2026 Paint Color Trends (& 2025 Colors That Are Still Kickin' It) -

From gorgeous greens to badass browns; 2026’s best shades

From gorgeous greens to badass browns, 2026’s most popular paint colors are a shocking change from the previous white-on-white…on white years.

But aside from trends, choosing your home’s best paint color usually involves a blend of trends and careful coordination (along with a bottle of wine, a funnel, and a box of Kleenex). But with ever-changing trends, how do you know which colors are smart and which are duds?

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You do your research—starting right here.

First off…

If you’re looking for SMART, trends are only great if you a) love to follow them in your home or have resale in mind in the near future.
As for more timeless looks, following paint color trends is rarely a good idea, unless this year’s trend happens to include a timeless color (both can exist at the same time).

By the way, if you’re reading this blog post, you must care about being trendy and in style (or you’re just here for my charm and wit, which I respect and appreciate). For those who don’t care about trends, I have a ton of blog posts on creating a timeless home, since timelessness doesn’t always relate to what’s trendy.

Now, we’re looking at 2026 paint color trends. However, there’s still something to be said for 2025’s hottest shades – they ain’t done yet, in fact, some of them have just started.

It’s not like something magical happens on New Year’s (other than the fact that I stay up past 9:30); in fact, the shift from one year’s hottest colors to the next is gradual.

Remember, paint and furniture brands make the big bucks getting you to try ‘this year’s hottest trends’. I, on the other hand, make the medium bucks trying to convince you to use what you have and update as needed.

For example, apparently pastels are coming in hot – FAT CHANCE! Not only do I not get ANY Online Color Consulting clients asking for pastels, but most interior finishes also don’t suit them – they’re more of a ‘coordinating/designing your home from scratch‘ kinda color choice.

At 12,000+ consultations (and counting), and insider connections to the colors that people are sampling and using, I have a pretty good read on things (aren’t you excited that you know one of the world’s top paint color experts? I’m humble, too)

Remember, paint companies base a lot of their forecasts on the ‘high-design’ world, which offers a whole lotta ‘big whoopy ding’ to the average homeowner. This means that many of their color ideas don’t relate. So, just because the ‘design world’ says something is gone or ‘in style’, doesn’t mean the average homeowner agrees or follows suit.

This is where I come in handy. Paint brands tell you what to do if you’re in the 1-5%. On the other hand, I tell you what colors and finishes the remaining 95+% are choosing now, and what could be coming down the line. REAL HOMES, REAL PEOPLE, REAL BUDGETS.

And yes, I’m done tooting my own horn. For now.

SOFT WARM WHITES

No doubt about it, soft, warm white paint colors are strong in 2025 and will be in 2026, too.

Why?

Well, many aren’t done with the white-on-white-on-white trend, even though it’s no longer ‘trendy’. Again, I’m all for living in a home you love, but if you want to keep up with the Joneses (whoever THEY are), you need to pay attention.

Warm, soft white paint colors wink discreetly at the off-white world. With lower brightness and clarity, these whites offer a softer, more organic look. This includes popular shades like…

Benjamin Moore White Dove (review HERE) – the OG of my paint-lovin’ world, White Dove is no one-trick pony. While many love Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee, here’s how I feel about that – but hey, you do you, boo.
Sherwin Williams Alabaster (REVIEW) – snuggled tightly in the bosom between white and off-white, Alabaster is a gorgeous, slightly cream shade of white without an obscene amount of yellow.
Sherwin Williams Greek Villa (REVIEW) – not my favorite, but y’all seem to like it.
Benjamin Moore Cloud White (REVIEW) – a cult classic (sans Kool-Aid), Cloud White is a gorgeously balanced approach to whiteness, brightness, and warmth.

Top blogger Jenna Christian hired me to help her choose the gorgeous Sherwin Williams Alabaster for her home.

Of those 4, Alabaster is likely to take one of the top spots, along with White Dove.

Would I paint my entire home white right now (if I wanted to be trendy for a few years)? HELLS no (but many still will in 2026). In fact, while much of our home is White Dove right now, I’m transitioning our main living areas into something softer (stay tuned).

HOW WE ARE (& AREN’T) USING WARM WHITES IN OUR HOMES THIS YEAR…

On cabinets and trims, for sure.
Some are still opting for white walls, cabinets, and trims, but much less so.
Way fewer are choosing any white for their exterior siding or stucco.

WARM OFF-WHITE PAINT COLORS

Many (myself included) are shifting gears toward a softer, slightly darker look with warm, off-white paint colors or light colors at the higher end of the range (e.g., LRVs of 70ish – 78).

Here are a few of the most popular off-whites from 2025 that should still hit the spot for 2026…

Benjamin Moore Pale Oak (REVIEW) – Pale Oak is one of Samplize Peel & Stick’s top-selling samples, and Benjamin Moore’s most popular paint colors.
Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White (REVIEW) – a great go-to, warm, off-white. Especially as an ‘all-surface’ color – walls, trims, doors. It’s also fab on cabinets.
Sherwin Williams Shoji White (REVIEW) – on the tip of many tongues in 2025 and will continue to be in 2026 – just read up on it, as it has undertones!
Sherwin Williams White Duck (REVIEW) – along similar lines to Shoji White and a great shade to help transition between the outdated gray trend and today’s warmer shades.
Benjamin Moore Ballet White (REVIEW) – a beautiful off-white to sample and compare.

How to Update Your 1990s Home: 5-PART SERIES | Shown above: BM Ballet White with White Dove trim, SW Worldly Gray in the room to the right.

HOW WE ARE (& AREN’T) USING OFF-WHITES IN OUR HOMES THIS YEAR…

On our walls with white trims/doors for a soft contrast
On our walls, trims, doors, and ceilings, for a seamless flow
Some are still using these colors on their kitchen cabinets and matching the walls
They’re BIG on exteriors, taking over the previous white, Modern Farmhouse trend.

SLIGHTLY DARKER BEIGE & TAN PAINT COLORS

While many are still experiencing PTSD from the early 2000s beige/Tuscan trend, others are jumping back on the big bad beige boat in their bikinis and banana hammocks.

This includes Sherwin Williams, who jumped in BUCK NEKKID with the choice of Universal Khaki as their Color of the Year for 2026. I don’t expect anything wonderful from this color – a few cabinets or walls here and there, and then she be gone.

However, while many of the top 2000s shades were golden and rich, today’s most popular beige and tan paint colors tend to be grounded, organic, and slightly moody. These colors picked up traction in mid 2025 and are going strong into 2026.

That’s right, the beige walls you were JUST thinking of updating are finally back in style.

However, some tans are tricky. With their predominantly yellow-green undertones, they’re less likely to suit the average interior finish, leading to a lot of clashing undertones. So, sample and compare carefully!

The Best Warm Quartz & Quartzite Countertops | The Best White & Off-White Quartz Countertops

Just remember, beiges and tans don’t fit in every home, especially those that are still rockin’ their 2015 gray finishes. Learn how to blend gray and beige if you’re trying to do that.

These tan walls are unhappy with the more muted warmth of the dining chairs and the gray area rug.

By the way, it’s mid-May 2026, and I’m checking in on this blog post. Here are some fun facts…

If I do 10-12 online consults in a day (for walls, not cabinets), 7 of my clients ask for beige-tan or maaaaybe cream, with some including greige and taupe on their wishlist.
1-2 is for blue or green walls.
1-2 of them are for white paint colors, with openness to off-white/lighter depths.
1…at best, is for gray walls, often accompanied by an openness to greige or taupe

Again, if you don’t care about trends, you do you. This blog post is for those who do (so don’t shoot the cute lil’ Ginger messenger).

Warm whites are still in the mix, but creams are slowly taking over (entryway).

Now, let’s take a look at the warm neutrals I work with every day…

THE BEST SLIGHTLY DARKER BEIGE-TAN PAINT COLORS FOR 2026

Sherwin Williams Shiitake and Loggia (REVIEWS)- these 2 have come on stronger than my B.O. after a short walk (this Momma don’t run). Popular on exteriors, walls, and cabinets, these are gorgeous, moderately warm neutrals. One thing I love about them is that they’re nearly as ‘beige-centric’ as most beiges.
Sherwin Williams Sandbar (REVIEW) is a great one to play with, especially if you’re brand-new to the tantalizing world of tan, as its undertones are tame.
Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige (REVIEW) has been here for a few years and should continue to find its place.
As for Benjamin Moore, Grant Beige (REVIEW) and Bennington Gray (REVIEW) are awesome colors to sample and compare.

Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige

Benjamin Moore doesn’t have as many great beiges as Sherwin Williams. While I like Stone Hearth, it’s missing the body and warmth of Balanced Beige and winks a bit more at gray/taupe. Sure, they have Stone House and a few others, but when it comes to the best beiges in this range, it’s Sherwin for me.

Benjamin Moore’s Best Darker Beige & Tan Paint Colors

Shown above, BM Grant Beige

If these darker neutrals aren’t your jam (or honey), many are still choosing lighter (more flexible) beige and tan paint colors.

For those of you who lean lighter…

Benjamin Moore Muslin (REVIEW), which is reasonably timeless, White Sand, Manchester Tan (REVIEW) – these colors are often safer.
Sherwin Williams Accessible Beige (REVIEW) is still around (but not as popular as it used to be). Natural Tan (REVIEW) is amazeballs, as is Natural Linen (REVIEW).

The Best Paint Colors with Red-Stained Woods | Shown above, SW Natural Linen

The Best Off-White & Light-Depth Cabinet Colors | Shown above, SW Accessible Beige & Porpoise

HOW WE ARE (& AREN’T) USING BEIGES-TANS IN OUR HOMES THIS YEAR…

On our walls with white trim and often, white cabinets
We’re definitely exploring slightly darker warm neutrals on kitchen cabinets
This trend hasn’t shown up much on the exterior.
The odd person still wants beige or greige-taupe trims/doors, but it’s a tricky one and isn’t timeless in the average home.

LIGHT & DARK GREEN PAINT COLORS

While green and blue are the most timeless paint colors, they’re also amongst the most POPULAR paint colors in any given trend cycle (which you can’t say of any other color).

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog shiplap accent wall | Benjamin Moore White Dove side walls

But this doesn’t mean EVERY shade of green (or blue) is trendy – trends ebb and flow between warm greens, cool greens, olives, dills, and hunter-inspired shades.

2025’s greens had us living in greens like Sherwin Williams Pewter Green and Benjamin Moore Vintage Vogue. While those will still carry into 2026, they’ll have competition…

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog (REVIEW, it’s possibly the best Color of the Year…ever). It’s amazeballs and loved by many.
Greens with a blue backdrop, hinting at cool sage, will show up here and there. Behr’s Hidden Gem is my FAVORITE Color of the Year for 2026.
Green-gray paint colors (like Evergreen Fog) will hit their stride for walls and cabinets.
While ‘they’ (whoever ‘they’ are) say that dill green is coming in, I don’t see it gaining a ton of traction – not like green-grays and glooorious sages.
I expect to see more demand for soft, light to light-medium depth greens for bedrooms (greens with some gray to calm them down).

The Best Medium to Dark Green Paint Colors

HOW WE ARE (& AREN’T) USING GREENS IN OUR HOMES THIS YEAR…

Green bedroom requests are up, big time.
Green is still popular for cabinets, but many are opting for more moderate depths, rather than dark ones (although dark is still hot for some!).
Muted sage greens are more popular than darker, traditional greens.
Not much on accent walls or exteriors, but they are gaining traction on front doors, based on the requests I’m receiving (going head-to-head with blue!)

WILL BLUE PAINT COLORS BE POPULAR IN 2026?

While real blue hues won’t be as popular, soft, subtle blue-gray blends should be pretty solid, from light to dark.

Blue paint colors range between blue with a green undertone and blue with a purple undertone (also known as a ‘bias’). Most favor blue-greens over blue-purples, which should hold true for 2026. That said, blues (in general) will be secondary to green in terms of popularity.

Farrow & Ball’s Best Blue Paint Colors

Medium-depth blue-gray blends can be gorgeous in entire rooms and on kitchen cabinets or islands. Darker blue-grays will also show up at the party.
Darker blue paint colors are great for accent walls and front doors. However, while it’s still done (a lot), navy blue is no longer in style or trendy for kitchen islands.
Light blue paint colors, but not BABY or ‘pastel-inspired’ blues, will show up to some degree, but mostly in bedrooms. These blues will have a gray backdrop, slowing them down.

DARK SABLE-INSPIRED BROWN PAINT COLORS

Brown is back, baby! And unlike pastels, I’m getting a few requests here and there for this rich, warm neutral. While brown didn’t hit the scene in 2025, it’s coming in hawwwter than hot chocolate for 2026. Will it show up large-scale? Maybe not yet, but we’re winking at it.

This is where I think Benjamin Moore could’ve gone with their Color of the Year. While Silhouette is a wickedly pretty blend of brown, gray, and purple, the OVERWHELMING opinion on my Instagram is that it’s too close to gray for comfort.

Instead, they could’ve chosen a beautiful, rich brown, or even a slightly safer, chocolate-inspired shade. Let’s take a look at a few, including one from Sherwin Williams….

Benjamin Moore Middlebury Brown is an awesome, middle-of-the-road brown. In between Twix and O’Henry, this brown could’ve hit some interesting happy places in the color world.
Sherwin Williams Clove is amazeballs. Strikingly dark and dramatic, this color is gorgeous for accent walls and exterior trims.
Benjamin Moore Willow is an almost timeless shade of dark brown, thanks to its depth and more muted, passive approach to warmth/brown.

The Best Sable, Rich, Dark Brown Paint Colors for 2026

The 8 Best Moderate Brown Paint Colors

WHAT ABOUT THIS TALK OF TERRA COTTA, MAUVE, & RUST-INSPIRED COLORS?

This color group has me excited! Mind you, I get excited by a full bottle of wine and a bag of fresh Cilantro Lime Cornuts, sooooo.

Whereas the last decade’s accent palette has relied heavily on green and blue, I’m excited to see medium-depth and darker, warmer colors back on the scene!

However, while Sherwin Williams’ has a color-boner for sunbaked hues, I’m not sure they’ll be a massive player. Sure, they’ll come up, but I’ll be surprised if they gain large-scale traction – I see a lot of panic but no disco…yet. This said, I don’t think they’re a bad idea if you’re painting a single room or accent wall.

Soooo, I’m not ready to commit yet. And regardless, you’ve likely read enough verbal diarrhea here to last you a few weeks. In the meantime, you could check out The Best Oxblood/Burgundy Paint Colors (which have caught many eyeballs).

SUMMARY OF 2026’S TOP PAINT COLORS

Based on my Online Color Consulting, and what I’m watching on Pinterest and Instagram…

Beiges and tans are in style – everything from off-white to light-medium (nothing darker, yet).
Green is hot, but many are opting for more moderate, muted shades. Lighter greens are showing up in bedrooms.
Warm, flexible off-whites have taken over the white world.

The Most Timeless Paint Colors

Get the best paint color & home update advice…

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