12 Paint Colors Designers Hope You’ll Never Use Again

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Colors can influence moods, evoke emotions, and even affect productivity. Blue hues create a calming atmosphere, ideal for bedrooms or relaxation areas. Vibrant yellows can inspire creativity and energy, perfect for offices or artistic spaces. Incorporating neutral tones, like greys and beiges, is a versatile backdrop that allows bolder accents to stand out.

The 60-30-10 rule is a popular guideline in interior design. It suggests that 60% of a room should be a dominant color, 30% a secondary color, and 10% an accent color, ensuring a balanced and visually appealing environment. Here are 12 paint colors that top designers hope you’ll avoid to keep your home looking fresh and modern.

Avocado Green

This vibrant green can invoke visions of old-fashioned interiors and is often linked to bulky, vintage appliances. Design expert Emily Henderson notes, “While green is a versatile color in the right shade, Avocado can be too overwhelming and dated, often clashing with modern furnishings.”

Bright, refreshing alternatives like Sage Green or soft, muted pastels can provide the earthy vibe that Avocado Green delivers without the outdated connotations.

Olive Green

The Mediterranean craze of the early 2000s brought Olive Green into many homes. However, its murky undertones can make rooms feel heavier and dimmer, especially with inadequate lighting.

Leafy greens or sage tones offer a more vibrant and fresh look. These shades bring the tranquility of nature indoors and blend seamlessly with traditional and modern styles.

Eggplant

Eggplant, a deep and dark purple, may have once seemed like a trendy choice for accent walls or bold statement pieces, but it has fallen out of favor among many top designers. The reason? Darker colors, like eggplants, can make spaces feel smaller and more enclosed, a significant concern in today’s open-concept living designs.

Notably, interior designer Emily Henderson notes, “While it can add a sense of drama, Eggplant often overwhelms a room and detracts from natural light, making even the sunniest spaces feel moody.” Consider embracing softer alternatives like muted lavender or warm greys.

Pastel Pink

Designers across the industry have increasingly cited its tendency to appear overly sweet or juvenile in a sophisticated setting. Pastel pink can detract from a space’s elegance, making it feel more like a nursery than a refined home.

Pastel pinks often evoke overly feminine or childlike connotations. For a more mature and versatile palette, consider gender-neutral pinks like blush or dusty rose, which offer softness without the saccharine sweetness.

Mauve

This dusty lavender hue has garnered a reputation for being overly nostalgic and lackluster. Notably, design industry darling Emily Henderson has expressed her disdain for mauve, claiming it evokes a sense of “granny chic” that many contemporary homeowners are keen to avoid.

Instead of mauve, consider embracing richer shades like plum or bold navy, which evoke sophistication without the dated vibes. Pairing these shades with warm metallics or crisp whites can rejuvenate any space, offering a fresh take that’s anything but passé.

Cherry Red

Designers caution against using this shade due to its overwhelming nature. It can evoke feelings of passion and excitement but can just as easily overpower a space, making it feel chaotic rather than cohesive.

Consider replacing Cherry Red with softer, more versatile tones such as a muted terracotta or warm coral. These alternatives maintain the warmth and energy associated with red and bring a sense of sophistication and calm to your spaces.

Peach

Once adored for its warmth and charm, designers now dreaded peach due to its tendency to feel overly sweet and dated. Peach can clash with other colors, creating an unharmonious environment that feels off-balance.

Instead of peach, consider embracing a fresh, muted apricot or a soft coral. Pairing a subtle apricot with rich, earthy tones or cool greys can enhance your space without the outdated baggage that comes with peach.

Canary Yellow

Once a go-to for bringing brightness to spaces (evokes feelings of cheer and optimism), this bold shade can quickly become overwhelming, resulting in a jarring atmosphere rather than the inviting feel homeowners desire.

Canary Yellow can feel like an unruly guest at a party—it demands attention but quickly overstays its welcome. Opt for softer, more sophisticated shades such as buttery cream or muted gold, which retain warmth without overwhelming intensity.

Mustard

It initially splashed in the ’70s and early 2000s, but this bold yellow-brown shade has since slipped into the “what-were-we-thinking” category. Mustard can overwhelm spaces and often looks dated and heavy, especially in smaller rooms.

Consider using shades like soft butter, yellow, or muted gold. Emily Henderson recommends accenting with subtle gold accents or integrating brighter yellows in smaller doses to achieve balance.

Dark Brown

Dark brown can obscure natural light, creating a gloomy environment that stifles creativity and comfort. Dark brown might also clash with your décor, creating an outdated vibe.

Consider lighter, more airy alternatives like soft taupe, creamy beige, or sandstone, which can showcase the warmth of brown without the weight. Pair these softer shades with splashes of vibrant color—sunny yellows orexcellentl greens—to create an inviting, stylish, uplifting atmosphere.

Mint Green

This pastel hue, reminiscent of refreshing mint leaves, has been associated with a calming vibe, yet it can also evoke feelings of blandness if overused. It often risks looking washed-out and underwhelming, especially in spaces with limited natural light.

Instead of mint, consider sage green or seafoam. Furthermore, incorporating natural elements like plants and wood finishes alongside these bolder hues can create a harmonious blend that feels fresh and timeless.

Beige Overload

Leading designer Brian Patrick Flynn emphasizes that “neutral doesn’t have to mean boring.” He encourages homeowners to integrate richer tones and textures that invite warmth without overwhelming the senses.

Instead of opting for endless swathes of beige, consider introducing creamy whites, earthy taupes, or even soft greys that can elevate your space while maintaining a neutral vibe. As a refreshing alternative, layer these colors with vibrant accents—like a vibrant teal or a warm terracotta—to create depth and interest.

Disclaimer – This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.

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