The trendiest paint colours to bring into your home in 2025

A fresh coat of paint can have a bold, immediate impact on the look and feel of any interior space — the challenge is picking the right colour from all the options available, ranging from classic to trendy. 

After all, brands have declared everything from Mocha Mousse (Pantone) to Rumors (Behr) to Cinnamon Slate (Benjamin Moore) as their colour of the year for 2025. But just because something is buzzy or ubiquitous doesn't mean it will work in your space — or with your decor.

So to help you parse through all the pretty paint chips and find fresh hues for your home, we reached out to Canadian designers Kyla Bidgood, Louis Duncan-He and Joy Chao. Read on for their takes on the colours and moods that will be trending this year, and how to incorporate them into your interiors.   

On to oatmeal 

For a few years now, preferences have been shifting away from the cool-toned whites and greys that had a hold on the 2010s toward warmer, creamier neutrals, and our designers suggest this trend will continue through 2025. "I think with just the world being so crazy, there's this kind of cocooning that people are wanting," said Calgary-based designer Duncan-He. 

You just want to make sure to keep things interesting. "Warm greys and oatmeals are versatile and blend seamlessly with various decor styles, making them easier to work with. However, if overused, they can feel bland," said Bidgood, a designer in Victoria. She suggests pairing lighter walls with trim, baseboards and door casings in slightly darker shades to create contrast.

Down to earth

The light browns and peachy hues that have been everywhere in recent years continue to be popular; in fact, they're used even more liberally in homes lately. "Whereas before, a blush or a terracotta or an earthy tone might be an accent, now you see entire homes where that's like the base colour of the walls," said Duncan-He.

Beyond the dominant sandy and desert hues, designers are incorporating darker, moodier options with even more red in them, like rust and burgundy.   

"Inspired by nature, reddish browns and burnt oranges provide rich, grounded warmth, branching off the previous terracotta comeback," said Bidgood. Just keep balance in mind, as they can easily overwhelm a space, she advises. And with reddish browns in particular, consider incorporating lighter accents throughout the room.

You'll also want to consider the amount of existing lighting in a space when introducing these warmer shades, as well as the overall feeling that you want to create. Darker earth tones can make a room feel "more cosy and more intimate," said Duncan-He. In other words: stick with a lighter earth tone if your priority is making a space feel more spacious and airy. "You probably want to go for more of an off-beige or a subtle taupe … that kind of Japandi feeling."

Gem parade

Chao, lead interior designer at Vancouver firm JHA, says that jewel tones are now taking centre stage, in part inspired by the nostalgia-driven '90s revival in the fashion world and beyond. That era's "sense of positivity and maximalist excess," she suggests, is more appealing to us than ever. 

"In a time where things feel so uncertain, many are turning to vibrant, uplifting colours to bring some cheer into their lives," said Chao, adding this is a historical pattern we can spot over time.

For this trend, you can lean into rich, vibrant shades of paint like emerald green, sapphire blue and ochre. "These colours pair effortlessly with metallic accents, adding balance and sophistication," said Chao.

Intimidated to try these bolder options? Chao suggests starting small, perhaps with a powder room or one feature wall in a bedroom. 

Purple reign

The designers predict that one jewel tone in particular will stand out in 2025: deep plum. "[It's] a very safe colour for people to venture and sort of play with because it kind of can read as a brown, right?" said Duncan-He. "It makes it much easier to incorporate into a space."

Deep plum, like all of the colours on the "it" list for 2025, also stands out for its ability to soothe and cocoon. And maybe that is what it all comes down to — creating cosy spaces that feel like a peaceful refuge for these complicated times. 

As Bidgood says, "these tones reflect the ongoing evolution of warm, layered schemes,‬ transforming previous styles into richer, more nuanced options that promote tranquility‬."