcoal gray is often listed as an accent color that can boost value, which means both these recommendations follow the current trend.

Which factor is most important when choosing the exterior color before selling?

This is one subject where a majority of experts agreed.

Before committing to an external color, it is important to consider the architecture of the home, according to 77% of those polled. Color has a profound effect on architecture, which means that the correct color for one home may not work for another. It may also explain why classics, such as white, are popular and work for more home styles.

Which exterior color would you advise homeowners to avoid if they want to sell their home?

Designers offer a full rainbow of choices when it comes to the colors that are best to avoid.

Lisa M. Smith of Interior Design Factory Ltd. says, “First, the color must be appropriate to the architecture and secondly, it must coordinate with something without calling too much attention to the structure. We expect to see red on a big old barn, but on a generic 1950s ranch, it will look silly. Location is also a big factor. For example, in Palm Springs on mid-century architecture, turquoise may work.”

Alene Workman agrees, “Depends on architecture, location and many factors, but not tones that go pink or too yellow.”

Dahlia Mahmood explains, “Any vibrant or bold color should be avoided.” She advises homeowners to “keep it timeless.”

For those who like color and want to try to incorporate it, Cheryl Kees Clendenon recommends avoiding “anything too crazy, like a bright pink.” She further explains that homes “can be colorful, but should be subdued.”

Finally, be sure to avoid “a bold unusual color that you don’t normally see in your neighborhood,” suggests Pat Valentine Ziv from PVZ Design, LLC.