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

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

Choosing your home’s best paint color usually involves a blend of what’s in style, what suits your home’s finishes, and what you love (along with a bottle of wine, a funnel, and a box of Kleenex). But as you enter a new year with new trends, how do you know which colors are smart and which are duds?

You do your research—starting right here.

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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, as timelessness doesn’t always relate to what’s trendy.

Now, while we’re looking at 2026 paint color trends, 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, most interior finishes don’t suit them – they’re more of a ‘coordinating/designing your home from scratch‘ kinda color choice.

At 11,000+ consultations (and counting), and insider connections to the colors that people are sampling and using, I have a pretty good read on things.

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 Jones’ (whoever THEY are), you need to pay attention.

Benjamin Moore White Dove

Warm, soft white paint colors wink discretely at the off-white world. With less brightness and clarity, these whites offer a softer, more organic approach to white. 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. Many love Benjamin Moore Swiss Coffee. Here’s how I feel about that – but hey, you do you, boo!
Sherwin Williams Alabaster (REVIEW) – snugged 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 Koolaid), 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? 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…

WARM OFF-WHITE PAINT COLORS

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

There are 2 main ways we’re using these colors…

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

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 BM’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.
Sherwin Williams Shoji White (REVIEW) – on the tip of many tongues in 2025 and will continue to be in 2026.
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.

SLIGHTLY DARKER BEIGE & TAN PAINT COLORS

While many are still experiencing PTSD from the early 2000s beige/Tuscan trend, others are jumpling back on the 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.

Another thing I anticipate more of (sadly) are tan paint colors.

You might be thinking ‘What one holy hot minute, aren’t beige and tan the same thing?‘

Nope. Beiges have an orange undertone (which flexes) and tans have a yellow undertone (usually yellow-green). Learn more about that HERE.

These tan walls are unhappy with the color of the dining chairs and the area rug.

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

Now, let’s take a look at some of my favorites…

THE BEST SLIGHTLY DARKER BEIGE 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 about them is that they’re nearly as ‘beige-centric’ as most beiges.
Sherwin Williams Balanced Beige (REVIEW) has been here for a few years and should continue to find its place.

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

THE BEST DARKER TAN PAINT COLORS FOR 2026

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.
While Universal Khaki has too much depth for the average home, some might like the similar, but lighter look of Sherwin Williams Relaxed Khaki.
Given how non-committal they are, I’d check out the previously mentioned (beige section), Loggia and Shiitake, too.
As for Benjamin Moore, Grant Beige (REVIEW) and Bennington Gray (REVIEW) are awesome colors to sample and compare. Here are their reviews:

Sherwin Williams 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 safer and simpler beige and tan paint colors.

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

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

LIGHT & DARK GREEN PAINT COLORS

While green and blue are the most timeless paint colors, they’re often 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.
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

WILL BLUE PAINT COLORS BE POPULAR IN 2026?

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

Blue paint colors waver between blue with a green undertone and blue with a purple undertone. Most favor blue-greens over blue-purples, which should hold true for 2026. This said, blues will be secondary to green as far as popularity goes.

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.

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).

The Most Timeless Paint Colors

Get the best paint color & home update advice…

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