Every year color specialists working for various industries in the design field, especially paint companies, choose colors that will dominate both the fashion and interior design stage for that year. This color becomes a Color of the Year (COTY). Their forecasting is based on prevailing trends and research into the essence of the time the color is chosen to represent.
“COTY captures the essence of a moment in time, showcasing cultural attitudes encapsulated by a single color or group of colors,” Carol Miller, a trend expert for York Wallcoverings, recently told Better Homes and Gardens magazine. In the article, she goes on to say that a COTY is meant to build excitement and connect interiors with the creativity, artistry, and glamour in other industries, like fashion.
When paint companies announce their COTY, they also offer interior designers, and those who like to do it themselves ideas on how to employ the colors on their own projects. A popular current trend is color drenching. This is when the entire room is painted one color, including the ceiling and all of the trim.
This year’s colors have been described as moody, classic, dramatic, luxurious, livable, anchoring, timeless and cocooning. Moving away from cold whites and grays, this year’s choices are warmer, earthier, and reflect a desire for depth, quality, and a return to rich color. They fall under three categories: Restorative Foundational, Dramatic Elemental, and Urbane Heritage.
Restorative Foundational
Colors in this category are grounding, relaxing and serene. They wrap a room in blanket-like warmth while providing a foundation for an inviting, intentional space.
Described by the company as offering tranquility and peace in a noisy world, this “lofty white” serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. Cloud Dancer is a billowy white imbued with serenity, encouraging both relaxation and focus — allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation.
With its expansive presence, Cloud Dancer invites a space where function and feeling intertwine to build atmospheres of spaciousness, while providing a refuge of visual cleanliness that inspires well-being and lightness.
Sherwin Williams: Universal Khaki
A sophisticated beige-khaki hybrid, this color was chosen to reflect broader cultural movements, particularly Gen Z’s gravitation towards trades and hands-on work that can’t be replaced by AI, according to Elle Decor. It also offers warm comfort and stability in a stressed-out world. “It’s a pretty serious time culturally across the globe,” Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, noted in a press release. “And I think a structured, foundational color is the right story to tell right now.”
This soft, creamy beige with warm undertones, Dutch Boy describes as representing timeless comfort, quality, and meaningful connection. It is a versatile neutral that works across all design styles offering a timeless foundational color. It is positioned as perfect for the slow living movement. It invokes nostalgia, pairing effortlessly with natural woods, showcasing handmade clay pieces, and the layering of linen and other textured textiles.
A soft and refined ochre, it has mineral undertones. It is named after the French village known for champagne production and limestone architecture, reflecting a bit of each. It puts one in mind of the old-world architecture of cottages in villages in the European countryside, or the palaces and European interiors of the Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical periods that were defined by their use of creamy, honey-yellows and the shade of golden sunsets. Interior Designer and C2 Color Specialist Philippa Radon notes that Epernay channels European influences while emerging in contemporary design for its classic, adaptable qualities.
Dramatic Elementals
Taking their hues from the earth, Dramatic Elementals are bold, rugged and expressive. They remind one of the wildness of the sea, the deepest parts of the forest, and the richness of metallic ores pulled from the loamy soil.
Inspired by copper’s natural aging process, this metallic turquoise-blue evokes a feeling of the patina of things worn and well-loved, but built to last. It is vintage-inspired, and yet totally modern. It makes one think of cozy Irish fishermen’s sweaters and the roiling of the wild sea, of times past that were more tied to the earth with a slower pace. It is cooling, calming and inspired.
“For the first time, we also consulted Etsy consumers to help select the 2026 color to watch out for, with 67% voting for the hue in a recent social media poll,” Etsy Trend Expert Dayna Isom Johnson said in a press release. And searches for the shade have increased more than three times over the past year according to the platform.
Like Epernay, this deep, dramatic gray siding brings a feel of the old world to the modern day. Part of the James Hardie Statement Collection, Chief Marketing Officer Samara Toole describes the rich color reminiscent of coal or reflective of a castle wall as a shade that “amplifies a home’s architectural voice.” It can be paired with white trim for a classic architectural contrast or it can be used alone to create a totally modern monochromatic statement when paired with trim in the same shade.
A rich and elegant blend of espresso and charcoal, this color is like a well-tailored suit. And it is inspired by the resurgence of just that on today’s fashion runways. “The connection between fashion and interiors kept popping up again and again,” Hannah Yeo, senior manager of color marketing at Benjamin Moore, noted in a press release. It is almost an anti-trend. Timeless. Classic. And yet versatile. It is like a warm beverage on a cold winter day, comforting and nurturing.
Quietly elegant, Midnight Garden brings a sense of tranquility found under the branches of a tree roofed garden on a moonlight night. A smoky sage, the color changes with the light much like the lush foliage in a mid-summer garden. A breath-taking shade, it can be used anywhere, from kitchen cabinets to bedroom walls. It is a color that calls for one to slow down, to find restoration and wellness while providing visual inspiration.
A blue-green hybrid that changes its smoky jade tone in shifting light, it is a statement-making shade that is very soothing. A bit mysterious, “There isn’t a room where this color doesn’t work,” interior designer and Behr Designer Council member, Manuella Moreira told ELLE Decor. “It can be subtle or bold, and the way it plays with finishes just adds to the dynamic.” Shades of green are still in strong demand for those wanting to merge the in and out of doors.
Another shade of smoky green, Warm Eucalyptus is inspired by the desire for mindful living, to slow down and feed the soul. Nature-inspired, this color has a vintage feel, while being totally modern, and delivering a sense of nostalgic comfort and calm. It is refined and restorative, grounded and inviting.
“In the coming year, we will redefine our notion of neutral hues,” Sue Kim, Valspar’s Director of Color Marketing told Better Homes and Gardens magazine. “Going beyond the classified color term, neutral refers to colors that set a grounding and inviting mood with the warmth that calms our senses.”
Urbane Heritage
Hues found under the umbrella of Urbane Heritage return to the time of craftsmanship, of the smell of wood paneled libraries filled with leather-bound volumes etched in golf leaf, of the hunt across wild open spaces. They make one think of chestnut bays racing through the fields, and weekends spent in the country indulging in reenergizing and finding the time to dig into the bond between human and nature.
This rich, grounded red can be bold and exciting, or classic and elegant. Glidden recommends using it for color-drenching a reading nook or libraries giving these spaces warmth and dimension. It is earthy, like the clay dirt of Tennessee. It pairs beautifully with creamy accents or with natural wood and brass hardware for a more dramatic, sophisticated look. It inspires and stimulates, while being grounded.
A deep plum shade with dark cherry tones was chosen by British wallpaper and paint company Gram and Brown for their 2026 COTY. This jewel tone represents the continuation of the moody color pallet that has been trending the last several years. With its retro vibe, Divine Damson transcends time as a long-time staple of high-end clothing and leather goods. It has universal appeal, conveying quality and structure.
As consumers display more color confidence in their homes, red tones are getting deeper and deeper, beginning with pink and moving into clay in previous years. This color is a regal plum aubergine, which is a “natural progression” according to what Creative Director Ruth Mottershead told Elle Decor. It provides warmth, intimacy and balance in any room with a touch of modernity.
Matte Coffee Bean is a rich, earthy brown that offers reddish undertones. It reflects the cultural shift taking place as people look for authentic design that is grounded in natural elements while providing a polished and inviting style, like a relaxing cup of coffee shared with a friend. It is also inspired by the growing interest in vintage hand-made furniture and fine crafts, repurposing, and DIY projects that are creative and unpretentious with a dash of luxury and modern sophistication.
Minwax’s warm, earthy brown stain is not so much a color as an enhancement of the beauty of reclaimed wood and the appeal of natural design. According to Miwax’s Color and Design Lead Lisbeth Parada, the selection of this color as their Color of the Year reflects three major cultural influences shaping home design: wood’s … role as a design anchor, the appeal of nostalgic charm with story and soul, and consumers’ desire for style with staying power. It helps bring back the authentic beauty of wood’s fine grains and natural warmth.
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