Hidden Gem, the 2026 Behr Color of the Year, Is a Grounding Green Hue That Shines In Any Setting
Image courtesy of Behr
When selecting the 2026 Behr Color of the Year, the team behind the paint company challenged themselves with a task most pros would find near impossible: to choose a shade that not only appeals to a wide range of tastes, but also predicts where trends will be in the future. In other words, the selector has to be a crowd-pleasing psychic.
Last year, the choice of Rumors—a rich crimson—was a bold departure from prior neutrals of 2024’s Cracked Pepper black and 2023’s Blank Canvas cream. The change from black-and-white to red all over highlighted the team’s understanding of what consumers were feeling at the time: the need to be more daring, more unexpected, and more carefree. Erika Woelfel, the vice president of color and creative services at Behr Paint Company describes the selection process as surprisingly exploratory, since one color attempts to express a convergence of culture and design.
