Move over gray. Pastels and whites are softening up the color palette of more homes in 2016.

On-trend colors of pastels are entering more household décor, like in accessories from decorative bowls and vases to florals and throw pillows. The major paint companies all agree: Lighter colors and whites are this year’s go-to interior colors.

Pantone voted Rose Quartz (a pinkish hue) and Serenity (a soft blue) its colors of the year for 2016.  Sherwin-Williams announced Alabaster – an off-white tone-- as its 2016 Color of the Year, echoing Benjamin Moore’s choice of Simply White.

White can be a particularly great choice when prepping a home for sale. But to keep white walls from looking too sterile, layer in lots of rich texture when selling a home, sats home stager Julie Young with BY Design Home Staging in San Antonio, Texas.

“If it’s an all-white room, it can feel static and cold.” Texture – like through organic materials of branches or colored orchids or even different tones of white accessories – can help make an otherwise monotone space feel more warm and welcoming to buyers, Young says.