2027 Colour Trends for New Builds: Earthy Greens and Burgundy
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If you live in a new build, you'll know the blank-canvas stage well: every room painted the same builder's white or magnolia, white satin skirting boards, white internal doors and not much architectural detail to break it up. Adding colour can feel intimidating when a room is on the compact side, and nobody wants to make a small living room or hallway feel boxed in.
That's why the early 2027 colour predictions caught my eye. Instead of bright, shouty feature walls, designers and home forecasters are predicting a move towards soft earthy greens (sage, moss and olive) paired with warm, grounding accents of burgundy and plum, often used on woodwork, joinery or a single piece of furniture. Here's what the 2027 forecasts are predicting, and my calm, low-commitment ways to bring the palette into a new build.
What the 2027 Colour Forecasts Are Predicting
Of course, any look ahead to 2027 is a prediction rather than a certainty, and the best home is always one decorated in colours you genuinely love living with. Still, two separate 2027 round-ups are pointing in the same reassuringly wearable direction:
Pale and earthy greens as the new neutral. In Homes & Gardens' 10 biggest interior design trends of 2027, designers predict that soothing pale greens like sage, celadon and mint will step in for one-note neutrals, alongside layered tonal schemes, colourful bookcases and joinery in place of a traditional feature wall, and charming details like fringing, pleats and ruffles.
Olive, moss and sage with deep burgundy and plum. In MyJobQuote's 2027 homeowner trend predictions, the team predicts earthy greens (olive, moss and sage) and deep reds (burgundy and plum) will be among the standout UK choices next year. They specifically suggest painted skirting boards, door frames, cupboard doors and upcycled furniture paired with cream, beige, natural wood and brass.
Why does this pairing work so well in a Scandi or neutral home? Because earthy green acts almost like a neutral, and a small dose of burgundy or plum adds the warmth that builder's white often lacks. Used in an 80/15/5 balance (80% warm cream or white, 15% sage or olive green, and 5% burgundy), even a small new-build room stays light and calm.
1. Paint the Skirting Boards and Internal Doors Instead of the Walls
One of my favourite tricks for a box-room study, downstairs loo or narrow new-build hallway is to leave the walls crisp white or warm cream and paint the woodwork instead. As MyJobQuote's 2027 forecast points out, repainting skirting boards and door frames is a brilliant way to bring in earthy green without redecorating an entire room:
It frames the room like architecture. Standard new-build architraves and four-panel doors look instantly more bespoke in a muted sage green.
It keeps the ceiling feeling high. Because the main wall expanse stays pale, you don't lose any bounce of natural light.
Use a self-priming trim paint. Modern water-based trim paints go straight over lightly sanded satin woodwork without yellowing.
Shop the look
Frenchic Paint Wise Old Sage Trim Paint (500ml) (£16.50) – A soft, grounded sage in Frenchic's self-priming, self-sealing satin Trim Paint formula, made specifically for skirting boards, internal doors and architraves. Shop here
Frenchic Paint Plum Pudding Trim Paint (500ml) (£16.50) – If you want to try the burgundy-and-plum prediction on a smaller detail, like a downstairs cloakroom door frame or radiator, this deep, rich plum comes in the same self-priming 500ml trim tin. Shop here
2. Try Colour on Shelving, an Alcove or a Calm Snug Wall
In Homes & Gardens' 2027 predictions, designer Rebecca Wakefield notes that painting shelving and joinery can feel more contemporary and considered than a traditional feature wall, because books and ceramics break up the colour so it never feels overpowering. If you do want to paint a wall (perhaps behind the sofa or behind your Christmas tree, as I suggested in my Christmas trends 2026 guide), an earthy moss green is wonderfully cocooning.
Shop the look
Frenchic Paint Constance Moss Chalk Wall Paint (2.5L) (£47.50) – A gentle, earthy moss green in an ultra-matte, scrubbable chalk wall finish. It's lovely on built-in alcove shelves, a reading nook or a bedroom wall paired with warm white linen. Shop here
3. Upcycle a Hallway Console or Cupboard in Olive or Burgundy
If you're still within your developer's snagging period (when it's often sensible to wait before painting newly plastered walls), painting a single piece of wooden furniture is the easiest way to test 2027's deeper shades. A slim hallway console table, a bedside chest or a freestanding larder cupboard in olive green or deep burgundy looks like an heirloom find against plain walls:
Order a 10ml tester first. Check the shade in your own light. North-facing new-build rooms make reds look deeper and more burgundy, while south-facing rooms warm them up.
Swap the handles. Brushed brass or wooden knobs warm up both olive and burgundy straight away.
Shop the look
Rust-Oleum Green Chalky Finish Furniture Paint – Pickled Olive (£15.99 for 750ml (10ml tester £0.99)) – A rich, earthy olive with a velvety chalky matt finish that goes onto bare or painted wood without priming. Available in a £0.99 10ml tester pot as well as the 750ml tin. Shop here
Rust-Oleum Red Chalky Finish Furniture Paint – Valentina (£15.99 for 750ml (10ml tester £0.99)) – Rust-Oleum describes Valentina as a deep cherry-burgundy shade that looks especially rich in cosier, north-facing rooms. Ideal for a small console table or wooden dining chairs. Shop here
Rust-Oleum Purple Satin Furniture Paint – Mulberry Street (£19.99 for 750ml (10ml tester £0.99)) – Prefer a satin sheen with no waxing needed? Mulberry Street is a deep plum with warm red undertones in a wipeable mid-sheen finish. Shop here
Frenchic Paint Plum Pudding Lazy Range Furniture Paint (750ml) (£23.50) – Frenchic's wax-infused, self-priming furniture paint in a sumptuous dark plum, great for upcycling a chest of drawers or media unit over a weekend. Shop here
4. Layer Sage and Berry Cushions (With 2027's Ruffle Detail)
Not ready to open a paint tin at all? Soft furnishings let you try the earthy-green-and-burgundy pairing in five minutes flat. Notice how Homes & Gardens' 2027 report also predicts a comeback for 'old-fashioned' dressmaker details like ruffles, pleats and fringing, and a gingham ruffle cushion ticks both boxes at once.
Shop the look
Perch & Parrow Ivy Woven Cushion in Sage (£20) – A 45 x 45cm woven cushion in a calm sage green with a subtle cream botanical trellis pattern that sits beautifully on an oatmeal or grey sofa. Shop here
Cox & Cox Gingham Ruffle Square Cushion – Green (£45) – Soft green gingham edged with a relaxed ruffle frill. It's an easy nod to 2027's pleated and ruffled trim prediction. Shop here
Cox & Cox Gingham Ruffle Square Cushion – Red (£45) – The matching ruffled gingham cushion in a warm berry red. Pair one of these with two sage cushions on a neutral sofa or bed for an instant 2027 palette refresh. Shop here
5. Pull Both Shades Together with Glass, Stoneware and a Lamp
The secret to making a two-colour palette look intentional (rather than like two random cushions on a sofa) is to repeat the tones in small touches around the room: a handblown olive vase on the sideboard, a speckled green candle holder on the coffee table, or a lamp that combines both colours in one piece. If you loved the budget-friendly styling ideas in my looks expensive for less edit and my cosy lighting ideas for new builds, these finishing touches work in the exact same way.
Shop the look
Perch & Parrow Celia Handblown Glass Vase in Olive (£35) – A generous 39cm handblown glass vase in a translucent olive tint. Pop a few dried stems or winter branches inside and it anchors a dining table or hallway console. Shop here
Cox & Cox Speckled Stoneware Candle Holder (£28) – A handmade 15cm stoneware holder in a dappled earthy green glaze with a little carry handle. It's lovely with an ivory or burgundy dinner candle. Shop here
Perch & Parrow MADE.COM Sage Green Marlowe Ceramic Table Lamp (£95) – This design-led lamp brings the whole 2027 prediction together in a single piece: a conical sage-green ceramic base paired with a pleated fabric shade finished with a neat burgundy trim. Shop here
More Calm Ideas for Your New Build
Looking for more ways to add warmth and character to a blank-canvas home? Have a read of my cosy lighting ideas for new builds, my looks expensive, costs less home edit, my autumnal home decor ideas, and my Christmas trends 2026 guide.
Prices and stock were checked on 26 October 2026 and may change. All 2027 interior trends discussed in this post are industry predictions and forecasts rather than certainties.
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