The last months of the year are the most anticipated by interior design trend-watchers, in part because of the flurry of announcements for Paint Colors of the Year and the Color of the Year during that time.
These announcements are much hyped before and are analyzed in detail afterwards by the design community, as the color choices are some of the most significant influences that will shape interior design, and more broadly, cultural and consumer experience for the year to come.
Why are the Paint Colors of the Year and the Color of the Year such a big deal? How do they influence trends? How do they pick them?
Why are the Paint Colors of the Year and the Color of the Year so Important in Interior Design?
Paint Colors of the Year and Color of the Year announcements are so hotly anticipated because they equally predict future trends and also reflect the cultural temperature of the current day.
“As a colorist, it’s vital to observe what’s happening on a cultural and emotional level worldwide - because the public’s feelings are always what drive color choices and start trends,” says color psychology expert Michelle Lewis of the Color Cure.
Paint companies and Pantone, a color-matching company, do extensive research for months to determine their color picks, much of which reveals on a base level what we, as a society, yearn for in our built environments and lived experiences.
They then assign a color (or create a color, depending) to represent whichever emotional connection we prioritize at a given point in time. Color is a visual language, so the colors selected offer a visual representation of the desired emotional experiences.
The whole point of these color choices is part marketing, but also to promote conversation around color, which was evidenced this year with Pantone’s choice of Mocha Mousse, an indulgent, but down-to-earth brown.
Pantone did an about-face from the likely picks offered by industry color prognosticators before the announcement, who had pegged jewel tones, or ‘brat green’ for Pantone’s influential color choice for 2025.
The design community has been polarized in its response to Mocha Mousse, but that’s kind of the point. Paint Color of the Year and Color of the Year choices are supposed to resonate and encourage communication around color.
This tradition extends back to 1999, when Pantone delivered their first Color of the Year, intended to highlight the role that color plays in global culture, and to initiate conversation in design and design-adjacent industries in commentary on that relationship.
It all circles back to the uniquely powerful, direct emotional power that color has over all other design elements. Color is the secret sauce, not only in establishing an aesthetic, but in influencing how you feel when you are in space.
The timing of the Color of the Year and Paint Color the Year announcements is meaningful, too.
“As we head into the New Year, a lot of us want the feeling of a fresh start. We’re craving energy, reinvigoration and are pretty desperate for change,” says Lewis.
What do Color Choices Represent, in 2025 and Historically?
Let’s take for example, the color blue, which has occupied trendlines on a few different cycles. In two instances, years apart, and in very different cultural circumstances, the color choices delivered a much-needed optimism.
Pantone’s very first Color of the Year, Cerulean Blue, announced at the doorstep of the new millennium at the end of 1999, was a cool, hopeful blue meant to replicate the sky, reflecting a forward-looking optimism as we crossed into a new century.
And just last year, blue cycled through again with many of 2024’s Paint Colors of the Year displaying varying shades of soothing and uplifting blues, reflective of the optimism people felt, finally emerging from the pandemic.
For 2025’s selections, several key themes emerge, telling a micro story about what’s brewing in the minds of homeowners and consumers.
In 2025, the general comment is that home should be a safe space where you can express yourself and be most comfortable. Spaces should soothe or invigorate, depending on the purpose and personal taste, and now is the time to indulge in rich sensory experience, with a palette of bedazzled jewel tones, sultry browns and soothing greens and blues among the top choices offered by the major paint companies and Pantone.
How do they Choose Color of the Year and Paint Colors of the Year?
How do the various companies make their choices every year, and this year in particular?
Pantone- Mocha Mousse
Pantone is one of the major drivers of color trends, known for its proprietary Pantone Matching System, that sets color standards across several industries. Their catalog and matching system provide a point of reference for color consistency.
Their role in setting color standards extends back to its beginnings as a print company in the 1950s.
The story goes that their customers struggled to describe the colors they wanted for their printed materials. They determined that the only way to ensure accuracy and to facilitate communication around a customer’s vision was to provide a physical sample.
To provide a solution, Pantone developed a proprietary matching system to standardize color matching in the printing industry. Ink was developed to match these colors, and eventually this process was adopted as the industry standard for printing. Shortly after that, the color matching was extended across industries.
This is an important distinction because it underscores how color is a visual language and can fill in gaps in communication.
This is the same thought process that drives Pantone’s color selection today and has remained consistent with their focus on each of their selections for the last 25 years.
To set the groundwork for that conversation, Pantone spends the year leading up to their Color of the Year announcement doing a comprehensive deep dive into all the influences that might drive color trends including entertainment, fashion, aspirational travel, art and artists, interior design, social media, as well as new technologies.
The Color of the Year is chosen by representatives from across various industries, who spend the year prior to the announcement looking at different potential color choices through the lens of their own experience to gauge the general cultural vibe, connecting it with a color family.
Notably, they use a message-first approach, and then assign a color to the message, rather than the other way around. If they don’t have a color that matches the message they wish to convey, then they will create a color.
According to Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, the goal of the Color of the Year isn’t to promote one color over another, but rather offers corporations and consumers education on the power of color to establish identity.
For 2025, their Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse, riffs off the idea of indulgence at home. It’s a warm shade of brown that looks like coffee or chocolate, a sweet treat, much-deserved, to enjoy daily at home, or with a variety of fashion and consumer products using the color.
Sherwin-Williams 2025 Color Capsule of the Year
In an industry first this year, Sherwin-Williams selected not one Paint Color of the Year, but a collection of nine complementary colors in their 2025 Color Capsule of the Year.
Sherwin-Williams felt that the versatility of suggesting multiple colors in combination maximizes inspirational opportunity for homeowners, which is why they went with a collection this year. They are feeding into the priority for creativity among consumers.
Their selection process goes like this:
“Usually the Sherwin-Williams Global Trendsight Team and I work together. We kick things off by researching key trends that shape how we think about color. These insights help us create our annual Colormix Forecast, which is launched a few months before the Color of the Year,” says Sue Wadden, director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams.
The process differed slightly this year, because they chose multiple colors.
“This time, instead of picking just one color, we decided to go with multiple colors and create a bigger breakthrough moment. The process usually starts in November, where we hold a workshop to finalize the Colormix Forecast and by December, we select our Color of the Year,” she says.
Benjamin Moore- Cinnamon Slate
Benjamin Moore’s nuanced Cinnamon Slate emerged as their pick for Paint Color of the Year, inspired by "the transition over the past few years. The idea of quietly colorful hues emerged as a key theme for 2025,” explains Hannah Yeo, senior manager of Color Marketing for Benjamin Moore.
“The message behind each Benjamin Moore Color Trends palette is often focused on one idea, instead of throwing a wide net of multiple schemes. The selected colors are then viewed through the lens of paint so the colors on your walls stay relevant for years to come,” she says,
As for Cinnamon Slate, “During our travels and at trade shows, we noticed a more subtle and comforting approach to color, signaling a shift away from the saturated palettes in previous years. We wanted to highlight the beauty and intricacies of undertones and their impact on design. These distinct colors offer an elevated sense of soothing familiarity, aligning with the growing desire to create unique and personalized spaces, balanced by hues that evoke comfort and ease,” says Yeo.
In terms of Benjamin Moore’s general process, “Finding the Color of the Year and the Color Trends Palette is a year-long process. The team tracks cultural and environmental influences, researches the latest technology, and finds inspiration across various design disciplines. The gathered information is then analyzed and distilled to reveal the most influential colors,” she says.
BEHR- Rumors
A lot of data-driven research goes into selecting some Paint Colors of the Year, which was the case with BEHR's earthy and elegant red, Rumors.
BEHR’s choice for Paint Color of the Year emerged as a support for homeowners who are working towards building decor confidence, with a timeless, but impacting color.
“As we explore trends from a variety of lifestyle influences including travel, fashion, music, global design trends and much more, we see an ongoing desire for confidence and expression with color. We ultimately selected Rumors as our 2025 Color of the Year for its timeless ability to convey the confidence consumers are craving with color usage,” says Erika Woelfel, BEHR’s VP of color and creative services.
Before selecting their Paint Color of the Year, BEHR did research that shows an overwhelming majority of homeowners have a deep love for red.
“New research conducted by BEHR reveals that three-quarters (76%) of Americans would consider painting a room or wall a shade or red and 73% of Americans say a red paint color can add depth and character to living spaces,” says Woelfel.
PPG by Glidden- Purple Basil
Glidden’s Purple Basil taps into the energizing potential of color, for homeowners to tackle their transformations confidently and creatively, keeping in the trend towards maximalism.
Their tagline is “Purple isn’t just permitted, it’s encouraged”.
“Glidden’s Color of the Year is selected through collaboration among dozens of global color stylists, considering social, cultural, and political dynamics to create a collection that resonates with diverse audiences,” says Alyson Ferrari, PPG color expert, Glidden brand.
“They meet annually as part of its Global Color Forecasting Workshop, a multi-day event to look backwards at trends, as well as ahead, forecasting how color will make its way into homes in the coming year,” she says.
Valspar- Encore
While many Paint Colors of the Year for 2024 were shades of blue, most companies switched strategies in 2025. Valspar, however, in their research found that creating calm at home was still top priority. Their choice of Encore has more drama, compared to the subtle blues from last year.
.”A grounding and timeless atmospheric blue hue, Valspar’s 2025 Color of the Year, Encore emboldens consumers to elevate their interior and exterior spaces with their mood and happiness in mind. It influences up and coming interior design trends and sets the tone for the year ahead while establishing spaces of greater joy and creativity.” says Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Valspar.
“Each year, Valspar’s team of color, design and style experts selects the Color of the Year by drawing inspiration from a variety of lifestyle trends ranging from iconic pop culture moments to interior design breakthroughs,” says Kim.
"By using this holistic, consumer-centric approach, Valspar identified that homeowners are looking for an enduring color that stands the test of time and infuses excitement and playfulness into the home,” she says.
