This Is the Worst Interior Paint Color by Far, Survey Says

Decorating your home is a subjective process — for the most part.

But one thing many people agree on is what colors you should not paint your walls, according to a recent survey from House Digest.

The home design blog asked 627 people what colors they would never allow on their walls. Here are the most common answers.

1. Black

Survey participants who said they would never paint their walls this color: 42.9%

Because black paint can darken a room, it can make spaces feel smaller.

While painting your walls black may be a no-no, people love it on the outside — doors, specifically. A black front door can actually boost your home’s value, as we note in “This Paint Color Can Rob Your Home Value of $6,500.”

2. Orange

Survey participants who said they would never paint their walls this color: 18.34%

While black is by far the least popular choice, almost half as many people say no to citrus-stained interiors.

3. Red

Survey participants who said they would never paint their walls this color: 11.16%

Red is sometimes considered the color of passion, and more than 1 in 10 people clearly feel passionately against making it part of their interior design.

Other unpopular colors

• White: 10.21%
• Dark brown: 9.89%
• Yellow: 7.5%

You might call these the most popular colors in the survey, but that only means they’re less objectionable than the parts of the rainbow we haven’t covered. Suitable colors also can vary from room to room, as we point out in “Painting Your Bathroom This Color Could Earn You $4,700.”