6 Color Combinations Designers Will Never Use in Their Own Homes

While interior designers are generally all for taking risks with color, there are a few color combinations in particular that they’re not at all excited about and would rather see people avoid entirely.

Here, three designers are sharing six of the color combinations that they’re simply not wild about under any circumstances, and they explain why these pairings are best avoided. If you do find yourself wanting to use the colors cited to some degree, these pros also provide tips on how to do so by working with similar shades that are more aesthetically pleasing.

Red and Green

These days, most people associate a red and green color combination with the holiday season, but believe it or not, these two hues used to be paired together year-round—and designers are not fans of the look.

Sydney Katz, the founder of SDK Architecture & Design, explains how dark 90s dining rooms are still lingering and how the tones are basic. Margie Kaercher, the founder of Hearth and Honey Homes, offers similar sentiments.

“While red and green are technically complementary on the color wheel, their real-life pairing can feel loud, jarring, or overly themed, making them feel anything but complementary in a lived-in space,” Kaercher explains.

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Yellow and Red

Don’t be all too quick to pair red with sunny yellow.

“This high-energy combo is hard to separate from fast-food branding and inevitably leans juvenile,” Kaercher says.

Plus, she adds, it can be a bit too overwhelming for a day-to-day space. If you’re really eager to incorporate warm hues like these into your home, the designer recommends going in the direction of mustard and terracotta instead.

Purple and Yellow

This is a combination that Jessica Chepauskas McDonald, the design director at Salt Design Company, says looks both juvenile and cartoonish.

“Overall, I tend to steer clear of color palettes that look like they came straight out of a crayon box,” McDonald says.

However, McDonald notes that a deep maroon and mustard yellow pairing could look wonderful together. It’s important to choose colors that complement with one another rather than create an unpleasant, stark look.

Purple and Orange

Speaking of purple, don’t try to pair it with orange, either. McDonald recommends steering clear of using purple and orange together since they’re both bold, attention-grabbing hues. They may actually compete with each other rather than work together, which can make any space feel off-balance and loud.

All in all, the designer finds that these colors paired together are a bit too Halloween-like, even if they look outstanding on their own.

Red and Pink

Just say no to a red and pink combination in the home, McDonald cautions.

“Without enough neutral to ground them, the mix can start to feel overly themed, like a Valentine’s Day moment that doesn’t quite land,” she says. “Color combos that strongly resonate with holidays tend to feel out of place in a home setting year-round, unless they’re super toned-down or abstracted.”

If you are going to work with colors in the red and pink family, try bringing in some additional elements to break things up a bit, the designer suggests, noting that this tactic will “keep the palette feeling fresh, not forced.”

Millennial Gray and White

It isn’t just pairings of ultra-bright colors that drive designers off the wall. There are some neutral combos that strongly bug them as well. Katz is happy that millennial gray and white, a common color pairing earlier in the 21st century, is starting to decline in popularity.

“I’m so glad we are moving on from this,” she says. “Let’s go for more warm tones, or if it’s cool, let’s pick colors with more life than gray.”

These days, more maximalist spaces are beginning to reign supreme, with brighter colors making a splash in lieu of simple neutrals.