Goodbye, stark minimalism. Interior designers and their customers are opting into a warmer, more enduring palette.

Benjamin Moore's Color Trends 2026 palette reflects this movement with eight carefully selected hues that balance soft, ethereal tones with grounded midtones.

The standout? Silhouette AF-655.

This isn't the first time we fell for a dark brown, but after years of grays, blacks, and stark white, consumers have a renewed appetite. The richness of the burnt umber shade set to influence everything from paint to textiles for years to come.

Color Trends in 2026 from Benjamin Moore paints.
Color Trends, 2026. Credit: Benjamin Moore

As our friends at Benjamin Moore were quick to highlight, Silhouette arrived with a whole crew in tow. Each tone included in its 2026 Palette serves a different purpose.

Brown is the New Neutral

For years, gray was a go-to neutral. Now brown is reclaiming that space.

Silhouette leads this charge. It's a color that adapts to nearly any design style without overwhelming a room.

Andrea Magno, Color Marketing & Development Director at Benjamin Moore, describes it as embodying "a renewed interest in suiting and classic silhouettes, the resurgence of timeless pieces, and a growing appreciation for the brown color family."

The color offers "a luxurious blend of burnt umber and delicate charcoal undertones," Magno adds. "Like a perfectly tailored suit, this hue has the versatility and softness to bring a space from expected to exceptional."

The warmth in brown tones creates spaces that feel lived-in from day one. They ground a room without making it feel heavy.

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Hannah Yeo, Senior Manager, Color Marketing at Benjamin Moore, also acknowledges a broader shift. "Over the past few years, there has been a growing appreciation for the brown color family, particularly in fashion and interior as a sophisticated alternative to black and gray," she says.

The appeal goes deeper than aesthetics. "Deep chocolate tones, refined caramels and cozy cocoas strike the perfect balance between warmth and elegance," Yeo explains. "This renewed relevance is fueled by a yearning for timelessness, versatility and understated luxury in our daily lives."

Silhouette captures this perfectly. Yeo describes it as "an alluring mix of rich espresso hues and subtle notes of charcoal" that offers "depth, softness and adaptability."

Outdoor kitchen in Silhouette brown color with wooden drawer.
Trending colors influence more than wall paint. These powder-coated outdoor kitchen cabinets also exemplify the popularity of the rich, chocolate brown hue we see in Silhouette. Credit: Danver

5 Ways to Use the 2026 Palette in Your Home

Designers are working thoughtfully to paint the palette across rooms, and they're getting creative when demonstrating how to use the refreshed tones.

One thing is clear: this isn't just about wall paint anymore. As the designers explained to us, choosing a palette for your home is about crafting an environment that inspires for decades.

From colors that inspire custom cabinetry and textiles to the hues solid surfaces, designers believe this is a palette that has staying power.

"In the world of design, color is not merely an accent, it's architecture in emotion," described Richard T. Anuszkiewicz, Interior Designer and Creative Director of Monogram Appliances. "When we speak of timeless color, we're really speaking of balance of restraint and of resonance."

A solid surface kitchen by Cosentino includes trendy brown color.
Solid surfaces marry trending colors, patterns, and finishes. Credit: Cosentino
Blue cabinets and a solid surface marble backsplash in a kitchen.
Blue cabinets and a solid surface backsplash lend interest in this modern kitchen. Credit: Houzz // Verner Architects, LMB Interiors, Photographer Eric Rorer

1. Get Creative With Solid Surfaces

From stone slab backsplashes to sweeping Quartzite countertops, Houzz is one of the many design resources suggesting we watch how these surfaces are installed alongside earthy palettes in the coming year.

As it pertains to the 2026 palette predictions, Anuszkiewicz nods to Eclos by Cosentino as an example of color done right. The collection approaches "surface color as a form of sculpture with layers of light, depth, and mineral expression that feel both relevant yet timeless."

He explains that the inspiration comes from nature. "The hues in Eclos are drawn from nature's natural compositions: veined marbles, oxidized metals, volcanic stones," he notes.

Dark brown finish on a modern sideboard storage unit.
The dark brown finish leans into current color trends. Credit: Four Hands
Raindance 1572 by Benjamin Moore on kitchen cabinets.
Raindance 1572 Credit: Benjamin Moore

2. Inspire Your Cabinetry

Cabinetry, sideboards, and outdoor kitchens offer a perfect canvas for the 2026 palette. These high-impact surfaces set the tone for entire rooms.

Sherwood Tan works beautifully on kitchen islands. It brings warmth without competing with stainless appliances or natural wood floors.

Sherwood Tan 1054 paint by Benjamin Moore on kitchen cabinets and paneled walls.
Sherwood Tan 1054 Credit: Benjamin Moore

Narragansett Green creates depth in bathroom vanities. Pair it with brass hardware and marble countertops for a collected look.

Consider these approaches:

  • Paint lower cabinets in Silhouette and upper cabinets in Swiss Coffee for subtle contrast
  • Use Batik on a standalone hutch or built-in bookcase to add personality
  • Finish pantry interiors in First Crush for an unexpected pop when doors open
  • Match Southwest Pottery cabinets with terracotta tile backsplashes for a cohesive desert-inspired kitchen
Raindance 1572 in Benjamin Moore used in a hallway with a dark blue in the background.
Raindance 1572 Credit: Benjamin Moore
Southwest Pottery 048 used in a home on the walls.
Southwest Pottery 048 Credit: Benjamin Moore

3. Let Your Rooms Tell a Story

Repaint the rooms in your main living areas; allow two or more colors from the palette flow through the space.

Create visual connections between rooms without matching everything perfectly. The palette's shared warmth makes transitions feel natural.

Try flowing Silhouette from a living room into a hallway, then shift to Raindance in a home office. The tonal relationship keeps spaces connected while giving each room its own character.

Ways to create flow:

  • Use Silhouette in the dining room and Swiss Coffee in the adjacent kitchen
  • Paint a bedroom in First Crush and its ensuite bathroom in Raindance
  • Anchor an open-concept space with Sherwood Tan walls and Narragansett Green accent moments
  • Connect a hallway to multiple rooms by using it as a neutral bridge in Swiss Coffee
Southwest Pottery 048 by Benjamin Moore used in a bedroom.
Southwest Pottery 048 Credit: Benjamin Moore

4. Upgrade Textiles

Texture changes everything, and manufactures of soft home furnishings will be leaning into the palette, too. The palette rewards layering.

Let materials bring out different undertones in the colors. Silhouette looks warmer against light oak. It reads more sophisticated next to darker walnut.

Anuszkiewicz emphasizes the power of integration: "When thoughtfully integrated across countertops, walls, and floors, color becomes the connective tissue of a space. It guides the eye, defines scale or focal points and frames the experience of light."

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5. Add Contrast to Your Home

Contrast creates visual interest without requiring bold color choices. The 2026 palette makes this easy.

Is Silhouette your fave? "Pair it with a creamy off-white, like Swiss Coffee OC-45, in crown moldings to bring contrast," suggests Yeo.

But contrast opportunities extend beyond trim work. Think about where different surfaces meet in your home.

Modern kitchen with paneled mini-fridge and waterfall cabinet.
Panel-ready appliances allow consumers to extend finishes throughout a space to seamlessly adopt trending colors and styles. Credit: Miele

Cool pairings:

  • Paint walls in Batik and keep ceilings bright with Swiss Coffee
  • Use Silhouette on an accent wall behind a bed dressed in First Crush linens
  • Install Narragansett Green wainscoting below Sherwood Tan walls
  • Frame a Southwest Pottery fireplace wall with white built-ins or shelving

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What's the best way to test these colors before committing?

  • Order sample pots and paint large poster boards rather than painting directly on walls (Move the boards around the room throughout the day to see how they look. Morning light reveals different undertones than afternoon sun.)
  • Start with accents. Incorporate the palette into throw blankets, pillows, and other accessories before taking the leap into paint.
  • What looks warm in the store might read cool in your north-facing bedroom. Give yourself at least three days to observe before making a final decision.