@Pantone
One of the many talents of Adolfo Carrara, the art director of Milano Home who, unfortunately, passed away recently, was his ability to define the nuances of colors with precision, a remarkable capacity to decipher the rainbow that surrounds us. A pink was never just a pink, but in his words, it transformed into coral, raspberry, cotton candy, seashell; a simple blue became whale, sapphire, Mediterranean, blueberry; a gray could be marble, cashmere, lead, or lichen.
Whenever he described colors, Adolfo revealed the richest, most enchanted, and poetic side of reality, demonstrating how knowing how to read and communicate through a precise color vocabulary could be an additional and extraordinarily powerful tool for interpreting the world. The ability to decode and communicate the nuances of color is a refined art that combines technical knowledge, emotional sensitivity, and linguistic mastery. Each shade of color has the power to convey deep meanings that transcend genres, generations, and geographies, and to influence emotions and perceptions.
Learning to read color precisely and communicate it accurately is a skill that enriches our way of interacting with what surrounds us, allowing us to create coherent and powerful visual messages, improving our ability to understand and express what color, in all its complexity, represents, helping us to become a more expressive and cohesive society.
This is what the Pantone Color Institute does: a specialized research center dedicated to identifying and cataloging colors. Every December, they select a specific hue to represent the emerging global trends in culture, society, and economics.
The Pantone Color of the Year becomes a benchmark that influences all creative sectors, from fashion to interior design, technology to graphics, beauty to advertising. It inspires consumers themselves, who begin to perceive that color as a symbol of the present.
Pantone's ambition is to identify the color that resonates with the world, an expression not only of a particular historical moment but also of a collective emotional state, of what people are seeking, their desires, their aspirations.
In 2021, for example, Pantone chose Ultimate Gray and Illuminating (yellow), symbols of resilience and hope. Gray represented solidity, stability, and strength, while yellow represented positivity and energy. We had recently emerged from the pandemic, and this choice reflected the collective desire to overcome the difficulties of that period with a mix of stability and optimism.
In 2022, the chosen color was Very Peri, a periwinkle blue with a violet undertone, described as a shade that symbolizes the transition to the new, in a period of great change and global uncertainty. This color reflected the emergence of the digital age and the need for new forms of creative expression.
Taking center stage in 2025 is Pantone 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a warm, light brown hue with undertones of rose and gray. Sophisticated and indulgent, it exudes the aromas of coffee, cappuccino, and chocolate cream. Refined yet reassuring, this sensory shade evokes the tones of the earth and the softness of a froth, enveloping and comforting us, satisfying both the eyes and the palate.
This choice aligns with the predicted return of dark, intense colors for the coming year, a departure from the light and fresh Peach Fuzz selected by Pantone for 2024.
In the ruffled tulles, soft satins, and flowing chiffons of the Spring/Summer 2025 collections by Ferragamo, Balmain, and Saint Laurent, in Kim Kardashian's debut skiwear collection in collaboration with The North Face, released on the very day the color of the year was announced, or in the timeless, elegant suits of Kamala Harris.
In the beauty world, we find its warm, natural tones in the buttery and melting textures of mocha-toned lipsticks, eyeshadows, and highlighters that enhance the natural beauty of the skin, adapting to every complexion.
In design, Pantone Mocha Mousse perfectly embodies the quiet luxury trend that has been influencing interior design choices for several years. This style emphasizes understated elegance, avoiding ostentatious displays and focusing on a sense of intimacy and comfort. This approach to luxury is characterized by a beauty that doesn't shout but makes itself known through details and impeccable craftsmanship. Like the concept of quiet luxury itself, mocha mousse is not a color that shines for its intensity, but rather for its ability to create an atmosphere of class and sophistication without being overpowering.
In an increasingly fragmented, uncertain and threatening world, this color evokes a sense of comfort, welcome, balance and harmony. A shade that envelops us and invites us to slow down and indulge in the small daily pleasures that make us feel good, like a cappuccino with cream in our favorite coffee shop or a bite of chocolate on the sofa after a tiring day. It is the soft color of indulgence, but it also reflects the urgency of establishing an authentic connection with the natural world. It is a tribute to the earth, to our roots, to what is essential.
But Mocha Mousse isn't the only color story that will define our 2025.
Here are the color trends to watch in interior design next year.
Throughout 2024, we witnessed the exponential growth of the viral "unexpected red theory" which suggests that adding even just a small element of red can instantly change the personality of a space, making it unique. This year, the trend will extend to all colors, prioritizing bolder, richer, and deeper tones.
Such as:
Intense and sophisticated reds
The vibrant red that was the accent color of 2024 becomes warm, deep, and dusty, shifting the palette towards burgundy, pomegranate, ruby, and burgundy. Timeless and classic hues that will make interiors refined and comfortable.
Dopamine colors
A playful and irreverent palette that moves between the vitamin-like tones of deep lilac, fuchsia, peacock blue, and turquoise to highlight lamps, paneling, frames, lampshades, or cushions, surprising touches that will capture attention, adding energy and vitality to spaces. A significant place will be reserved for buttery and vibrant yellows (from the brightest and boldest yellow to vanilla, ochre, and honey) that will bring the right dose of endorphins to our homes in these challenging times.
2025 sees the continuation of a trend favoring warm hues inspired by earth tones, creating a natural and grounded atmosphere that is both welcoming and inviting. Earthy, soft, and nourishing tones such as beige, sand, cream, taupe, or terracotta are perfect when paired with natural materials like wicker, rattan, wood, and stone, in perfect harmony with the Mediterranean style that has gained prominence in recent years.
Inspiration for this color story, which features greys in all their variations, comes from fashion showrooms during the latest Design Week that created monumental installations using stone forms and raw, organic materials, suggesting a strong connection to the earth, celebrating the robustness and authenticity of materials.
The use of various shades of grey, from anthracite to silver, from light quiet grey to sophisticated moonbeam, as bright and mysterious as a moonbeam, fits into a visual language that winks at the rising trend of new brutalism, which involves the use of raw, metallic materials, imposing and sculptural geometric shapes, an aesthetics oriented towards functionality and that makes grey concrete its emblem.
We are witnessing a decisive return of the neoclassical style that involves the use of full and rich, traditional and timeless color fields. Deep reds, intense blues, and dusty greens of classicism are toned down when paired with brighter and more contemporary colors, for a playful and ultra-pop result.
A timeless trend, like neutral colors, that involves the use of the entire spectrum of greens, as we see them in nature: forest green, sage, olive...
The undisputed protagonist of the new year will be teal, a fresh and restful hue that evokes the sea and immediately brings its beneficial effects into the home. The teal shade will accompany the return of the nautical style, which is re-proposed for 2025 in a rawer and more natural version, mixing with the Mediterranean style. Perfect as an accent color to emphasize structural elements such as baseboards, doors, and windows, and create a slightly exotic and retro atmosphere.
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