Color is one of the most impactful elements in home decor, setting the mood, defining space, and even altering how we perceive a room’s size. Whether you’re drawn to soft neutrals or bold, bright hues, understanding how colors work in your space is essential to creating the perfect environment.

From accent walls to upholstery choices, the right color can transform your home into a harmonious, inviting place. This post will explore the basics of color theory in home decor and define the key concepts—hues, tones, and shades—which will help you make informed design decisions.

We’ll also provide a comprehensive list of 150 beautiful color names to inspire your next decor project.

Before diving into technical definitions, let’s break down how color impacts your space:

Colors influence mood:
Soft pastels like Antique White or Apricot can create calm, serene spaces, while bold colors like Amethyst or Amber add drama and energy.

Colors affect perception:
Light colors make small rooms appear larger, while dark colors can add intimacy to large spaces.

Complementary colors create balance: Pairing colors from opposite sides of the color wheel, like blue and orange, creates visual harmony.

Now, let’s get into the core concepts of color that will further refine your approach to home decor.

In the simplest terms, a hue refers to the pure color found on the color wheel—like red, blue, or green. Hues are unaltered by white, black, or gray and represent the most vibrant, saturated versions of colors.

In decor, selecting a hue for walls, furniture, or accessories is a starting point that defines the general mood and energy of a space. For instance, if you choose Amethyst (a rich purple hue) as the focal color, it brings elegance and a sense of creativity to your room.

Tip: When working with hues, consider how much light your space gets. Bright hues in well-lit areas can feel fresh and bold, while darker rooms may require lighter hues for balance.

A tone is created by adding gray to a hue, muting its vibrancy. Tones add depth and complexity to colors, making them more versatile in decor.

For example, Ambergris is a toned-down version of amber, offering a softer, more sophisticated alternative to the brighter amber hue. Tones work well for large surface areas like walls, especially in living rooms or bedrooms where you want a comfortable, calming environment.

Tip: Use tones to introduce subtle, sophisticated color without overwhelming your space. They’re great for creating a neutral backdrop that pairs well with both bold and neutral furnishings.

A shade is created by adding black to a hue, making it darker. Shades are often used to add contrast, drama, or a sense of coziness to a space.

For instance, a shade of blue like Navy brings depth and elegance, while a shade of green like Forest Green can make a space feel grounded and natural.

Tip: Use darker shades sparingly to avoid making a space feel small or heavy. Instead, incorporate them as accents—on an accent wall, in furniture, or through decor pieces like pillows or rugs.

Here’s a list of 150 color names to inspire your home decor projects. Whether you’re choosing a hue for an accent wall or seeking the perfect tone for furniture, this diverse list covers a wide range of options. Click each color for inspiring ideas on how to use them in your own interior design:

A-E

1. Alabaster
2. Almond
3. Amber
4. Ambergris
5. Amethyst
6. Antique White
7. Apricot
8. Aqua
9. Aquamarine
10. Ash Gray
11. Azure
12. Baby Blue
13. Banana Yellow
14. Beige
15. Berry
16. Black
17. Blush Pink
18. Brick Red
19. Bronze
20. Burgundy
21. Buttercream
22. Camel
23. Canary Yellow
24. Caramel
25. Carmine
26. Celadon
27. Champagne
28. Charcoal
29. Chartreuse
30. Cherry
31. Chestnut
32. Chocolate
33. Cinnamon
34. Citron
35. Cloud
36. Clover
37. Coral
38. Cream
39. Crimson
40. Cyan
41. Daffodil
42. Denim Blue
43. Dove Gray
44. Dusty Rose
45. Ebony
46. Eggshell
47. Emerald
48. Espresso
49. Eucalyptus

F-J

• 50. Fawn
• 51. Fern Green
• 52. Flamingo Pink
• 53. Forest Green
• 54. Fuchsia
• 55. Garnet
• 56. Glacier Blue
• 57. Gold
• 58. Goldenrod
• 59. Grape
• 60. Gray
• 61. Green Tea
• 62. Honey
• 63. Hot Pink
• 64. Ice Blue
• 65. Indigo
• 66. Ivory
• 67. Jade
• 68. Jet Black

K-O

• 69. Kelly Green
• 70. Khaki
• 71. Lavender
• 72. Lemon
• 73. Lilac
• 74. Lime
• 75. Linen
• 76. Magenta
• 77. Mahogany
• 78. Marigold
• 79. Mauve
• 80. Midnight Blue
• 81. Mint
• 82. Moss
• 83. Mustard
• 84. Navy
• 85. Neon Green
• 86. Nutmeg
• 87. Ochre
• 88. Olive
• 89. Onyx
• 90. Orchid
• 91. Oxford Blue

P-T

• 92. Papaya
• 93. Peach
• 94. Pearl
• 95. Peony
• 96. Periwinkle
• 97. Pewter
• 98. Pine
• 99. Pistachio
• 100. Plum
• 101. Poppy Red
• 102. Powder Blue
• 103. Pumpkin
• 104. Raspberry
• 105. Red Clay
• 106. Rose
• 107. Ruby
• 108. Rust
• 109. Sage
• 110. Salmon
• 111. Sapphire
• 112. Seafoam
• 113. Sepia
• 114. Silver
• 115. Slate
• 116. Snow
• 117. Spring Green
• 118. Steel Blue
• 119. Sunflower
• 120. Tangerine
• 121. Taupe
• 122. Teal
• 123. Terracotta
• 124. Thistle
• 125. Tiffany Blue
• 126. Topaz
• 127. Turquoise
• 128. Tuscan Sun

U-Z

• 129. Ultramarine
• 130. Umber
• 131. Vanilla
• 132. Vermillion
• 133. Violet
• 134. Walnut
• 135. Warm Sand
• 136. Watermelon
• 137. Wheat
• 138. White Smoke
• 139. Wisteria
• 140. Yellow
• 141. Yellow Ochre
• 142. Zinc
• 143. Zinnia
• 144. Zinc Gray
• 145. Zaffre
• 146. Wenge
• 147. Tundra
• 148. Twilight
• 149. Copper
• 150. Burnt Sienna

Incorporating color into your home is more than just choosing pretty hues—it’s about understanding the nuances of color theory to achieve balance, depth, and harmony.

Now that you have a grasp on hues, tones, and shades, you can create a space that’s not only visually appealing but also perfectly suited to your style and needs. With 150 color options to choose from, you’re well on your way to transforming your home decor.