After a decade and a half of annual Color of the Year announcements, we’ve decided to celebrate color in a new way, combing our collections to curate the Sherwin-Williams 2025 Color Capsule of the Year. This expertly selected assortment of hues encapsulates the world of color at its most classic and its most cutting-edge, so that anyone can use it to tell a uniquely beautiful and authentic color story.

Knowing that a color celebration this significant could not be confined to a single hue, our Colormix^® Trendsight Team broadened their selections. They took inspiration from our 2025 Colormix^® Forecast, Capsules, to create a complete palette of unique and usable colors from the Forecast, our Designer Color Collection, some of our brightest whites, and even our historical hues.

“We really wanted to think about the whole concept of Color of the Year in a new way,” says Color Marketing Manager Emily Kantz. “This being our 15th year, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to refresh our approach. When we were originally working through the forecasting process, a handful of colors were pulled aside as key colors for 2025. These key colors paired nicely with each other, and thus the Color Capsule of the Year was born.”

The 2025 Color Capsule of the Year is made up of nine expertly picked colors, including bright whites (Sunbleached SW 9585 and White Snow SW 9541) and deep designer favorites (Rain Cloud SW 9639 and Clove SW 9605) from our Designer Color Collection; two hues from our 2025 Colormix^® Forecast, Grounded SW 6089 (197-C6) and Bosc Pear SW 6390 (139-C6); the modern-classic Chartreuse SW 0073; and touches of softness with Malabar SW 9110 (205-C2) and Mauve Finery SW 6282 (190-C2).

“With so much information at our fingertips, we are looking for moments to connect with something real,” says Amanda Lowery, Architectural Services Account Executive. “Acknowledging the impact design has on our physical and mental well-being opens the door for unique and authentic spaces designed for each individual—spaces where we can be our true self.”

This is the essence of what our color trend experts hoped to create by selecting an entire palette to represent the key directions for 2025: a collection of colors chosen for how well they work together—as a complete palette or in carefully picked pairings—and how well they can adapt to virtually any combination, design style, or aesthetic and tell any designer or homeowner’s unique color story.

Emily Kantz adds that “There was a vintage vibe that we kept leaning towards when we were looking at the palette. Nostalgia is having a big impact on design. People are craving those authentic pieces of the past in their homes, so this palette pulled influences from those iconic design styles.”

“When we developed this palette, we were considering styles like Art Deco Regency, Japandi, Mediterranean, and modern vintage,” says Director of Color Marketing Sue Wadden. “Each of these aesthetics has its own characteristics, but our Color Capsule of the Year can be curated to stand out with any design style. We wanted a modern, fresh take on color, with a balanced and usable assortment of shades.”

The resulting palette is a mix of brightness and subtlety, freshness and familiarity. Maggie O’Hare, our Global CMF & Trend Manager for Industrial Wood Coatings, sees this mix of whites and neutrals, with a pop of stormy blue, jolt of yellow-green, and whisper of mauve as “incredibly classic,” creating a strong statement and amplifying the palette’s universality.

“What I love about this Color Capsule is that everything I’m seeing has a bit of warmth to it,” Vern Yip tells host Sue Wadden on Colormixology^™. “When you have a bit of warmth, it really does allow you to introduce all the other things that you love.”

With multiple hues coming into play for our new Color of the Year interpretation, we joined forces with female-founded floral design company East Olivia to create a one-of-a-kind Forever Floral bouquet of dried flowers to mark the occasion, available to order for a limited time, while supplies last.

Owner Kelsea Olivia Gaynor, when asked how she approached the challenge of translating these shades into botanical language, remarks that “Constraints are the birthplace of creativity. It’s so fun to have these constraints and be challenged.” She took the palette provided and selected a mix of custom-painted gypsophila and craspedia, troll hair, bunny tails, eucalyptus and miscanthus to create a bouquet that mirrors the subtle opulence and natural earthiness of the 2025 Color Capsule of the Year.

“Beauty is a human right, not a luxury,” she believes. “We need it like we need air, movement, water, sustenance. This is why I love being a part of making beautiful environments, creating a space and inviting people into it. They’re more at ease with themselves, more likely to be connected with themselves and more authentically connect with each other.”

We asked our Colormix^® Trendsight Team members to share which applications of the Color Capsule of the Year they are most excited to see in the seasons ahead. Emily Kantz says that natural wood tones are going to look beautiful with this palette. “There is so much warmth to this capsule, so a range of warm wood tones is going to look gorgeous with them. Color drenching is having a moment, too, and any of these colors would look beautiful in a color-drenching application with varying sheens, like flat on the ceiling, eggshell walls, and semi-gloss trim for added character in the room.”

Kantz sees countless pairings possibilities within the Capsule, some that feel very current, and others that feel especially classic. “Grounded and Clove together imparts a tonal look that feels super fresh and unique, yet very sophisticated. And for the quintessential classic look, pairing Rain Cloud with Sunbleached and White Snow can offer a new spin on the traditional coastal aesthetic.”

“I think designers are going to gravitate towards Color Capsule of the Year because of the limitless amount of variety within the palette. You can create looks that span styles and fashionable trend moments. This collection has something for everyone.” 

“It’s like stepping out of the dark and into a fresh, bright, and colorful new world,” says Amanda Lowery of the Capsule, and she expects it to create peaceful retreats in a variety of commercial environments, especially as biophilic trends in “resimercial” design spaces continue to thrive.  

She also anticipates that the neutral tones in this palette will feature prominently across our complete portfolio of products, available within Full Spectrum Possibilities. “I expect to see the increased use of neutral aggregates in terrazzo flooring for calming yet unique designs in commercial spaces—and I won’t be surprised if we start to see unexpected pops of color mixed in,” Lowery predicts. “Blending of-the-moment browns with unexpected golds, yellows, and blues will give off a retro vibe that is fun and inviting for all.”

Director of Color Marketing Sue Wadden envisions countless possibilities as well. “I can see the 2025 Color Capsule of the Year being used in hospitality spaces—resort lobbies, guestrooms, bathrooms—keeping with the trend of nature-based raw interiors with loads of stone and natural wood elements,” she says.

From fashion to architecture, consumer products to digital design, this unique trend palette highlights timeless hues and fresh new introductions to inspire powerful combinations for every aspect of design—not only the wall paint. Kiki Redhead, CMF & Trend Manager for Industrial & Performance Coatings, envisions big developments for the colors in our Capsule of the Year.

“In both residential and commercial interiors, Bosc Pear can turn into a luxurious gold metallic, mimicking an anodized finish for hardware, lighting, fixtures, and faucets,” she informs us. “The warming, or browning, of black has brought bronze back as a desired metal appearance. Both Grounded and Clove, with the addition of mica effects, are becoming frequently requested for application in everything from office and outdoor furniture to windows and appliances.”

To see these exceptional hues for yourself, order complimentary large-sized samples now using your PRO+ account.