Sherwin-Williams Color Trends Forecast 2026
Paint brand Sherwin-Williams has introduced its Colormix Anthology Volume Two, a biennial color trend report that explores the evolution of key color groups. Sherwin-Williams’ color forecast for 2026 explores emerging hues and shades divided into four color palettes.
The expert Trendsight Team of Sherwin-Williams has studied color movement across the globe to create four color trend palettes that will guide the future of residential and commercial design.
The 2026 Sherwin-Williams Color Trends Forecast consists of 48 hand-picked hues and is divided into four palettes: Frosted Tints, Sunbaked Hues, Restorative Darks, and Foundational Neutrals.
Frosted Tints Color Palette
Hazy lavenders, gauzy blues, enchanted aquamarines, and refreshing greens breeze into a new era with a chill, a hush, and a deliberate dose of near-weightless color.
An evolution of the delicate tints from previous forecasts, milky pastels are making their significant return, unfolding in spaces defined by effortlessly clean lines, artful accents, and elevated styling.
upward – solitude – liveable green – tradewind
samovar silver – celery – watery – halcyon green
Lite Lavender
The loveliest of violets, with a subtle red undertone, balances playfulness and refinement for a light dose of complexity.
Grape Mist
With just a hint of natural sweetness, this early-dawn color serves up a haze of purple tint.
Modern Lavender
An exquisite, soothing take on a best-loved purple gets a clarifying, contemporary twist in this designer-favorite shade.
Breathtaking
Awe-inspiring and hushed, this dreamlike hue dances on the tipping point where gauzy blue meets smoky purple.
Upward
Sherwin-Williams’ Color of the Year 2024 is a sunny-day blue with calm gray undertones-misty, meditative, and nothing short of limitless.
Solitude
The quintessential chameleon color, this hue stands apart as a faint purple, an elegant blue, or a versatile gray.
Liveable Green
This cool green invites life-giving energy with organic yellow-gray undertones for enduring balance and versatility.
Tradewind
Bask in the breezy nature of this mellow marine blue, warmed by undercurrents of green and calmed by shadowy gray.
Samovar Silver
This silvery blue, with its slate undertone, remains sure, strong, and steadfast as a cool neutral that will always hold its own.
Celery
The warm yellow undertone in this pale green evokes the enchantment of a sun-dappled garden scene in full summer splendor.
Watery
Warmed by undertones of green, this beachfront blue embodies the shifting tides within this color family with a light and bright coastal freshness.
Halcyon Green
This muted green is cooled by blue and gray undertones, and it exudes an idyllic softness and tranquility in any space.
Sunbaked Hues Color Palette
Kindling a warmth that recalls the radiance of midcentury design, glimmers of yellow, earthen mauve, pink sandstone, and blushing adobe flicker and flow as the reds, oranges, and golds of the future.
The poetic reds and purples of the past make way for buttery yellows and intensely fiery hues. It is a collection of colors aglow with incandescence.
armagnac – coral island – sociable – straw harvest
sundew – classical yellow – lemon chiffon – cajun red
Coral Island
A richly welcoming shade of soft orange-red evokes images of sun-kissed petals, warm tropical breezes, and the stunning pink glow of a sunset.
Sundew
Calm and quiet like the first minutes of a dawning day, this eternally popular brush of yellow resembles the catch of light on an early-morning meadow.
Lemon Chiffon
Decadent and divine, this cheerful soft yellow’s lightness and slight green undertone provide just the right amount of airiness and zest.
Henna Shade
Celebrate the beauty of embellishment with this ancient and earthy red, derived from nature and beautifully organic in character.
Sociable
This lively in-between color’s winning personality is always the lift of the soiree, mingling orange and yellow in the most charismatic way.
Straw Harvest
Timeless, green-tinged gold with a rustic creaminess, this hue possesses an abundance of charm to transcend any passing trend.
Peppery
Even just a pinch of this free-spirited spicy orange adds flavor, drama, and the promise of a showstopper moment.
Armagnac
With the ambery glow of its namesake spirit, this perfectly aged orange greets you with an elevated sophistication and an invitation to unwind.
Classic Yellow
A pocket of sunshine in a palette glowing with nostalgic hues, this pick from Sherwin-Williams’ Historic Collection enjoys a radiant revival in today’s designs.
Heartthrob
Fall head over heels for the ultimate unexpected red: a fashion icon in color with a luscious touch of deep pink.
Cajun Red
Feel the energy and music of a historic New Orleans hideaway with a heritage brick red underpinned by umber.
Pennywise
A clever mix of brown and ochre undertones imparts an earthen depth to this nostalgic orange hue.
Restorative Darks Color Palette
The selection of deep hues from Sherwin-Williams’ previous forecasts builds a quiet strength, wth depth-defying tones like shadowed gold and coppery red, dark plum, alluring burgundy, and nocturnal blues.
This stabilizing group of colors retains longevity into the future, continuing to ground and reassure with a blanketing, blissful depth, the serenity of night, and the kind comfort worth sinking into.
dark auburn – plum brown – sea mariner – roycroft copper red
rock bottom – tarragon – sable – garden gate
Rofcroft Copper Red
This oxblood-reminiscent red is chosen time and again by Sherwin-Williams’ color experts for its intimitable vitality, historical references, and invigorating blend of orange and rust.
Rojo Marrón
Where neither red nor brown will do, strike a brilliant balance of both with an exotic hue that allows each tone to shine through.
Sable
Like its namesake’s warm coat, this decadent deep brown is enveloping and cozy. It is a natural choice for spaces draped in opulence.
Dark Auburn
Behold the quintessential wine-rich color, redolent of chocolaty notes and the strengthening prevalence of picture-perfect burgundies.
Relic Bronze
Discover a new favorite neutral in an antiqued medium brown with vestiges of mellow, sophisticated green undertones.
Limestone
A designer-loved neutral, this evolved charcoal goes beyond graphite to become one of Sherwin-Williams’ most sought-after, head-turning hues.
Black Bean
For those seeking a deep, dark brown that is deliciously bold, this cool shade is a nourishing complement to lighter neutrals and classic details.
Rock Bottom
Suggestive of the color of stones in a riverbed, this gorgeous dark green with an ample dose of cool gray was also featured in the first volume of the Anthology series.
Garden Gate
Step through and into a hidden world of rich olive deepened with gray shadows that embrace a down-to-earth usability.
Plum Brown
As trends in dark brown undertones shift from yellow to red, powerful purplish hues are imbuing spaces with a refined majesty.
Sea Mariner
An expert choice among the designer-curated colors, this adventurous blue is daring and brave, and it tells a captivating story in any space.
Tarragon
This rare, remarkable, and botanical bluish green from the Sherwin-Williams Designer Color Collection is reserved for the most refined palettes.
Foundational Neutrals Color Palette
Clean white, light taupe, silvery gray, and crisp khaki are poised in perfect balance with inky- blue-black, toasted spice, and the deep shades of a distant storm in this intricate mix of modern neutrals.
Seasonless, sumptuous, and unparalleled in their ability to invite layered loveliness, today’s essentials suggest a shift from divinely delicate to a future of curated contrast and complexity.
armory – universal khaki – clove – mushroom
passive – cream and sugar – sanctuary – white snow
Passive
This light and unassuming gray quietly approaches silver for an oh-so-subtle near-white touched with the barest hint of steely blue.
Sanctuary
This welcoming Designer Color Collection warm off-white boasts an incomparable air of serenity, peace, and perfection.
White Snow
Beaming bright with a light reflectance value of 90, this brilliant and brisk white lights the way among the brightest whites of the Sherwin-Williams Designer Color Collection.
Rare Gray
This soft and versatile neutral is quite the find, a truly unique hue made even more interesting with a glimmer of green undertone.
Mushroom
A scrumptiously earthy and organic selection from the Designer Color Collection, this barely beige neutral pairs well with a variety of colors and design styles.
Cream and Sugar
Quietly making its way onto the trend scene, this soul-stirring soft hue delights the senses with a touch of caramel sweetness.
Pavestone
Yet another iconic in-between color in the forecast. This nature-based greige hue forms a strong foundation for any space.
Sanderling
This year’s answer to the rich wood-tone browns of recent forecasts is a warm beige made even more stunning with the suggestion of stone-gray undertones.
Universal Khaki
Inspired by enduring elegance and rejuvenating resilience, this foundational neutral is ultra usable and tailored for timelessness.
Inkwell
An immersive flow of midnight majesty, this inky hue’s deep blue makes it distinct from a standard black to help you write a new chapter that is all your own.
Armory
One of three essential blacks hand-selected for this palette, this Designer Color Collection coal-dark color possesses a dependable strength worth keeping close.
Clove
Hypnotic and bronzes, this brown-black offers a warm embrace, an intriguing spice, and a welcome return to a place that feels like home.
“With Anthology Volume Two, we’re continuing to evolve how we tell the story of color,” said Emily Kantz, color marketing manager at Sherwin-Williams. “This forecast goes beyond aesthetic trends to explore the emotional impact and practical beauty of color families that stand the test of time.
These palettes are designed to inspire creativity while offering designers, professionals, and homeowners grounded, usable color direction across every space.”