Behr’s Color of the Year 2025 Takes the Unexpected Red Theory to New Heights -by Lauren Phillips

A grounded, earthy shade of red, Rumors is subtly sophisticated—and primed to fit into many of today’s top decor styles.

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As the list of picks and predictions for Color of the Year 2025 grows, we’re seeing an unexpected trend—that there is no real trend. And the just-announced Behr Color of the Year 2025 pick, Rumors, continues the non-trend: Behr’s Rumors is a striking red that both conveys a sense of nostalgia and fits neatly into some of today’s top decor looks, including soft luxury and the buzzy unexpected red theory.

While Rumors fits into several wider decor trends, it continues the recent streak we’re seeing of color trends—specifically, 2025 color of the year predictions—going in very different directions. While we’ve never quite seen unanimity, in years past, there’s been some consensus, with a handful of different paint companies and color authorities picking similar colors, often different shades of white or blue. This year (though we’re still early in the color of the year race), predictions are wide-ranging, with blue and green picks and now, with the Behr Color of the Year 2025 announced August 21, a red.

Related: The Best Red Paint Colors for Crimson, Burgundy, and More

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“We landed on rumors as this really approachable, versatile red that coordinates nicely with colors that people already have in their home,” Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at BEHR Paint, tells Better Homes & Gardens.

A throwback to red kitchens and dining rooms of the ’90s, Rumors is a bold red. Unlike the cherry red of decades past, though, Rumors has brown undertones, which help ground the color and give it a more nature-inspired feel than other red hues. The color is reminiscent of the famed California redwoods or love-it-or-hate-it rich Georgia clay—while you might not immediately associate red with nature, Rumors does really lean into its organic roots.

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“Red has always been a historically welcoming color, and it’s a color that people have always been somewhat comfortable using,” Sarah Fishburne, director of trend and design at The Home Depot, tells BHG. (The Home Depot is Behr’s exclusive retail partner.)

While red might feel like an unexpected pick, Behr has plenty of data to support its decision: A recent survey found that 76% of people would consider painting a room or a wall in their home a shade of red, and red is well-known for being an attention-grabbing hue in any application.

And as for the name, while Rumors doesn’t directly convey what sort of paint color it is, it’s a moniker Woelfel calls “very evocative,” a title that suggests intrigue and a certain level of glamour. Moody, captivating, and luxurious, Rumors is also a throwback to a ’20s glam aesthetic, which was a major inspiration for the selection.

Ready to spread Rumors in your home? Read on for everything you need to know about Behr’s 2025 Color of the Year.

Related: The HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams 2025 Color of the Year Is a Pitch-Perfect Shade of Green

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Previous Behr Colors of the Year

After a couple years of neutrals, Behr is going for a new kind of pick.

“Now is the right time [for reds],” Woelfel says.

The Behr 2024 Color of the Year pick was Cracked Pepper, a warm charcoal that has had many of us (the writer of this article included) rethinking their stance on black walls in the home. Cracked Pepper is approachable, sophisticated, and dynamic—wherever you want to use it, it’s sure to make a statement.

Cracked Pepper followed Blank Canvas, the Behr Color of the Year for 2023. Blank Canvas is a glossy and creamy white that conveys a certain sense of effortlessness. Equally equipped for walls in a spa-inspired bathroom and cabinets in a light-and-bright kitchen, as a white shade, Blank Canvas can go in any space and be paired with any color. As the name conveys, it’s a blank canvas, to be used however you like.

Now, though, it’s time to be bold and confident.

“Red’s back,” Fishburne says.

Related: 10 Best-Selling Behr Paint Colors of All Time

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How to Use the Behr Color of the Year 2025 in Your Space

Rumors is a nuanced paint color in that it looks drastically different depending on where and how it’s used. In a bright outdoor setting, with a satin finish, it looks much more ruby-red and works as a perfect red front door; in indoor settings when it’s used to color-drench a space, it can take on a borderline-mauve appearance. Like many of Behr’s past picks, this Color of the Year works outdoors and in.

“Featuring it as a front door, a classic, timeless, welcoming red front door, I think makes a great impression. It adds great curb appeal,” Woelfel says.

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You can also use Rumors on shutters or other exterior surfaces to bring an optimistic splash of color to your home.

Indoors, the Behr team suggests trying Rumors with a flat or matte gloss on walls, or using a satin finish on cabinetry in the kitchen. Fishburne even says you can use it to help delineate spaces in your home: Color is a great tool for breaking up an open floorplan.

Wherever you use it, really go all-in—Rumors is the sort of color that’s meant to be applied with confidence.

Related: Valspar’s 2025 Color of the Year Is a Striking Shade of Timeless Blue

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