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every year, major paint companies announce their color of the year, along with predictions for future color trends. while this used to be a niche topic that, as an interior designer, only seemed to be of interest to my peers in the industry, things have changed over the past five to ten years. today, these color announcements are highly anticipated and heavily publicized, encouraging not only professionals but homeowners and do-it-yourselfers to take these paint color suggestions and nominate them. i first really noticed this phenomenon with sherwin-williams’ 2021 urban bronze, which i used multiple times that year at client request and was everywhere on social media. granted, it’s a fantastic paint color, perfect for a front door or a bedroom for ambiance, but i digress. the point is, this was the first time i’d really seen a paint company build widespread homeowner brand loyalty with its color trends.

sherwin-williams has announced their paint colors and predictions for 2025. while there are plenty of amazing shades and images to draw from, how much trust should you actually put in these recommendations? if you’re in the market for new paint colors, here’s why i think you should take a close look at these color trends—keep an eye out for any that really make your heart flutter—but take these recommendations with a grain of salt. your heart (and your bank account) will thank me later.

sherwin-williams coatings trends 2025

as a design professional, i do feel that it’s beneficial to keep up with current color trends—but more as a form of research than any kind of strict guidelines. the color palette for this year for hgtv home by sherwin-williams is “naturally sophisticated,” which includes warm neutrals, soft blues, soft yellows, sage greens, and terracotta. within this palette, a serene, soft green-blue called “serenity” was named the color of the year for 2025. emphasizing the use of soft earth tones to create a tranquil, luxurious atmosphere in the home, hgtv home by sherwin-williams predicts that 2025 will be all about hues that feel calming and elegant at the same time.

sherwin-williams has also put together a series of predictions they call their "colormix 2025 forecast capsules," design-forward palettes with colors that can be mixed and matched to create a coordinated interior. the four capsules are: chrysalis (warm, minimalist neutrals), paradox (lively, saturated maximalist tones), fountainhead (timeless traditional tones), and kindred (warm, inviting colors that include soft and moody hues). the idea is that creating a color palette for your home within any of the capsules, based on an aesthetic that works for you, will ensure a curated, on-trend look for 2025. while both of these color predictions feel pretty spot-on for the trajectory of popular paint colors, that's why my advice is to ignore them when choosing your own paint palette.

the problem with coatings trends in 2025

renowned designer nate berkus, who is known for his anti-trend approach to designing timeless interiors, said it best: "trends are designed to make people regret the color they didn't buy last year. it's planned obsolescence," he told atlanta magazine. that's the crux of the matter—the paint industry wants you to have fomo about color so they can sell more paint, it's that simple. if you choose a paint color simply because it's popular, when it inevitably stops being popular, you'll likely get tired of it quickly because it wasn't something you chose with your heart. then you'll buy the next hot paint color, and the paint company will have more money in its pocket. and so the cycle continues.

rather than following trend recommendations from retailers who want your hard-earned money, carefully choose paint colors based on what makes you happy. by choosing colors you truly love, they’ll last longer in your home, rather than feeling like you need to change them as often. this approach will also help you save money on other items in your space—if you don’t change the color of a room often, you’ll have less need to adjust other decorative items that go with it. this means you’ll be able to invest more time, energy, and money into crafting your home with treasures you’ll love forever, and who wouldn’t want that?