Your Guide to Every Single 2024 Color of the Year (So Far)
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It’s official: Color of the Year Season is upon us. The designation—also referred to as COTY in industry parlance—applies to colors that paint companies and trend forecasters crown as the It hue for the year ahead. As you might expect, there are just about as many colors as there are brands that throw their predictions into the ring. Some companies have even bowed out of the race entirely (Like Backdrop, which last year released an Easy Mac–yellow actually called—wait for it—Color of the Year). Several companies have taken to not only releasing COTYs but also entire trending palettes, further complicating matters. But despite the spectrum of competing shades out there, patterns do emerge. Take the surfeit of sage greens that took over the colorverse in the 2022 COTY cycle. Or the pink and berry shades we saw come to the fore this year. It’s anyone’s guess as to how the 2024 Color of the Year outlook will shake out (we’re betting on a Barbenheimer split), which is why we’ve decided to keep tabs on them, as each winner is announced. From charming blue tints to moody shades to sun-kissed neutrals, here are all the 2024 Colors of the Year—so far.
Graham & Brown Color of the Year: Viridis
Green—as the color oracles have informed us time and time again—is not going anywhere next year. Look no further than the Graham & Brown COTY. The English wallcoverings and paint company named Viridis, a sage tone, as its favored pigment for the year ahead. The chosen color, per the company, is “a complex yet flexible hue, adding depth to a space and blurring the lines between the outside and inside.” With its warm undertones, Viridis has the ability to function as a neutral as “an inventive alternative to greige interior schemes.” The mother nature-inspired hue pairs perfectly with its 2024 pattern of the year, New Eden, a lush, hand-painted botanical wallpaper.
Glidden Color of the Year: Limitless
Remember that period in the aughts when nearly everyone’s rooms were painted butter-yellow? The trend may feel like a distant memory, but—ICYMI—everything Y2K seems to be back. In late August, Glidden (which is owned by PPG Paints) announced that a so-called “anything but yellow”—well—pale yellow, called Limitless is its 2024 Color of the Year. Glidden touts the hue’s versatility as a wall-to-wall paint; an accent color; or even as a way to boost your home’s curb appeal via a Limitless-painted door. “This modern neutral is as adaptable as its name implies and is taking the place of cool neutral tones that are so last year,” PPG and Glidden color expert Ashley McCollum said in a press release. “With the selection of Limitless, gray is officially canceled.” You heard it here first!
C2 Paint Color of the Year: Thermal
The sky’s the limit when it comes to color choices for your home, and C2 paint took that to heart with its 2024 COTY Thermal, a crisp, light blue. In contrast to deeper blues that defined COTYs three years ago (see Sherwin-Williams’ Naval or Pantone’s Classic Blue), this tint is meant to evoke the natural world. "C2 Thermal reminds us of a vast blue sky and the infinite array of blue hues nature offers to help restore and redefine our mood,” said Philippa Radon, an interior designer and C2 paint specialist, in a press release. “Its contradictory nature has the dual ability to uplift us and provide a sense of calm and tranquility.”
Adding to the intrigue, the company also named two other complementary colors as part of its forward-looking palette: a honey hued neutral called Brulée (hello yellow!) and Marshland, a deep and mysterious shade of—you guessed it!—green.
Behr Color of the Year: Cracked Pepper
Last year, Behr paint christened a soft white called Blank Canvas as its 2023 color of the year. This cycle, the company did a 180 when it came to their 2024 shade, a dusty black with the zesty moniker Cracked Pepper.
The shade may be bold for some, but experts from Behr told ELLE DECOR that it is in line with a renewed sense of confidence they’re seeing from their customers. “Homeowners across the country are leaning into a darker aesthetic because they know it brings that elevated designer look to a home,” vice president of color and creative services Erika Woelfel told ELLE DECOR. “We love it because it’s not a stark stark black—it’s a soft black. It awakens your senses. You become aware of the space in a completely different way than you do with maybe a blue, a white, or a soft tan.”
Wherever you use it—on your home’s exterior, living room, kitchen, or even home office—it’s bound to be a mood.
Valspar Color of the Year: Renew Blue
For its 15th-ever COTY, Valspar—which is owned by Sherwin-Williams—has selected a calming, oceanic hue called Renew Blue. The company points to its serene qualities and a renewed focus on finding “balance where it matters most,” a trope that’s emerged in color forecasting ever since the pandemic forced the world indoors. In contrast to deeper blues that defined COTYs three years ago (see Sherwin-Williams’s Naval or Pantone’s Classic Blue), this shade is meant to evoke the natural world. Sue Kim, the company’s director of color marketing, described Renew Blue as “inspired by fleeting elements like fog, mist, clouds, and glacier lakes.” What’s more, she added, “Blue is a classic shade that has become the new neutral for today’s home and can be mixed and matched to fit a variety of design styles and applications.”
Minwax Color of the Year: Bay Blue
Stains and coatings company Minwax has also entered the COTY race. And, no surprise, considering the company, like Valspar, lives under the Sherwin-Williams brand family, it’s also a calming blue-green, called Bay Blue. When applied to timber surfaces, the azure stain, the company noted in a release, “creates memorable spaces in a home by enriching and distinguishing wood’s natural beauty.”
“Bay Blue is at the intersection of contemporary and classic,” adds Kim, who also heads up color marketing for Minwax. If you’re looking for an opportunity to zhuzh up your humdrum pine cabinets, this may be your sign.
Dutch Boy Paints: Ironside
The move toward the dark side continues with Dutch Boy Paints’ COTY—a deep, deep olive green called Ironside. The choice feels like a natural evolution of the soothing sage greens seen throughout the 2022 color cycle, only this time with a hot, moodier twist. Ironside also could be a happy medium for homeowners looking to experiment with a darker palette but not quite willing to go all in with the black paint trend.
HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams: Persimmon
Soft terra-cotta tones have been everywhere lately, and HGTV Home® by Sherwin-Williams’s COTY proves that the trend isn’t going anywhere. The paint brand (available exclusively via Lowe’s) named Persimmon, a pale, sandy peach, as its 2024 Color of the Year. “Persimmon balances the energy of tangerine with grounded neutral undertones, making it perfect for spaces like living rooms and kitchens as it promotes positive relationships and conversations,” the brand’s marketing manager, Ashley Banbury, said in a statement. “The beautiful shade helps rejuvenate a space while bringing unique design visions to life.” It also functions as an amped-up neutral—perfect for those looking to move beyond whites, beiges, and creams.
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