The Rich & Unexpected Color Trend That Will Be Showing Up More In 2026

There is a lot of work that goes into determining paint colors for the year. It's not just about picking a color everyone loves. Instead, experts track the themes customers and homeowners are drawn to as they decorate their spaces with an eye on everything from food to technology trends. It's a lot of work. These intensive studies are why, even if paint companies don't choose the same color, they do tend to show similar and overlapping themes. 

For example, in 2025, purple was the risky paint color trend coming back in style and taking center stage, and it seems the risk was well worth it. The year 2026 will see a doubling down, focusing on rich plum tones. It's a color that's been talked about for a while and has appeared in several paint palette options in past years. 

In fact, a few companies have decided that versions of plum might be the way to go next year, and are already seeing trends change towards similar moody tones. Little Greene, a paint and wallpaper company, released Adventurer as their color of the year, which they describe as "a timeless plum aubergine paint shade." (Aubergine is another name for eggplant!) Additionally, design company Graham & Brown chose Divine Damson for their color. It's a rich plum shade that is both bold and dark. Even Wallsauce, an online wall mural company, is seeing more of a demand for designs with rich plum tones, and is promoting products to match their client's desires.

Florence Sherwood, a color consultant at Georgie Wykeham Designs, said during an interview with Homes and Gardens that, "My color prediction for 2026 is plums and purples." She continued saying the trend has been in the works for some time. "In recent years, we have seen interiors turn to warmer tones, and brighter colors are much more widely used now. I regularly use more saturated tones of reds, greens, blues, and yellows, so purple is going to become exciting for designers looking for something fresh."

Other experts agree plum tones and similar shades will take off for the new year. Ruth Mottershead, a creative director at Little Greene, also mentioned when talking to Homes and Gardens that "For 2026, we will see a natural progression in the use of burgundy in interior design, with shades of red, pink, and purple all becoming more popular as customers continue to demonstrate more color confidence in their homes."

There are many reasons to like these shades in a home. They manage to be bold and indulgent without coming across as garish. Additionally, these shades are pretty forgiving and complementary, meaning they can generally work with a wide range of colors. They also work in many rooms, including a laundry area, dining space, or bedroom. It's great in spaces where you want to bring a calm and cozy feeling, but also anywhere that would benefit from a touch of luxury, such as office spaces and even kitchens.

If you're hesitant about choosing these bold purple hues as your main color, it also works as an accent on cabinetry, bedsheets, a couch, or a kitchen island. Plum is a great choice to add a burst of color to an otherwise neutral home. Most shades line up with colors you may already have in your space. In fact, plum was a rich paint color that was being treated as a neutral in 2023, so it is pretty flexible in where it can go. These rich plum shades can be intimidating, but they work really well at either taking the center stage, or acting as a secondary actor to highlight the rest of a room. Every shade is a little different, but yellows, creams, whites, golds, dark blues, grays, and greens are just some examples of what kinds of color pairings you can place in a room.

These bold tones are a stark difference from the neutrals and calmer colors that have been dominating home decor for several years. Despite this color standing out against more neutral tones, it is still a pleasant and quieter option for 2026. Compared to the color trend one interior designer would skip in 2026, which is mixing bold shades of green and yellow, plum manages to catch the eye without feeling out of place or too bright, allowing you to relax inside your space.