2025 Colors of the Year: Every Major Brand Compared
Every year, the biggest paint brands announce their Color of the Year — a single shade they believe captures the cultural mood. For 2025, the picks reveal a clear trend: warm, grounding tones inspired by nature. Let's break down every major selection and find the closest matches across brands.
Sherwin-Williams: Wholesome
Wholesome(Sherwin-Williams) is a warm, earthy terracotta that evokes clay pots, sun-dried landscapes, and handmade ceramics. Sherwin-Williams describes it as a color that “grounds your space and nourishes the soul.” It sits squarely in the brown family with noticeable orange undertones.
Looking for this shade from another brand? Check out Benjamin Moore Mesa Rust or Behr Canyon Dusk for similar warm clay tones. Use our color search to find the closest Delta E match from any brand.
Benjamin Moore: Cinnamon Slate
Cinnamon Slate(Benjamin Moore) is a muted, sophisticated brown with violet-gray undertones. It's darker and cooler than Sherwin-Williams' pick, landing in a space between chocolate and plum. This is a color that works beautifully on accent walls, cabinetry, and exterior doors.
Browse all Benjamin Moore colors to find complementary shades for a full palette.
Behr: Rumors
Rumors(Behr) is a muted mushroom-brown with gray undertones. It's the most neutral of the 2025 picks — versatile enough for whole-home use. Behr positions it as a “modern neutral that replaces gray.”
Compare it against the full brown color family to see how it stacks up against thousands of similar shades.
PPG: Cracked Pepper
Cracked Pepper(PPG) breaks from the warm trend with a deep charcoal that has the faintest purple undertone. It's dramatic, modern, and perfect for creating contrast. Think statement kitchen islands, front doors, and accent walls.
Valspar: Encore
Encore(Valspar) is a warm sandy beige that bridges the gap between tan and terracotta. It's the lightest of this year's picks and the easiest to use in large doses.
The Common Thread
Four out of five brands chose a shade in the brown-to-terracotta spectrum. The era of cool grays is officially over. If you're planning a 2025 refresh, start with warm earth tones and build outward.
Want to see how all these colors compare scientifically? Use our color compare tool to calculate the exact Delta E 2000 difference between any two shades.