The Paint Colors of the Year for 2025 offer a range of dramatic and vibrant hues. Many of the trending shades are reflective of a return to maximalism in home décor and are intended to give homeowners the freedom to confidently express themselves with color choices.
Paint companies invest a lot of time, money and research, to arrive at their choices for Paint Colors of the Year, consulting with consumers and various stakeholders across different industries to determine the direction they think color is going.
Big, Bold and Beautiful for 2025
A common thread among the Paint Colors of the Year for 2025 is that they thoughtfully consider the emotional value and impact of colors and give homeowners lots of choices to evoke feelings while in a space, in addition to creating a desired aesthetic.
With bold and bright on the menu, is this the year to go all-in on with dramatic color? Or perhaps you are leaning towards one of the calm but colorful spa-like shades? There is a little something for every homeowner ready to make their mark with color.
Here are the Paint Colors of the Year for 2025, so far.
Rumors by Behr
BEHR’s choice, Rumors, is a ruby, earthy red that is warm and elegantly stylish.
Erika Woelfel BEHR’s VP of color and creative services, explains that this statement-making color is a data-driven choice that indicates red is one of the hottest hues right now.
“New research reveals that a majority of Americans say using touches of red in home design and décor is 'on-trend 'right now,” she says.
BEHR's research found that an overwhelming number of homeowners felt that red front doors made a statement, and that even a small pop of red in a room is attention-grabbing, adds elegance and makes the space feel cohesive.
Red is also energizing, according to BEHR’s research. And who doesn’t love feeling revived and ready to go when spending time in your favorite rooms at home?
Carmelized by Dunn-Edwards
Carmelized is a cozy terracotta with warm brown undertones, meant to replicate the color of baked clay. Dunn-Edwards describes it as “spicy” and “timeless.”
This "effortlessly versatile hue pairs well with various styles, from vintage-inspired interiors to contemporary spaces," according to Lauren Hoferkamp, lead color expert at Dunn-Edwards.
This color has been manufactured with a strong focus on the connection between nostalgia and color, and the intent is to kindle those warm, fuzzy and comforting feelings when being surrounded by the terracotta hue. It’s a clever way to connect the past with current trends.
Mapped Blue by Dutch Boy
In 2024, many of the Paint Colors of the Year were various nature-inspired shades of blue, meant to evoke calm and comfort.
Dutch Boy is staying with a blue theme this year with their choice of Mapped Blue- with a twist. This blue communicates calm, but also adventure and intrigue. The shade, a soft blue with undertones of yellow and grey, is inspired by the ancient tradition of seafaring and charting paths through the ocean.
Dutch Boy wants you to “chart your own course to calm” and to have the confidence to choose colors that make you feel good in your own home.
Raku by C2
C2’s Raku is a beguiling red, infused with heavy brown undertones. It is inspired by an ancient pottery method used in Japanese tea ceremonies centuries ago. The aesthetic emphasis in the classic pottery, is that authentic beauty rises from natural imperfections and patina created during the process of handcrafting, which shapes the dimension to this color.
It’s an earthy, deeply textured color that seems clear-cut for a moody and contemplative home office, or a formal dining room.
Quietude by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
Looking to create a dreamy sanctuary in your primary bath? HGTV Home by Sherwin-Willams' Quietude is a spa-inspired green that checks the boxes for serenity and respite.
It’s a lighter shade than some of the other Paint Colors of the Year for 2025, many of which wade into deep color with browns, reds and purples. It is a good option for homeowners who want to embrace color, but want to have a more subdued aesthetic.
One of this year’s hottest interior design trends is color in the kitchen, particularly with cabinetry, with green being one of the most popular choices. Quietude works as an accent on the island, or even as the dominant cabinet color. .
Purple Basil by PPG by Glidden
Purple is big this year, and PPG by Glidden’s Purple Basil is vibrant and powerful.
PPG by Glidden intends for this color to not only inspire homeowners, but to provide the energy to take on transforming your home with color.
“Purple Basil strikes a balance of calming blue and energetic red that can serve as a room’s primary, secondary, or accent color” says Alyson Ferrari, PPG color expert, Glidden brand.
It’s a interesting contrast to their choice for Paint Color of the Year in 2024, Limitless, which is a pleasant, but far more subdued color.
The contrast is intentional, according to Ferrari, and part of a larger color strategy. “We see color trends as an evolution. In fact, Purple Basil was part of our 2024 trend forecast, supporting Limitless for its power as both a primary color and a neutral,” she says.
Brick Red by PPG by Glidden Spray Paint
The spray paint division of PPG by Glidden has released a spray paint Paint Color of the Year for 2025, geared specifically for DIY enthusiasts.
Brick Red is warm and spicy red, intended to pair with PPG's Purple Basil, as an accent. Given that it is a spray paint, it is easily applied to furniture and accents.
Red and purple, when paired together create harmony and balance, as well as memorable visual impact.
“We’re empowering consumers with the freedom to choose a bold color and giving them the tools to complete the look of their room or project,” said Ashley McCollum, PPG color expert, Glidden brand.
“In this new era of creativity and change, people are more comfortable leaning into the world of color,” said McCollum.
In addition to bringing warmth to a home's interior, the color works well outdoors on furniture and planters, a nice contrast to natural hues that occur organically outside.
Encore by Valspar
Valspar’s cool blue, Encore, builds on the popularity of blue in last year’s Paint Color of the Year choices, with a dark, dramatic undercurrent that makes it right on trend in 2025.
There is no denying that blue is a classic choice with an emotional draw, that is both calming, and quietly inspiring, a good choice for homeowners looking to create spaces where they can pause and reset. Encore takes this idea to heart, and challenges homeowners to use the dark blue to create spaces that are personally meaningful.
“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,” says Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Valspar.
Truffle by Stainmaster
Paint color names draw their inspiration from the world around us: geography, pop culture, animals, fashion and even food. Stainmaster’s sultry choice for Paint Color of the Year 2025, Truffle is a rich chocolate brown that is sultry and sweet.
The dark, warm shade is well-suited for color drenching, one of this year’s hottest interior design trends, where an entire room is coated in shade variations of the same color, including walls, floors, ceilings, accents, furniture and window treatments.
According to Stainmaster, enveloping the entire space by color drenching with Truffle will create a cozy, enclosed retreat, like being in a cave.
Elderton by Graham & Brown
Coming home should be like a welcome hug, each and every time, which is part of the thinking behind Graham & Brown’s Paint Color of the Year for 2025, Elderton.
This rich and sultry dark brown is inspired by the Elder tree, which sometimes has dark brown leaves.
Graham & Brown promote this color as a “chameleon” because of its neutral versatility, to suit a lot of different spaces and styles at home. Even though it is on the darker end of the scale, it’s well-suited to be a neutral to direct focus to smart and strategic accents.
Cinnamon Slate by Benjamin Moore
In contrast to the bevy of saturated colors on offer for 2025, Benjamin Moore’s Cinnamon Slate , favors nuance and understatement over abrupt pops of color.
"As the use of more saturated color in design has increased in recent years, we are seeing a growing interest in more nuanced colors, whose undertones add intricacy and dimension," says Andrea Magno, director of color marketing & design at Benjamin Moore.
A “delicate mix of heathered plum and velvety brown,” Cinnamon Slate taps into familiarity and balance to appeal to homeowners.
It’s moody without being sullen and dark, and colorful without being bright and busy. It’s not a shade that will dominate a room, but infuses color, and then takes a step back to let other elements shine.
The supportive style offered with Cinnamon Slate is a conscious choice by Benjamin Moore, to entice homeowners who long to embrace color but are nervous about treading too deeply in the color pool.
Color Capsule of the Year 2025 by Sherwin Williams
Sherwin-Williams sets themselves apart this year from the other companies by selecting not a solitary shade, but a collection of nine complementary colors within their Color Capsule of the Year 2025., which it describes as “where timeless meets on trend.”
It’s an industry first with the annual Paint Color of the Year selections. Sherwin-Williams veered outside of the typical to celebrate their 15th anniversary trendspotting and naming Colors of the Year.
Offering a palette of colors to choose from gives homeowners more freedom to express themselves, but also takes some of the guesswork out of mixing and matching shades successfully.
The colors within the capsule range from quiet neutrals to earthy tones to a light-hearted mauve.
"Together—as a complete palette or in expertly picked pairings—the capsule's alchemy creates something to be treasured in any style or setting,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams.
Mocha Mousse by Pantone
Pantone delivered a sweet treat to design enthusiasts, revealing Mocha Mousse as their choice for Color of the Year 2025, after much mystery and hype prior to the announcement.
A color that is meant to be nurturing, stable and comforting, while hinting at glamor and “fleeting escapes”, this warm brown is inspired by chocolate, cocoa and coffee. It’s the color equivalent of indulging in a decadent dessert.
“For Pantone Color of the Year 2025, we look to a mellow brown hue whose inherent richness and sensorial and comforting warmth extends further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others,” says Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute.
According to Pantone, the color, and the color name were intentional. In addition to the warmth of the hue, they wanted to communicate a subliminal, airy feel with an unexpected brown that offered a thoughtful, but light-hearted indulgence.
Pantone's Color of the Year choices extend across various industries to drive color trends, fashion, design, automotive, branding and consumer goods, in addition to a color match for paint, for homeowners keen to adorn their walls.
For paint and home decor goods, Mocha Mousse works both as a neutral base, or as a rich accent.
What’s the Right Color for you?
Several paint brands choose a certain palette or group of colors to earn the title. Based on the same criteria as Color of the Year, these notable palettes are likely to take over as the boldest new trends in home design.
Now that the Paint Colors of the Year for 2025 have been revealed, how do you incorporate them into your home decor?
It’s smart to take a step back and employ strategy, whether you want to DIY with a color wheel or app, or get support from a designer, decorator or color consultant to implement these colors successfully, given that a lot of these colors are on the darker, more saturated end of the scale.
Coating a room in dark colors can be incredibly dramatic and effective, but if it’s not done right, you may end up making the room feel boxy and cramped, rather than colorful and cozy.
Here are some questions to consider when choosing a darker color:
Include Lighting
Is there a lot of natural light? Light will help to amplify the sense of space, and if you don’t have a lot of natural light (i.e. no or few windows in a powder room, laundry room or small bedroom) make sure you compensate with artificial lighting, applied in layers (task, ambient and decorative lighting).
What Room(s) are you Targeting?
If you aren’t sure about committing to dark or brighter colors, start with a small, out of the way space, where you can experiment out of the main traffic spaces at home, such as a powder room, home office, or guest room. You can gauge your comfort level before you move on to main spaces.
What do you Love?
One thing that the Paint Colors of the Year for 2025 have in common, in addition to being supportive of maximalism, is that they are meant to spark joy and offer an opportunity for self-expression on your terms. There is a new freedom to pick colors that make you happy and that you want, rather than choosing colors for your friends and neighbors or strictly for thinking about resale value down the road. Take time to think about your own relationship with color and choose accordingly.
Be Confident in your Choices
Another commonality among these Paint Colors of the Year in 2025 is that paint companies are empowering consumers with the confidence to make unique color choices. Part of the joy is making the leap. If you don’t love the look, it is easy, and affordable to change the color choices.
