Interior Paint Colour Trends for 2026 – Colours That Work in Practice
Jan 09, 2026
Silhouette AF-655
A warm espresso brown with soft charcoal depth
Silhouette AF-655 reflects the shift toward cocooning interiors. Sitting between deep brown and softened charcoal, it offers richness without heaviness and reads warmer than traditional greys. Ideal for walls, cabinetry and feature areas.
Ideal for: Living rooms · Dining rooms · Cabinetry · Feature walls
This supporting palette shows how Silhouette AF-655 works best with harmonious, complementary undertones. Muted greens, softened blues and warm off-whites balance the depth, creating layered schemes that feel cohesive and timeless.
Little Greene - Adventurer™
Adventurer™ is a deep, jewel-toned plum that reflects the growing move toward richer, more enveloping interiors for 2026. Confident without feeling heavy, it brings warmth and depth to a space while remaining refined and liveable.
With its aubergine undertones and softly muted finish, Adventurer™ works particularly well in dining rooms, bedrooms and colour-drenched schemes where atmosphere and comfort are key. It pairs beautifully with warm neutrals, clay tones and softened pinks, allowing it to feel expressive without overpowering a room.
As part of Little Greene’s carefully balanced palette, Adventurer™ offers a sophisticated way to introduce deeper colour — ideal for homeowners and decorators looking to create interiors that feel both bold and considered.
A jewel-toned plum–aubergine
Adventurer is a confident, expressive shade that brings warmth and richness to dining rooms, bedrooms and colour-drenched interiors without overpowering a space.
Complementary Pairings for Adventurer™
Adventurer™ is a rich, plum–aubergine shade with warm red undertones. When used as a feature colour, it benefits from surrounding shades that soften its depth and allow it to feel elegant rather than overpowering.
Debutant™ introduces a gentle, dusty rose note that echoes Adventurer’s warmth while lightening the overall scheme. Used on adjoining walls or in softer spaces such as bedrooms, it creates a cohesive flow without competing for attention.
Old Paper II™ acts as a warm, chalky neutral that balances the richness of Adventurer. Ideal for ceilings, woodwork or lighter walls, it keeps the palette feeling open and breathable while maintaining warmth.
China Clay – Dark™ grounds the scheme with a muted clay tone, adding subtle contrast and structure. It works particularly well on cabinetry, panelling or in connecting spaces, giving depth without heaviness.
Together, these shades form a harmonious palette that feels layered, calm and contemporary — perfectly suited to colour-drenched interiors or homes looking to introduce deeper tones with confidence.
Farrow & Ball — 2025 / 2026 Colour Collection
The full collection includes: Etruscan Red, Napéron, Duster, Sap Green, Scallop, Dibber, Reduced Green, Sizing, Kakelugn, Marmelo, Douter and the reintroduced archive shade Broccoli Brown.
Dulux — Rhythm of Blues
Dulux Colour Futures 2026 — Rhythm of Blues
Rhythm of Blues is Dulux’s Colour Futures outlook for 2026, capturing a collective shift toward slower living, emotional balance and more intuitive interiors. Moving away from sharp contrasts and high-energy brights, the palette explores a spectrum of blues that feel grounding, expressive and quietly confident.
From airy, light-filled tones to deeper, more immersive shades, Rhythm of Blues reflects the way colour can influence mood and pace. These blues are designed to adapt to how a space is used — supporting calm in living areas, focus in workspaces, and depth in more intimate rooms — while remaining versatile enough to pair with warm neutrals, soft clays and natural textures.
The result is a colour story that feels fluid rather than fixed, encouraging decorators and homeowners to work with colour instinctively and create interiors that move at their own rhythm.
Mellow Flow™ — A soft, airy blue designed to bring lightness and calm to a space. Mellow Flow works beautifully in open-plan areas and bedrooms, creating a relaxed backdrop that pairs easily with warm neutrals and natural textures.
Free Groove™ — A deeper, expressive indigo that adds personality without feeling overpowering. Free Groove is ideal for feature walls or colour-drenched rooms, bringing depth and confidence while still feeling considered.
Slow Swing™ — A grounding blue-black with a subtle softness. Slow Swing adds drama and intimacy to interiors, working especially well in dining rooms, studies or spaces where mood and atmosphere matter most.
Your Space, Your Pace.
Crown Trade — 2026 Creative Themes
Crown Paints — Colours of the Year 2026
Crown’s Colours of the Year for 2026 explore how colour can shape emotion, movement and connection within a space. Rather than focusing on a single hero shade, Crown presents a series of creative themes that reflect the way people live, work and interact with their interiors.
The palettes balance softness with expression, combining warm, cocooning tones with moments of contrast and energy. Organic shapes, layered colour and tactile finishes play a central role, encouraging interiors that feel both comforting and forward-looking.
Designed to be flexible rather than prescriptive, Crown’s 2026 colour direction invites decorators and designers to work intuitively — mixing tones, textures and finishes to create spaces that feel personal, expressive and adaptable to modern life.
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Faraway — soft, escapist palettes inspired by travel and nature
- Disrupt — bold, energetic contrasts for modern spaces
Choreography
At the core of Choreography is a melody of organic shapes, curves, and a rhythmic flow that emphasises sensory comfort. Featuring warm, muted tones, like soft lilacs and greens, alongside deeper shades, the palette offers a calming and cocooning effect, that evolves to the individual.
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Co — The colour palette includes near primary red, yellow and green, as well as hot pink for strong accents joined by gentle pink and blue pastel shades.
Warm collaborative tones for shared spaces
G-Local
- G-Local emphasises the fusion of local craftsmanship with global perspectives, celebrating the intersection of traditional materials and new technologies. A neutral base palette is accented with subtle injections of synthetic green and orange tones, reflecting the harmonious marriage of nature and innovation.
Tikkurila — Colour Direction for 2026
Tikkurila’s colour direction for 2026 reflects a growing appreciation for warmth, optimism and how colour shifts throughout the day. Rooted in Nordic design principles, the palette balances clarity with softness, offering hues that feel fresh yet grounded.
Rather than relying on bold statements alone, Tikkurila’s approach focuses on how colour behaves in real spaces — responding to natural light, seasonal changes and everyday living. The result is a collection of shades that feel uplifting without being overpowering, and versatile enough to work across kitchens, hallways, studios and open-plan interiors.
This thoughtful use of colour makes Tikkurila an ideal choice for decorators and homeowners looking to introduce warmth and character while maintaining a clean, modern aesthetic.
Chameleon L391 — Tikkurila’s Colour of the Year 2026
A warm yellow-green ochre that subtly shifts with natural light, Chameleon L391 has been selected by Tikkurila as its Colour of the Year for 2026. Its lively yet grounded tone brings a sense of optimism and energy to interiors — especially suited to kitchens, hallways and creative spaces where warmth and movement are key.
A golden yellow-green ochre that shifts beautifully with natural light, offering warmth and optimism.
Ideal for: Kitchens · Hallways · Studios
Earthborn — Natural, Sustainable Colour Direction
Earthborn’s palette for 2026 reflects its commitment to sustainable living and tactile, grounded interiors. Rooted in natural pigments and environmentally considerate formulations, the brand’s colours feel warm, soft and inherently calming — perfect for spaces designed around wellbeing and quiet comfort.
Freckle — Earthborn’s Colour of the Year 2026
Freckle is a warm, softly grounded neutral that reflects Earthborn’s focus on natural, liveable colour. Chosen as Earthborn’s Colour of the Year for 2026, it brings a gentle sense of comfort to interiors, working beautifully with natural light, textured surfaces and relaxed, sustainable schemes.
Earthborn — Freckle
Rather than bold contrasts or loud statements, Earthborn’s approach favours subtlety and harmony. Its tones draw inspiration from clay, stone, organic greens and muted earth references — colours that feel at ease in both traditional and contemporary homes.
At the heart of this direction is a belief that colour should support the experience of a room — enhancing light, texture and natural materials without overpowering them. This makes Earthborn an excellent choice for decorators and homeowners looking to create interiors that are relaxed, authentic and enduring.
Soft, earthy and welcoming, Freckle suits relaxed interiors where sustainability and warmth matter. To see what colour pairings are best for Freckle, visit: earthborn's colour pairings page: here.
Sandtex — Exterior Colour Direction for 2026
Sandtex’s colour direction for 2026 reflects a growing move toward warmer, more considered exterior finishes. Rather than stark whites or high-contrast shades, the focus is on colours that feel connected to their surroundings — drawing inspiration from stone, foliage, clay and coastal tones.
Designed to perform in the UK climate, Sandtex colours combine durability with aesthetic longevity. Soft neutrals, earthy greens, muted reds and refined blues offer a timeless approach to exterior decoration, helping homes feel well-balanced, cared for and in harmony with their environment.
This considered palette allows exteriors to complement interior schemes, creating a cohesive transition from outside to in while maintaining the high-performance protection Sandtex is known for.
- Warm Neutrals — Ivory Stone · Cornish Cream
- Earthy Greens — Bay Tree · Fern Canopy
- Deep Reds — Brick Red
- Sophisticated Blues — Gentle Blue · Oxford Blue
Macpherson — Warm Neutrals for Everyday Interiors
Macpherson’s colour direction for 2026 centres on warm, dependable neutrals designed for real homes and working spaces. Moving away from cold whites and flat greys, the focus is on off-whites, creams and beige-based tones that soften interiors and enhance natural light.
These shades are easy to live with and highly versatile, making them ideal for larger areas, connecting spaces and projects where balance and longevity matter. Whether used on their own or alongside deeper feature colours, Macpherson’s neutrals provide a calm foundation that allows other tones, textures and finishes to sit comfortably within a scheme.
Practical, reliable and understated, Macpherson remains a strong choice for decorators looking for colour that works hard while still feeling considered and contemporary.
Armstead — Accessible Colour, Trade-Led Performance
Armstead’s colour direction for 2026 reflects its position as a dependable, value-focused trade brand within the AkzoNobel family. Rather than launching a separate Colour of the Year, Armstead aligns closely with Dulux Trade’s Colour Futures forecasts, ensuring its palette remains current, relevant and easy to specify.
This approach allows decorators to access on-trend shades — including warm neutrals, softened blues and calming, contemporary tones — within a practical, affordable range designed for everyday use. The emphasis is on consistency, coverage and ease of application, making Armstead a reliable choice for both domestic and commercial projects.
By combining trend-led colour with straightforward performance, Armstead offers a confident, no-nonsense option for professionals who want modern colour without unnecessary complexity.
Armstead, a value-focused trade paint brand from AkzoNobel (also owners of Dulux), does not release a separate Colour of the Year. Instead, it aligns with Dulux Trade’s Colour Futures forecasts, offering accessible shades such as Sweet Embrace™ and trending tones from the Rhythm of Blues 2026 outlook across its professional range.
TREND REPORT · 2026
What 2026’s Colours Reveal
Warmth Returns
Warm depth replaces cool greys, signalling a move toward interiors that feel comforting and grounded.
Restorative Greens
Greens remain central, reflecting wellbeing, balance and a connection to nature.
Emotional Blues
Blues expand emotionally — from soft, calming tones to deeper, more dramatic expressions.
Evolving Neutrals
Neutrals shift toward clay, stone and chalky warmth, offering longevity and subtle character.
Layered Living
Colour is used in layers — walls, woodwork and finishes working together rather than standing alone.
Human-Centred Design
Palettes prioritise how spaces feel to live in, not just how they photograph.
