Every 2026 Color of the Year We Know So Far

There is no single universal 2026 Color of the Year. Different organizations have selected different colors for paint, exterior stain, wood stain, spray coatings, fashion, product design, retail, and marketplace trends.

As of August 10, 2026, the clearest overall pattern is warm, earthy, and material-led: khaki, brown, ivory, ochre, green, and blue-green shades dominate many paint announcements. Pantone’s airy Cloud Dancer provides a lighter cross-industry counterpoint, while WGSN/Coloro’s Transformative Teal is a forward-looking trend forecast. This guide separates those categories so you can choose a usable color for the actual surface, lighting, finish, and region of your project.

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There is no single official 2026 color

“Color of the Year” is a brand- or authority-specific designation. Paint manufacturers choose colors for their own product ranges; Pantone publishes a cross-industry color standard; WGSN and Coloro issue a commercial trend forecast; stain and spray-paint companies select product colors; and retailers such as IKEA and Etsy identify directions within their own design ecosystems.

That means 2026 has many legitimate Colors of the Year, not one universal winner. This roundup covers the publicly announced selections within those categories as of August 10, 2026, while identifying what each color is actually for, where it is sold, and how useful it is for a real construction, renovation, or decorating project.

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For homeowners and contractors, the most important distinction is practical: a wall paint, exterior wood stain, spray coating, and global color-standard reference cannot be compared as though they were the same product.

2026 Colors of the Year at a glance

The table includes shared selections separately where the brand relationship matters, but they should not be counted as unrelated colors. Sherwin-Williams and HGTV Home chose the same Universal Khaki. Glidden and PPG identify the same Warm Mahogany using the PPG code. Minwax’s Special Walnut is a coordinating Sherwin-Williams palette color, not a second Sherwin-Williams wall-paint winner.

The major paint-company picks

Universal Khaki — Sherwin-Williams and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams

Universal Khaki is the clearest example of why annual roundups need careful counting. Sherwin-Williams lists it as SW 6150, with 207-C3 appearing in the company’s design material. HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams lists the shared shade as HGSW6150.

It is a warm, grounded neutral intended for interior, exterior, commercial, and industrial coating applications through Sherwin-Williams, while HGTV Home packages it for the consumer market and places it at the center of its separate Honest Essentials Color Collection.

For a renovation, Universal Khaki is the kind of color to consider when you want a flexible backdrop that is warmer than a conventional cool gray. Sample it beside flooring, trim, stone, and cabinetry: khaki can look more beige, green, or gray depending on the surrounding materials and light.

HGTV Home’s consumer range is sold through Lowe’s in the United States. Sherwin-Williams products are sold through Sherwin-Williams stores and channels. The two codes should be preserved as each brand publishes them rather than treated as a guarantee that every product line is identical.

Silhouette AF-655 — Benjamin Moore

Silhouette AF-655 is Benjamin Moore’s rich espresso-brown with charcoal and burnt-umber character. It is a deeper, more dramatic choice than a conventional mid-tone neutral and can support a library, dining room, built-in cabinetry, study, powder room, or carefully sampled exterior element.

On a large wall, its depth can absorb light and make a room feel more intimate. On cabinetry or millwork, it can read as a sophisticated wood-adjacent color without being actual wood. The final effect will change with sheen: matte and eggshell soften reflection, while satin and semigloss make the color appear more defined and can emphasize surface imperfections.

Benjamin Moore distributes through its dealer network in the United States, Canada, and other markets. Check the local dealer and product line before specifying the color for a project.

Hidden Gem N430-6A — Behr

Hidden Gem N430-6A is Behr’s smoky jade, placing it in the blue-green family. It is one of the most directly useful picks for a homeowner who wants color without moving to a highly saturated jewel tone.

Hidden Gem can be considered for a feature wall, bathroom, kitchen island, built-in storage, bedroom, or exterior accent. Blue-green colors are especially sensitive to the light around them: daylight, warm LED bulbs, white trim, wood flooring, and adjacent tile can all shift how much blue or green is visible.

Behr’s primary 2026 Color of the Year is Hidden Gem for its paint program. The company separately selected Taupe as its 2026 Exterior Stain Color of the Year; Taupe is not a replacement name for Hidden Gem.

Warm Eucalyptus 8004-28F — Valspar

Warm Eucalyptus 8004-28F is a muted gray-green with a warmer character than many blue-based eucalyptus colors. Valspar offers tintable interior, exterior, and specialty products, but the exact product and retailer availability can vary by market.

It is a plausible choice for kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, covered outdoor areas, and cabinetry where a softened botanical color is wanted. Before ordering, verify that the required finish and substrate-specific product are available. A color available in an interior eggshell may not be offered in the same formulation for exterior trim or masonry.

Warm Mahogany PPG1060-7 — Glidden and PPG Paints

Warm Mahogany, identified by the PPG code PPG1060-7, is a rich red-brown. Glidden lists the selection in its 2026 color trends material, and PPG’s own trend page also identifies Warm Mahogany as its Color of the Year.

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This is a warmer and more expressive direction than a beige neutral. It can work as a dining-room or entryway wall color, a built-in accent, a door color, or a smaller-scale feature where its red and brown undertones can be controlled. In warm artificial light, red, orange, and yellow undertones may become stronger, so a sample should be evaluated at different times of day.

Treat Warm Mahogany as one shared PPG/Glidden selection unless the purpose of the article is specifically to compare the two brands’ distribution and product ranges.

Melodious Ivory 313-2DB — Dutch Boy

Melodious Ivory 313-2DB is Dutch Boy’s soft, creamy beige neutral. It is a light option for walls, ceilings, trim coordination, and spaces where a warmer alternative to stark white is preferred.

Like most pale neutrals, it can look noticeably different beside bright white trim, natural wood, cool stone, or warm flooring. It may also appear flatter in low-light rooms unless the finish and surrounding materials provide contrast.

Dutch Boy directs consumers toward Menards, making this selection particularly relevant to the U.S. retail market served by that chain. Confirm current local stock and the available finish before specifying it.

Midnight Garden DE5657 — Dunn-Edwards

Midnight Garden DE5657 is a deep, muted green with earthy undertones. It belongs to the darker, nature-inspired end of the 2026 palette and is well suited to a dramatic room, cabinetry, a study, a front door, or a controlled exterior accent.

Deep greens can be highly effective in rooms with adequate daylight or strong layered lighting, but they may make a small or poorly lit room feel heavier. Dunn-Edwards has a particularly strong retail and dealer presence in the western United States, so availability should be checked by region.

Epernay C2 #639 — C2 Paint

Epernay C2 #639 is a soft, earthy ochre with mineral undertones. It sits between a neutral and a statement color, offering warmth without the depth of a brown or plum.

Epernay may be useful in living areas, dining spaces, hallways, kitchens, and rooms with natural wood or stone. Whether it reads yellow, tan, or muted clay will depend heavily on the lighting and adjacent finishes. C2 is a U.S.-based premium paint brand; retailer availability varies.

Divine Damson — Graham & Brown

Divine Damson is a deep damson and plum-red inspired by damson fruit and fig. Graham & Brown presents it alongside its broader design and home-product direction, and its official product page provides paint information.

It is a strong candidate for a dining room, bedroom, powder room, media room, or accent wall when the goal is depth and warmth. It is less forgiving of untested lighting than a neutral, and the amount of natural light should influence whether it is used across all walls or in a smaller application.

The announcement does not prominently provide a universal color code. Graham & Brown’s U.S. product page should be used to confirm the available finish and regional product details.

Naperon No. 315 — Farrow & Ball

Naperon No. 315 is a warm terracotta or clay shade. It can add a distinctly earthy note to walls, alcoves, cabinetry, doors, and architectural details.

Terracotta shades often become more vivid beside cool whites and more subdued beside warm woods. They can also intensify under warm bulbs. Farrow & Ball is an international brand, and the official source for this selection is regional, so local availability and finish options should be confirmed in the market where the project is located.

Burlington Arcade No. 216 — Mylands

Burlington Arcade No. 216 is a rich, layered teal. It sits near the intersection of the blue-green and jewel-tone directions that appear repeatedly across the 2026 announcements.

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It can be effective on cabinetry, a built-in, a study wall, a bathroom vanity, or a smaller room where a more enveloping color is intentional. Because teal can shift toward blue or green, test it against the actual tile, worktop, timber, and lighting planned for the room.

Mylands is a U.K.-based paint brand. International supply, sample availability, and product ranges vary.

Freckle — Earthborn

Freckle is Earthborn’s peachy orange or clay shade, associated with the company’s clay paint range. It is a warmer and more playful earthy direction than the brown and khaki neutrals.

Freckle may suit a bedroom, nursery, hallway, dining space, or small accent area, particularly where natural materials are part of the design. Earthborn is primarily U.K.-focused, and no public code was located in the cited campaign material.

Rhythm of Blues — Dulux and AkzoNobel

Dulux and AkzoNobel deliberately selected a three-color family rather than one isolated shade. Rhythm of Blues consists of:

• Mellow Flow: a light blue.
• Slow Swing: a dark blue.
• Free Groove: a vibrant blue.

The official framing is a group of colors for different moods and applications. It should be counted as one 2026 family with three shades, not as three unrelated annual winners. Dulux’s U.K. page uses the label “Colours of the Year,” while AkzoNobel describes the trio across decorative paint and broader product markets.

For a building project, Mellow Flow is the easiest of the three to use over a large area; Slow Swing is more suitable for a dramatic or controlled application; and Free Groove is the expressive accent. Those are practical interpretations, not a manufacturer ranking.

Stains, spray paints, and specialty coatings

These selections deserve their own category because their appearance depends on the material being coated. A stain interacts with wood grain and existing finish; spray paint depends on substrate preparation and the coating system; neither should be specified as a direct substitute for wall paint.

Taupe — Behr Exterior Stain Color of the Year

Behr selected Taupe as its 2026 Exterior Stain Color of the Year. The company describes it as a soft brown with gentle gray undertones. Behr’s Canadian product page identifies SC-153 for solid stain and ST-153 for semi-transparent stain.

Use Taupe when the project involves exterior wood rather than interior walls. The result will depend on wood species, grain, preparation, previous coatings, opacity, weathering, and the selected finish. A stain sample on the actual or equivalent wood is substantially more informative than a digital swatch.

Special Walnut MW 224 — Minwax

Special Walnut MW 224 is a wood stain for furniture, cabinetry, millwork, and other wood projects. Sherwin-Williams includes it as a coordinating stain in its 2026 palette, but that does not make it a second Sherwin-Williams wall-paint selection.

Special Walnut can look very different on oak, pine, maple, or previously finished timber. Always prepare and test a sample using the same sanding, conditioner, number of coats, and topcoat planned for the finished work.

Acorn — Cabot

Acorn is Cabot’s golden-brown exterior wood stain. Cabot says it is available in solid, semi-solid, and semi-transparent exterior stain finishes through retailers nationwide.

The finish choice changes how much grain remains visible and how much the existing wood influences the final color. For siding, decking, fencing, or exterior furniture, compare a sample on the actual exposure and surface condition rather than relying on the name alone.

Matte Coffee Bean — Krylon

Matte Coffee Bean, also referred to as Coffee Bean on some current product material, is Krylon’s spray-paint selection. The launch announcement uses the fuller name Matte Coffee Bean, which is the clearest wording when identifying the 2026 selection.

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It is intended for smaller projects, furniture details, hardware, décor, and other spray-paint applications—not as a can of architectural wall paint. Surface cleaning, sanding or scuffing, primer compatibility, spray distance, ventilation, and recoat timing will influence the result.

Satin Lagoon — Rust-Oleum

Satin Lagoon is Rust-Oleum’s jewel-toned teal selection for its Color Watch program. It is relevant to spray and specialty coating products and can provide a vivid accent on furniture, accessories, hardware, or smaller DIY projects.

Satin sheen reflects more light than a matte coating, so surface preparation matters. Test the product on the actual substrate and confirm that the chosen Rust-Oleum formulation is appropriate for interior, exterior, metal, wood, plastic, or another intended surface.

Global color authorities

Cloud Dancer — Pantone

PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is Pantone’s 2026 Color of the Year, announced on December 4, 2025. Pantone describes it as an airy white associated with quiet reflection, clarity, and a fresh start.

Cloud Dancer matters in fashion, product design, packaging, branding, and visual communication, but it is not a specific wall-paint product. Pantone’s designation should not be described as the official color of all 2026 interiors, nor should readers assume that a paint retailer’s white labeled with a similar name is an exact match.

Transformative Teal — WGSN and Coloro

Transformative Teal is WGSN and Coloro’s 2026 Colour of the Year. Coloro identifies it as 092-37-14 and describes the shade as a fusion of dark blue and aquatic green.

WGSN and Coloro position it for fashion, beauty, interiors, packaging, and product design. Because WGSN publishes forecasts ahead of the calendar year, Transformative Teal should be presented as a forward-looking commercial forecast rather than as a competing paint-company announcement.

Retail and marketplace directions

Rebel Pink — IKEA

IKEA’s U.S. 2026 Style Guide identifies Rebel Pink as its color of the year. The retailer presents it as a vivid, playful direction associated with joy, energy, creativity, and self-expression.

Rebel Pink is a merchandising and interior-design direction, not a standardized paint formula with a universal code. Readers may find furniture, textiles, accessories, or other products in the color family, but the availability and exact shade depend on the local IKEA range.

Patina Blue — Etsy

Etsy’s 2026 Color of the Year is Patina Blue, inspired by the blue-green surface created as copper ages. Etsy paired it with its first Texture of the Year, Washed Linen.

Etsy said its selection was informed by marketplace behavior, including a more-than-threefold rise in searches for “blue copper” during the comparison period cited in its announcement. That search figure was reported as of November 3, 2025; it should not be presented as a current August 2026 measurement.

Patina Blue is useful as a product, styling, and material reference. It is not automatically a paint code, and an Etsy product described as patina blue may vary considerably from another seller’s version.

What the 2026 selections reveal

1. Warmth and materiality are everywhere

A clear pattern across many announcements is a movement toward warm, grounded, tactile colors: Universal Khaki, Silhouette, Melodious Ivory, Warm Mahogany, Epernay, Special Walnut, Acorn, and Taupe.

This is a synthesis of the published selections, not proof that the industry has abandoned gray. The more accurate conclusion is that many brands are offering warmer alternatives to cool, blue-based neutrals and are linking their choices to wood, soil, mineral, clay, and other natural-material references.

2. Blue-green and teal remain the strongest chromatic family

Blue-green shades appear in selections from Behr, Valspar, Dunn-Edwards, Mylands, Rust-Oleum, WGSN/Coloro, and Etsy:

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• Behr: Hidden Gem.
• Valspar: Warm Eucalyptus.
• Dunn-Edwards: Midnight Garden.
• Mylands: Burlington Arcade.
• Rust-Oleum: Satin Lagoon.
• WGSN/Coloro: Transformative Teal.
• Etsy: Patina Blue.

These are not interchangeable colors. Their lightness, saturation, undertones, pigment formulas, finish, and intended surface differ. A teal forecast cannot be substituted for a paint swatch without testing the actual product.

3. Earthy reds, plums, terracottas, and ochres add personality

Warm Mahogany, Divine Damson, Naperon, Epernay, and IKEA’s Rebel Pink keep 2026 from being reduced to another neutral-only year. The overall pattern is better understood as warm foundations plus expressive accents: brown, khaki, ivory, and taupe provide the base, while plum, red-brown, terracotta, pink, and saturated blue provide contrast.

4. Pantone’s white is a counterpoint, not a paint-market consensus

Cloud Dancer is visually much lighter and less chromatic than most of the major paint-company picks. It supplies a calm, cross-industry mood and a reference point for product and visual design, but it does not mean that most paint brands selected white.

How to choose a 2026 color for a real project

Start with the surface

1. Walls: Begin with paint selections such as Universal Khaki, Silhouette, Hidden Gem, Warm Eucalyptus, Melodious Ivory, Epernay, Divine Damson, or Naperon.
2. Cabinetry and millwork: Consider Silhouette, Universal Khaki, Hidden Gem, Warm Eucalyptus, Midnight Garden, Burlington Arcade, or Divine Damson, then verify the available cabinet-grade finish.
3. Exterior wood: Use the stain category—Behr Taupe, Cabot Acorn, or Minwax Special Walnut—not an interior wall-paint list.
4. Furniture and small DIY projects: Krylon Matte Coffee Bean and Rust-Oleum Satin Lagoon are spray or specialty coating choices. IKEA Rebel Pink is a product and styling direction.
5. Fashion, packaging, or product design: Pantone Cloud Dancer, WGSN/Coloro Transformative Teal, Dulux/AkzoNobel Rhythm of Blues, and Etsy Patina Blue are more relevant as cross-industry references.

Then evaluate light and scale

In many northern-hemisphere homes, north-facing rooms receive cooler, more indirect daylight, while south-facing rooms receive stronger and warmer light. East- and west-facing rooms change more dramatically during the day. The same color can therefore look calmer, grayer, greener, yellower, or more saturated depending on orientation and time.

Large surfaces exaggerate undertones. A color that looks attractive on a small card may feel much stronger across four walls. Dark shades such as Silhouette, Midnight Garden, Divine Damson, and Slow Swing need especially careful sampling in rooms with limited daylight. Vivid choices such as Rebel Pink, Free Groove, and Satin Lagoon may be easier to control on a door, vanity, furniture piece, or accent wall than across an entire exterior.

Use a physical sample

Digital swatches are useful for comparing names and broad families, but they are not reliable substitutes for physical samples. Screen settings, photography, sheen, substrate, surrounding colors, and lighting can all alter the apparent result.

For paint, test the actual product or a manufacturer sample on a large board and move it around the room. View it in daylight and under the artificial lighting used in the finished space. For stain, test on the same wood species and with the same preparation, number of coats, opacity, and topcoat planned for the project. For spray coatings, test the actual substrate and confirm primer and clear-coat compatibility.

Check the product line before specifying

A published Color of the Year does not guarantee availability in every sheen, base, exterior formulation, or regional catalog. Confirm:

• Whether the color is offered in the required interior or exterior product.
• Whether the desired sheen is available.
• Whether the product is suitable for the substrate.
• Whether the retailer or dealer serves the project location.
• Whether the brand uses a different code in the local market.
• Whether samples are currently available.

Practical choices by project goal

Common mistakes when comparing Color of the Year lists

• Assuming there is one official winner: Every selection belongs to a particular brand, authority, product category, or marketplace.
• Counting Universal Khaki twice: Sherwin-Williams and HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams selected the same color.
• Counting Warm Mahogany as unrelated colors: Glidden and PPG use the same named selection and PPG code.
• Calling Special Walnut a wall paint: Minwax selected a wood stain, and Sherwin-Williams lists it as a coordinating stain.
• Treating Rhythm of Blues as one shade: Dulux/AkzoNobel selected Mellow Flow, Slow Swing, and Free Groove as a family.
• Assuming a retailer color has a paint formula: IKEA Rebel Pink and Etsy Patina Blue are ecosystem-specific design directions.
• Publishing exact digital matches without documentation: Names such as khaki, eucalyptus, mahogany, teal, and ivory are not universal specifications.
• Overlooking regional availability: Dutch Boy, HGTV Home, Dunn-Edwards, Farrow & Ball, Mylands, Earthborn, and Dulux do not have identical distribution footprints.
• Assuming a trend forecast is a product: WGSN/Coloro’s Transformative Teal is a forecast and color standard, not a guaranteed can of paint.

Does a Color of the Year affect construction or resale value?

A Color of the Year can help homeowners identify current design directions and make a renovation feel intentional, but it is not a guarantee of improved resale value. Market value depends on the property, location, workmanship, maintenance, layout, materials, and buyer preferences. For a project intended for broad appeal, a warm neutral may be easier to live with than a highly saturated statement color; for a long-term home, personal preference and the quality of the finished work matter more than an annual label.

Keeping this list current

This list was checked against public announcements available as of August 10, 2026. New regional, specialty-brand, retailer, or product-line selections may be announced later. Availability, retailer exclusivity, finish options, and codes can also change, so confirm details with the manufacturer or local dealer before ordering materials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the official 2026 Color of the Year?

No. Pantone selected Cloud Dancer, PANTONE 11-4201, as its 2026 Color of the Year, but paint manufacturers, retailers, stain brands, and trend authorities make separate selections for different purposes.

Are Sherwin-Williams and HGTV Home using the same 2026 color?

No. Universal Khaki is one shared selection. Sherwin-Williams lists it as SW 6150, while HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams lists HGSW6150 for its Lowe’s consumer range.

Is Behr Taupe the same as Behr Hidden Gem?

No. Hidden Gem N430-6A is Behr’s 2026 interior-paint selection. Taupe is Behr’s separate 2026 Exterior Stain Color of the Year, with Canadian designations SC-153 for solid stain and ST-153 for semi-transparent stain.

Can one brand’s 2026 color be color-matched to another brand?

Not reliably. A color name is not a universal specification, and paint formulas, sheen, substrate, lighting, and regional product lines differ. Use the manufacturer’s physical sample or an approved color-matching service and test it on the actual surface.

Which 2026 colors are easiest to use in a home?

For warm, adaptable neutrals, start with Universal Khaki or Melodious Ivory. However, even neutrals can appear beige, gray, or dull depending on daylight, bulbs, trim, flooring, and surrounding materials. Always sample first.

Are all of these colors available internationally?

Not necessarily. Pantone Cloud Dancer and WGSN/Coloro Transformative Teal are color-standard or forecast references, while several paint brands have region-specific distribution. Verify availability with the local manufacturer, dealer, or retailer.

How accurate are online color swatches?

Digital swatches are useful for comparing broad color families, but they are not exact representations of painted surfaces. Screen settings, photography, sheen, substrate, and lighting can all change the appearance.

The Bottom Line

Bottom line: 2026 does not have one universal Color of the Year. The strongest paint-market pattern is warm, earthy, and material-led, with khaki, brown, ivory, ochre, green, and blue-green shades dominating. Cloud Dancer adds a light Pantone counterpoint, Transformative Teal represents a forward-looking commercial forecast, and Rebel Pink and Patina Blue show that expressive consumer color remains important. Choose by surface, lighting, finish, and local product availability—not by the annual label alone.

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