Create A More Serene Living Room With This Popular Paint Color
It's no secret that the design world is moving away from neutrals to more colorful options. Instead of browns, off-whites, and beiges, homeowners and designers are starting to move onto pinks, greens, and blues, amongst other colors. However, with so many options at your fingertips, it can be a little confusing to know which direction to go with your colors, especially in your living room. If you're looking for something that feels cheerful and serene at the same time, teal, the trendier alternative to boring green walls that combines the tone with another classic, might be the perfect color to add to your living room, especially painted on the walls.
Teal isn't exactly a surprising color. Both blues and greens in several shades are trending in 2026 for living room colors, as well as for other parts of the house. Combining two popular options, especially ones that look so stunning when mixed, makes sense. However, it's also understandable if you hesitate to use it because of its background as the vibrant 80's color no one expected to make a comeback. In the 80's to 90's, it was a bold choice that you would see anywhere, and it typically dwarfed other bright shades. However, the modern trend shows us that though it can be loud, it can also be muted and demure. These latter forms are the perfect ones to help you get the serene living room of your dreams without having to resort to neutrals.
With a little gray, you can create a nice, serene teal for your living room
Like its parent colors, this beautiful color can be as muted or as bold as you would like, which is why there are many edgy teal paint shades that you'll want in your home. However, if you're looking for something to invoke a bit of calm into your life, one of the best ways to have it work in most rooms is to add a bit of gray, like the color Atmospheric (AF-500) from Benjamin Moore or Dix Blue (No. 82) by Farrow and Ball. Most paint companies have something similar. You could also easily go and create a custom mix of teal and gray if you can't quite figure out what you want.
Though this color adds a serene feel to a living room, figuring out how to pair it with other furniture and decor can be a bit intimidating. Thankfully, it's a lot simpler than it initially sounds. Michelle Gage, founder of Michelle Gage Interiors, when speaking to Homes and Gardens explained why it works so well: 'It's an excellent backdrop to layer great pattern and color into the room." She continued, saying it was "a great color on its own, but even better when you layer rich emeralds, warm caramels, and soothing pinks on top of it." In short, it's a forgiving color that works well alongside many others, so you don't have to worry too much about making a mistake with your color scheme.