Why Color Trend Forecasters Are Predicting “Chaos” in 2025
Sherwin-Williams has officially released its 2025 Colormix Forecast, a collection of 48 colors that take cues from rising trends, global events, and cultural moments. What’s in the cards for the forthcoming year’s colors? We’re taking the viral unexpected red trend up more than a few notches.
“It’s a little bit of chaos,” Sue Wadden, the color marketing director at Sherwin-Williams, tells ELLE DECOR. “But it’s not explosions of color everywhere. It's smaller moments done in an impactful way.” In other words, 2025 color trends will align with the unexpected red theory—but with every other color. This might play out in the form of the kitchen cabinets being doused in yellow, or someone taking their paintbrush to the room’s trim for a daring pop of color. “We’re not looking to anyone for permission on how we use color anymore,” Wadden adds.
These audacious color moments, Wadden and her team have concluded, are tempered by an interest in deep, rich colors—proof that we’re still feeling the ripple effects of last year’s dualistic color conversation inspired by the Barbenheimer internet phenomenon (cue the high-contrast series of vibrant pinks and moody blacks). Next year, however, that duality will play out in a more leveling way. “We’re searching for an authentic color, whether it’s an anchoring dark hue, or a bold, bright pop of color,” Wadden explains. “One thing’s for certain: We’re going way beyond pink.”
The Colormix Forecast, which kicked off last year, distills all of these observations into four distinct palettes. Read on to see what’s in store.
Organic Grays and Browns
The first palette features a combination of earth tones: sand-colored neutrals, cappuccino browns, and slate grays. “These monolithic hues represent the evolution of the nature palette—but also feel like a rendition of stealth wealth that is really having a moment,” Wadden explains. Their inspiration for this color story sprang from the showrooms seen at this year’s Milan Design Week. “Prada’s showroom had these large stone forms, and so many others were exhibiting raw materials. And now, months later, we’re seeing it everywhere.”
Electric Brights and Candy-Coated Accents
Next, the pendulum swings as far as it could to the other side of the color spectrum, with a playful palette of what the paint company calls “dopamine-drenched colors.” There’s a punchy lilac hue, a glitzy gold tone, and a peacock blue color. These are paired with grounding neutrals like a pastel green and warm off-white. “Last year we went nuts, dousing a room in bold splashes of pink-on-pink,” Wadden says. “This year, we want to harbor that in a fun way that feels accessible.”
It’s not just about drenching a room in red, or even a maximalist moment, she adds. “It’s more about taking a risk, breaking your own rules, and just trying something new.”
While Wadden hinted that yellow won’t be the paint company’s coveted color of the year (place your bets elsewhere, folks), she sees it playing out in a big way in the year ahead. “Those buttery yellows are an important color to look for, and it’s about time. When’s the last time we really talked about yellow?” she says.
Rich Reds, Greens, and Blues
The third palette also sprang from observations made at Milan Design Week. “We noticed this revival of nostalgic, vintage, neoclassic moments that leaned into antiques and the heritage behind them.” The colors are very traditional—deep reds, greens, and blues—rich hues that, when paired with brighter, more modern tones, still feel fresh. “It’s a return to the classics, with a funky edge,” Wadden explains. And speaking of funky, we would be remiss not to note how it also leans into that ‘90s energy that has experienced a resurgence in recent years.
Warm Neutrals and Soft Pastels
And finally, the fourth collection features a lineup of feel-good colors: hues called Icy Lemonade, Sun Bleached Ochre, and Red Tomato. They’re softer, warmer, nourishing colors. “They’re the colors that, when doused around a room, give you a warm hug,” Wadden says. “It’s about community and being together, and being good to each other.” Together, they are sure to set the right mood in any space.
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