Guessing the Color of the Year has long been one of our favorite rituals. We did it for years on our podcast and now carry the tradition onto Instagram Stories. Each season, as new Color of the Year (COTY) announcements arrive, it’s fun to see the previous selections together. Below is a clear, updated roundup of every 2024 Color of the Year from major paint and color companies, plus a brief look at how each choice fits into recent trends.
As more companies join the color forecasting scene, this guide focuses on the major paint and color brands. Many companies also publish yearly palettes rather than a single hue; for simplicity, this overview highlights each brand’s headline Color of the Year. If your favorite niche brand isn’t listed, it’s likely because they released a palette instead of a single COTY or weren’t included among the major announcements.
What Is the 2024 Color of the Year?
There isn’t a single universal “Color of the Year.” Instead, multiple companies predict the hues they expect to dominate the coming year. Below is a consolidated list of 2024 picks from leading brands followed by smaller or specialty manufacturers. We’ll describe what makes each selection noteworthy and where it might work best in your home.
- Pantone: Peach Fuzz
- Benjamin Moore: Blue Nova
- Sherwin-Williams: Upward
- Behr: Cracked Pepper
- HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams: Persimmon
- Glidden: Limitless
- Valspar: Renew Blue
- Dunn-Edwards: Skipping Stones
- Dutch Boy: Ironside
- Krylon: Blue Bird
- Rust-Oleum: Satin French Blue
- Minwax: Bay Blue
- Graham & Brown: Viridis
- C2 Paint: Thermal
- Stainmaster Paints: English Green
A clear pattern emerges: aside from a few warm corals and deep neutrals, the 2024 Color of the Year selections are dominated by shades of blue and blue-green.
What Is Color of the Year?
Each fall, and sometimes in late summer, paint and color companies announce the hues they expect to be most popular the following year. Many present a single Color of the Year alongside coordinating shades that capture a broader mood or aesthetic. These announcements are informed by trend research across design, fashion, and culture, but they also serve as publicity moments to spotlight each brand’s products. The result is a mix of thoughtful forecasting and theatrical reveal events.
Pantone began the modern COTY tradition in 2000, and since then major paint makers such as Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore—along with specialty brands like Krylon and Minwax—have published their annual selections. Names like “Upward,” “Limitless,” and “Renew Blue” reflect not only color but the emotional tone each company hopes to evoke.
Pantone Color of the Year 2024
Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year is Peach Fuzz, a velvety, gentle peach tone selected to encourage warmth, nurture, and kindness. Because Pantone forecasts across multiple industries—fashion, graphic design, product design—their pick tends to be bolder and more saturated than some paint-focused choices. Over the past decade Pantone has favored reds, pinks, and purples, with occasional paired color announcements.
Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2024
Benjamin Moore named Blue Nova as its 2024 Color of the Year, a mid-tone where violet meets blue. This “sumptuous” hue works well both as an accent and as a full-room color. Benjamin Moore’s recent COTY choices have trended toward deeper, more saturated tones, perhaps a shift from lighter selections in earlier years.
Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year 2024
Sherwin-Williams chose Upward, described as a breezy, blissful blue brimming with positive energy and creative thinking. It’s a versatile calming color that can read as silvery-gray in certain light, making it suitable for walls, cabinetry, and other large surfaces. Sherwin-Williams consistently selects COTYs that are interesting and practical for real life.
Behr Color of the Year 2024
Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year is Cracked Pepper, a versatile soft black with subtle undertones that give it a truer black appearance. Dark COTY picks often reappear each year, and Cracked Pepper pairs well with a wide range of other colors because its undertones are restrained.
Behr’s selections suggest a cohesive palette approach, with colors that could work together throughout a home.
HGTV Home Color of the Year 2024
HGTV Home, a Sherwin-Williams collection sold at Lowe’s, named Persimmon as its bold 2024 Color of the Year within a “Renewed Comfort” collection. This terracotta-like hue is paired with a soft tan and pearly white to create a balanced palette of neutral and gentle bright tones—ideal for editorial pops of color or standout accent walls.
HGTV Home tends to favor bolder, magazine-ready colors ideal for making a statement.
Glidden Color of the Year 2024
Glidden’s 2024 Color of the Year is Limitless, a fresh, warm alternative to gray that’s “anything but yellow.” It’s designed to pair with both warm and cool tones, though caution is advised: yellow-based hues can shift with different lighting and reveal undertones you might not expect. Glidden’s COTY choices often lean toward pure, vivid colors that work well as accents.
Since their first COTY in 2016, Glidden has often favored clear, saturated hues suited for accents rather than muted, whole-room neutrals.
More Color of the Year Picks from Smaller Brands
Here are additional 2024 COTY selections from smaller or specialty brands. Taken together, they reinforce the 2024 trend toward calming blues and nature-inspired tones.
Valspar — Renew Blue
Valspar’s 2024 choice, Renew Blue, is a green-influenced blue chosen for its calming, restorative qualities.
Dunn-Edwards — Skipping Stones
Dunn-Edwards’ pick, Skipping Stones, is another blue-green tone selected for its meditative, ocean-like energy.
Dutch Boy — Ironside
Dutch Boy chose Ironside, a dark color with olive-brown undertones, reflecting the trend toward moody, sophisticated interiors.
Krylon — Blue Bird
Spray paint brand Krylon went bold with Blue Bird, a bright, energetic blue aimed at creative DIY projects.
Rust-Oleum — Satin French Blue
Rust-Oleum selected Satin French Blue, a softer blue with a hint of periwinkle that brings color without overwhelming a space.
Minwax — Bay Blue
Minwax expanded its usual wood-stain palette by naming Bay Blue as its Color of the Year—their second time highlighting a blue tone for wood finishes.
Graham & Brown — Viridis
UK-based Graham & Brown picked Viridis, a muted green chosen for its calming connection to nature and harmony with their “New Eden” wallpaper theme.
C2 Paint — Thermal
C2 Paint’s selection, Thermal, is a punchy blue meant as a call to live boldly rather than purely soothe.
Stainmaster Paint — English Green
Lowe’s Stainmaster Paint introduced English Green as its first Color of the Year, a deep, grounding hue intended to promote calm.
Our 2024 COTY Guesses
One of the most enjoyable parts of COTY season is making predictions. This year we made a few guesses in early fall: a light cool gray, a deep brown/near-black, and one wilder pick for fun. Some announcements landed near our predictions—Behr’s Cracked Pepper and Dutch Boy’s Ironside were in the dark hue category—while others skewed bluer than expected. We’ll try again with next year’s forecasts.
More Paint Colors We Love
If you’re hunting for reliable go-to paint colors, we’ve cataloged many of our favorites in home tours and detailed posts. Popular deep dives include guides to the best whites, greiges, and several signature brand favorites that homeowners and designers return to again and again:
- Every 2025 Color of the Year… So Far
- The 12 Best White Paint Colors
- The Best Greige Paint Colors
- Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray
- Benjamin Moore Simply White
- Sherwin-Williams Pure White
- Sherwin-Williams Extra White
- The 12 Best “Haint Blue” Paint Colors