The 2025 Colors of the Year Are Wildly Different, Yet They All Have This in Common
IT’S THE YEAR OF THE RICH AUNTIE!
At first glance, the 2025 Colors of the Year couldn’t be more different. A ruby red more striking than Taylor Swift’s signature lip color, a spa-like sage green, a deep, lose-yourself-in-it blue—this isn’t the year everyone went gaga for earthy greens or all sought intensely saturated hues. But one thing’s certain: Now is not the time for neutrals.
If these early announcements are any indication, people are craving capital-c Color, perhaps the pendulum swing of many years of white-on-white-with-light-wood minimalism. And influenced by an overall trend toward richer, darker shades.
After the past year’s eclectic grandpa and quiet luxury movements, it seems like we’re heading toward an infusion of the two: a rich auntie, if you will. Many brands cite people’s growing desire for luxe, refined spaces, an interest in Old World design and a sense of warmth and timelessness. And the colors they’ve chosen all seem at home in prominent, successful women’s abodes, mirrored in their very wardrobes. Oprah Winfrey, Duchess Sophie, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ina Garten are just a handful of tastemakers known for their classic style—and for rocking these hues. (In fact, Jennifer Garner’s recent home tour features nearly all of these colors.)
So, if you want to create a rich sanctuary that feels a bit more polished than eclectic grandpa and not so boring as camel-on-caramel quiet luxury, why not give one of these Colors of the Year a spin?
1. Rumors by Behr
Consider this the decor equivalent of fall’s dark cherry and burgundy fashion trends. Rumors is a deep shade of ruby-verging-on-maroon that’s meant to add warmth to a home without being jarringly in-your-face. Yes, red is a polarizing color to coat your walls (in 2021, a Zillow study found it made homes sell for $1,500 less on average), but it seems people are opening up to it. In Behr’s research, 76 percent of Americans would consider painting a room or wall red, with 73 percent believing it can add depth and character to the space.
Rumors is a darker, more wine-like color than your typical red. It’s richer and easier to live with than brighter hues, yet if you’re thinking of reselling soon, you may want to play it safer with something a little less moody.
2. Encore by Valspar
More arresting than navy, with more depth than a classic blue, Valspar’s Color of the Year evokes a coastal vibe; one that’s more old-money Hamptons than playful Jersey Shore. (To that end, it feels all too fitting that it’s practically Garten’s signature chambray.) The shade was chosen because it emulates “both the elusive luxury of Old World design and the futuristic blending of our physical and digital world,” according to Sue Kim, director of color marketing at Valspar. All that to say, it’s the kind of versatile color that, depending on what you pair it with—say, ornate, gilt-framed paintings and burlwood furniture or light wood and modern pieces—it can skew traditional or modern.
3. Quietude by HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams
The clearest outlier of the Colors of the Year (so far), Quietude is the brightest, airiest color of the bunch, but it was still chosen for its upscale-yet-relaxing feel. It’s part of the brand’s “naturally refined” color collection, a set of ten shades designed to complement each other (making it that much easier to decide what accent colors to use as you go about your room refresh). It pairs well with warm browns and oranges, and the sage hue is ideal for anyone who wants to add color but isn’t too crazy about dark, moody spaces. It’s a shortcut to giving your bathroom a resort spa aesthetic, even if it’s barely larger than a broom closet.
By Candace Davison, Published Sep 24, 2024
https://www.purewow.com/home/color-of-the-year
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