Colour Trends

You may be aware of the colour of the Year. Usually it was done by Pantone but more and more over the years the various paint companies such as Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams in the US and Dulux and Crown in the UK have also been adding theirs or in some cases, not just a singular colour of the year but a palette of colours, usually in shades that complement each other and work well together in a scheme.

Image by Sherwin Williams

With this year's choices I have to admit I have struggled to find a single one that I am not keen on. I'm particularly loving the deep red burgundy tones, given that we're almost half way through the year (how did that happen?), you have highly likely seen them everywhere. There's also some deep purples, don't think regal purple think more regency purple.

Image by Behr

However, a colour you possibly might not have considered at least not firsthand or certainly not for anything beyond furniture such as tables and sideboards would be brown, which in essence id the colour of the year for 2025. Yes, brown, think rich, velvety coffee hues - in fact, the colour of the year is Mocha Mousse (see what I did there). So if you like a neutral, earthy,  boho or a biophilic look then you'll be pleased to hear the browns are very much having that moment in terms of interiors and coloUrs for your home. 

Image by Pantone

That's not to say that the greens and the blues that have been seen over the last few years have gone out the window completely. No, they're just not the overwhelming focus. It's not green everywhere you turn and it's certainly not the deep rich greens that you've seen, more lighter shades. Think more of your sage greens or maybe your olive greens. They're still doing their thing so if you love those keep on with them. To be fair, whatever colour you like keep on with those, it is after all your space. 

Another colour that is very much in currently for 2025 is good old, yellow, Sunshine yellow to be more precise and makes you smile on a gloomy day. Music to my ears because yellow is actually my favourite colour and I am the person who painted my kitchen cupboards a very sunny yellow, well slightly on the mustard side. But when the sun hits on a bright sunny day, there's no doubting that it is yellow! If you're into colour theory at all, then you will know that yellow is a happy colour, an energizing colour, and as I write this and look out of the window on a wet grey day, I very much appreciate having a bright yellow kitchen. 

Image by Dulux

Trends are all good and well but some things that you need to consider when it comes to color are the tone and the shade, because as we know not all colours are made equal. The more advanced technology has gotten, you can now have not that I've personally counted, but what feels like a zillion shades of white let alone all the other colours in between that and black. You may like a colour but before you slap it on your walls don't forget to think about the space it's going into and what you use that space for. Would I put the same yellow in my bedroom? No because that's not the way I want my bedroom to feel. I don't want my bedroom to make me feel like I want to breakout dancing. I want it to be calming, I want it to be relaxing. 

Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Another thing that you want to consider is the type of space you're putting the colour in. So if you've got a room with no external light, for instance, maybe it's a cloak room, making everything dark that's not necessarily a bad thing if you want it to be dramatic. But if you want it to feel airy that obviously is not going to be achieved by going for dark, heavy colours. Likewise, if you've got a room that doesn't get lots of natural light because it happens to be North facing, for instance, trying to go for a colour that feels warm and bright and light, you may struggle a little bit. Something that could look quite bright in certain light at a certain time of day could end up looking very subdued come later in the day. Are you happy with that and vice versa?

It is also important to remember that the way the colour looks in its liquid form is not always the same way it's going to look in its dried form but of course I'm sure you know this by now. That's why you do your colour swatches and that's why you do it so that you can test how it looks in different lights across the day so that you can get a full feel of how it will work. 

Obviously when it comes to decor items, you don't have to worry so much about how the colours will change. But again, it is worth thinking about the purpose for which you're using the space and how you're wanting it to feel.