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Primary Colors: Do You Live in a Moonlit Mauve State or an Art Deco Pink State?

Picking a paint color can be seriously overwhelming for a homeowner. With so many options out there (Is there really a difference between Mission Brown and Landmark Brown?), deciding on one shade can seem near impossible. But if you’re sick to death of staring at a wall of swatches, here’s a suggestion to help with your indecision: Why not go with the most popular color in your home state?

So let’s forget all about this red state-blue state nonsense, at least for a blissful minute or two. Paint company Behr recently served up a new way of looking at the U.S. map, and it’s jam-packed with shades such as Spiced Potpourri, Brazilian Citrine, and Smoke Bush Rose. The Behr study tracked sales patterns and color preferences across the entire nation, and to our eyes the results are often surprising.

For example, it might seem that New York and California are diametrically and geographically opposed U.S. bookends, but when it comes to paint, they have an awful lot in common. Homeowners in both states are reportedly gaga over similar shades of white (Linen White in New York, Swiss Coffee in California). Wouldn’t you expect these art and fashion hubs to be a bit bolder?

Not necessarily so, according to color gurus: “White interiors are white-hot, so it’s not surprising they are more popular in those states first,” says Kristie Barnett, a residential color expert based in Nashville, TN.

“Both states feature clean and sophisticated design,” adds Christine Harper, owner of Lifestyle Color Consulting and Decorating.

Generally, the popular hues seemed to reveal the true colors of some misunderstood states. Texas, among the reddest of the red on the electoral map, betrayed a deep affection for the opposite color on the paint spectrum: a funky Kelly green known as Park Picnic.

Several of our color experts noted that Texans are willing to take more design risks than, say, most of their neighbors in the Gulf Coast (who largely prefer murky shades of brown).

Audra Slinkey, a certified color guru, says, “Texans pride themselves on their strong sense of design and staying on-trend,” she says.

On the other hand, Slinkey was surprised by Georgia’s color, a putrid tan shade.

Georgia is “a very on-trend state and Marrakech Brown is an out-of-trend color,” she says, bewildered. “Browns are out in general since they were overused from 2000  to 2010, when the Tuscan/earthy trend was in and it was commonplace for homeowners to choose travertine tile, earthy granite countertops, and tumbled tile backsplashes.”

Regionally, some big areas spoke with a single paint voice. Deep South states such as Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama all veer toward muted (and dated) browns and drab greens.

Barnett believes economic challenges might contribute to these states adopting color trends further down the road than the rest of the country.

Meanwhile, in Midwestern states such as Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, optimistic blues dominate.

“Gray-blues have been really popular for paint colors for the last five to seven years,” Barnett says. “And because of the trickle-down effect of color trends, these Midwestern states may just be now embracing this ‘new’ shade for their homes.”

Color us amazed. Are you surprised by your home state’s top hue?

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