Photo courtesy of Houseofcolorcville
We will soon begin experiencing the sights and scents of spring once again! A welcome end to the winter and an anticipatory lean-in to what’s fresh and new.
And newly opened windows will provide us with the opportunity to finally address the projects we dreamed of but dared not endeavor doing during the colder months. That said, design industry pros, such as the color experts at the Pantone Color Institute, have already released the seminal color they deemed to be trending this year, along with collections of the sub-palettes that optimally coordinate with that color to take your fresh new look to the next level.
A common characteristic of color forecasting includes a rationale or basis for why the colors were chosen, which is primarily to address a need, mood, or to capture a specific vibe, or aspiration.
Inspired by our continued desire for comfort
The surprising color front-runner that emerged under the given name, “Mocha Mousse,” or PANTONE 17-1230, is described as a…“Warming, brown hue imbued with richness. It nurtures us with its suggestion of the delectable qualities of chocolate and coffee, answering our desire for comfort.”
Personally, we feel there isn’t a better way to upsell a shade of brown than to seed the consumer’s conscious with thoughts and images of coffee and chocolate-enhanced confections.
The last time a sable-based hue was popular and was reflected culturally in what we were wearing and how we were dressing our interiors, was the early to mid-1990s. Think grunge, rebellion, and flannel—lots and lots of brown flannels and corduroys.
This year’s sub-palettes
This iteration has a smoother quality to it, an almost effortless subtlety. This is also expressed in the way the Color of the Year complements the chosen hues in this year’s five color sub-palettes. This multi-palette approach enables just about anyone to envision how they can integrate Mocha Mousse into their personal style and design scheme.
Uniquely Balanced
Deliciousness
Their first palette for your consideration, known as Uniquely Balanced, is described as somewhat exotic and multi-colored with a range that embraces both warm and cool tones. From the dense and saturated Cattelya Orchid to the mellow Desert Flower, this palette definitely gives off SXSW vibes.
Another 2025 palette, Deliciousness, leans into decadent and delectable hues inspired by life’s mouth-watering confections. Like the cherry on the proverbial sundae, this palette’s shades of a berry-rich Party Punch and cotton-candy evoking Bonbon give off true escapist vibes and may be the answer to dressing special spaces in the home such as a child’s room, and even a walk-in closet/dressing room experience.
Floral Pathways
While the Uniquely Balanced palette may clearly need tweaking to work within our mid-Atlantic interior sensibilities, Pantone’s second palette, Floral Pathways gets us closer to total immersion especially with the more modern homes that regional builders have noted their clients are requesting. Subtle green hues like Tendril and Willow, blend the Color of the Year with neutral shades of Cobblestone and Gardenia capturing a clean and calm modern aesthetic so popular now with younger families. A modern home anywhere can easily adopt this color scheme and dwell comfortably within it for many years.
Relaxed Indulgence
Among the palettes that we could easily see ourselves adopting and integrating right here and right now are the Relaxed Indulgence and Subtle Contrasts palettes. Relaxed Indulgence is aptly named for the effect it has on the psyche, where shades of Baltic Amber and Cannoli Cream evoke the visual and aesthetic impact of stirring cream into coffee. It’s all about conjuring the comforting feeling you get from a sweet treat or a simple walk in nature. Our favorite of the five palettes is Subtle Contrasts for its solid core of versatile neutral tones like the ever so slightly mossy taupe called Laurel Oak and an intense aquamarine called Tapestry. These shades are ready for their 2025 debut in a room near you because they most likely can be integrated and layered in with whatever you may already have going on. The Subtle Contrasts palette can alternately provide the complete refresh you were contemplating over the winter months as its range is rich with naturals and neutrals that can only elevate our cherished waterfront aesthetic.
