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Each autumn, churches begin a new ministry year. Both summer vacation and Vacation Bible School are over. Kids are back in school. And children’s and youth ministry attendance rises.

Outside, sunlight changes, too, and the days get shorter. Temperatures lower and nature takes on a rich new hue.

What better time to paint a multisite church’s halls and walls?

Beige goes to church – and other neutrals

Gray has been the reigning interior wall color for many public spaces in recent years, including those in churches and multisites.

Homesandgardens.com, a site devoted to interior design project inspiration, calls beige “the new gray in interior design.” And it notes that unlike the cool tones of gray, beige is warm – a tone joined by shades of rust, ivory, amber, and sepia tones.

Another interior design resource, paintcolorproject.com, plugs greige (beige plus gray), taupe, cream, and brown tones as being among the most popular neutral options for fall 2023.

Back in October 2022, Benjamin Moore Paints (BMP) (benjaminmoore.com) reported that warmer tones were in the forecast for 2023, and they announced a bold red-orange color, Raspberry Blush, as their Color of the Year 2023.

The color trends 2023 palette, BMP specialists said, was loaded with deeply saturated colors, with paints from their line sporting names like Cinnamon, Conch Shell (“gentle pink reminiscent of sepia tone”), Starry Night Blue, and Wenge – a “deep chocolate hue” that “features hints of brown, black, and violet in its undertone.”

Better Homes & Gardens (BHG) (bhg.com) went all out and picked 16 fall paint colors that it said capture the beauty of autumn and lend warmth to interiors. Among those colors, Deep Eggplant, which “leans to a beautiful brown” and complements changing foliage and sunsets. Other rich options include Dark Plum (called Purple Basil by Glidden) and Golden Yellow. (Find the full BHG list here.)

One take-note standout among BHG’s pick: brownish red in a paint color that manufacturer Sherwin-Williams calls “Fireweed,” a brown-toned, rusty red.

What’s happened to green?

Green is not gone, according to designers focused on fall colors for public gathering spaces, like those found in churches. But it has gone elegantly cozy, as some describe it.

Dark Olive by BMP is one option, with the manufacturer describing it as “a dark, muted green that infuses a space with equal amounts earthiness and elegance.”

Valspar’s (valspar.com) ode to green is evident in its 2024 Color of the Year, Renew Blue, which the company describes as a “nourishing, green-influenced blue that creates a sense of peace wherever you place it.”

Chinese Blue by Farrow & Ball (FB) (farrow-ball.com), in comparison, is a ceramics-inspired blue that’s “warmer than Cook’s Blue.”

Where’s white?

A new subtle cream color is touted as cozy enough to pair up against the warm tones of autumn.

Ballarddesigns.com notes BMP’s Indian White shade, in particular, saying it “acts as a neutral base, allowing other fall-inspired colors like deep reds, golden yellows, or burnt oranges to pop and take center stage.”

Paint reviewer Blacksburg Belle (BB) (blacksburgbelle.com) listed a smattering of beautiful off-white options for walls and trim in 2023 and 2024, including BMP’s Gentle Cream, Timid White, Natural Cream, and Pale Oak.

Barbie?

Paint went there too. According to southerncrushathome.com, BMP, SWP and FB offered Barbie-inspired pinks their reviewers wondered at, with names like Charming Pink, 50’s Pink, Pink Bliss, and richer options like Dragon Fruit and Panama Rose.

At one time, multisite church staff may have considered these colors for children’s spaces only. But not anymore.

Safer Testing

There is an alternative to putting paint samples on your multisite’s walls in the traditional way – in a big square painted over your existing wall color.

Southerncrushathome.com reports that Samplize peel-and-stick paint samples are an easier, less expensive option. The samples reportedly come straight to your door, are reliably color-accurate, and allow you to envision how different colors will look in your space – without having to put any paint on the walls until you’re ready.

This is a tip that’s ingenious for a busy multisite church.