Painting walls can be an affordable and exciting way to give a property a fresh new look.
But according to one home expert, picking the wrong shade during a home makeover could knock thousands off a property’s value.
Paint colour is so important to a room as it shapes how the space feels, how large it looks – and whether potential buyers can picture themselves living there.
Jessie Brooks, product manager at Davincified, a platform offering custom paint-by-numbers kits, revealed which shades stand the test of time and which ones fall flat.
She also noted that the way some shades appear on the paint can be ‘appealing’, however, once they are on walls, they ‘can drain the life out of a room’.
So what’s the colour to avoid?
According Jessie, it is pink, in certain shades, particularly muddy blushes and outdated bubblegum tones.
Why pink can be a problem
Painting a home in certain shades of pink can result in the property losing value, says an expert (stock image)
Not all pink is created equal, but the shades that have dominated interiors over the past few years are starting to show their age, noted the expert.
Muddy blush tones – those greyish, muted pinks – looked sophisticated at first but quickly turn dull and lifeless on walls.
‘These muddy pinks lack warmth,’ Jessie said. ‘They don’t reflect light well, so rooms feel smaller and darker. Over time, they just look dingy.’
Meanwhile, she added, bubblegum pinks present a different issue.
They’re bold and fun initially, but they date fast – what feels playful one year looks juvenile the next, and potential buyers struggle to see past them.
‘Trendy colours have a short shelf life,’ Brooks noted.
‘When you’re repainting every few years just to keep up, you’re wasting time and money.’
The property value problem
While pink has been a popular colour in home decor in recent years, it can be unpopular with buyers, according to an expert (stock image)
According to an expert (not pictured) some prospective property buyers will knock thousands off their offer if they don’t like the paint colour in a room
Estate agents consistently report that certain wall colours put buyers off.
According to Jessie, there is polling that has found that a staggering 40 per cent of buyers would reduce their offer if they disliked the interior colour palette.
Pink sits near the top of that list of disliked colours. Viewers walk into a pink room and immediately start calculating redecoration costs, which translates to lower offers.
‘Buyers want to move in without major work,’ Jessie explained.
‘If they’re faced with repainting entire rooms before they can settle in, they’ll either walk away or knock money off their offer to cover the hassle.’
Neutral tones let buyers imagine their own furniture and style in the space.
Pink forces a specific aesthetic on them, and most people can’t look past it.
The psychology of wall colour
‘Pink can be calming in small doses, but certain shades on large wall surfaces create unexpected effects’ says an expert (stock image)
Colour psychology isn’t just marketing fluff – it genuinely affects how people feel in a space, according to the expert.
Pink can be calming in small doses, but certain shades on large wall surfaces create unexpected effects. Muddy pinks can make people feel sluggish or uninspired.
They lack the energy of brighter colours and the calm of true neutrals, leaving those in the room stuck in an uncomfortable middle ground.
‘Your walls set the mood for everything else in the room,’ Jessie said. ‘If the base colour feels off, nothing else will look quite right either.’
Brighter pinks might seem energising, but they can become overwhelming. Living with walls that demand attention gets exhausting, and the colour can clash with furniture, artwork, and even natural light as it changes throughout the day.
What works instead
For those who love pink, but want something that lasts, Jessie suggested looking at warmer terracotta tones or soft peachy shades that have more depth and complexity.
‘Terracotta has been used in homes for centuries because it’s warm, earthy, and works with almost any style,’ she explained. ‘Rather than competing with your furniture or artwork, it complements them.’
According to the expert, colour is so important, as it ‘sets the mood for everything else in the room’ (stock image)
For those after something lighter, soft creams with warm undertones create that gentle, welcoming feel without the risks that come with pink.
They reflect light beautifully, make rooms feel larger, and work with any decorating style.
Greiges (grey-beige hybrids) have staying power because they’re genuinely neutral. They don’t impose a specific mood or style, which means they won’t feel dated in five years.
‘The best wall colours are ones you stop noticing,’ Jessie said. ‘They should enhance the space and let your furniture, art, and personal touches take centre stage.’
The timeless approach
Creating a home that feels current without being trendy requires thinking long-term. Jessie recommended choosing wall colours that homeowners could see themselves living with for at least a decade.
‘Ask yourself if this colour will still feel right when your furniture changes, when trends shift, when you’ve had different artwork up,’ she suggested. ‘If the answer’s no, keep looking.’
White remains popular for good reason: it’s clean, bright, and endlessly adaptable.
‘Brighter pinks might seem energising, but they can become overwhelming’, according to the interiors expert (stock image)
But stark white can feel cold, so warmer whites with slight cream or ivory undertones usually work better, she noted.
Soft greys work well in modern homes, though they need careful selection.
Some greys can look purple or blue depending on the light, so testing samples in your actual space is essential.
Davincified’s Jessie Brooks concluded: ‘Homeowners often chase trends without considering the long-term impact on their property.
‘Certain pink shades might feel fresh now, but they age poorly and can genuinely hurt resale value. Buyers want to see a blank canvas they can make their own, and overly specific colours like muddy blush or bubblegum pink make that impossible.
‘Timeless shouldn’t mean boring. Warm neutrals, soft creams, and earthy tones create inviting spaces that work with any style.
‘They let your personality shine through furniture and art rather than fighting against bold walls.
‘When you’re choosing paint, think about whether you’ll still love it in 10 years, and whether future buyers will too.’