Valspar Research Shows Warm Neutral Paint Tones are Trending

New colour match data from UK paint brand Valspar Paint has revealed warm neutrals like cream, grey and yellow are current favourites for paint colours in households across the UK.

Valspar delved into thousands of searches on its online colour finder tool, which covers Europe’s largest range of 2,000 pre-selected colours, to identify the colours that renovators and decorators are choosing right now for upcoming projects ahead of autumn.

While taupe and mushroom have been popular in previous years, warmer earthy tones of mustard, maroon and mulberry are now taking centre stage.

7 colour wheel selections with the biggest growth from 2025 to 2026:

• Cream
• Grey
• Yellow
• Red
• Orange
• Pink
• Purple

Leading the traditional colour trends is cream, which has seen the biggest increase compared with the same period last year. Grey is also seeing a resurgence, while other classic burnt shades of red and orange have also grown at a similar rate, reflecting the continued appeal of warm, inviting interiors.

Senior brand manager and resident colour expert at Valspar, Lucy Steele comments: “Our colour finder enables users to plan and brainstorm for upcoming decorating projects. Cooler neutrals have been popular for a while, but seeing playful warm colours of yellow, red and orange having their moment signals that decorators are opting for more cosy and playful interiors this summer.”

Lucy shares how to incorporate some of the more playful shades into your home:

Yellow 

(Valspar Paint – Custom mustard)

Lucy says, “It’s the deeper shades of yellow that have a mustardy look to them that we’re seeing the most matches for this year such as Green Almond and Sugar Leaves. For autumn, I see yellow being used and working well in darker rooms around the home. It’s a simple way to inject some sunshine and warmth into less naturally lit spaces, especially with the shorter days.”

Pink

(Valspar Paint – Yoga Pose)

When it comes to pink, Lucy is loving a fully drenched bedroom. She says, “Pink has such a calming quality which makes it ideal for bedrooms, and it’s a great option to consider for any guest room updates ahead of hosting season in the winter. By completely drenching walls in softer shades, a truly welcoming and comforting space can be created for any visitors to enjoy and relax in.”

Purple

(Valspar Paint – Kidney Bean)

Perfectly timed with the subtle re-emergence of Art Deco styling in interiors this year, Lucy says, "Purple is coming through as a standout trend for autumn, with rich shades like aubergine and berry bringing warmth and depth to interiors. They're ideal for creating cosy, inviting spaces as the nights draw in, and you don't have to commit to painting every wall. Painting techniques to try for bringing colour accents into rooms could include colour capping, which is a great way to create the illusion of a lower ceiling in larger spaces for a more compact feel, or a feature wall that can make a statement.”

Source : Valspar Paint

Images : Valspar Paint

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