Color choices on residential painting projects have shifted noticeably over the past year or two, and it’s showing up consistently in the conversations we’re having with homeowners across the St. Louis area. The gray-and-white combination that defined a lot of interiors and exteriors for the better part of a decade is still around, but it’s no longer the default answer it once was.
Here’s what people are actually choosing for exterior and interior paint colors in 2026, and a few things worth knowing before you make your own decision.
Exterior Paint Color Trends in 2026
White remains the most requested exterior color, but the version of white people are choosing has changed. Cool, bright whites have largely given way to warmer off-whites — creamy, linen, and warm neutral tones that tend to sit better against St. Louis brick and read differently in natural light than a stark white does. Sherwin-Williams named Universal Khaki its 2026 Color of the Year, and Benjamin Moore’s pick — Silhouette, a quiet blue-gray — both point in a similar direction: colors with more warmth and nuance than what dominated five years ago.
The other shift worth noting is how color is being used on exteriors rather than just what color is being chosen. A warm white or light neutral on the body of a house paired with a deeper color on the trim, shutters, or front door creates more visual interest without requiring a full color commitment. Deep navy, black, charcoal, forest green, and burgundy are all showing up more as accent colors on homes that would have been single-color exteriors a few years ago.
Muted greens — sage, olive, and softer gray-greens — are also gaining ground as full exterior colors, particularly on traditional homes and craftsman styles. They read as neutral while bringing more character than a straight white or beige.
For brick homes, which make up a significant portion of the projects we work on in this area, limewash and mineral paint finishes have opened up the conversation considerably. Warm whites and soft off-whites are the most common requests, but earthy and muted tones are gaining ground — and when the right color is applied to the right home, the results hold up well over time. Romabio in particular has been one of our most consistent requests for exterior brick work over the past few seasons.
Interior Paint Color Trends in 2026
Gray neutrals are still present on interior projects, but they’re no longer the automatic choice they were for most of the last decade. What’s replacing them, for the most part, isn’t a single color — it’s a move toward warmer tones. Warm beiges, taupes, creamy whites, and soft greens read as neutral in a similar way but bring more warmth into a space, which affects how a room feels day to day in a way that’s noticeable once you’re living with it.
Beyond neutrals, there’s more interest in actual color than we’ve seen in a while. Deeper greens — sage, olive, and darker forest tones — are showing up in living rooms and home offices. Warm terracotta and clay tones are landing in kitchens and dining rooms. Moody blues and blue-greens are a common request for bedrooms. And not just for accent walls — these are becoming popular full room colors, and they’re typically paired with more intentional trim work that gives the space cleaner definition.
Benjamin Moore named Blue Nova as its 2024 color of the year, and Behr has leaned into warm, weathered tones. The direction across most major paint manufacturers has been consistent: warmer, deeper, and more saturated than what was popular five years ago.
A Few Practical Notes on Choosing Color
The same color reads differently depending on the surface, the light, and the orientation of the space. A north-facing room and a south-facing room will show the same color differently. A color that looks right on a chip or a screen can be a surprise on the wall at full scale. Sheen plays a role too — a flat finish and a satin finish on the same color read differently, and that decision matters on exteriors especially.
If you’re working through color decisions for an upcoming exterior or interior project in the St. Louis area, reach out through our contact form and we’ll help you work through it.