Every year design experts release their picks for the year’s hot shades. Depending on your design style, you may be happy—or heartbroken—to hear that gray continues to fall out of favor with color connoisseurs. Read on to learn more.

In our last blog on the topic, How to Choose Interior Colors, we revealed that many Dakan Homes’ customers choose Light French Gray or Rainwashed. However, Better Homes and Gardens predicts that muted, gray and pastel tones are waning in popularity in favor of brighter shades. The magazine’s style makers say they expect to see “the emergence of vibrant, saturated hues, merging with an array of warm neutrals and earthy tones to establish a grounding and inviting balance.”

Though timeless, we may be seeing the style pendulum swing away from muted tones in 2023.

Martha Stewart agrees. Its editors recommend bold, punchy colors with “lots of pigment and backbone,” including browns, reds and warmer neutrals this year. Pantone chose Viva Magenta as its signature color for 2023, while others design experts herald the return of retro colors like terra cotta, rose and gold. In fact, Sherwin Williams’ palate of the year is the Vintage Homestead Color Collection. While you won’t find traditional coastal colors in the collection, you will find time-tested hues that may make for an interesting accent wall or stand-out trim. If you want to add a touch of gold to your décor, try a wallpaper accent wall in York Wallcoverings’ color of the year, amber.

A patterned accent wall is a great way to bring bold color into a room.

For paint options that are more reminiscent of the blues and greens you typically see at the Jersey Shore, the home interiors experts at Real Simple magazine recommend Valspar’s colors of the year. The group includes beachy options like Rising Tide, Green Trellis and Blue Arrow. In addition, nearly every shade of green is making a comeback this year, according to Luxe Interiors and Design, as is the classic pairing of blue and white, which can read as coastal, contemporary or traditional.

Blue and white is a colorful classic when it comes to the shore- don’t overlook the possibility of transforming your ceiling with a bit of color.

“Gray is absolutely fading out,” adds interior designer Christine Chianese of Designs by Christine in Toms River. “Richer tones have been very present in furniture since last year, but they are a little different than the golds of 20 years ago. These modern golds trend toward cognac, not goldenrod, while today’s greens aren’t the hunter greens of the 90s. Instead, they are more olive and are saturated in richness. Shades of white are still very popular and fresh, but you need to understand the difference between warm whites and cold whites.”

Even front doors are receiving the bold color treatment, providing a welcoming focal point for the exterior of the home.

Not to be outdone, the experts at Architectural Digest predicted that nine colors would rule in 2023, including the reds and golds mentioned earlier, plus the nature-inspired Vining Ivy by PPG and Glidden, and the hint of color that is Behr’s Blank Canvas. In its 2023 Color Trends collection, Behr also recommends Half Sea Fog and Sophisticated Teal.

Dutch Boy’s color of the year, Rustic Greige, is a baby step away from blue-toned gray, providing warmth with yellow undertones. The company’s Plush palette for 2023 features colors designed to make your home feel luxurious, soothing and inviting.

Rich gold accents seem to be making a comeback.

“I always tell my clients to use paint colors that they love and look good wearing,” Chianese says. “No one should paint a color in their homes that they wouldn’t wear on their bodies. The sun in your home also plays a big role in choosing colors, but don’t be intimated: painting your home can change your energy!”

No matter what colors you choose for your new Dakan Home, it will be a sanctuary at the shore to build memories for years to come.