The next big color trend after gray is a move towards warmer, earthier neutrals like beige, cream, and taupe, aiming for cozy, inviting spaces, with accents of rich, nature-inspired tones like deep greens, terracotta, and berry reds also gaining traction, shifting away from gray's cooler, sterile feel.
Gray prevailed in home design for years, offering a neutral backdrop for any decor style. However, experts agree this trend is finally losing its appeal as 2025 approaches.
While specific shades vary, the three paint colors that consistently remain stylish are classic white, warm beige/greige, and deep navy blue, offering versatility from bright backdrops to rich accents, with soft greens and grays also being perennial favorites for their calming, sophisticated feel.
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Trending paint colors for 2025-2026 lean into warmth, nature, and depth, moving away from cool grays towards rich, earthy tones like olive greens, terracotta, warm beiges, and deep jewel tones (burgundy, sapphire, emerald), with popular choices including muted sages, soft clays, hot chocolate browns, and dusky pinks, creating cozy, authentic, and grounded spaces.
Beige is emerging as the new go-to neutral, adding warm and inviting tones to interiors. In this article, we'll explore why beige is taking over and how to use it in your home. Beige is replacing gray as a popular interior color, offering warmth and versatility for various design styles.
For 2025, the Pantone Color Institute selects PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.
Leave overused, cool neutrals in 2025 and take advice from interior designer Marianne Jones and embrace warm, earthy, and saturated color palettes. "Hello rich browns, dusty olives, tobacco tones, warm yellows, deep teals, plums, and moody reds and burgundies," the designer says.
While opinions vary, experts often suggest avoiding bright red, dull cement grey, and olive green, as these can deter buyers or look uninviting, with black and some neons also discouraged for heat absorption or jarring intensity, according to insights from real estate sites like Zillow and designers.
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Key Points. Avoid outdated cabinet shades like navy, cherry wood, mustard yellow, and country red. These colors once felt warm or luxurious but now make kitchens look dated or overly themed. Instead, choose softer neutrals, natural woods, or richer muted tones for a timeless feel.
White is light that contains all colors of the visible spectrum. It is the mother of all colors.
The 80/20 color rule in design suggests using one dominant color or palette for 80% of a space and a contrasting or accent color for the remaining 20% to create balance and harmony, making a room feel cohesive and intentional rather than chaotic. This principle applies to walls, furniture, and decor, allowing for a primary theme (like warm tones) and adding pops of complementary color (like cool tones) through smaller items like pillows, throws, or art, notes Yahoo Lifestyle Canada.
5 Paint Color Trends to Say Goodbye to in 2025
Joanna Gaines has a new favorite paint color: Cottage Grove. It's a moody navy-green blend from her Magnolia Home collection. Inspired by a historic castle renovation, the shade has been used throughout her kitchen and butler's pantry for a cozy, cocooning effect.
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The Scottish Tradition. More recently, some homeowners — particularly in Scotland — paint their front door red in order to signify that they have paid off their mortgage.
These aren't just colors that are out of style—they're shades that actively discourage offers and can lower perceived value.
There are three main types of “impossible” colors: Forbidden colors. These are colors our eyes simply cannot process because of the antagonistic way our cones work, for instance “red-green” or “yellow-blue.”
Timeless wall colors focus on versatile neutrals and classic hues that offer longevity, including soft whites (White Dove, Alabaster), warm grays and greiges (Revere Pewter), soothing greens (sage, moss), calming blues (navy, pale blue), and warm beiges/taupes (Accessible Beige, Jitney). These colors serve as adaptable backdrops, easily coordinating with diverse decor styles and enduring beyond fleeting trends, creating a classic and sophisticated feel.
Overwhelmingly, color—bolder, deeper colors, especially—was number one on designers' 2025 trend list. “People want color and they want their homes to tell a story,” says O'Neil.
The first color is your main color, the second color is still prominent, but not as much as the main color. The third color is your accent color that you use sparingly or sprinkled here and there. If you're into numbers you could break this down into 60%, 30%, and 10%.
Dulux Colour of the Year 2025 True Joy™, is an uplifting yellow that fills a room with optimism and joy.
Warm, Earthy Color Palettes
And designers appear to be aligned on this across the board. Perry Walter, of Atlanta's Walter Studio Interior Design, points to a rise in “warm, earthy neutrals such as creamy off-whites and sandy tones,” along with deeper hues like “olive, eucalyptus, deep navy, and blue-green tones.”
Key new industries in 2025 include AI & Machine Learning, Renewable Energy, Healthcare & Biotechnology, FinTech, Robotics, E-Learning, Cybersecurity, Financial Services, Electric Vehicles, and Sustainable Consumer Tech.