Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year
In what many are describing as a “shocking” choice, Pantone selected a simple white tone called Cloud Dancer as its 2026 Color of the Year. Pantone is usually who we can count on for a bold vibrant color that doesn’t necessarily have to be good for an entire wall (as you can see from its past choices below). It’s usually the most daring choice of the whole bunch. Well… not this year.
Do we have white walls so our colorful art and pillows and even our colorful cabinets can stand out? Yes. Yes we do. Do we like white as a bold color of the year choice from Pantone? No, we are sad. What can we count on in this world if Pantone, who tends to be fearless and joyful and full of life… proclaims white as the color of the year?! Maybe next year they’ll get bolder and more daring again? Here’s hoping!
Benjamin Moore’s 2026 Color of the Year
Benjamin Moore selected Silhouette (AF-655) as their 2026 Color of the Year. They describe it as a “burnt umber with delicate notes of charcoal” and was chosen to lead their 2026 Color Trends, dubbed “Refined Elegance.” Announced in October 2025, it fits a growing trend of brands using words like elegeant and timeless in this year’s selections. We’ve used Silhouette several times as a trusty alternative to black, since it’s a slightly lighter and warmer.
When we look at the last 10 years of Benjamin Moore’s selections, this is least colorful tone since 2019’s Metropolitan – which matches the trend we’ve been seeing away from bright colors and to deep neutrals.
Sherwin-Williams’ 2026 Color of the Year
This year, Sherwin-Williams’ declared Universal Khaki their 2026 Color of the Year. This “warm, earthy neutral” spearheads a trend forecast they’ve dubbed “Tailored & Timeless” which uses descriptors like classic, simple, and elegant. It’s the 3rd creamy tan tone announced for 2026 (4th if you count HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams doubling down on this same swatch).
As you can see from Sherwin-Williams’ past picks, they are big fans of muted, timeless hues (apart from a colorful detour from 2018 – 2020). And like this year’s selection most tend to be warm with red or yellow undertones.
Behr’s 2026 Color of the Year
Behr kept things dark & rich for the third consective year with their 2026 Color of the Year pick: Hidden Gem. Described as a “smokey jade with an air of mystery,” it’s bold & colorful but still desaturated enough to make it suitable as a wall color. It’s also reminds us of one of our favorite accent colors from around 15 years ago (this one).
