Sherwin-Williams Announces 2026 Color of the Year: Universal Kahki
Septebmer 25, 2025
Each year, Sherwin-Williams reveals its Color of the Year; a shade meant not only to reflect the present moment, but to shape the spaces we’ll live in for years to come. For 2026, the paint giant has chosen Universal Kahki (SW 6150), a soft, grounding neutral described as “like the endless possibility of a fresh canvas or the enveloping warmth of a well-worn jacket.”
If that sounds both understanded and reassuring, it’s by design. With Behr choosing a bold smokey jade colored paint for their 2026 color of the year and Architectural Digest’s color report stating “The neutral reign is ending—color now rules the room.” Sherwin-Williams choosing a neutral for their 2026 color of the year is a bold move.
“Understated and hardworking, warmer neutrals like Universal Khaki blend seamlessly with their counterparts and provide a foundation that sets the tone for an entire design,” explains Sue Wadden, Sherrin-Williams’ Director of Color Marketing and Trendsight Team Leader. “Universal Khaki is the easy-going neutral that makes every room feel pulled together.”
Why Khaki and Why Now?
The choice signals a cultural pendulum swing. After years of millennial gray and crisp stark whites, homeowners bean craving more warmth and tactility in their interiors. Beige reemerged, taupe gained traction, and earthy browns started trending again. Now, kahki, a shade that has lived many lives in history steps in as the next evolution.
Kahki itself is not new. Derived from the Persian word for “dust” it became a military uniform staple in the 19th century, later woven into school uniforms, Gap ads of the 90s, and Ralph Lauren’s quintessential Americana aesthetic. In fasion and design, khaki was never about shouting; it was about blending in. And paradoxically, the quiet quality is exactly what makes it feel radical today.
Designer Ben Johnston puts it well, “Khaki by design is meant to belnd in with its surroundings and not make a statemtn, which perhaps was a statement within itself. Beige and taupe have been popular for the last decade, so I think it was about time that kahki joined the party.”
Most recenly, in the 1990s, kahki made its way into mainstream interiors, often paired with sage greens, forest greens, and olive tones. Together, these palettes created a look that was grounded, organic, and subtly sophisticated; a counterbalance to the brighter palettes of the decades before.
Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves in a similar place. Green is once again everywhere in design: from hunter-green cabinetry and deep emerald velvets to muted olive walls and accents. Universal Khaki serves as a natural partner, offering the same grounding warmth it did in the 90s, but in a way that feels fresh for 2026.
Wadden sees the parallel clearly: “We haven’t talked about kahki since the ’90s, and it was important because there was a lot freen then, just as there is now. Since COVID, green has been everywhere, and kahki is the natural progession of where neutrals were going.”
More importantly, khaki resonates with the moment’s broader cultural mood. The chaos of the last several years has inspired a craving for stability, structure, and essentialism. “There’s a couple words I really love realted to this color: structure, function, essentialism,” says Wadden. “A color like this can be versatile in lots of different spaces, whether you learn minimalist or maximalist.”
In other words, Universal Kahki is the great equalizer. I has enough warmth to hold its own against saturated jewel tones, enough softness to pair with airy blushes, and enough neutrality to let bolder statements shine.
How Designers Use It
- Marie Flanigan, principle of a Houston-based design firm, sees kahki as a natural complement to today’s moody interiors. “We’ve been using so many deep tons: greens, burgundies, rusts. Khaki is the neutral with enought weight to pair with them. It’s grounding, connected to nature, and has several personalities depending on how you use it.”
- Rayman Boozer of Apartment 48 calls it a Ralph Lauren moment. “Khaki is one of those colors that is kind of a base; it’s like a background color where you layer things. Ralph Lauren is good at putting bright colors with kahki or greens with kahki. It’s a great color to use as a backdrop to other stuff.”
- Ben Johnston, creative partner of an award-winning architecture and interiors company based in Texas offers a bolder take. “I think it makes a great background color, but I also love paring it with its complete opposite, like periwinkle blue or chartreuse. There’s an electricity that happens when you put those together.”
How to Use Universal Kahki in Your Home
Unlike the stark whites or grays of the last decade, kahki is forgiving in tone, in application, and in real life. It works as both a subtle backdrop and a central player, depending on how it’s styled.
- Color Drenching: Color drenching is extremely popular this year and designers predict it will continue in popularity next year. Khaki is the perfect color to use for color drenching because it’s warm and neutral enough that it won’t overwhelm a room. Pair with moody green, blue, or red furniture for a sophisticated look.
- As a wall color: Use kahki as a whole room wash for a cozy yet sophisticated atmosphere. Pair it with deep walnut paneling or wood-stained cabinetry for an earth-rooted feel.
- Layered neutrals: Combine khaki with creamy whites and blush tones for a softer, more feminine palette.
- With bold accents: Contrast khaki walls with navy furniture, chartreuse accessories, or even electric purple artwork for a high-fashion edge.
- Through texture: Elevate the shade with materials like mohair, linen, or velvet, transforming what was one utilitarian into something luxurious.
- Pair with warm woods: With it’s pull from nature kahki is the perfect color to enhance nautral elements in your home. Pair with warm wood for a sophisticated and timless look.
What Design Style Works for Universal Kahki?
Universal Kahki’s versatility means it can adapt to nearly any design style.
In a Ralph Lauren inspired aethetic, it’s the perfect backdrop for navy, hunter green, burgundy, or red. Paired with equestrian leather, plaid textiles, and rich wood finishes, khaki creates that signature blend of casual elegance and heritage polish.
In a traditional or European aethetic, think Provence or the French countryside. Khaki reflects the natural tones of stone and earth; pair it with warm terracotta, gold accents, soft blush, French blue or lavender for an effortlessly timeless look.
For modern design kahki works best when useds as a monochrome foundation: color drench walls, ceilings, and trim to creat depth, then layer with black accents like windows, hardware, simplistic furniture; or unexpected pops of bright colors.
And in transitional spaces, khaki bridges classic and contemporary: use it on cabinetry, walls, or upholstery to soften the contrast between crisp whites and darker wood tones, giving the room balance and a grounded, livable feel.
Our Take
At first glance, Universal Kahki may feel modest, even quiet. With trends of maximalist patterns and staurated hues, there’s a hunger for colors that center us, not overwhelm us. Universal Kahki represents a collective exhale, a shade that is neither trend-chasing nor nostalgic, but timelessly adatable.
Here’s how Universal Kahki aligns beautifully with that shift:
- Warmth without weight: Kahki offers a softer, earthier alternative to stark white or flat grays. It has just enough warmth to brighten the room, but not so much to feel heavy or dated. That makes it ideal for rooms where comfort and cozy is the goal. Think reading nooks, cozy living rooms, or bedrooms designed to sooth.
- Bridge between vintage and modern: Because kahki has historical association in both fashion and interiors, and reminds us of historic European arthitecture, it can act as a nuetral backdrop that lets rich vintage furniture, metals, or aged textiles pop forward without clashing. It gives you permission to layer in timeowrn pieces rather than hiding them.
- Tactile pairing: The trend twoards richness in texture is very much alive in 2025 and moving forward, people are gravitating towards boucle, velvet, boucle knits, woven rugs, mohair, grass cloth, vintage persian rugs, and other tactile surfaces. Universal Khaki becomes the foundation that lets these varied texutures sign, rather than compete.
- Anchoring retro accents: As vintage inspired palettes (rich greens, navies, burnt siennas) reemerge, kahki links them together. In effect, it becomes a glue that unifies bold accent tones without feeling forced or overly trendy.
- Comfort and cozy atmospher: Warm neturals inherently feel more nurturing. In a world of uncertainty, being surround by tones that feel stable, earthy, and grounded can reinforce a sense of refuge.
- Trend resonance in 2025: We’re already seeing echoes of this “soft nostalgia” movement: vintage and retro influences are increasingly cited in design forecasts, especially in living rooms, wallpapers, textiles, and cozy layering.
At first glance, Universal Kahki may feel modest, even quiet. With trends of maximalist patterns and staurated hues, there’s a hunger for colors that center us, not overwhelm us. Universal Kahki represents a collective exhale, a shade that is neither trend-chasing nor nostalgic, but timelessly adatable.
“For decades the trend has been farmhouse minimalism with stark white walls and this year especially we are seeing that trend die away.” says our Marketing Director Suzette Conrad. “People are bushing pack against overly polished minimalism and the cool impersonal white walls. There’s a craving to return to interiors that feel live-in, layered, and personalized. We’ve seen this a lot with vintage patterns, retro acdents, and usually it’s paired with warm wood tones and colors to give charm and character.”
“We’ve had several clients choose a warm kahki for their walls instead of gray or white because they love the warmth it brings,” Conrad says. “And it makes a great base to then layer color, pattern, and other designs. One client had kahki walls in their kitchen and paired it with a bold blue overside kitchen island, black and gold hood range, crisp white cabinetry, and gold and black statement lighting. The warmth from the kahki grounds and serves as a good neutral backdrop that allows the blue, black, and gold to stand in the spot light.”
“It also pairs well with moody blues to give a sophisticated look,” Conrad continues. We’ve had clients use kahki on their main walls and then paint their office built-ins or wetbar navy or muted blue. It’s effortlessly chic, warming, and inviting. Universal Khaki reminds us that neturals doen’t have to be boring. Just as kahki in fashion is a canvas for layering self-expression. Universal Khaki in the home is an invitation to layer, to personalize, and to build a space that feels lived in, not staged.”
In 2026, design isn’t about perfection, it’s about personalization. And kahki, in its humble elegence, might bust be the foundation for layering personaliztion that homeowners have been waiting for.
