The Once-Popular Paint Color No One Uses Anymore

It's easy to get swept up by the ever-evolving design trends. However, it's crucial not to jump on the trend train before determining whether a specific style is suitable for your space – especially if you're a little late in adopting a once-popular style. Over the last few years, the internet was flooded with everyone searching for the best ways to bring the Barbie core trend into your home. For a while, hot pink seemed completely inescapable, but that may finally be starting to change.

It's important to avoid falling into popular paint color trends that won't be booming in 2026 and beyond. Certain decor can look stunning in a magazine, but it has an entirely different effect when it's incorporated into real interiors. While some designers predicted that the Barbie core trend would be short-lived, others described it as timeless. However, now that we are a few years past the Barbie movie's release, the novelty factor has waned. The key to timeless design is choosing a color palette and decor that speaks to you, not because it's trending all over social media.

The solution to replacing Barbie pink might not be as simple as you would expect. One might assume that swapping out hot pink decor for a more subdued, rosy shade would be enough to make your home look timeless. However, there have been tons of iterations of pink that have flooded the design world over the last few years. Don't forget about millennial pink or the pastel craze! That means most shades of pink are out altogether — unless you take a richer, deeper approach.

The key is to stray away from the "sweet" side of pink, and move into an earthier technique. Think about incorporating terra-cotta shades with pink undertones, or other deep orange colors with a rosy hue. Dare to go darker and more organic when it comes to your pink-toned decor. The Barbie movie came out the same year as the Pantone Color of the Year, Viva Magenta. Although the shade was bright like Barbie pink, it was rooted in nature — unlike the digital-inspired Very Peri from the year prior. This pattern signified a gradual transition back to earthy decor, which we are now seeing approach its peak. If you haven't felt the shift already, there are tons of earthy home decor trends you're about to see everywhere.