Benjamin Moore selected Cinnamon Slate, a mix of heathered plum and velvety brown, as its 2025 Color of the Year.
Photo provided by Benjamin Moore
METRO DETROIT — A new year is a great time to update the spaces in your home with fresh color.
Trend forecasters from global color authorities, like Pantone, along with various major paint brands, have announced their colors of the year — which industry leaders predict will dominate interiors in 2025.
Whether you decide to add hints of trending colors in home decor or update the paint on your walls for a bolder look, experts say these are the colors to select.
Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse, is a warm, rich brown “infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement,” according to the company’s website.
“Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, said in a prepared statement.
The soft brown is a versatile shade that “evokes the feeling of comfort in a home,” according to Pantone — whether on flooring, a painted wall, within home decor, or in more natural materials like wood and stone, rattan and wicker or leather and linen.
Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year is Cinnamon Slate, “a delicate mix of heathered plum and velvety brown,” according to Arianna Barone, color marketing manager at Benjamin Moore. The hue, she continued, offers “enduring style and modern sensibility.”
“Adaptable, yet distinct, it brings a soothing familiarity and balance to any design,” Barone noted. “The nuances in its undertones are what make it unique, but still versatile.”
For the past couple of years, Pantone officials said, they have seen a reach for more saturated and colorful hues.
“We also continue to notice a growing sentiment of creating unique and personalized spaces that also have a sense of ease,” Barone shared. “As people gain a better understanding and overall appreciation for color and how it’s used in design, we now see them opting for more nuanced hues that are adaptable, yet distinct. Certainly not neutral, but not quite primary, these colors encourage curiosity and invite you to think of all ends of the color spectrum.”
When designing a room with Cinnamon Slate, Pantone officials said bringing in warmer accents in golds and ambers can make the violet undertone more distinguishable. On the other hand, by using cooler colors and lighting, and plum hues, Cinnamon Slate can take on more of a neutral look.
“We love it color-drenched in a living room, especially when paired with leather, warm woods and brushed gold metallic accents for a moody vibe,” Barone said. “It is also beautiful in a bedroom with layered neutrals for a truly enveloping respite.”
Behr announced Rumors, a deep ruby red, as its Color of the Year for 2025. The color, Behr officials say, is poised to add warmth and a touch of luxury throughout the home. “Rumors is a universal color that transcends design styles and embraces self-expression,” the company’s website says, “from eye-catching curb appeal on a front door to a four-wall drench in a bedroom.”
“We’re seeing people embrace color like never before,” Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr Paint Co., said in a prepared statement. “Rumors is a modern take on the timeless red that creates an energetic appeal to make a lasting statement in a stunning way.”
After a decade and a half of annual Color of the Year announcements, Sherwin-Williams decided to celebrate color in a new way — combining its collections to curate the Sherwin-Williams 2025 Color Capsule of the Year.
“It’s very special to commemorate our 15th Color of the Year anniversary by expanding to an entire capsule that is a modern, fresh take on color, with a balanced and usable assortment of shades,” Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, said in a prepared statement. “Together — as a complete palette or in expertly picked pairings — the capsule’s alchemy creates something to be treasured in any style or setting.”
The 2025 Color Capsule of the Year, the company says, includes “a mix of forever favorites, beautiful hues of the moment and future classics that encapsulate a variety of eras and aesthetics,” comprising the following shades: Grounded, a “versatile and captivating brown”; Sunbleached, “an adaptable and airy light neutral that is somewhere deeper than white, not quite gray, and ventures beyond a basic beige or taupe”; Chartreuse, a “vibrant yellow-green”; Rain Cloud, a “stormy and deep gray-blue hue”; Clove, an “entrancing brown”; Malabar, a “sandy beige neutral”; Bosc Pear, a “cinnamon-dusted golden hue”; White Snow, a beautiful, pure white; and Mauve Finery, a “sophisticated” true mauve.