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Warm, grounded colors featured prominently in several major paint makers’ 2025 forecasts, but bold hues were not simply pushed aside. Sherwin-Williams included vibrant yellow-green Chartreuse, Benjamin Moore described a palette balancing vibrancy and subtlety, and Rust-Oleum paired earthy tones with bold accents. The more accurate takeaway: muted earth tones are a strong part of the 2025 forecast, not a universal replacement for color.
What the 2025 paint forecasts actually show
These forecasts are each company’s own color selections—not independent measurements of what homeowners bought or what is universally popular. Their counts describe the brands’ palettes, not market share or sales.
| Brand and announcement | Published palette | Notable direction and examples |
|---|---|---|
| Sherwin-Williams, 2025 Colormix Forecast | 48 hues in four palettes: Chrysalis, Kindred, Paradox, and Wellspring | Grounded SW 6089 is described as an earthen brown; Malabar SW 9110 as sandy beige. The Color Capsule also includes vibrant yellow-green Chartreuse SW 0073 and deep gray-blue Rain Cloud SW 9639. See the 2025 forecast and Color Capsule. |
| Benjamin Moore, announced October 16, 2024 | 10 colors in its 2025 palette | Cinnamon Slate 2113-40, the 2025 Color of the Year, is described as a delicate mix of heathered plum and velvety brown. The palette ranges from neutrals to moodier shades and balances vibrancy with subtlety. Read the announcement. |
| Rust-Oleum, announced January 22, 2025 | 11 hues in its Color Watch palette | Warm Caramel is its Color of the Year. The palette pairs earthy tones and warm neutrals with dusty pink, burgundy, and deep ocean blue accents. Read the announcement. |
Across these selections, warm browns, sandy beige, plum-brown, and caramel recur. So do more saturated choices: Sherwin-Williams’ forecast includes Chartreuse, while Rust-Oleum names several bold accents and Benjamin Moore explicitly frames its palette as a balance. That mix supports a shift toward nuanced, grounded color—not the claim that bold paint is out.
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How to choose between an earth tone and a stronger accent
Start with the room and the surfaces around the paint, rather than the color name or a screen swatch. The cited brands do not use a shared scoring system for warmth, depth, or saturation, so compare candidates in the conditions where you will see them.
- Check the undertone. A brown may lean plum, red, or golden; a beige may read sandy or more neutral. Compare the swatch with your flooring, trim, cabinetry, and fabrics.
- Judge depth and saturation. A subdued mauve or warm brown can still feel rich, while a vivid accent may work best on a smaller surface. Consider whether you want the color across a whole room or in a more limited area.
- Account for the room’s light. Daylight and artificial lighting change how paint reads. A digital preview is a starting point, not a reliable final match.
- Sample before committing. Sherwin-Williams offers paint and peel-and-stick samples, and Benjamin Moore directs customers to order samples. Test the actual candidate in the intended room; Benjamin Moore cautions that screen and printer representations may differ from the paint.
What “forecast” means—and what it does not
A paint-color forecast is a brand’s editorial view of emerging design directions. The 48 Sherwin-Williams hues, 10 Benjamin Moore selections, and 11 Rust-Oleum colors are published palette counts, not independent market data. They cannot establish that one color is selling best, that homeowners have broadly abandoned vivid colors, or that the same trend applies in every home or region.
Rank #2
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- Includes a refillable water brush: The set comes with a refillable water brush so you can paint, blend, and reactivate color without carrying a separate water cup. This makes the set more convenient for field work, classroom use, and portable watercolor practice
- Detachable pans and tin lid for flexible use: The half pans can be arranged to fit your preferred workflow, and the tin lid can be used as a mixing surface while you paint. This helps artists keep their setup simple, organized, and ready for quick color mixing
- Smooth to rewet and easy to build in layers: These semi-moist watercolor paints are easy to activate with water for washes, blending, and layered effects. Use them for beginners’ practice, color studies, or finished artwork that benefits from a more portable watercolor format
The forecasts are still useful as a shortlist of directions to explore: grounded browns and warm neutrals if you want a softer backdrop, and considered accents if you want contrast or a more saturated focal point. Choose based on the room’s finishes, light, and the effect you want—not on the idea that one color family has replaced another.
Quick Recap
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