The most asked interior design question I get daily is to do with paint. It’s the fear of straying from a bright white, and the uncertainty of what colors you pair with a wall paint in a scheme.
Now, the worst advice one can ever give is, pick a color you love, don’t follow the trends. Now, you certainly don’t have to follow what paints are trending each year, but if you want an interior that is bang on-trend and isn’t getting left behind, they can help us to create stylish spaces that look, and feel good in the present moment.
I’ve been writing these round ups for the last few years, and being involved heavily with interiors I have seen how much the colors we’re reaching for have changed. From greys and beiges to warmer neutrals, 2025 really is about digging deep and experimenting with color.
If you’re ready to start decorating and unsure on color choices, here are 9 paint color trends for 2025, along with a handful of paint brand recommendations so you can get stuck in!
Top 9 2025 Paint Color Trends, According To Design Experts
Color of the year releases from paint brands are often a pre-cursor of what is to come, based on consumers habits in their home.
This round up of 9 paint color trends also includes my own predictions for the year ahead, based on what I have been seeing in the interior world, and what I am using in my own interior design projects right now.
1.Plum Meets Brown
Brown is a continuation from 2024’s paint trends. We’re beginning to see richer, warmer undertones in brown, which help to lighten its feel, making it cozier and less heavy in interior spaces.
Benjamin Moore has passed the baton on this one with Cinnamon Slate, (pictured below) their color of 2025. It’s the most gorgeous delicate mix of heathered plum and velvety brown which offers a stylish and modern outlook.
This color is great for creating a moody, sultry ambience, think powder room, cinema room or a north facing living room that you want to cocoon in color. I think color drenching would be really effective with this color, saturating the room in the same color.
Despite being a darker shade, it actually pairs well with plenty of colors. Use black as a defining accent, it will ground the scheme and pull the room together.
This shade is available in both the UK and US, but I have listed a few other similar plum based shades below that can help you get onboard with their color of the year.
- Farrow and Ball – Brinjal (a richer take on Cinnamon Slate with more of an aubergine demeanour, love this one)
- Little Greene – Adventurer
- Sherwin Williams – Armadillo
2. Joyous Yellow
In recent years, we’ve begun to explore yellow tones, leaning towards more of a heritage yellow. A color I’d describe as a vintage, subdued yellow.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Dulux announced True Joy as their color of the year, and it’s bold, and understandably not one for everyone. But I do think there is some room for yellow in our schemes, especially if you find yourself drawn to the joyous, endearing qualities of the color.
Pictured below is True Joy, and look how it pairs with brown. The best way to cool off the warmth and intensity of yellow is by pairing it with a shade such as brown or even a deep plum or burgundy.
Marianne Shillingford, Creative Director and Color Expert at Dulux shares her thoughts on this years color;
“It may be difficult to immediately picture where yellow paint could seamlessly slot into your home, but it’s actually much more versatile than you may first think. The decision to choose the most uplifting hue in the spectrum is to spark inspiration and instil confidence to leap into the unknown and endless possibilities of what could be. Whilst yellow is one of the bolder colours on the spectrum, True Joy™ is complementary to a vast range of palettes, it brings out the positivity in even the most neutral of shades and is the figurative glue that binds more daring colour stories together“.
If you’re tempted but not really feeling it, get a tester of your chosen yellow and paint an A4 sheet of paper with it. It will allow you to easily transfer it around the room to see how it feels and looks in the given light of your room.
The beauty of this paint testing method is that you might find it works well on some existing cabinetry, or perhaps it instantly makes a dark north facing nook feel warm and cozy.
Here are some other joyous yellow paint colors to give a try.
- Benjamin Moore – Nacho Cheese (this might be my favorite ever paint color name!)
- Farrow and Ball – Babouche
3. The Unexpected Red Theory
Coined as the viral ‘unexpected red theory’ design trend, this theory involves featuring a large, or small splash of red in a room, which could be the secret to pulling an interior design scheme together, for a perfectly executed, stylish space.
Red is similar to yellow in that you might not instantly think of this as a color to use in your scheme. Once you see this theory in practice though, it really is a color you’ll want to feature in some small way in a room. You absolutely don’t need to go out painting accent walls in a version of red.
Take inspiration from the below and upcyle a bedside table or a piece of furniture in a rich red. The table below is painted in Annie Sloan primer red chalk paint. Can you see how that red splash just adds the most gorgeous accent color in an otherwise neutral room scheme? It’s a yes, yes and yes from me.
This playful color is perfect in small doses and works with modern, farmhouse and traditional interior schemes. If you’re ready to give this one a go, here are some gorgeous red shades that I love.
- Farrow and Ball – Eating Room Red
- Sherwin Williams – Antique Red
4. A Light, Breezy Blue
Coastal interiors have never really eased in popularity, but blue has been becoming more mainstream and is set to be a big hit for interiors in 2025.
There has often been a misconception that blue can make a room feel cold, and in fact, in my eyes from what I’m seeing it is becoming the new, soothing neutral.
Pictured below is Sherwin Williams color of the year, Upward. A breezy, blissful blue with a hint of silver. I’ve always said this about certain blue paint shades that despite blue being known as having a cooler undertone, they can actually make a room feel brighter.
I have featured a lot of blue in our newly renovated home, and time and time again I am drawn to light blues, especially Parma Gray by Farrow and Ball. There is something so breezy about these blues that uplift and create a soothing color palette. I believe much of this is due to blue’s association with the ocean and travel, instantly evoking a sense of carefree relaxation.
I have coined this as the new neutral for an interior, and that’s because virtually any color sits beautifully alongside it. Blacks, greens, reds, whites, yellows, natural materials. You don’t have to have a coastal inspired interior to enjoy using this shade.
5. A Warmer Neutral
Grey washing and bog standard beige is out. Last year saw us reaching for warmer, richer neutrals for a backdrop, and 2025 is an extension of that.
Neutrals with a taupe like quality or brown undertone are the perfect balance between warmth and character. Lick Beige 02 is a supportive, earthy beige that brings a rustic edge to your walls.
This style of neutral has a kind of metamorphic quality to it, it appears a different color depending on the light you view it in, making it a great choice for rooms, no matter the orientation.
Instead of reaching for a bright white, look at taupe or brown based neutrals for a cocooning color that will bring character and warmth to your rooms. Here are some more on-trend neutrals that perfectly fit the bill;
- Farrow and Ball – London Stone
- Benjamin Moore – Frosted Toffee
- Dulux – Egyptian Cotton
6. Deep Olive
Sage green interiors have benefitted from a whole lot of exposure over the last few years. It is one of the easiest colors on the eye, and instantly soothes the soul when you’re in its company.
But there is a need for these richer, warmer colors that carry more depth. Whilst sage green will always be a popular choice, interiors are leaning towards deeper, more richer greens.
This Olive wall paint in the living room below by Annie Sloan is a perfect example of how great this color can look in an earthy interior scheme. I believe the rise in this use of color is because of how many of us are seeking to create earthy inspired color schemes, I know this because it was one of my most read blogs this year!
We just love that link to the natural world, and I personally have an olive green office in my new house, in fact it’s been color drenched in it which creates in my opinion, a much more cocooning space than adding a bright white to the ceiling to finish off the room.
You don’t need to follow an earthy color scheme, but it goes well with a myriad of colors including browns, reds, yellows, whites, wooden tones, creams, black and brass accents.
Here are olive green go-to shades;
- Coat Paints – Park Life (this is my office shade, and it is dreamy in a sunny south facing room as it balances the intensity of the sun perfectly)
- Farrow and Ball – Card Room Green
- Sherwin Williams – Taiga (I have a post on my fave, on-trend Sherwin Williams greens)
7. Buttery Yellow – The Perfect Base
If a joyous yellow feels a step too far out of your comfort zone, a buttery yellow could be the perfect middle ground. A wonderful neutral that will work in any aspect.
In fact, Olga Krivodubskaya, interior designer at Studio57 Visualization said, “The fashion industry trends often hint at the upcoming popular colors for the year. From my experience, the most accurate way to predict which paint shades will become relevant in interior design – whether as a primary or accent color – is by looking at new clothing collections showcased during fashion weeks. For instance, not too long ago, a lovely buttery yellow shade, “Cream” appeared in New York, and I’m confident it will work perfectly as a base color in any interior”.
Farrow’s Cream by Farrow and Ball is a wonderful buttery neutral that works in marriage with more bolder shades that we are seeing coming through this year, such as the plum browns, maroons and yellows. Let this powder room below be your inspiration to give it a try!
If you have a cold, north facing room, this shade will counteract any blue light associated with the light that does comes into the space, yet it’s much trendier than a bog standard magnolia shade.
Some other buttery yellow neutrals to try;
- Benjamin Moore – Sugar Cookie
- Sherwin Williams – Lemon Meringue
8. Burnt Red Terracotta
Punchier colors are in, and using them in the most unexpected ways is very much on the design brief for 2025.
I’m talking about stairs, pieces of furniture and woodwork. This ties in with the unexpected red theory, all be it burnt red terracotta, and this color feels too good in an interior.
House Nine has designed this shade Spanked by Coat Paints which is featured in one of their projects below. The marriage between terracotta and green is just delicious, and hopefully this is the perfect inspiration you need to see how it can work.
2025 is about being braver with color, and this is such a gorgeous color to start with. Now, if you’re creating an earthy inspired look, terracotta should definitely be one you explore.
Here are some of my other fave rusty shades that are bang on-trend for the year ahead;
9. Soft Pink
You don’t need permission to paint a room pink in 2025. Whilst bolder shades are working there way through interiors, there’s always a time for a soft neutral, and soft pink paint shades are a perfect alternative if you need warmth in a room but don’t like the yellow tinge that can come from some warm off-whites.
Not only does the below image use Soft Pink by Benjamin Moore, but it combines with another on-trend paint shade for 2025, Chilli Pepper, the perfect token red shade to try out.
A few shades lighter than a typical ‘plaster’ pink, a soft pink delivers a delicate, feminine edge, yet is totally workable with pretty much all colors when it’s used as a base.
Looking for that perfect pink based off-white, here are some other alternatives to bring some warmth and color into the equation;
- Farrow and Ball – Tailor Tack
- Sherwin Williams – Pale Pink
What do you think of the 2025 paint colors for our interiors? If you are looking for some more paint shades to tie in with these, please leave me a comment below and I’ll come back with my recommendations! Watch my full round up with more ideas on Youtube.
