Colour Trends Report: 10 Inspiring Paint Colour Picks for 2023

The clean look of white walls remains a popular choice for those hesitant to add colour to their space. According to a recent survey commissioned by BEHR, 75 per cent of homeowners say that the colour white promotes relaxation and creates a sense of calm, which is exactly what we need right now. BEHR’s 2023 Colour of the Year, Blank Canvas, is a warm off-white shade that is a versatile option for condo-dwellers or those with an open concept who are looking for one colour to use in every room. Blank Canvas is one of Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brant’s favourite paint colours of the new year.

For the second year in a row, Sherwin-Williams has chosen an earth-tone naming Redend Point as their 2023 Colour of the Year. “The colour is a natural choice for those looking for a warm and joyful neutral in both interiors and exteriors,” shares Sue Wadden, director of colour marketing at Sherwin-Williams. This blush beige brings warmth into a room with subtle pink undertones that make your neutral furniture pop, adding a touch of terracotta to bedrooms and living rooms.

Raspberry Blush, Benjamin Moore’s 2023 Colour of the Year, is a jovial saturated red-orange colour that uplifts the atmosphere in your home. “This upbeat colour makes a statement whether you use it as an accent or drench an entire room with it,” shared Sharon Grech, Benjamin Moore Colour & Design Expert. For those looking to add this coral-tinged hue to your space, Grech recommends using this colour in DIY projects to paint the kitchen and dining furniture or for an accent wall behind a credenza or larger piece of furniture.

UK-based Graham & Brown Colour of the Year 2023, Alizarin, is a rich red pigment that adds Victorian elegance and depth to your home. For a bold look, this colour compliments Graham & Brown wallpaper Design of the Year 2023, Florenzia Dusk, highlighting the auburn petals in the floral pattern.

The perfect shade for home decorators who can’t pick between painting their room blue or green, Glidden’s Vining Ivy is the perfect teal that blends both colours. For those experimenting with bolder jewel-toned colours, this shade works well as an accent wall in larger spaces but is dark enough to be a grounding and calming colour in your living space. 

For those looking for a colour that will look chic for many years, Dutch Boy Paint’s 2023 Colour of the Year, Rustic Greige, is a charming neutral that will always look fresh. This medium-toned grey works well in high-traffic foyers, on a Board and Batten accent wall or used to refresh old kitchen cabinets, complementing warm and cool colour tones in busy rooms.

Earlier this year, Sherwin-Williams also announced their 2023 Colormix®Forecast, predicting that we’ll see rooms painted in “rich earth tones, natural clays, sunbaked sands, restful neutrals and powdery pastels” this year in the Terra collection. To complement the 2023 Colour of the Year, Redend Point, decorators can choose between a shade lighter (Likeable Sand) or darker (Reddened Earth) as a part of the Nexus colour palette. For a cool blue, try painting with Silvermist as a cool neutral paired with Mount Etna for a bold accent from the Biome colour palette.

Expanding on Benjamin Moore’s Colour of the Year, their Colour Trends 2023 palette encourages us to experiment with colour. With mossy greens all over the mall in 90’s inspired fashion trends, Savannah Green can be a chic choice for your walls (or even your ceiling if you’re daring!). With more yellow undertones than forest or sage green, this rich ochre still matches your neutral white walls or navy home accents.

SICO has chosen Melt Water, a grounded, refreshing teal that is inspired by calming waters, as their 2023 Paint Colour of the Year. Available exclusively at Lowe’s and RONA, this blue-jewelled hue is adaptable in every space to offer a refined pop of colour that will still match your traditional home decor. For a touch of glam, this colour looks best in a room with gold home accents. 

Taking feedback from their customers, Clare has expanded their green and blue shades and has added a rich red to their roster. A dark hue has become the new neutral, with Nearly Navy pairing with your existing decor and Field Trip being the perfect mossy green to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside. Vintage is a deep burgundy to add a bit of drama to your living room and splashes the colour of your favourite wine on your wall.