Brown, black, green, and even orange painted living rooms sold as much as 1.1 percent more in 2018
Did you know that according to Zillow’s 2018 paint color analysis, brown, black, green, and even orange living rooms sold as much as 1.1 percent more, on average, than similarly-sized homes in different hues?
But here’s the thing: The living room is perhaps the most versatile room in your home. It can be a library, movie screening space, nap zone, casual dining area, and so much more. So what color should you paint it to be comfy and trendy? I’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation, explain Paul Maranger and Christian Vermast, real estate brokers with Paul and Christian Associates in Toronto, Ontario. So, according to the pair, the best method in picking out a living room paint color isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer, either.
“The color in the living room should be carefully selected to suit how you use that specific room, ” they explain.
Paint it in white/off-white and amplify the light
For example, if the room is staged as an airy space with lots of windows, pick a color that amplifies the light. According to Maria Daou, an agent with Warburg Realty, a good choice is Benjamin Moore’s Gray Mist.
If it’s darker and more cozy feeling, Daou prefers a warm beige or taupe like Misty Air. The yellow tones in it help bounce light around the room without overwhelming.
White or off-white is usually the easiest option because it highlights the space as a multipurpose room, explains Lindsay Barton Barret, a broker with Douglas Elliman in New York City, alienating no potential buyer or their plans for the space.
Experiment bolder colors
“A rich and dark current on-trend color like Oxford Gray or Cushing Green will be alluring and inviting,” they say. If you do go darker, however, you may need to also plan on staging the living room with pops of color.
Two more caution points from the pair: One, while bedrooms and bathrooms feel more separate from the rest of the house, a living room needs to flow with nearby color schemes to work. That means if your living room is open concept, the paint must tie into the dining room color and complement any adjoining space. Secondly, there are some hues they recommend avoiding. Even in a less-trafficked space, pink, yellow, and orange can be divisive. Some potential buyers might love them, while others will hate them immediately. Remember: A living room color that appeals to the highest number of buyers, in the end, is always going to be your best bet.