Maximalists, rejoice: The “sad beige” era of interior design is officially over. We’re poised to embrace a kaleidoscope of eye-catching colors in 2026, at home and elsewhere. More and more, people are opting for multicolor looks, keeping their holiday paper chains up through January, and enjoying a neon pick-me-up whenever possible. Case in point: Bright colors were the star of this year’s Golden Globes red carpet.
If you’re looking to add some color to your home this year—whether that means adding a new rug or lamp, or boldly painting an entire wall—read on for a preview of the colors that interior designers are predicting will be everywhere in the months ahead.
Earthy umber
David Flack of Flack Studio in Melbourne—who designed Troye Sivan’s home in the city—shares that he expects to see more brown and umber-based colors this year. “Warm, muddy neutrals feel like a warm hug—they can command a larger space and a through-line with connecting colors throughout the home,” he says. It can be a deep red earth tone, or a rich dark brown; Flack feels that this darker range “anchors spaces” and “provides visual weight.”
Pistachio-chartreuse
More natural and down-to-earth than brat green, pistachio-chartreuse is one of the colors that Marie Trohman and Ashley Drost of Los Angeles-based Proem Studio—who designed Emma Chamberlain’s Los Angeles home—are excited about this year. The shade is striking and fun, and “draws your eye very quickly,” says Trohman. The designer adds that using color can be intimidating, but you can work it into your space with little pops that draw the eye, like a rug with a playful border of chartreuse or vibrant throw pillows.
Desaturated sky blue
Toned-down sky blue is a calming option that Trohman is using in her own home renovation. “This blue color is intriguing because it’s soft,” she explains. “It goes well with every neutral everybody has painted their house in the last four years, where beige was it, and it’s really versatile. [Plus,] it goes with wood tones really, really well.”
Ochre
Austin-based interior designer Annie Downing agrees that earthy colors are in. One particular shade she loves? Yellowish-orange ochre. “It brings a sunbaked, lived-in quality to a room and pairs beautifully with both antiques and modern pieces,” Downing says.
Red
Multiple designers said that red and burgundy are favorites of theirs that are likely to pop up in many interiors this year. Downing is a fan of true, “bright, confident red,” she says, adding that this year, “I think we’ll see more bravery with color overall: fewer ‘safe’ choices, more personality.”
Lemon-vanilla
Lemon-vanilla is a way to use white in a softer way, and to accentuate the bolder and darker colors in the mix. Flack says he loves a 1950s-inspired, light yellow, machine-like shade for something surprising. “I love a neutral with a slight weird undertone of color through it, i.e. a pink, white, a lemon white or even a muddy brown white.”
