How Does Sherwin-Williams Actually Pick Their Color of the Year?

Every fall, Sherwin-Williams announces their Color of the Year — and every year, it generates a wave of coverage, debate, and inspiration across the design world. But most people don't know how the selection actually happens. It's not a random choice, and it's not just about what looks pretty.

It Starts With Trend Forecasting

Sherwin-Williams employs a team of color and design experts who spend the year tracking cultural trends — in fashion, architecture, technology, travel, art, and social media. They're looking for signals: what colors are appearing in runway collections, what palettes are dominating interior design publications, what's resonating in global markets.

It's a Cross-Industry Collaboration

The process involves input from designers, architects, product developers, and retail buyers. The goal is to identify a color that feels simultaneously fresh and accessible — something that will resonate broadly without feeling trendy in a way that dates quickly.

The Color Has to Work Across Contexts

A Color of the Year isn't just chosen because it looks good on a mood board. It has to work in real homes — on walls, trim, cabinetry, and exteriors. The team evaluates how the color performs in different lighting conditions, how it pairs with existing popular neutrals, and how it reads in both large and small spaces.

What This Means for Your Home

Understanding this process is useful when you're making design decisions. The Color of the Year is a signal, not a prescription. It tells you where the broader design conversation is heading — which can inform your choices even if you never paint a single wall in that exact color. The undertones, the mood, the palette it belongs to — those are the things worth paying attention to.

The Bottom Line

Sherwin-Williams' Color of the Year is the result of a serious, multi-year forecasting process. Whether you love it or hate it, it's worth understanding what it's telling you about where design is going — and how that might influence what buyers will respond to when you eventually sell.