<\/span><\/h2>\nOf the five shades we will discuss today, <\/span>brown<\/span> (and the color that follows) is undeniable. Everyone knows it. I\u2019d be remiss to be a contrarian and not include it. I\u2019d be lying if I didn\u2019t say I was a bit taken by surprise with this one those months back when it started to become obvious. Brown?? You mean, that color I poo-pooed (pun intended) since we all gratefully moved out of the Tuscan-everything era into the not-really-any-better gray era? Brown is so\u2026brown. Heavy, sparkless, and not that exciting. BUT WAIT, brown has had a strange glow-up, where suddenly it was the key color in a quiet luxury palette. Creams, warm whites, taupes, rich brown. It unexpectedly felt luxurious, sensual, and powerful. It must have gotten the same PR agent as cottage cheese, cauliflower, and kale did. Brown is back, baby, so much so that the <\/span>Pantone Color of the Year for 2025 is Mocha Mousse<\/span>, an elegant tan brown with pink undertones. Darker, more pigmented chocolate browns with red undertones were also BIG. I mean\u2026who would have thunk it?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nThis living room by <\/span>Ome Dezin<\/span> shows how much a design-forward brown sofa can really ground a grand ceiling height. I think brown seating can be tricky to get right to not look instantly dated and like something you\u2019d normally stash away in a basement, but a velvet material is a near fail-safe to get it right. It makes the brown come to life by reflecting light in varying intensities, as velvet does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nDesigned by <\/span>Christiane Lemieux<\/span>, this is an example of that beautiful velvet giving the brown so much depth, lightness, and texture on a large piece like a sofa.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nI have been seeing SO much brown tile in bathrooms lately, like in this space by <\/span>Lala Reimagined<\/span>. Similar to a sofa, I think the key is to find something with a complex texture, like these hand-glazed Zellige tiles. I love to see this mixed with rich non-lacquered, polished brass and some putty-like gray color on the walls and floors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nSee!? The bathroom tile is where it\u2019s at, clearly. <\/span>Hudson + Bloum Design<\/span> went with more of a flat, glossy tile, which comes off more modern but still grounded.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nChocolate has many degrees of depth, and this pantry by <\/span>Bungalowe<\/span> falls more into the category of milk chocolate. Maybe even lighter. This is what I\u2019d call more of a truffle brown, and think the subtle red undertone is complementary to a lot of different colors. It works great with reds, greens and purples, but also plays fair with high-contrast black and white.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nCase in point, by <\/span>Blanc Marine Inte\u0301rieurs<\/span>.<\/span> This is certainly a bit darker than that previous pantry but still in the same truffle family. It\u2019s so beautiful with dark charcoal grays and a variety of lighter wood tones.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nFor anyone who can\u2019t do brown in large doses, it really can be such a lovely touch in a compact package, like the lamp here in a shot from <\/span>Lulu & Georgia<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>All The Reds<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nLike brown, red is an undeniable force in color trends this year. It all started with the explosion of the <\/span>Unexpected Red Theory<\/span>, and while the chatter of that specific phenomenon has died down, using red (any shade, really) is very much alive. I mention <\/span>any<\/span><\/i> shade because it\u2019s not just primary red that I\u2019m seeing. It\u2019s deep burgundies, cool cherries, warm bricks, and lots of pinks, which frankly could have been its own category in this post, but five felt like a more auspicious number than six so I dropped it from the lineup. I\u2019m talking fuchsias, <\/span>mulberries<\/span>, raspberries, etc. Let\u2019s take a look.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nPopping in a hue of red into a mostly neutral space is such a power move, and always works to bring in intrigue and tension without feeling overly colorful, like <\/span>Neptune Home<\/span> did here. If you\u2019re opting to paint something like millwork, doors or a furniture piece, going with a matte finish will keep the red more subdued.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nIt\u2019s funny how comfortable people are with painting the exterior of their front door red, but then choosing white for the interior. We\u2019re only seeing the exterior here in a home by <\/span>Bespoke Only<\/span> but based on the trimwork inside being red, I\u2019m going to take a not-so-wild guess that it\u2019s also red inside. And it\u2019s so special!<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nNeed a color for a vintage casegood find that could use some new life? Claire Champion<\/span> went with this bright red and doesn\u2019t regret it for a second. It\u2019ll completely transform whatever room it\u2019s placed in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nDon\u2019t forget that red can be a design cameo, not having to take over a whole wall, cabinet or furniture piece. Sometimes, just some hardware, for instance (thanks for the idea <\/span>Zoe Feldman Design<\/span>)<\/span>, is all it takes to zip some energy into a room.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nRyan Lawson<\/span> pairs a garnet velvet bed with rich brown bedding, which is a color combination I wouldn\u2019t traditionally go for but works as a way of bringing life to the brown, but toning down the red.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nNot into brown and red? Maybe try pink and red, like <\/span>Summer Thornton Design<\/span>. The red here is more of a brown-tinged cinnamon, so it feels less like intense color blocking against the rosey wallpaper and more like two sisters mingling.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nA daring ruby velvet TOGO sofa in the home of <\/span>Coleman Domingo<\/span> makes the wood paneling on the wall feel both retro but fresh when paired with the electric blue artwork above it. A play on primaries with just a shift in hue can be a bit less playful (in a good way).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nWhile I love a jazzy punch of primary red, I think I love a slathering of deep burgundy more. Especially on cabinetry like <\/span>Sarah Sherman Samuel<\/span> did above. This is almost plum or purple in the right light, and I\u2019m not mad at it one bit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nLisa Staton Interior Design<\/span> kept the burgundy kitchen from feeling over the top by keeping the bosom of the space a creamy tone. That shade of red practically begs to be paired with warm neutrals and a dose of black and gold.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Sky Blue<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nOkay, we\u2019ve entered the less obvious area of this year\u2019s trending colors. While blue is essentially neutral at this point, never going out of style in any capacity, it\u2019s been used so thoroughly in a chalky, grayish shade for the better part of a decade. While that Swedish or French variation is gorgeous, I\u2019m putting my money on a brighter, clearer sky blue.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nSomething like the color <\/span>a NABER DESIGN<\/span> used in this kitchen reno is just so happy without feeling juvenile. It doesn\u2019t have the cloudiness of muddy blues but still feels easy on the eyes. Marrying it with serious wood tones (think oak and walnut) keeps it squarely adult.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n<\/blockquote>\nHere\u2019s another example of sky blue with grounding wood tons, by <\/span>Yond Interiors<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nI have always loved the combo of sky blue and bright or brick red, so I love to see this sweet room from <\/span>Sarah Peake<\/span>. It\u2019s a kids\u2019 room, sure, but feel free to add my name to the sign-up list if one were to ever pop up. \ud83d\ude42<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nThere were a handful of comments from <\/span>my bathroom trends post<\/span> that everything was too dark, too moody, not light enough. Well, <\/span>STUDIO DUGGAN<\/span> is here to show us that a sky-blue tile is an express ticket to a gorgeous shower stall without all the drama.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nUnsurprisingly, sky blue works wonders in a colordrenching application. This one is maybe a bit more on the chalky side but still feels bright enough to be appropriate in this category. (This one is by <\/span>NINA CARBONE inc<\/span>.)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nA pretty formal room by <\/span>Lisa Henderson<\/span> shows that a peppering of sky blue in some small accessories is a great palette completer (the door shade is a bit more serious, so I\u2019m not counting it). If you feel like your room is missing one more layer of color, give it a try.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nTake a cue from <\/span>ROMANO<\/span> and use sky blue as a complement to anything orange-toned in your space. Here, the beams are actually orange, but the same applies if you have woods with orange undertones, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nKate McElhiney<\/span>, I\u2019m obsessed with this photo of a room you designed. That sky blue banquette is like a cool breeze cutting through a warm humid day. Crisp, cool and welcoming.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>Buttery Yellow<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\nHave you ever had a situation where you had someone in your life who went from friend zone to lover kind of out of the blue? Like, they were always there, always around flying under the radar but then BOOM, you noticed your feelings for them and then it was like your life flashes before your eyes and it was them all along?!? No? Not you? Well, I\u2019m about to change that, because that is how butter yellow has been. It was a bit of a sneak attack but yes, butter yellow is touching everything right now, and in the homes, it\u2019s especially fond of the kitchen. So much so that I dare declare that yellow is the new blue or green cabinet.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nExample #1 also happens to sport red and sky blue. <\/span>Finch Studio<\/span> is out here checking allll the boxes. Is this not just so sweet? Sure, the specific style isn\u2019t for everyone, but it sure is fun to look at.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nAnother butter yellow kitchen but in more of an English style, by <\/span>Lucy Cunningham<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nThe caption for this <\/span>YSG Studio<\/span> bathroom is \u201c<\/span>Golden wheat shades cast this bathroom in the glow of an eternal summer escape,\u201d and I agree that it feels like the warmth of an eternal summer. So inviting.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nAaaaand yet another butter kitchen, this time by <\/span>Meta Coleman<\/span>. This one is more of a whipped butter, lighter and almost daring to be cream. Soft yellow as opposed to simply going with a true white or even a warmer white feels like something that might have always been there. Like a place where pies are cooled on window sills, and people call the fridge the crisper or ice box. It\u2019s a vibe, but one I\u2019m inclined to sign up for.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nTo drive the point of the yellow kitchen home, here\u2019s a charming little spot by <\/span>Uns Hobbs Interiors<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nAaaand one more for good measure! Via <\/span>Guild Anderson<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nOkay, leaving the kitchen now, <\/span>Sarah Sherman Samuel<\/span> strikes again in her Grand Rapids Tudor home. Depending on the light, this yellow can come off mustard or butter, and either is fine by me. I love the detail of the yellow window frame and baseboard, especially.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\nFor the contemporary folks out there, yellow still works for you. Here, <\/span>Folk Studio<\/span> used it on the bench seat of the dining area, and the soft mint it\u2019s seated next to is a happy little companion.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n<\/blockquote>\n