Paint Color of the Year 2025 What I Loved What I Hated And What Sellers Should Actually Do

I had been holding off on talking about paint because I wanted to see what the major paint brands picked as their Color of the Year for 2025. Once those releases started rolling out, the big question became pretty obvious.

Now that we had official Colors of the Year, should you actually use them if you are selling your homeShould you paint an accent wallShould you use the color as inspiration for pillows, art, or decor instead

My answer then was the same as it is now. If you are selling your home, you have to be careful with trends. Buyers want light, bright, neutral, and easy. Most buyers do not want to walk into a house and immediately feel like they have to repaint.

That said, the Color of the Year picks were still worth looking at because they showed where design was heading.

The two color directions I kept seeing everywhere

Across multiple brands, two color families kept repeating.

One was a deep wine tone, a dark red that leaned earthy and dramatic.The other was a mauve or lavender family, softer purples that felt more muted and moody.

Neither of those directions was what I recommended for sellers painting their whole home. But in the right setting, for a homeowner staying put, they could look beautiful.

Behr Color of the Year 2025 Rumors

Behr’s Color of the Year for 2025 was Rumors, and it was definitely vibrant. I was not in love with it for resale because it was bold and specific, and it sat in that middle zone where it was not super dark and moody, but it also was not light and airy.

If you were staying in your home and wanted a deeper accent color, my preference was always to go more saturated. Go darker than you think. That deep, rich look usually holds up better long term than a medium tone that can feel a little unsure of what it wants to be.

From Behr’s 2025 palette, the color that made the most sense for sellers was Blank Canvas. The name said it all. When you are selling, you are trying to create a clean blank slate so buyers can picture themselves there without feeling overwhelmed.

There were a couple other colors in the palette that I liked more in theory than I liked for resale. For example, a soft warm neutral like Nutmeg Frost could work, but my concern was that it could lean peachy depending on the light. And there was a gorgeous deep navy like Black Sapphire that I liked a lot, but that was something I would only suggest for someone staying in the home, not selling it.

Sherwin Williams for 2025 Four palettes instead of one color

Sherwin Williams did not release a single Color of the Year that year. Instead, they leaned into four capsule palettes. I was annoyed because I wanted one clear pick, but I understood what they were trying to do.

From the options, the only colors I would have put on a sellers wall were the whites. White Snow and Sunbleached were the kinds of shades that worked as a base because they stayed clean, simple, and bright.

There were some softer mauve tones in their palettes that I actually liked as inspiration for decor, like pillows or linens, especially if you wanted something a little warmer and more modern than basic beige. But I still would not have painted an accent wall in those colors for a home you were selling.

If you were living in your home long term and wanted a dramatic, elevated look, I loved the idea of painting detailed trim or wall molding in a deep saturated color. Something like Clove could look incredible on paneling or built ins. But again, that was for someone staying put, not someone trying to appeal to the broadest group of buyers.

I also mentioned then that some warmer beige leaning tones could read dirty in certain lighting. When you are selling, you want to avoid colors that feel muddy.

Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2025 Cinnamon Slate

Benjamin Moore was still my favorite brand overall, and their 2025 Color of the Year was Cinnamon Slate. It leaned toward that moody plum, eggplant family, which I actually thought was beautiful in the right home.

Their full palette that year was what impressed me most. The colors were layered, cohesive, and they worked together without fighting each other. If you were a homeowner looking for inspiration, that palette was a great direction.

If you were selling, I still would have kept it simple. From that palette, the only shades I would have reached for were the light neutrals, like Sea Salt and Glacier White. Those were the types of colors that created the clean base buyers wanted.

I also talked about how tricky paint can be, even when you think you are doing everything right. A sample on a wall does not always tell the full story. Paint shifts based on light, exposure, and what is around it. You can dislike a color at the first wall, feel unsure at the second wall, and then love it once the room is finished and balanced.

That is why, for sellers, I kept coming back to the same point. Do not overthink it. Pick a proven neutral and move on.

Paint quality matters more than most people realize

Benjamin Moore had different grades of paint, and when I finally used their highest quality line, Aura, it was a completely different experience. It went on smoother, looked richer, and felt better even after it dried.

But if you were selling your home, I did not think you needed to spend top dollar on the highest grade paint. Your goal was to create a clean base. Let the next owner upgrade the paint line if they wanted to.

I also mentioned something important about paint matching. Even if two stores could match a color name, the pigment and clarity could still come out different depending on the paint base and quality. Same color name did not always mean same final look.

What I recommended for sellers

If you were selling, I kept it boring on purpose. Light neutrals, clean whites, and a finish that photographed well.

I avoided glossy finishes. Even if someone said gloss was trending, it could glare in photos and draw attention to the wall itself, which was the opposite of what you wanted. My preferred finishes were velvet or eggshell because they looked softer and more expensive without shine.

And I said this clearly: do not do a sloppy paint job. If paint ended up on floors, trim looked messy, or cut lines were rough, buyers assumed they would have to repaint. That can cost you money because it makes your home feel less cared for.

If you were going to paint, the best move was to hire a professional and keep the palette simple.

The bottom line

The Colors of the Year for 2025 were fun to look at, and some of the palettes were genuinely beautiful. But if you were selling your home, the smartest play was still neutral, light, and clean.

Trends were great for inspiration. Neutrals were best for resale.