New paint colours for the home in 2022

If you’re considering an autumn/winter refresh, choosing a new paint colour is a quick, easy and comparatively cost-effective way to completely change the look and feel of a room. There are plenty of launches to tempt you, from washed-out neutrals that guarantee a chic, relaxed finish to punchy brights that will make your walls sing. Here's our edit of the best new collections out there...

For botanical flourishes

Bring the outside in with Little Greene’s new ‘Forest’ collection: a host of wallpapers and paints in a sweep of nature-inspired hues and prints. Recently launched, the curated selection includes botanical wallpaper designs and treasured archive paint colours. Among them is ‘Windmill Lane (296)’, a soft, muted green ideal for hallways and kitchens. From £26 per litre, littlegreene.com

For understated cool

A range of twelve inviting new paint colours by Atelier Ellis, the ‘Waving & Smiling’ collection is designed to make a house feel homely with colours inspired by positive emotions. Highlights include the rich lilac ‘Lemoine’, the washed out blue of ‘Chambray’ and – our personal favourite – ‘Cass’, a use-it-everywhere neutral named after the brand’s founder. From £51 for 2.5 litres, atelierellis.co.uk

Atelier Ellis’ new ‘Waving & Smiling’ collection

For city slickers

Paint & Paper Library is adding nine fresh new shades to its ‘Original Colours’ collection. There’s something for every room, from the blackened teal of ‘Nori’ to the diluted rose of ‘Ruse’, but we’re picking ‘Mchanga’ as our favourite: a red-earth shade found in the river sands of Tanzania, which will pack a serious punch in small spaces. From £59.50 for 2.5 litres, paintandpaperlibrary.com

For high-end glamour

You may not own a French mansion, but you can decorate your house like one thanks to British designer Tim Gosling, who has joined forces with eco-paint expert Graphenstone to launch the ‘Restoration Chateau’ paint collection. Riffing off traditional Gallic motifs, colours include the delicate ‘Traditional Bayeux Lace’ and ‘French Trellis Green’, as well as glorious plum and pink shades. From £23.50 per litre, graphenstone-ecopaints.store

The ‘Traditional Bayeux Lace’ shade from Tim Gosling’s collection for Graphenstone

For fashion kudos

Laura Jackson, our very own ‘style scout’ and the founder of homeware brand Glassette, has teamed up with Coat paints on a capsule collection of six sumptuous shades inspired by ‘the joy of meandering in Paris’. The palette ranges from fresh neutrals to sexier darks – we love ‘The Tobacconist’, a deep and bronzey green. From £46 for 2.5 litres, coatpaints.com

For countryside colour

Sybil Colefax & John Fowler has long been lauded as the leading authority on the English country house aesthetic; now, the brand is lending its expertise to the world of ready-made paints. ‘Our colours promise longevity,’ says design director Emma Burns of the initial release, which comprises six shades ranging from the bright terracotta of ‘Saffron’ to the deep, historical blue of ‘Brook’. From £28 per litre, sybilcolefax.com

The ‘Bark’ shade from the new Colefax & Fowler paint colour range

For iconic status

The name Farrow & Ball is practically synonymous with high-end paint, so there will be many decorating fans intrigued to hear that 11 new colours have just been added to its roster. The clean blue of ‘Kittiwake’ is bound to become an instant classic, while the dark, iron-hued ‘Hopper Head’ will make those of a bolder persuasion weak at the knees. From £52 for 2.5 litres, farrow-ball.com