In the design world, color palette selection is an incredibly important step in the design process — especially in living rooms. Per our opus on whole home color schemes, these chosen hues should ideally touch every room in your home, from half bathrooms to basements and beyond (no pressure or anything). What’s more, the colors in your home can have an affect on your mood — picture a bright, coca-cola red bedroom compared to a blue bedroom, for example.

Fortunately, thanks to the countless completed room designs, our design team can fashion elevated, timeless living room color palettes in a snap. Keep scrolling to browse a few tried-and-true shades they swear by, from layered neutrals to all bold everything. 

1. Moody Modern

Bright, neutral spaces aren’t going anywhere, but we love layering bold accent colors to spice things up a bit. In the above living room, cool gray and bold black ground this modern color palette, while moody oxblood and cognac leather add depth and drama. Remember: just because a color is a part of the color palette, doesn’t mean it has to overtake the whole space.

2. Cozy Cool

Bathed in soft blue-gray, crisp white, and rich Aegean blue, this living room leans cool and calming. But the mauve accent color adds a much-needed touch of warmth and brings the entire palette together. We particularly love the floral drapes — they unify the entire color while lending a whimsical touch to the room.

3. Warm Minimalist

Coastal minimalists will love this living room palette! Thanks to the liberal use of white and cream, the space feels airy and bright, while the deep navy and brass accents add visual interest and contrast. This is a completely timeless choice in our book.

4. Contemporary Luxe

This glamorous living room color palette feels luxe, warm, and ultra-cool — it’s the perfect scheme for a high-rise New York apartment like this one. The chosen materials really add to the luxe, contemporary feel as well — we love the use of velvet, brass, and matte black. 

5. Jewel Tones

Modern and a touch retro, this bold jewel-toned color palette is made up of citrine, aquamarine, crisp white, and graphic black. While these two primary colors may not immediately feel like a match made in heaven, the off-white and bold black balance out the bold hues. 

6. Coastal Grandmother

Layered blues will never go out of style in our book. The soft blue paint and accent chairs read calming and classic, while the bold denim in the rug and throw pillows punches it up just enough. And of course, the warm wood is key here — it adds the perfect hint of warm ochre for balance.

7. Neutral Earth Tones

You can easily create a cozy, timeless living space with muddled olive, soft ivory, warm cognac, and a hint of bold black. This is the perfect living room color palette if you love organic modern, warm minimalist, or modern-traditional design. 

8. High-Contrast Cool

We love the cool, edgy, slightly post-modern vibe of this interesting living room color palette. The warm ivory and brown tones are classic, while the aquamarine and dusty purple function as neutrals while still adding personality and vibrancy. Just had plenty of house plants!

9. Scandi Boho

If you can’t get enough of modern-bohemian design, this punchy living room color palette has your name all over it. We love the daring use of warm ochre, bold aqua blue, and soft pink, particularly in the furniture. But of course, the white walls and dark charcoal accents make this bold palette possible.

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