12 Bright Paint Colors Interior Designers Turn to When They Want Rooms That Feel Daring, but Still Design-Forward
From fresh minty greens to warming and vibrant reds, these are the paint shades designers use when bright and colorful is the brief
Decorating with the brightest paint colors brings vibrancy, drama, and excitement to rooms, but knowing how to pull them off without overwhelming your space can be a delicate balancing act. Get it wrong, and the result can be blinding... literally.
From sunshine yellows to energizing reds, the latest color trends prove that bright paint colors can be incredibly stylish, but there are certain paint shades designers reach for that tend to feel more design-forward than others. To help, I've asked them to share the specific shades they know to be fool-proof when decorating with colors in this spectrum.
But, as well as the specific paint colors themselves, how they're used in a scheme can also impact how stylish and livable they look — as shown in these projects, from kitchens to hallways. Vibrancy awaits!
Article continues below1. Backdrop's 'Pretty Ugly'
Saturated and bright, the green walls feel modern and playful, while the richer blues ground the space.
Green is often a calming color that works in place of neutrals, but it can also be a vibrant addition to rooms, depending on the hue. One such statement-making shade is Backdrop's Pretty Ugly, a warm, bright, and mossy take on green paints.
In the room pictured above, it was used to replicate the colors found in the home's surroundings. "We chose Pretty Ugly as part of a layered blue-green palette inspired by Florida’s springs and swamplands," explains designer Chelsey Cox of Florida-based Chinotto House. "Its swampy depth anchors the scheme and leans into the owners’ love of diving, creating a subtly immersive, underwater feel."
When paired with richer tones and wood furniture, this bright paint color reads as livable and stylish, rather than garish. And while Backdrop paint isn't available in the UK, Benjamin Moore's 'Douglas Fir' is a good substitute.
2. Farrow & Ball's 'St Giles Blue'
St Giles Blue is a happy, bright shade of blue that feels both unexpected and contemporary.
The best blue paints are a wonderful way to add vibrancy to a room while maintaining a feeling of calm. Here, Farrow & Ball's St Giles Blue was used on the joinery, along with the darker Stiffkey Blue on the frame.
The designer, Lonika Chande, explains that St Giles Blue, "creates a vibrant backdrop that allows the artwork to really stand out", while pairing it with the darker blue paint, "gives the joinery a sense of structure."
3. Benjamin Moore's 'Bright Gold'
This hallway proves that small spaces are a great place to embrace the brightest of yellow paints — an instant hit of sunshine indoors.
Paint colors don't come much brighter than Benjamin Moore's Bright Gold, a rich, yellow-green that feels warming and energetic. In the hallway pictured above, it adds an instant sense of optimism, while the minimalist design sensibilities keep it feeling livable.
"Inspired by a piece of chartreuse lichen the architect found from a nearby tree, the vibrant Benjamin Moore Bright Gold paint color of the hallway adds a bright and statement punch of color to the adjoining guest suites," says interior designer Regan Baker. "The decision to completely wrap the entire space in a bright and cheerful color provides a fun and delightful surprise for visiting family and friends."
Regan Baker leads Regan Baker Design with 20 years of experience in interior architecture and design. Influenced by her artist father’s aesthetic sensibility, she learned early on to admire all forms of art and to appreciate all things beautiful. She founded Regan Baker Design in 2007 with the conviction that great design combines personal style with beauty and practicality. Her talent for drawing out each client’s unique sensibility imbues RBD’s portfolio with a diversity of styles representative of their owners.
4. Farrow & Ball's 'Brinjal'
Brinjal has enough depth to take on a sophisticated feeling, especially when used boldly to color-drench a space.
Farrow & Ball's Brinjal is a universally-loved paint color: a rich, red-ish purple that feels every bit moody and sophisticated.
"This space was formerly a kitchenette, and the new homeowners were looking for a space just for them to have an after-dinner drink and relax together," says designer Chad Dorsey. "With cabernet in mind, we lacquered the cabinetry, walls, marble-topped island, and ceiling in Farrow & Ball’s deep purple Brinjal paint. In the sunlight, it really takes on a life of its own and feels so special."
Chad Dorsey is the principal of Chad Dorsey Design, an interiors and architecture practice with offices in Dallas and Los Angeles. Working across a broad range of project types and scales, he’s known for his distinctive brand of relaxed luxury. Trained in architecture at the University of Tennessee, Dorsey started his career more than 25 years ago, working with architecture firms on the hospitality side, designing clubs, airplane interiors, Las Vegas hotels, and luxury residences. He opened his design studio in 2018, focusing on luxury residential interior architecture and design.
5. Paint & Paper Library's 'Glass V'
This fresh, minty green doesn't feel too vivid, but serene and easy to decorate around.
It's not just the shade of paint colors that impacts how bold a room feels, but also the application of the color. Color-drenching is an example of a technique that feels impactful and exciting, even if it's not done with the brightest of all colors. In this dressing room, Paint & Paper Library's Glass V was used, a minty green that feels fresh and modern.
"There's a warmth and tactility to this shade that I find deeply personal; it wraps the space without imposing on it, which, for a dressing room, feels exactly right," says Alicia Meireles, creative director at OWN LONDON. "This dressing room has the quality of stepping inside a jewellery box."
Nicole's work blends vintage soul with a modern edge, favoring bold color, sculptural lighting, and unexpected details that bring warmth and wit to a space — with soul woven into every corner. She’s drawn to contrast — polished and imperfect, refined and relaxed, elevated yet entirely livable. With an intuitive eye and a love for pieces that show their age, Nicole creates homes that feel collected over time, not decorated in a day.
6. Benjamin Moore's 'Mozart Blue'
Mozart Blue feels bright and soothing at the same time, a stylish choice for small rooms.
This pantry proves that small rooms don't need to play it safe with color, decorated with a bright shade of blue, Benjamin Moore's Mozart Blue.
"So often, the utilitarian spaces in a home are treated like second-class citizens during the design process," says Linda Eyles, principal designer at Linda Eyles Design. "Choosing to go with bold color for this pantry turns a workhorse into a fun destination and makes the everyday collections of books, ceramics, and baskets pop!"
7. Graham & Brown's 'Stirling Green'
Along with the pink, red, and electric blue paintwork, the dominant mint green feels vibrant and playful in this modern home.
This colorful living room features a unique take on traditional wall paneling with the color-blocking and geometric paintwork. To achieve this, a few different paint shades were used, all of which are bright and bold, but the mint green one that fills the space is Graham & Brown's Stirling Green.
"We chose green because it brought a sense of freshness and vitality to the room, while still feeling grounded and inviting," explains the designer Sabrina Panizza of PL Studio. "It felt bold yet harmonious, complementing the surrounding palette and helping to connect the space to the rest of the house."
8. Benjamin Moore's 'Thunderbird'
Rather than just using one bright paint color, take inspiration from this living room and create a tonal scheme with two, which feels cocooning and design-forward.
Teal paints that bridge the gap between blue and green are a stylish way to incorporate bright color into your home while still feeling balanced and calm. In this modern living room, Philadelphia-based designer Michelle Gage used a combination of Benjamin Moore's Thunderbird on the walls and the darker Largo Teal on the ceiling for a tonal scheme.
"I always turn to teal," says Michelle. "It’s fresh and exciting while not being too overpowering. Because it is still in the blue family, it’s absorbable for most people, but most people stick to softer blues or navy hues. This punchy pick is perfect when you want to amp it up a little bit."
9. Paint & Paper Library's 'Muga'
Because of its darkened quality, Muga is a sophisticated, timeless yellow paint that doesn't feel jarring.
Although bold, Paint & Paper Library's Muga has a darkened earthiness to it, which makes it feel more grounded than more saturated yellow paints. It was used on the kitchen cabinets here, alongside warm wood tones and neutral tiles, which give it a sophisticated feel.
"This is an urban kitchen, and the client was wedded to a concrete floor," explains interior designer Laura Stephens. "The yellow on the cabinetry was designed to inject a dose of sunshine into the scheme and to energize the space."
10. Little Greene's 'Theatre Red'
This white kitchen teams the bright Theatre Red kitchen island with a paint that is similar to Farrow & Ball's Calke Green on the French doors.
This kitchen pairs white cabinets with a bold pop of color on the kitchen island, painted with Little Greene's Theatre Red. Since this red paint is rich and intense, it works well in this setting as an accent color, providing brightness while the overall feel is easy to live with.
"The red and green work beautifully together as they’re a classic, time-tested pairing that feels both rich and balanced," explains Sophie Pringle, founder of Pringle & Pringle. "The warmth of the red island adds energy and a strong focal point, while the green tones help temper and balance it so the red feels bold without becoming overpowering."
11. Paint & Paper Library's 'Gamboge'
Yellow adds warmth and vibrancy to this entryway, but using it just on the wardrobes keeps the space feeling calm.
Paint & Paper Library's Gamboge is an undeniably bright and energizing yellow paint. To ensure this happy shade feels considered and stylish in situ, consider using it as an accent color alongside a palette of more grounding tones, as seen in this entryway.
"A rich, confident yellow with a slight earthiness, Gamboge works beautifully to bring warmth and energy to this entrance space without it feeling too sharp," explains London-based designer Lonika Chande, who opted for this vivid yellow on the wardrobe.
12. Sherwin-Williams' 'Caribbean Coral'
Take inspiration from this home office and paint the woodwork the same color as the walls, for an immersive feel with your bright colors.
Sherwin-Williams Caribbean Coral is an uplifting orange paint shade that no doubt makes a statement. Nicole Forina, principal designer at Forina Design & Co, describes it as: "a softened and nuanced orange that feels energizing without being overwhelming."
"While I personally prefer a more neutral backdrop in my own workspace, for clients outside of creative fields, I often lean into bolder colors to make the office feel inviting and uplifting, somewhere you genuinely want to spend time," she says.
While Sherwin-Williams paint can be harder to track down in the UK, Benjamin Moore's Tropical Fruits is a good alternative.
Looking for some more ideas for your bright color scheme? These anti-trend color combinations are timeless and fresh and will stand you in good stead for a scheme that doesn't quickly date.
