Colorful home interiors are in!

• April 15, 2013, 1:28 PM

Bright Ideas for Colorful Home

By Sanette Tanaka

Sherwin-WilliamsThis living room is painted in Electric Lime and Extra White.

When it comes to painting a room, homeowners these days want to stand out, embracing more colors than they have in the past, according to a new survey by paint retailer Sherwin-Williams SHW +3.39%.

Roughly 74% of homeowners say they want to inject a jolt of color into their homes, according to the nationwide survey of homeowners by the Cleveland-based retailer. This year’s survey focuses on the use of color in homes and comes in time with the Sherwin-Williams-sponsored National Painting Week beginning Monday.

Homeowners look to the living room or family room first, with 29% reporting that they most desire color in those rooms, followed by the bedroom (19%) and the kitchen (10%).

Neutrals, like grey and beige, are still the most popular hues among homeowners. But bright colors are becoming more in vogue in social areas, like the living room, says Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams. “People are definitely using more color there because it’s an environment you want to feel energetic in,” she says.

Colors like burnt orange and baked clay are “youthful” and help enliven an area, she says. An easy way to introduce color is to paint one aspect, like a piece of furniture or an accent wall. “It’s good for people who are thinking, ‘I’m not so afraid of color anymore but don’t want to commit to a whole room,’” she adds.

Roughly 39% of homeowners say artwork is the most colorful element in their homes, followed by 23% who say walls, according to the survey.

The National Home Color Survey was commissioned by Sherwin-Williams and conducted by independent research firm the Futures Company. The survey polled a representative sample of 1,406 homeowners between Feb. 14 to Feb. 20, 2013, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.6%. 

Complements of Diane Eddy-Low, Realtor of Hermann London Group, Maplewood. 314-602-7174