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While there’s nothing wrong with playing it safe, sometimes it’s the most off-the-wall, weird paint colors that can make a space come alive. The right hue can boost the energy of a room from zero to a hundred, create an element of surprise and playfulness, or even warp how you perceive its dimensions. “Weirdness isn’t always about being quirky or loud, it can also mean mysterious and unique,” says designer and architect Ryan Brooke Thomas, who founded New York’s Kalos Eidos. “In the realm of color, those are qualities often evoked through a sense of nuance and surprise in their tone and in conversation with a broader material palette.” Below, she and eight other designers share the weird paint colors they’ve used and loved, whether it was in a client’s home or their own.
The Natural Habitat by Backdrop
“Avocado green is a color that evokes memories of a retro 1950s kitchen…but we’ve found that it’s a color that playfully stands out without overpowering. In our Weho Bungalow project, we were looking for a color that was going to harmoniously layer with the cobalt blue backsplash tile (that the previous owner laid and we opted to preserve) and the dark walnut butcher block countertops, whilst also holding its own and supporting the overall eccentricity of the home. The Natural Habitat color from Backdrop, a light avocado shade, came in perfectly for the cabinetry and pulled the kitchen tones together.” —Kristina Khersonsky, Studio Keeta
Copper Clay by Benjamin Moore
“Orange can be a love or hate color. Here, we used Copper Clay by Benjamin Moore to add warmth to the space without overpowering the beautiful high-rise views. Using Copper Clay on the ceiling is another unexpected twist. Paired with clean, white walls, this allows the vibrant orange color to stand out even more.” —Margaret Cashman, Cashman Interiors
Little Black Dress by Behr
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“I used Little Black Dress by Behr Paint for my entire dining room, including the ceilings. While this tends to freak people out because they think it will make a space look small and dark, it actually creates a really cozy ambience, and the ceiling looks taller because you don’t know where it begins and ends.” —Hema Persad, Sagrada Studio
New Lime by Benjamin Moore
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“I truly love color, particularly when it is unexpected and brings a delightful element of surprise. In our Washington, DC, kitchen, we started the design with the black-and-white terrazzo tile floors—they ground the space and make this small kitchen feel luxe. I wanted vibrant and fresh lower cabinets in a color that would work well and be an interesting juxtaposition, and I landed on a knock-out lemon/lime neon in Benjamin Moore’s New Lime paint. It looks happy and energizing throughout all times of the day, and is balanced and properly contained with the chrome toe kick and the white and gray marble countertop and backsplash.
About a year later, just days before a party, I realized our living room needed more color, so we took a leap and painted the fireplace the same neon all the way to the ceiling, including the trim at the top to create a receding effect. In a similar way to the power New Lime has in the kitchen, it brings both an edge and sharp, fun contrast to moodier and darker colors of the walls and furniture in the living room, and consistently delivers abundant delight!” —Nicole Lanteri, Nicole Lanteri Design
Negroni by Backdrop
“Everyone knows you can get a little crazier in a powder room, so when we pulled a dark tropical wallpaper for our client we were trying to figure out what paint color to use with it. We ended up using Negroni from Backdrop, which is a bright red and not something you see on the walls and ceiling very often. It ended up working perfectly and made the bathroom such a fun moment for the young family!” —Emma Beryl, Emma Beryl Interiors
Bamboozle by Farrow & Ball
"We love when the name of a paint totally encompasses the tint! In this case, Bamboozle by Farrow & Ball is exactly the punchy color you expect it to be, a perfect red hot hue that stops you in your tracks and sends you off course. We recently used it to paint the windows and doors, as well as an eye-catching built-in bar that needed kick. Because who doesn't want to be bamboozled by color?" —Kristine Renee and Deborah Costa, Design Alchemy
Refined Green by Dunn-Edwards
“Green frequently makes its way into our design work, but we also try to never repeat the same exact tone, so each project finds its own distinctive green to fit with the identity of a space. Refined Green by Dunn-Edwards is an unusual ocean-y blue-green tone which, next to a lot of black, reads as a pop of color while staying visually anchored and adding depth to the dark, graphic weight of this kitchen.” —Ryan Brooke Thomas, Kalos Eidos
14 Carrots by Benjamin Moore
“One of the wildest paint colors I've used recently is Benjamin Moore’s 14 Carrots. The client wanted a really bold and vibrant dining room and had an orange reference they kept going back to. We paired the bright orange walls with elegant cornflower blue curtains which calmed down the palette a bit. The 14 Carrots room is adjacent to a room painted Citron, so this client went for it with the color palette!” —Leah Ring, Another Human
Auric by Sherwin-Williams
“In the west-facing sitting room at Fredericksburg, Texas, hotel The Menagerie, Sherwin-Williams’s Auric plays a complementary role to the red marbled wallpaper, which we wanted as the room’s focal point. So we picked a paint color for the ceiling that would compliment the paper while keeping the room washed in rich tones. At first, Auric reminded us of Heinz mustard, but we trusted the process and are now thrilled with the result! That space feels like the fleeting time of golden hour all day long.” —Sarah Stacey, Sarah Stacey Interior Design
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