The Predictions for 2027's Color of the Year Have Started, and So Far, All Signs Point Towards One Common Theme
Here's how Behr Paint's choice of a muddy olive green points to a larger shift in decorating habits
In many ways, September marks the beginning of the end of the year — it's when we slowly start to reflect on the year that's been, the designs that have defined it, and think about which trends will endure, shaping the year ahead. And after an email from US paint brand Behr landed in my inbox last week, announcing its Color of the Year prediction for 2017, I was quickly reminded of the fact. It's time!
Safe to say, this year has been colorful. So what can we expect in 2027? Well, Behr's prediction, Grounded, a deep, muddy olive green, has a comforting character and strong natural ties. In a way, it feels both obvious and surprising. On the one hand, earthy olive greens have been sidelined this year in place of more vivid green color trends like sour apple and chartreuse, which feel more personality-driven and experimental. But that's not to say it's ever been 'out of style', and as they always do, the scales look to be rebalancing in 2027, with softer, muddier variations of the same bold color trends resurfacing.
And as more color predictions trickle in and new homewares collections roll out, it's clear that people are craving this return to a more grounded, earth-inspired palette. So, what does this mean for upcoming trends, and what can we look forward to in design? Well, more of my musings on that below.
What These Early Color of the Year Predictions Mean for Design
There is nothing about a muddy, dark-toned olive that feels boring, especially with the right accessories.
In our hyper-online world, and with AI growing ever more present, there is a growing desire for clear signs of humanity and natural influences in our homes. Other facets of culture, beyond just design, are experiencing this, too. For instance, the 'hiking holiday' has, for lack of a better word, become trendy, and other travel trends are following suit. Plus, analog living practices, learning how to thrift furniture and decor, and a desire for clear craftsmanship in design (think drawn-on patterns and carved wood, like the dimpled wood trend) are all growing in popularity.
In interior design trends, there's also a duality at play that's important to understanding the nuances of the new earth tones we're seeing. While we are certainly craving more natural influences, more eccentric, yet nostalgic ideas, like Kylie Jenner's jeweled birthday cake, also have their place.
I'd go so far as to say that this juxtaposition is why earthy colors are coming back, but with more interesting hues, tones, tints, and shades. It's not the same tired sage greens and bland beiges we want; it's soft baby blues, muddy olives, oxblood reds, and dusty pinks. And we still want to feel calm in our homes.
As the design team at Behr put it, "'Grounded' is designed to help you transition from the day's high-energy buzz into a more rhythmic, calming state. It's inspired by 'earth's exhale,' that quiet moment when the sun dips below the treeline."
All of this is to say that while a mossy, olive-green with rich brown undertones slated as 2027's Color of the Year might seem singular or unoriginal, it's actually a clear continuation of a collective contemporary design mindset. Character mixed with comfort, craftsmanship mixed with lived-in aesthetics.
Earthy palettes can still be exciting and fashionable when used in interesting applications and combinations.
But Behr's not the only one predicting a return to decorating with olive greens and deep forests. Lick also created a Hunter Green paint color earlier this year that's a contemporary take on a very heritage color. On a smaller scale, cooler brand Fieldbar released a limited-edition cooler in a deep 'Racing Green'. While both are slightly darker and more heritage-inspired examples, it still points to these rich earth tones continually popping up as the new wave of decorating with color.
Beyond green, Dutch Boy Paint has also announced an earthy shade as next year's color prediction: Deep Rooted, a bold terracotta with dark undertones. As for Sherwin-Williams, the brand's recently released Colormix Forecast for 2027 is another beautiful earthy color palette — ochre yellows, rich reds, light blues, and creamy whites, to name a few.
And the goal is to experiment with pairing all of these colors together. Greens and other earth tones make for interesting 'neutrals' in design. Meaning they have seemingly endless combinations and applications. The consensus is that experimenting with color will always lead to a more design-forward home, but 2027's lineup reiterates the importance of an interior color palette that soothes, comforts, and grounds us.
Increasing saturations and adding darker undertones can instantly make earthy colors more interesting.
There may not be much we can change about growing digitalization, but designing our homes with palettes that invite that same refreshing feeling of standing in a wooded forest or the clay of a riverbed helps bring a little peace to our lives.
And the best part? You can still choose shades and saturations that have personality. Pair deep, grounding hues with unexpected lighter hues, anti-trend color combinations, if you will — because that's 2027's whole shtick, blending comforting familiarity with hyper-personal style.
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