06/23/2026
Press releases
The retro bedroom color that adds $2,277 to your home's value, according to Zillow
Jun 16, 2026
Zillow's 2026 paint color analysis finds warm, nature-inspired tones drive higher offers, while one trendy color can wipe out $18,000 in home value
A warm chocolate brown bedroom can add nearly $2,300 to a home's offer price.
Sage green is the only color to rank in the top tier across every room.
Ochre yellow painted throughout a home can shave $18,164 off a home's value.
SEATTLE, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Chocolate brown is back, and this time it's worth thousands. Painting a bedroom chocolate brown can add $2,277 to a home's offer price, according to Zillow's 2026 Paint Color Analysis. It's the highest-value interior color choice in this year's study.
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Zillow® research finds that today's buyers are drawn to warm, grounded interiors over all-white walls. In the living room, pale blue commands $1,723 more than white, and charcoal gray $1,509 more. In the bedroom, it's not just chocolate brown that beats white. Charcoal gray also commands higher offers, by $1,240, and sage green tops white by $1,035.
"White will always be a timeless, versatile choice, but sellers who default to all-white walls everywhere may be leaving money on the table," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. "Buyers today respond to homes with soul, and paint is one of the easiest, most affordable ways to add personality and character to a space. The right colors can stop a shopper mid-scroll and instantly create an emotional connection, which ultimately drives higher offers. If a seller were to repaint the top performing color in each room, they could add more than $5,000 to their bottom line."
Sage green is the new white
Sage green emerges as the standout performer of 2026. It is the only color to rank in the top tier across every single room, scoring high points from buyers for the bathroom, living room and bedroom. This easy-to-live-with earth tone is the safest bet across the board. When painted in the bedroom, sage green could add more than $1,000 to offer prices; in the living room, nearly $500.
Dark and moody kitchens deliver real ROI
The moody kitchen trend is here to stay. Homes with charcoal gray and dark plum kitchens may get the highest offers, commanding an additional $1,373 and $867 respectively. If a seller can only repaint one room, the data points clearly to the kitchen: The range between the best and worst colors is nearly $8,000 (from charcoal gray at +$1,373 to ochre yellow at −$6,630), making it the highest-stakes room for color decisions.
The $18,000 mistake to avoid
The wrong colors carry real consequences. Ochre yellow is the single worst color a seller can paint their interior walls and may shave an estimated $18,164 off a home's offer price when painted in the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom. When painted in the kitchen alone, this shade of dark gold could reduce offers by $6,630.
Buyers may also offer nearly $8,000 less for homes with a bathroom painted fire-hydrant red. Pale pink ranks in the bottom three for every room, too, potentially costing sellers $6,013 in the bathroom and $4,201 in the kitchen.
