It's no secret that minimalism took the world by storm in earlier years. There was a time when more and more real estate listings featured photos of homes with gray walls and neutral interiors, intended to appeal to a wide range of home buyers. But interior design trends suggest that minimalism is out and maximalist decor that emphasizes bold colors is hotter than ever. While off-white tones and eclectic greige colors were once considered chic and modern, real estate trends show that home buyers are increasingly favoring homes with character and unique charm.
A popular trend that expresses this specific shift is color infusion, a bold design choice that coordinates your walls, trim, ceilings, and even floors with a single eye-catching hue. Incorporating pops of color into your current home's interior design could even increase the overall value of your home if done consciously. According to a 2026 trends report from real estate website Zillow, “Mentions of this design choice increased 149% compared to the previous year, demonstrating buyers' appetite for spaces that feel immersive, dramatic and cohesive.” Color penetration is expected to continue to be popular in the coming years as people move toward purchasing homes that have more personality.
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Choosing the best shade to saturate the color
To carefully implement the color overload trend and increase the value of your home, choosing a single hue that makes sense for the space is key to creating a harmonious and sophisticated look. It's very important to be intentional when choosing a color – the last thing you want is to completely commit to a shade only to realize afterwards that you don't actually particularly like that particular color.
Deep and rich blues and greens can inspire intrigue and look incredibly elegant, and cozy and inviting earth tones can add warmth to a room. Consider the lighting of the room and whether the color you choose will still look good even if the lighting changes throughout the day. You can find shades that look good in both natural sunlight and artificial lighting from lamps. Always test your paint with stains and look at it in different lighting conditions before fully committing to a shade that could potentially become an eyesore.
If you don't know where to start, consider what colors attract buyers. Take a look at the trendy colors that will hit walls in 2026 to get an idea of what will appeal to potential buyers. If you don't plan on selling for a long time, choose more timeless paint colors like muted jewel tones or warm, rosy neutrals that can withstand time. This way you avoid having to repaint the entire room when a trendy color goes out of style. Even though butter yellow and berry pink were popular in 2025, these hues may not increase your home's value in the long run.
Tips for infusing color with a sophisticated finish
In addition to carefully choosing colors, consider the size of the room you want to paint. A lighter shade works well for smaller rooms as it makes the room appear more spacious. Alternatively, darker colors can make spacious rooms feel more inviting and intimate. Rooms with a lot of structure are also ideal for a splash of color, as different materials and finishes in accessories, furniture and decor create a contrast to the monochrome paint.
To avoid a tacky look or an over-the-top interior design, choose accents in subtle, complementary colors that flatter your chosen hue. You can also add accents with the same color just one or two shades lighter than the wall and ceiling colors to ensure the color palette is similar enough that the colors work harmoniously together. You can create a contrast to the room with your accent furniture so that the rich hue doesn't overwhelm the space, especially by using natural materials such as wood, metal, bamboo, linen, jute or stone.
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