7 Crazy Paint Colors You Never Thought Would Work

It takes a bit of daring but, under the right conditions, painting a room a wildly unexpected color can pay off in a major way. From deep dark tones to eye-popping brights, a well-chosen bold shade can make small rooms appear bigger, create coziness in a vast space, and add a dash of completely personal stand-out style to any blank wall.

By Debra Immergut

Updated on May 17, 2018 5:02 PM EDT

0 minute read

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Chocolate Brown

As deliciously warm as a cup of cocoa, a velvety deep brown can really envelop a room, creating a sense of coziness and comfort. Popular for centuries as a color for a man’s study, it’s now considered a lovely option for a bedroom, especially when combined with a soft accents of pink, blue, or white.

Orange

Drench walls in a pure juicy orange as a mod twist on traditional red for an entry or dining room. This warm, mood-boosting color both looks amazing in a sunny rooms and brings sunshine to darker ones. Look for deep reddish-oranges, and steer clear of brownish ones, which can seem a bit sad and dated.

Magenta

Generally known for its place in a girl’s bedroom, vibrant magenta is a surprisingly versatile choice for other parts of the home, too. Reddish-pinks can work wonders to modernize a traditional living room and add an upbeat energy to dining rooms, especially when paired with neutrals or darks like black, navy, and gray.

Black

Painting your walls the color of the night sky isn’t for the faint of heart, but it makes quite the sophisticated statement when finished with white furnishings and rugs. Reserve it for a room that gets great light, or consider trying it on trim—it makes the view out your windows pop.

Related: The Most Taboo Color Infiltrates Home Design

Acid Green

For a shot of drama—and a look that you certainly won’t see in every home you visit—consider a brilliant yellowish green. Acid green or chartreuse is a stimulating color for social spaces, and looks fabulous either tempered with natural wood floors and furnishings or mixed with modern black and white.

Silver

Metallic silver paint is a smart, stunning choice for a small space like a powder room, particularly for its ability to reflect light and almost make the walls disappear with its shimmer. It looks perfect with mirrors and white fixturesand serves as a visual treat for guests when they pop in during parties.

Electric Blue

There’s nothing particularly unusual about painting a room blue—unless of course it’s a shockingly bright hue of a tropical fish or the sky on a clear Rocky Mountain morning. Try it on a bedroom accent wall, paired with snowy white bedding and furniture, or use it with red and yellow accents to spark up a utilitarian space like the laundry room.