Hate Your Wall Color? Designers Share What to Do When Repainting Isn’t an Option

If you fell out of love with the color of your living room, there are designer-approved tricks to help.

Published on January 19, 2026

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Sometimes a room’s paint color just becomes stale. Much like when you suddenly decided your blazingly bright teal bedroom wasn’t going to cut it after you turned 16, you might realize the greige you selected for your living room eight years ago isn’t your taste anymore.

Repainting can be a massive chore, however, especially when life won’t allow you to avoid using your living room, kitchen, or downstairs bathroom for days at a time. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to work with a lackluster paint color you no longer love—especially when you can’t repaint or just don’t want to. Here’s what interior design experts recommend you try.

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Switch Up Your Lighting

One of the easiest and most impactful ways to change the way your walls look is with lighting, whether that’s the temperature of the bulbs in your overhead fixtures or the addition of more floor and table lamps.

“Oftentimes painted walls are picking up colors from a nearby light source, like a patio slider that reflects green on the wall from outdoor landscaping, for example,” says Hanin Smith, owner of HIDE Studio Interiors. “Lighting is like magic. When it’s done right, it sets the mood and tone for the entire space. You can use light temperatures to modify the wall color almost instantly.” 

Try cooler tones to balance a warmer shade and vice versa.

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Add More Art

It may seem like a given, but an effective way to get rid of an unwanted color is to cover it up. Elizabeth Drake, founder of Elizabeth Drake Interiors, says creating a gallery wall will do the trick.

“Cover most of the undesirable color with a few large paintings or install a gallery wall to cover most of it,” she says. “The visual focus will be on the art and very little of the errant wall color will be visible.”

Another even simpler option? Tapestries. Laurance Rassin, a contemporary artist and designer, notes they’re easy to hang, easy to keep clean, and easy to transport if you decide you want to display them somewhere else. Plus, they don’t need to be framed, he adds.

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Incorporate New Textures Through Textiles

“I’d recommend working around the color rather than fighting it,” says Gala Magriñá, principal at Gala Magriñá Design. So, put your boxing gloves down and do a little shopping.

“An easy fix is to layer in texture by adding rugs, throws, curtains, or upholstered furniture in softer, complementary tones that can instantly shift how a wall color feels,” she says.

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Put Up Wallpaper

Install new wallpaper to change the perception of the space. Flynne Nathanson, co-founder of design studio Refresh Your Space, points out that you can use peel-and-stick wallpaper if the traditional kind feels too permanent. Even creating an accent wall or a wall mural with wallpaper can make a noticeable difference.

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Paint Things That Aren’t the Walls

If your wall color is tolerable but boring, Anna Tatsioni, lead interior designer and architect at Decorilla, says painting just the trim can change the feel of the room. “Or for another interesting and underrated option, a painted ceiling, even one shade darker or lighter than the walls, adds interest and draws the eye up,” she says. 

You could also consider painting cabinets, built-ins, or doors. “These are smaller, less intimidating projects than repainting an entire room but add an unusual element that makes a room feel curated,” Tatsioni says.