Colour of the year 2026 for interiors: every brand's pick and how to use it

Colour of the year 2026: what Pantone and the paint brands chose

Pantone and every major paint brand name their own colour of the year, so there is no single 2026 colour. Sherwin-Williams announced its pick on 24 September 2025, Benjamin Moore on 16 October and Pantone in early December. The table gives the official names and codes, so you can find each shade in a fan deck.

Here a hex code is given only for Behr (#596D69, from Behr's page). For the others, check the maker's page or judge from a paint sample on your own wall rather than on screen: a monitor always distorts colour a little.

Two camps: warm neutrals and deep colours

Put all the colours of the year side by side and they fall into two groups.

Both groups match the wider 2026 trends. Houzz reports earthy colours replacing all-white interiors and green becoming the new neutral. Designers Dezeen spoke to talk about smoky pastels and mineral shades with one bright accent. In practice that means a calm background and one bold colour, not five at once.

• Warm neutrals and earthy tones: Pantone Cloud Dancer, Sherwin-Williams Universal Khaki, Benjamin Moore Silhouette. A background you can live with for years.
• Deep blues, greens and berry tones: Dulux Rhythm of Blues, Behr Hidden Gem, Valspar Warm Eucalyptus, Tikkurila Kameleontti, Graham & Brown Divine Damson. They give a room character, but need space and good light.

How Riga's grey winter light changes colour

In a Riga winter there is little daylight, and what there is tends to be diffuse and overcast. Under that light, cool greys turn flat and a white wall looks greyish.

It is safer to choose colours with a warm undertone: creamy white, khaki, beige, brown, greens with a yellow or brownish base. If you go for white, for example something close to Cloud Dancer, compare several white samples side by side. On the wall they differ far more than they do in the shop.

In the evening, artificial light decides the colour. Warm white at 2700–3000 K is the usual advice for living spaces, and it makes every colour warmer. So look at your sample both in daylight and in the evening under your own lamps.

Which colour works in a north-facing room

A north-facing room gets even but cool light. A warm undertone balances it, a cool one adds to the blueness.

Can you paint a small room a dark colour

The common belief is that a small room should be white. Yet a dark colour on every wall blurs the corners, and the room stops feeling like a box.

In Soviet-era blocks the WCs and bathrooms are usually small, which is exactly where a dark colour makes sense. The photo shows a dark green WC with a recessed light line in the ceiling and a wall-hung toilet. In a dark room, even light from the ceiling helps the walls look smooth, so the room does not feel heavy. The 2026 greens, such as Behr Hidden Gem or Valspar Warm Eucalyptus, also suit a dark WC.

Accent wall or textiles: where to put a trend colour

You do not have to paint every wall in the colour of the year. Kameleontti yellow-green, Divine Damson plum or Dulux cobalt work better as an accent: one wall, a sofa, curtains, cushions. Changing textiles is easier than repainting a room, so it makes sense to try the boldest colours there first. Houzz also points to warm yellow accents in textiles: ochre, mustard and honey.

The photo shows a living room with a dark green velvet sofa, track lighting and wall mouldings. A deep colour can come from furniture rather than only from the walls, and in velvet it looks even richer.

For an accent wall, pick the one you see first as you walk in, or the wall behind the bed or sofa. The window wall is a poor choice: against the light it looks almost black. Benjamin Moore Silhouette, a dark brown, suits exactly this kind of single wall, provided the others stay light.

Common mistakes when choosing interior colours

Most colour mistakes come from haste rather than taste.

• Choosing a colour from a screen or catalogue without testing a sample on your own wall.
• Using a cool grey in a north-facing room.
• Painting the whole flat in a trend colour you will tire of within a year.
• Putting several bright colours in one room instead of one accent on a calm background.
• Forgetting about evening light: under a lamp a colour looks different from daylight.
• Choosing the wall colour before the floor, furniture and curtains are decided.

Choosing colours with Valerija Gelfere

Valerija Gelfere, with more than 10 design projects completed, chooses colours together with the floor, furniture, textiles and lighting, so the flat reads as one whole. First you get a palette and a material collage, and you approve the colours from them before the 3D begins. The 3D then shows every room from all angles, all before you buy the first tin of paint.

A design project with a colour palette costs from 5 €/m². Valerija does not paint walls or carry out renovation, but she recommends painters she has worked with.