Behr's 2026 Color Of The Year Is Here. Here's How To Use It In Your Home

It may be only halfway through 2025, but 2026 is coming up quick. In previous years, Behr's Paint Color of the Year returned consumers to a more fresh and natural aesthetic. However, for 2026 they went with something that offers more depth and exudes warmth and comfort. This color is sure to transform any room into a statement while still providing a cozy backdrop for your furnishings, fixtures, and accent pieces. Appropriately titled Hidden Gem, this green has a smokey undertone that creates a truly unique and engaging shade to enhance any space. Warm enough to invoke a cozy vibe, but still bold for those who want a little more out of their paint, Hidden Gem provides a soothing option that's the perfect mixture of modern and familiar.

With the tagline, "A hue that exudes quiet confidence," it's no wonder this was the color chosen for the honorary title. Leaning into a jade that isn't too bright or intense, this paint offers a great solution for everything from color drenching, to painting cabinets or other furniture. It's not too heavy, and still has an earthy vibe that will allow you to match a variety of other colors, textures, and materials to it. If you enjoyed learning about every 2025 color of the year and how to use them in your home, then this upcoming selection, especially Hidden Gem, is certain to have you pulling out your painting supplies.

How you style with and around Hidden Gem comes down to the aesthetic or theme you wish to convey. As a versatile tone, the options almost seem endless. In a living room, you could cover all the walls in this color and incorporate wood and brass accessories for a mid-century design, or you could use black accents for a more modern look. Neutrals like white, beige, tan, taupe, and brown would all pair well with this paint, playing to the natural elements green is associated with. For a bedroom, Behr's website shows white and cream linens with a woven carpet and wooden bed frame, bringing a mixture of modern and rustic themes to the space. To play on this, you could also use terracotta shades or even desert pinks for a color pop.

Because this shade does give a little bit of a jewel-toned ambiance when used in the flat finish, it could also pair well with brighter shades, like citrine or mustard. Use wood furniture to ground the color combinations. For more minimalistic layouts, use a rug or a piece of art that has similar hues throughout to help the color flow, then stick with understated metals or wood pieces to fill the rest of the room. You could try using this shade on cabinetry to introduce just a pop of color in your kitchen, a mudroom or laundry room, or even a bathroom. Hidden Gem would also be great in entryways, using it on trim with a similarly colored table or cabinet. This is definitely a contender among the green paint colors for a vibrant home.