As we move into the final part of 2024, three of the leading paint brands have unveiled their key colours and palettes for 2025: Benjamin Moore, Graham & Brown and Dulux have analysed trends and consumer preferences to pick the leading shades that they think we will gravitate towards in our homes over the next year.

Today on the blog, as a lover of colour - especially paint shades - and as someone who regularly decorates their home, I thought I would share each of these Colours Of The Year, the predictions behind them, alongside my own opinion of each hue!

Benjamin Moore: Cinnamon Slate

Benjamin Moore - the US paint brand that is steadily growing in popularity in the UK - has announced ‘Cinnamon Slate’ (a delicate mix of heathered plum and velvety brown) as their Colour Of The Year for 2025. With its deep undertones, it’s far removed from the short-lived love for the more pastel-toned lilacs that were popular a couple of years ago. This soft purple is grown-up and sophisticated and could be used in both modern and heritage settings. It’s a comforting hue that is easy to live with and works well alongside multiple colours - from delicate pinks and neutrals, right through to undiluted browns and darker tones.

My personal opinion is that Benjamin Moore has hit the nail on the head with ‘Cinnamon Slate’. I feel like there is starting to be a shift back to darker paint colours after warm neutrals have been popular for so long. Previously favoured dark tones, such as dark navy, deep greens and charcoal greys, have had their day and for 2025, popular deep tones will be brown-based, warmer and less overbearing. In my humble opinion, ‘Cinnamon Slate’ is the perfect shade choice for Colour Of The Year 2025.

Graham & Brown: Elderton

Following on from Benjamin Moore’s brown-based purple is Graham & Brown’s purple-based brown. ‘Elderton’ - Graham & Brown’s Colour Of The Year - is a lovely warm brown with soft purple undertones. The shade, which takes its name from the humble elder tree, embraces the trend for brown we find everywhere at the moment in both fashion and interiors and keeps it modern with its plummy base.

“Elderton is a chameleon colour that can be sophisticated yet cosy depending on the mood of the space it is in,” says Paula Taylor, head stylist and trend specialist at Graham & Brown. “It will add drama to contemporary colours by creating a theatrical backdrop, allowing them to shine through.”

After painting my husband’s home office in a similar shade at the start of the year, I agree with Graham & Brown that this shade is both sophisticated and cosy. The colour provides a rich, darker backdrop without feeling oppressive. ‘Elderton’ is a great choice for 2025 and I believe we will see more people embrace this shade and use it as a strong neutral within their homes.

Lastly, Dulux announced ‘True Joy’ as their Colour Of The Year 2025 after their Colour Futures Trends Forecast took place. Dulux calls ‘True Joy’ an ‘uplifting yellow (that) was created to fill your homes with creative energy, optimism and pride.’ It was chosen as Dulux felt there was ‘a growing sense across the world that life must be better elsewhere.’

I do get it. With the current state of world affairs, painting our homes in a vivid yellow may seem like the antidote in challenging times, but to be honest, I feel like we’ve already moved past yellow. Yellow kitchens have been everywhere the past couple of years and while I understand that Dulux is a mainstream paint brand and yellow might only now be trickling down to the masses, I can’t understand why they picked this yellow. Bold and brash, ‘True Joy’ is a really vivid yellow shade that I think is difficult to live with. Unlike the sophisticated yellow of ‘Madeleine’ by Little Greene, or the depth of ‘India Yellow’ by Farrow & ball, ‘True Joy’, in my opinion, is a garish yellow that just reminds me of a Lego figurine.

Those are my thoughts on the Colours of The Year 2025 that have been released so far, but what do you think? Let me know in the comments box below!