6 Outdated Paint Colors Designers Don’t Want to See in Homes Anymore in 2026

We talk a lot about the trends that interior designers predict will be big in the new year, but it’s also important to consider the looks that pros feel have had their moment and are no longer trendy. Given that paint plays such an integral role in our homes (but is easy to change), now might be the time to evaluate the color of your walls as we inch closer to 2026. If you’re not sure what colors you’re leaning toward, it might be easier to consider the shades you definitely aren’t interested in. Regardless of whether you’re looking to color cap, color drench, add an accent wall, or do something else entirely, interior designers have pretty strong opinions about the shades they feel are ultra dated.

Above all, it’s always important to remember that you should decorate your home in a way that makes you happy as opposed to playing to trends. But if you’ve been thinking about switching up your walls, here are the six specific paint colors pros are so ready to say goodbye to for good.

Butter Yellow

Ali Burgoon Nolan is ready to say goodbye to butter yellow, which she finds to be a sweet hue but a bit too reminiscent of the ’90s for her liking. The founder of Studio Burgoon says that you don’t need to move away from yellow as a whole, though. In fact, she’s partial to richer variations of the color, and yellows “with more complexity—muted ochres or wheat tones that feel sun-washed and grounded,” she says.

Jennifer Jones, the founder of Niche Interiors, feels the same. While she enjoyed seeing butter yellow make a resurgence in the fashion world, she doesn’t have a desire to weave it into her interior projects. In her opinion, the shade “instantly dates a space and gives off unmistakable ‘granny vibes,'” she says.

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Bright Red

Bright red is always a head turner, but Nolan isn’t a huge fan of the color, preferring moodier reds to the classic fire engine color. “It lacks the dimension and depth that today’s interiors call for,” the designer says of bright red. Her top picks for what to turn to instead include burgundy and oxblood.

Plum Purple

Not too far off from red is plum purple, a paint color that Dijana Savic-Jambert is not looking forward to seeing used in the near future, since she finds it a bit too overpowering. “While this moody hue has been buzzing as a trendy color, it tends to dominate a space rather than enhance it,” says the co-founder of Maredi Design.

Cool White

Cool white just doesn’t do it for Nolan, who finds the shade to be a bit too severe. “It can come off stark and one-note, especially in spaces meant to feel warm and lived-in,” the designer says. That said, you don’t have to write off white entirely, just try one that’s a bit less bright, she suggests, adding that a chalky off-white can be a great option.

Savic-Jambert agrees. “There’s a world of difference between a warm, inviting white and one that feels like bleached paper,” she says.

Gray

To Jones, gray is also a dated hue that had its time in the sun decades ago (it’s called “millennial gray” for a reason) and is now out. “It’s time to move on to either using actual colors or choosing lighter, warmer neutrals” instead, she says.

Greige

Before you think about saying goodbye to dark gray and opting for greige instead, consider Savic-Jambert’s perspective on the color: “It’s become the default choice for everything, and in doing so, it’s lost its soul,” she says, adding that a different warm neutral will have a much nicer effect on your space.