Colour Trends for the Rest of 2025 and 2026
2025 Trends: Warmth, Earthiness & Depth
Designers continue to lean into warm, grounding palettes that evoke comfort, nature, and texture. Expect to see earthy terracotta, ochres, muted olives, clay tones, and rich browns dominate interiors. These tones work beautifully as foundational neutrals or as accent statements.
Soft, smoky greens and muted sage hues are also rising stars, they bring calmness without fading into the background. These tones combine well with wood, organic materials, and layered textures to create spaces that feel lived-in yet refined.
2025 trends: Designers are embracing cozy, sophisticated designs: earthy terracotta, sage greens, rich browns, and warm neutrals like Cinnamon Slate. Bold accents include Smokey Sage, Purple Basil, and terracotta tones, creating inviting, grounded spaces.
2026 forecasts: Stylish palettes are emerging with sunbaked hues (terracotta, ochre), frosted pastels, restorative darks (deep auburn, plum), and foundational neutrals (greys, beiges, inky accents) that offer longevity and emotional connection.
Colour of the Year picks: Behr’s “Hidden Gem” (smoky blue-green) provides a modern neutral that brings calm without blandness. Other anticipated highlights include olive browns, dusty teal, and vibrant greens that elevate both traditional and contemporary spaces.
2026 Forecasts: Balanced Neutrals with Moody Accents
Looking ahead, 2026 is about balanced palettes that fuse warmth and depth:
Warm neutrals: Brands like Sherwin-Williams have named Universal Khaki (SW 6150) their 2026 Colour of the Year: a grounded, beige-neutral with an organic feel.
Earth-forward accents: Expect continued use of terracotta, ochre, clay, olive, and clay-based reds as accent shades in 2026.
Moody + muted combinations: Plums, deep aubergine, and smoky blues with a dusty tone come into play as accent or feature colours that provide contrast without being overpowering.
Nature-inspired greens: Dulux’s 2026 palette features “Pine Forest,” a dark teal-green rooted in the Canadian landscape, blending neutrality with a touch of colour.
Soft pastels, reimagined: Pastels won’t disappear, they’re evolving into more “frosted” or dusty versions, layered for depth rather than flat, bright washes.
These palettes aim for nuance and emotional resonance, colours that feel natural, grounded, expressive, and layered.
Colour Swatch Ideas and Harmonies
To help pull these trends into real-world application, here are swatch ideas to inspire your next project:
Behr’s 2026 Colour of the Year “Hidden Gem” - A smoky blue-green / teal that serves as a versatile “new neutral.”
Schema highlights from PPG 2026 trends - Look for bold reds (Warm Mahogany), muted pinks, and deep charcoals paired with parchment and earthy supportive tones.
R.A.L. Colour Feeling 2026+ - A palette that blends muted tones across categories, neutrals, dusty accents, and deeper mood shades.
These ideas can help you develop colour combinations that read timeless but fresh: pairing a grounding neutral (like khaki or pine green) with a muted accent (plum, clay, or a dusty teal) can bring both balance and personality.
Why Trends Matter to You
Resale and appeal: Using modern, nature-infused palettes can help your space feel current and attractively neutral to a wider audience.
Emotional connection: Earth tones and muted accents tend to evoke calm, warmth, and grounding, something people increasingly seek.
Flexibility: Many of the trending hues are flexible enough to support layering and evolving décor without needing full repainting.
Want your space to look fresh, modern, and rooted in 2025 - 2026 trends?
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