The beginning of the year brings about resolutions, tasks, and spring home maintenance. While the summer brings outdoor parties, kids at home, and family vacations are in full bloom.
Home renovations and improvement projects may not be top of mind in the beginning of the year. However, time becomes available and decluttering starts throughout the year and all of a sudden, the availability and maybe in finances to conduct the project are now available to you.
Some of the projects are as simple as updating a color in your room or around your house. Each year we review the paint colors of the year in case you are interested in considering them.
In 2026, each of the paint vendors have decided what color they think will become a trend. Here they are.
Pantone – Cloud Dancer
Pantone has decided Cloud Dancer is the color of the year. This is a subtle almost cloud like white that can add a crisp but subtle cleanliest to any wall. One of the concepts that I appreciated is that they are using a crystal concept to explain why they decided this color was selected.
These crystals are associated with calm, intention, focus, and new beginnings. There is an almost calm to this color and Pantone has recommended pairing it with pastel colors to create that airy light feeling.
Dutch Boy Paints – Melodius Ivory
Like the Pantone color, Dutch Boy choose a light color that brings a warmth to a room. This ivory color has a hint of tan or yellow to it which is also often paired with muted colors to bring a subtle color palette to a room.
Sherwin Williams – Universal Khaki
As we move up in the color palette, Sherwin Williams decided that Universal Khaki was the color of the year. Khaki brings that warm and grounded aspect to a home. It is a universal color for the inside or the outside of your home.
C2 Paints – Epernay
Epernay is the paint color C2 Paints choose as the color of the year because it reminded them of a French countryside. C2 Paints actually use words like champagne and sunlight to give this glowing color a bubbly sense of happy to a home.
PPG – Secret Safari
If you are considering a color that blends gold with shades of green to come up with a muted lime color. The color, Secret Safari, can brighten a sun room, bring life to a bathroom and make a wall stand out in a room that could use a splash of color.
Valspar – Warm Eucalyptus
Valspar’s choice of warm eucalyptus as a color continues this year’s journey of warm muted colors. If ever you have been near a eucalyptus tree, you see the richness of the leaves. This color takes that green color and mute it to bring a calming affect to a room.
Dunn Edwards – Midnight Garden
We are moving into richer and deeper colors with Dun Edward’s Midnight Garden. This color gets a little more green and feels very much like being in a garden. Dunn Edwards is pairing this color with lovely pastel colors that bring about a peaceful sense to a room.
Behr – Hidden Gem
If you are looking for a subtle blue color for your project, Behr’s Hidden Gem is the color that may resonate with you. There is a hint of blue and green in this color, but is still calming and cool and warm at the same time. You can see what this color looks like day and night on their website.
Glidden – Warm Mahogany
This is the one color of the bunch that stands out because it feels more like being in colonial Williamsburg with its rich warm reddish tones. It is still paired well with muted pastel colors because although it is a rich color, it is not an overpowering color.
Benjamin Moore – Silhouette
We are coming to the end of painting options and the last two are truly brown color in nature. Silhouette is brown with hints of grey to further mute the brown and make it more useful in a variety of rooms. Pairing this color with other shades of brown can make a room warm and enriching.
Kryon – Coffee Bean
Finally, we have Coffee Bean by Kryon. Another brown color. Kryon has spray paints. Rather than painting wall, you are painting items or furniture. This is a nice change from traditional black and white spray paint.
Trends for 2026
The one pattern I discovered with this year’s colors of the year, is that they are all leaning towards muted warm comfy colors that bring peace and calm. They are using colors to create a sense of comfort in your home. A sense of connectedness that you can share with your guests. If you are considering updating your home with paint, these colors are worth considering.
Dos and Don’ts of Painting Your Home
