Welcome to the ultimate guide to the 2025 Colors of the Year! Each year, the world’s leading color authorities and paint companies unveil their predictions for the most influential hues that will shape our living spaces, fashion, and cultural mood. This comprehensive round-up brings together the highly anticipated selections from 15 different color companies, offering a definitive look at the shades poised to define the year ahead. Predicting these annual selections is always an exciting endeavor, and this post serves as an invaluable resource for tracking the evolution of design trends. By examining how these forecasts shift over time, we gain deeper insights, not just for 2025, but also as we begin to anticipate the palette for 2026. This year, a clear and compelling trend has emerged, pointing towards a captivating shift in our collective color preferences. Dive in to discover which colors are predicted to make the biggest impact in 2025!
Just as we meticulously curated our comprehensive 2024 Color of the Year round-up, this guide goes a step further by comparing each company’s past selections. This comparative analysis not only highlights what’s trending specifically for 2025 but also provides a fascinating glimpse into how color forecasts from these influential brands have evolved over the years, revealing underlying patterns and directional shifts in the design world.
Decoding the 2025 Color of the Year: More Than Just a Single Shade
When we talk about the “Color of the Year,” it’s important to understand that there isn’t one singular, universally crowned hue. Instead, influential companies such as Pantone, Benjamin Moore, and Sherwin-Williams each independently select a color – or in some cases, a curated collection of colors – to represent the upcoming year in design. This process is far from arbitrary; each company employs a distinct methodology, often involving extensive research into global socio-economic factors, cultural movements, fashion trends, and technological advancements. The ultimate goal for these color experts is to forecast a dominant hue that they anticipate will permeate various aspects of our lives, from interior paint schemes and home decor items to fashion runways and digital interfaces. Beyond mere aesthetics, these colors frequently embody broader design trends, signaling a collective return to certain themes like a yearning for nature, a pursuit of minimalist serenity, or a celebration of vibrant individuality. They can also reflect a prevailing cultural mood, channeling emotions such as hope, joy, comfort, or introspection, thereby influencing an incredibly diverse range of products and experiences.
Reflecting on Last Year’s Palette: What Defined 2024?
To fully appreciate the trajectory of color trends for 2025, it’s insightful to revisit the dominant hues of the previous year. You can delve into our detailed exploration of the 2024 Colors of the Year for a more in-depth understanding. However, as evidenced by the snapshot below, 2024 was largely characterized by a spectrum of blues, comforting warm neutrals, and a sprinkling of vibrant, energetic corals. The widespread adoption of blue tones was widely attributed to a collective desire for soothing and calming atmospheres within our homes, reflecting a need for tranquility in an often-hectic world. Even bolder selections, such as HGTV Home by Sherwin-William’s dynamic Persimmon (visible in the top left of the image), were thoughtfully integrated into broader trends, specifically grouped under a theme they aptly named “Renewed Comfort,” suggesting that even lively colors could contribute to a sense of well-being.
This raises a compelling question: Will 2025 continue the pursuit of comforting and calming color palettes, offering more serene escapes? Or are color forecasters anticipating a shift towards brighter, more lively, and perhaps even bolder hues, reflecting a renewed sense of optimism and energy in our collective future? The selections for 2025 reveal a fascinating answer.
The Definitive List: Every 2025 Color of the Year Revealed
As of January 22nd, the suspense has finally concluded! All the major color companies we diligently track have officially unveiled their highly anticipated 2025 Colors of the Year, with Rust-oleum making the final announcement. The overwhelming consensus from this year’s selections points to a significant surge in warm, earthy tones, particularly browns and caramels, alongside a captivating emergence of deep purples. This confluence of rich, grounding shades marks a notable trend, indicating a collective leaning towards hues that offer both comfort and sophistication. Below is the complete roster of each company’s chosen shade for 2025:
- Pantone: Mocha Mousse
- Benjamin Moore: Cinnamon Slate
- Sherwin-Williams: Grounded (1 of 9 colors picked)
- Behr: Rumors
- HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams: Quietude
- Glidden: Purple Basil
- Valspar: Encore
- Dunn-Edwards: Caramelized
- Dutch Boy: Mapped Blue
- Krylon: Hammered Black
- Rust-oleum: Satin Warm Caramel
- Minwax: Violet
- Graham & Brown: Elderton
- C2 Paint: Raku
- Stainmaster Paints: Truffle
It’s fascinating to note the distinct thematic connections among these selections, particularly the remarkable appearance of two “caramel” shades – a clear indicator of a strong underlying trend. Now, let’s dissect each of these influential picks company by company, exploring the nuances and inspirations behind each choice.
Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year: Mocha Mousse
While Pantone is not a paint manufacturer, their annual Color of the Year announcement often ignites the global conversation around color, credited with pioneering the concept that has since become a major industry event. Historically, Pantone’s selections tend to be more avant-garde, often bolder and brighter than those from paint companies, as they consider a broader spectrum of industries, including fashion, graphic design, and product development, not just home decor. However, for 2025, Pantone’s selection of Mocha Mousse marks a fascinating alignment with the prevalent trend of warm browns that other companies had already championed (most notably Dunn-Edwards’ Caramelized). Pantone describes Mocha Mousse as a hue that “nods towards the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.” This choice reflects a collective longing for grounding, warmth, and a sense of reassuring familiarity in our environments, making it a surprisingly harmonious fit within this year’s overarching trends.
As illustrated by the historical swatches above, Mocha Mousse, which Pantone characterizes as simple, warming, and sophisticated, stands out as somewhat more muted and understated compared to many of Pantone’s past Color of the Year choices. This softer approach signals a potential shift even for the trendsetter, suggesting that even the most forward-thinking color authorities are acknowledging a broader cultural embrace of more subdued, yet deeply resonant, tones.
Benjamin Moore’s 2025 Color of the Year: Cinnamon Slate
Although it was one of the later announcements, Benjamin Moore’s 2025 pick, Cinnamon Slate, has proven to be highly representative of the prominent hues dominating 2025’s color landscape. The brand eloquently describes this shade as a sophisticated blend of “heathered plum” and “velvety brown” – two distinct color families that have notably increased their presence this year. This thoughtful combination creates a rich, complex neutral that feels both grounding and subtly luxurious. Benjamin Moore demonstrated a similar foresight last year with their selection of Blue Nova, which seamlessly complemented several other blue selections within the 2024 COTY roster, proving their knack for tapping into prevailing trends.
Cinnamon Slate is also characterized as “quietly colorful,” a description that could fittingly apply to many of Benjamin Moore’s previous Color of the Year selections throughout history. This consistent approach highlights the brand’s preference for sophisticated, livable colors that offer depth and character without overwhelming a space, making them a perennial favorite for interior designers and homeowners alike.
Sherwin-Williams’ 2025 Color of the Year: Grounded (A Color Capsule)
Prepare for a delightful twist! In celebration of their 15th annual Color of the Year announcement, Sherwin-Williams decided to challenge tradition, unveiling a unique “Color Capsule of the Year” for 2025 instead of a single hue. This innovative collection comprises nine carefully curated colors, but as “Grounded” is prominently listed first, we are unofficially designating it as their primary pick. This particular shade perfectly encapsulates the overall muted earthiness that defines the entire capsule. Even the collection’s bolder choices, such as Chartreuse and Mauve Finery, are described as reserved and “usable,” reflecting a desire for approachable yet sophisticated colors that integrate seamlessly into various design aesthetics. This approach highlights a trend towards adaptable palettes rather than prescriptive single shades.
While the nine colors within this capsule are undoubtedly well-selected and harmonious, there’s a certain charm lost in not having one definitive “Color of the Year.” Most paint companies already complement their single Color of the Year with a broader trend palette (for example, Benjamin Moore’s Color Trends Palette or HGTV Home’s Color Collection of The Year). By presenting nine colors as “the” Color of the Year, it feels somewhat indecisive, diluting the singular impact and clarity that makes these annual announcements so engaging. The concept of a “Color of the Year” inherently implies a solitary, impactful choice that encapsulates a moment, and declaring “our color of the year is actually nine colors” arguably sidesteps that expectation. It’s akin to not truly backing a single “horse” in the race, making it harder to pinpoint a specific aesthetic direction.
We sincerely hope that Sherwin-Williams will return to the tradition of choosing a single, impactful color for 2026, rather than “bending the rules” again. For those of us who keenly follow the “sport” of these COTY announcements, a multi-color selection muddies the clear discussion and anticipation (who wants to react to nine colors from a single brand at once?). Moreover, from a purely practical standpoint, it necessitates an asterisk next to their 2025 pick for the foreseeable future, something that detracts from a clean, concise graphic presentation. After all, simplicity often reigns supreme in capturing public imagination!
Behr’s 2025 Color of the Year: Rumors
For 2025, Behr has once again embraced a darker, more dramatic palette with their Color of the Year selection: Rumors. Described as a “deep ruby red,” this captivating hue embodies the rich, moody merlot tones that have been steadily gaining traction in contemporary interior design. It immediately brings to mind bold and sophisticated spaces, such as our friends Kim & Scott’s striking kitchen reveal in 2023. Sherry can’t help but playfully speculate if the color selection committee had a certain Real Housewives of Salt Lake City aesthetic in mind – if you know, you know, the drama and luxury of that particular shade!
Observing Behr’s trajectory over the past decade reveals a fascinating shift. It’s particularly interesting to witness how intensely dark and bold the brand has gone in the last two years, with Rumors following closely on the heels of Cracked Pepper from last year. This marked departure stands in sharp contrast to most of their previous selections, which typically leaned towards mid-tone or softer colors. This recent pivot suggests a deliberate response to evolving consumer preferences, perhaps even a reaction to their lighter 2023 pick, indicating a growing appetite for more saturated, impactful colors in home environments.
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams’ 2025 Color of the Year: Quietude
Following what was arguably one of their boldest selections last year, HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams has opted for a more serene and approachable direction with their 2025 Color of the Year: Quietude. Their color experts describe this shade as a “soothing and sweet” mint tone, further clarifying it as a “softened sage.” This choice is strategically aligned with a broader trend they are forecasting – “quiet luxury.” This aesthetic favors calm, relaxing, and sophisticated spaces that, crucially, do not shy away from incorporating carefully selected, understated colors. Quietude perfectly embodies this philosophy, offering a gentle touch of color that promotes tranquility.
When compared to their past color selections since their first announcement in 2018, Quietude emerges as arguably their safest and most universally appealing choice to date. On a personal note, we are particularly drawn to blue-green tones, especially those that possess a subtle gray undertone or a gentle, muted quality. Quietude embodies some of these desirable characteristics, offering a sophisticated depth. While it offers a sense of calm, it will still register as a distinct and impactful color when applied across an entire room, demonstrating its ability to be both soothing and visually engaging.
Glidden’s 2025 Color of the Year: Purple Basil
Purple Basil takes center stage as Glidden’s 2025 Color of the Year, making a bold statement with its deep eggplant hue. In their announcement, Glidden emphatically declared, “purple isn’t just permitted, it’s encouraged.” This powerful message underscores their belief that individuals should confidently embrace profound, saturated colors, particularly within the spirit of maximalism. Their color experts suggest that this shade serves as an invitation to shed any timidity surrounding color choices, encouraging homeowners to infuse their spaces with unapologetic personality and depth. It’s a call to action for those looking to make a vibrant, personal statement with their interiors.
While Glidden’s past selections have often been characterized by their colorful nature, Purple Basil distinctly ventures into a darker, more moody territory than most of its predecessors. This choice reflects a strategic push against the “timid voice” that frequently steers people towards safer, neutral palettes. By embracing such a rich and intense shade, Glidden aims to empower consumers to experiment with impactful color and create truly distinctive and memorable environments that reflect their true style.
Valspar’s 2025 Color of the Year: Encore
This year marks Valspar’s second consecutive selection of a singular color, moving away from their previous practice of choosing multiple shades. With their 2025 Color of the Year, Encore, it’s also their second blue pick, making them “two for two” in a distinct direction! In selecting this deeply saturated cobalt-meets-navy blue, Valspar boldly declared that “blue is making a comeback.” While blues certainly dominated most 2024 picks, Valspar’s emphasis on a strong, classic blue like Encore signifies a renewed appreciation for blue’s enduring qualities. We concur with their assessment that such a robust and foundational blue embodies a sense of constancy, confidence, and reliability, perhaps offering a more grounded and unwavering presence than the softer blue-greens that characterized many selections last year. Encore speaks to a desire for timeless elegance and assured style in our homes.
Dunn-Edwards’ 2025 Color of the Year: Caramelized
Caramelized has been crowned Dunn-Edwards Paints’ 2025 Color of the Year, a rich terracotta hue that the company hails as the “ultimate new neutral.” Their justification for this bold claim lies in its remarkable versatility, effortlessly pairing with a wide array of styles, from cherished vintage aesthetics to sleek contemporary designs. While it might be a slight stretch to classify this earthy, clay-inspired color as the “non-metallic gold” I had originally predicted, its warm and inviting presence is a welcome addition to this year’s mix, reinforcing the strong trend towards comforting, organic shades. Caramelized offers a sophisticated backdrop that can enrich any interior scheme.
Looking back, Dunn-Edwards’ 2024 selection was part of a broader trend, aligning with many blues picked for 2024. However, their historical palette reveals a frequent inclination towards selecting warm, reddish hues, demonstrating a consistent preference for earthy, inviting tones. Caramelized fits perfectly within this established pattern, confirming their expertise in identifying timeless colors with enduring appeal.
Dutch Boy’s 2025 Color of the Year: Mapped Blue
Dutch Boy describes their 2025 Color of the Year pick, Mapped Blue, as a “timeless” foundational paint color designed to keep any room effortlessly on-trend. This description is particularly apt, as a reliable, versatile blue often makes an appearance in annual color forecasts. In fact, various shades of blue like this were a dominant force among the 2024 selections, especially for many smaller paint brands (Dutch Boy products are readily available at Menard’s). Mapped Blue represents a solid, safe, yet undeniably classic choice – a widely appealing color that promises to bring a sense of calm and enduring style to a vast number of homes. Its universal charm ensures it will remain a staple in interior design for years to come.
Rust-Oleum’s 2025 Color of the Year: Satin Warm Caramel
Rust-Oleum, known for its extensive range of specialty paints and coatings, officially announced Satin Warm Caramel as their 2025 Color of the Year in late January 2025. As one of the very last companies to reveal their choice, it’s plausible that their selection was influenced by the earlier, similar announcements from influential brands like Pantone and Dunn-Edwards, reinforcing the widespread appeal of warm, inviting browns. Rust-Oleum describes this shade as both “rich and tranquil,” emphasizing its role as a “key to any relaxing space.” As a leading spray paint company, their selections are often showcased primarily as accent colors rather than full wall coverage. This distinct application means their chosen hues tend to be brighter and more saturated than those presented by traditional interior paint brands, making Satin Warm Caramel a vibrant yet comforting accent.
In the historical swatches above, Rust-Oleum consistently highlights the “Satin” finish for their selected color, unless an alternative finish like “Gloss Grape” or “Matte Rustic Pink” is explicitly noted. This focus on finish is particularly relevant for a brand specializing in diverse coating applications, allowing consumers to visualize how these trending colors translate across different textures and materials for various DIY projects and accent pieces.
Minwax’s 2025 Color of the Year: Violet
With its fifth Color of the Year selection, Minwax, a leader in wood finishes, is venturing into bolder and brighter territory for 2025 with its pick: Violet. They describe this “stain color of the year” choice with a compelling array of adjectives, from “eclectic & whimsical” to “individual & experimental.” This descriptive language clearly acknowledges that Violet is far from a typical wood stain color, pushing the boundaries of traditional wood finishing. As is evident from their past selections shown below, Minwax has been steadily moving towards more saturated and expressive colors recently, signaling a shift in how we might conceptualize wood tones in interior design.
While “Violet” is a specific Minwax stain color, their selection is also a broader statement that this deep eggplant shade is trending across various design elements, including paints, wallpapers, and textiles. This encourages consumers to embrace this vibrant hue in creative ways, even if they traditionally prefer the classic beauty of brown and tan wood tones. Minwax invites homeowners to explore the expressive potential of color, challenging conventional applications and fostering a more imaginative approach to interior styling.
Graham & Brown’s 2025 Color of the Year: Elderton
Graham & Brown, the esteemed UK-based wallcovering company, has chosen a profound deep brown named Elderton as their 2025 Color of the Year. This evocative shade is fittingly named after the color of an elder tree, reflecting a desire for timeless, organic elegance. It was specifically selected as a foundational neutral that harmoniously complements their concurrent “Design of the Year,” a wallpaper featuring intricate motifs of ancient trees and shrubs. This thematic and aesthetic pairing is a consistent practice for Graham & Brown, as seen with their selection last year, a muted green called “Viridis.” Elderton for 2025 also resonates strongly with several other prominent picks this year, notably aligning with the rich, moody tones seen in Behr’s Rumors, Stainmaster’s Truffle, and C2 Paint’s Raku (which we will explore further below), underscoring a collective shift towards deep, grounding colors.
C2 Paint’s 2025 Color of the Year: Raku
Echoing the deep, rich tones seen in Behr’s selection this year, C2 Paint has unveiled Raku as its 2025 Color of the Year. Named after a revered Japanese ceramics technique known for its distinctive, often unpredictable glazes, C2 Paint aptly describes Raku as a “chameleon color.” This intriguing hue gracefully shifts between a deep burgundy and an “oxidized sanguine,” revealing subtle brown and purple undertones depending on the light and surrounding environment. Its complex, multifaceted character perfectly aligns with the pervasive trend of dark, moody colors that are captivating the design world for 2025. This choice marks a significant departure from last year’s pick, “Thermal,” which was a notably bright and punchy blue, further highlighting the industry’s embrace of richer, more contemplative shades.
Stainmaster Paint’s 2025 Color of the Year: Truffle
Many were surprised to learn that Stainmaster, a brand primarily known for its carpets and flooring, also operates as a paint company – a fact we only discovered with their inaugural COTY pick in 2024, which was itself a moody, saturated color. For 2025, they continue this bold trajectory with their near-black selection, Truffle, clearly banking on the enduring popularity of the dark room trend. Stainmaster articulates their 2025 Color of the Year as a versatile shade capable of complementing everything from soft pastels to vibrant brights, while simultaneously “elevating the style of any space.” This strategic choice highlights its adaptability and capacity to create dramatic, sophisticated backdrops that enhance other elements within a room, solidifying its place in modern design aesthetics.
We recently encountered Stainmaster Paint’s refreshed display at Lowe’s stores, though it still proudly featured last year’s color tagged as “Color of the Year.” With a total palette of only 40 colors to choose from, their annual selection process is particularly focused, meaning each year’s pick must truly stand out within their limited yet impactful range.
Reflecting on Our 2025 Color Guesses: Hits and Near Misses
As has become our annual tradition, we eagerly shared our lighthearted predictions for the 2025 Color of the Year on our Instagram Stories (be sure to click the COTY highlight to view the full segment!). These aren’t scientific forecasts based on extensive research; rather, they’re spontaneous, off-the-cuff guesses conjured in about a minute while hitting record. It’s a fun way for us to test our instincts – or perhaps, our latent psychic abilities! The color representations displayed below are approximations, with our verbal descriptions in the Instagram video providing far greater context and nuance. For added enjoyment, you can spot the bubbles indicating which official COTY picks came surprisingly close to our whimsical predictions:
Our guesses for 2025 leaned a bit bolder than in previous years, though I’ve noticed a personal recurring habit of selecting deep, foundational neutrals like black or rich chocolate brown. This consistent inclination has served me well, as at least one brand tends to embrace such a dark hue each year. This time, my prediction of “black” proved remarkably close to Stainmaster’s Truffle and Krylon’s Hammered Black. While it’s challenging to claim outright victory on any of the Sherwin-Williams colors (especially since they presented nine!), we did manage a few more commendable close hits. Sherry’s guess aligned well with Mauve Finery, while my predictions of Bosc Pear and Clove found sympathetic echoes within the Sherwin-Williams Color Capsule. It’s always a delight to see a little bit of our “psychic” intuition play out in the actual trends!
Discover More Beloved Paint Colors
For those seeking further inspiration and trusted recommendations, we invite you to explore more of our favorite go-to paint colors. You can easily navigate through our various home tours located in the menu at the top of our blog, where you’ll find real-world examples and practical applications. Additionally, we’ve dedicated detailed deep-dive posts to some of our most cherished paint colors, offering insights and guidance for your next project:
- Every 2024 Color of the Year In One Place
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- The Best Greige Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White
- The 12 Best “Haint Blue” Paint Colors