Once again, the annual Color of the Year announcements have started rolling out VERY early. And once again, one has already come out before we could make our official guesses (it’s only August of 2026!). So we quickly made our picks this morning (Sherry just chose two she has been hoping would be chosen for many years). You can see them below in this post, and just like we’ve done for 2024, 2025, and 2026 – we’ll update this post every time a new one is announced so you can see all the COTY selections in one convenient place.
While color forecasting and design trends are serious business for these companies, we mostly enjoy the fun of guessing what will be picked and how people react to the choices. People were big mad at Pantone last year! You can see our predictions for this year at the bottom of this post.
What is the 2027 Color of the Year?
Each year, most major paint and color brands announce their “color of the year,” which is usually meant to encapsulate current or future design trends. So rather than having one official Color of the Year, you’ll see many selections from folks like Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and Pantone. Some companies will also announce color collections or entire palettes. They act as commentary on both design trends and the world at large, while also helping laypeople pick trending hues. And of course, it’s all a good marketing gimmick or PR stunt for these brands… one we’re suckers for every year!
What Were Last Year’s Colors?
You can see a snapshot of the last 3 years’ COTY picks below, and find more details about each here: 2024 – 2025 – 2026.
Looking at them all together like this really gives you a sense of an overall trend for that year, as well as how things are shifting across time. 2025 was notably darker and more muted than 2024, with brands going heavy on deep browns and purples. 2026 saw more variety in the hues, but things were still fairly muted and neutral (we always hope for more color than the last two years have given us).
Every 2027 Color of the Year
We are tracking 14 brands this year, but are always on the lookout for others. As of August 14, 2026, only one has announced their 2027 Color of the Year. We’ll keep this list updated as more of them roll out.
Here’s a closer look at each color selected.
Valspar’s 2027 Color of the Year
Valspar kicked off this year’s COTY announcements with a steely blue called Cottage Door. They describe it as a “trans-seasonal color” for “thoughtful and introspective spaces,” which is a response to a cultural shift they see towards intentional, authentic, and heartfelt living. They suggest pairing it with a creamy pink and warm gray, as well as natural textures and playful patterns.
This is Valspar’s fourth year picking a Color of the Year, and you can see above that they love a blue. All of the choices are solid and reliable, but it will be interesting to see if they surprise us in 2028.
Our 2027 Color of the Year Predictions
Every year, Sherry and I like to guess 3 colors we think will show up on the list. It’s all in good fun, and you can tell below that we’re both hoping for a return to more color. In full disclosure, I saw the Valspar announcement before making my picks, but I kept Sherry in the dark so she could make her selections 100% blind.
We will update this graphic if any of our guesses are close.
More Paint Posts
If we want to see more of our favorite colors or nerd out on paint colors with us, be sure to check out these other posts below: