These Paint Colors Will Start Popping Up Everywhere in 2026, According to Pros
It used to be the case that there was only one color of the year: the Pantone Color of the Year, which has been called the new “it” color for more than two decades. But in recent years, other paint companies and even stain companies have gotten in on the action to predict the next hot color for the year to come.
To choose these colors of the year, marketing specialists scour runways, buying trends, auto trends, tech trends, and even food trends (Yes really!) This year I ate a meal that was all Warm Mahogany-themed) to determine the colors people are gravitating toward in and outside of their homes. And the editors at Apartment Therapy have been keeping track so you don’t have to.
Below, I rounded up all the 2026 colors of the year that have been announced from brands big and small. Don’t feel like you have to go all in on one of these colors, unless you love a color drench. These COTY picks will begin to pop up in home decor and accessories in addition to paint, so you can mix and match and incorporate your favorites together for an on-trend 2026 look.
Here are all the paint colors predicted to take off (or have staying power) in 2026.
Dutch Boy: Melodious Ivory
For Dutch Boy’s 2026 color of the year, the brand went with a butter yellow-adjacent pick, Melodious Ivory. It’s technically a little more tan than yellow, but it would look great (and somewhat vintagey) on anything from walls to trim to cabinets. Dutch Boy is exclusively sold at Menard’s, so head there to pick up a can and try it out.
Behr: Hidden Gem
Behr’s 2026 Color of the Year is a deep blue-green called Hidden Gem, and it’s a favorite of Apartment Therapy’s executive home director, Danielle Blundell. She says it’s intense (in other words, not boring) but quiet (in other words, not too in-your-face). “Depending on what you surround it with, this shade can go eclectic, traditional, modern,” she wrote previously. It “plays well with just about any interior design style.”
Valspar: Warm Eucalyptus
Another blue-green Danielle loves? Warm Eucalyptus by Valspar. She writes that Valspar’s 2026 COTY pick would be a great fit for a relaxing bedroom, colorful-but-comforting kitchen cabinets, or a spa-like bathroom. And Valspar’s director of color marketing, Sue Kim, encourages you to think of the green shade like a neutral. “In the coming year, we will redefine our notion of neutral hues,” she predicts — it’s not just about beige and gray!
Glidden: Warm Mahogany
Whereas Behr and Valspar went cool with their color picks, Glidden, like last year, stayed in the red section of the color wheel. Glidden’s pick for its 2026 color of the year is a red-meets-brown called Warm Mahogany, which reminds me of heirloom antiques and beautiful brownstones — fitting for the paint brand’s 150th anniversary. Glidden’s in-house color expert Ashley McCollum says the color converges “style and history.”
Sherwin-Williams: Universal Khaki
It’s always nice to have a creamy neutral in the bunch, and Sherwin-Williams’ 2026 color of the year called Universal Khaki, might just be your next go-to. It’s an earthy, versatile tan. The color is also the HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams COTY (exclusively sold at Lowe’s) and was picked by the Sherwin-Williams Global Trendsights team, led by Sue Wadden, director of color marketing.
Little Greene: Adventurer
No, Little Greene Paint Company, based out of the U.K., didn’t pick a green; in fact, it went with a bold burgundy called Adventurer. The name is fitting: Ruth Mottershead, Little Greene’s creative director, says it “represents customers’ growing confidence with color in their homes.”
Krylon: Matte Coffee Bean
Krylon, known for its spray paints, also picked a color of the year: a very dark brown called Coffee Bean. It looks modern and minimalist on furniture (as shown on the credenza above), and I personally think the matte spray paint would be a great color to try for the brown striped furniture DIY trend.
Minwax: Special Walnut
Minwax’s stain color of the year is Special Walnut. “Special Walnut delivers with a classic, dimensional tone that feels both familiar and fresh,” Color and Design Lead Lisbeth Parada says, adding it would work well “in both contemporary spaces and cozy, lived-in homes.” I could see this stain coming in handy for a wood-drenched look where you’re wanting to mix dark walnuts and cherries with mid-toned woods with lighter plywoods, perhaps.