Frankfurt  - One in five Germans prefers beige or brown on their living room walls, according to a representative survey conducted by Germany's paint institute in Frankfurt.

Only about about one-third of Germans would like their walls in traditional white, according to the survey of about 1,500 people.

Among colour accents for the living room, earth tones led with 22 per cent. But pastels in yellow and orange enjoyed a degree of respect with 17 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively.

Strong colours such as green, turquoise, red, blue and violet were selected by only about 10 per cent of the participants and were considered more appropriate for youths.

The younger the participant, the less likely they were to chose white. (dpa)