Color Trends for the Coming Year: New Hues to Try

Pastel pink and teal will both be hot colors for home decor in 2020, says interior designer Kati Curtis. (Getty Images)

Benjamin Moore recently unveiled its 2020 Color of the Year: a pale, pretty pink called First Light. Curious to find out what other color trends we’ll be seeing a lot of in the new year, we checked in with top NYC designer Kati Curtis, who specializes in the bold and artful use of color. “Color is what makes a space special and unique, as opposed to looking like a catalog,” she says.

According to Curtis, one of the prime misconceptions people have about color is that painting a space in a darker shade will make it feel small. “It’s actually the opposite,” she says. “Dark colors make a room feel more open and give it a quality of depth that a light or neutral color won’t achieve.”

If you’re nervous about moving away from traditional neutrals, Curtis suggests starting your color experiment in a small room, seeing how it makes you feel, and then working your way up to bigger spaces. “The main thing to keep in mind is that the colors should lead into each other, creating a sense of flow from room to room.”

Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year for 2020 is First Light, a glowy pale pink. (Courtesy of Benjamin Moore)

Whether you’re planning to renovate or simply looking for a quick refresh, following these predictions for 2020 is a great way to guarantee your space will look stylish and modern.

Color Trend 1: Move Away From Gray

“I’m finally seeing a lean away from the grays that have been prevalent for so long,” says Curtis. “I’m excited about that, because I think gray has been around for too long.” If you do opt for gray, she recommends using a warmer shade and staying away from the cooler colors on the spectrum.

Color Trend 2: Be Bold in Gold

Curtis expects to see more warm beiges, yellows, and even mustard hues in 2020. Though she notes, “mustard will be more of an accent, like on a side chair or curtains, rather than an overall palette.”

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Color Trend 3: Look Pretty in Pastels

Pastels, especially pinks, will reign in 2020, Curtis predicts: “We’ll be seeing a lot of the color everyone is calling Millennial Pink, but up until now it’s been used mostly on furniture pieces,” she says. “I think we’re going to start seeing it as a wall color, more of an overarching palette than an accent piece.” Light greens and light blues will also be on trend.

Color Trend 4: Keep It Real With Teal

Teals, both light and dark, will be everywhere next year. “A dark, navy-ish teal is going to be really important,” Curtis predicts. “I’d love to see a sofa in dark teal.” Two of Curtis’s go-to shades are Blue Danube by Benjamin Moore and Farrow & Ball’s Hague Blue. “I love it for kitchen cabinets and hallways,” she says of the latter hue. “It’s just the right amount of green and red, not too purple, not too bluey-blue. The perfect middle-of-the-road blue, with just enough black.”