Ever Wonder How a Color of the Year Is Selected? Experts Spill the Secrets

One of the biggest annual design trends is the Color of the Year, a hue that captures the spirit of the time to inspire interiors. So, how exactly do brands arrive at the perfect shade to define the year ahead? We spoke with three experts, and the answer is a mix of data, observation, and creative foresight.

What Exactly Is the ‘Color of the Year’?

Trend-worthy, forward-thinking, beautiful, and livable—that’s how Kim describes the Color of the Year (often seen abbreviated as COTY). “It’s a cultural moment for us to spark conversation around color,” says Kim. Released in the final months of the year prior, the COTY is both an annual design trend and a visual representation of the world’s attitudes at the time. 

“COTY captures the essence of a moment in time, showcasing cultural attitudes encapsulated by a single color or group of colors,” says Miller. The Color of the Year is determined by a range of industries, trends, and data (more on that below), and Miller says it is meant to build excitement and connect interiors with the creativity, artistry, and glamour in other industries, like fashion.

But the impact of COTY selections extends beyond identifying trends. They also help consumers “visualize a new-to-them color and color combinations to bring those hues into their homes in a new way,” says Banbury. HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams actually creates a “Color Collection of the Year” for a comprehensive approach to the color and palette; their Color of the Year is “a hue we feel best represents the feeling and theme of the entire Color Collection,” says Banbury. 

“The Color of the Year is a tool that provides strategic color direction, stimulates innovative home design projects, and showcases creative solutions for homeowners and DIYers as they create the home of their dreams,” says Kim. The photography and design ideas that accompany COTY campaigns not only showcase the featured color but also highlight various complementary shades and uses, offering a range of options for a cohesive and fresh palette. “The Color of the Year that we choose serves as the key inspiration to drive color selection at home or can be used as a jumping off point to select a color that is a few shades lighter or a few shades darker,” adds Kim.

How Is a Color of the Year Chosen? 

Each expert we talked with said selecting the annual COTY is a detailed process that begins 1-2 years before the color is officially announced. They also agree that research and analysis are vital to selections. “The Color of the Year is not a spontaneous, overnight decision,” says Kim.

Trend Research

Among the prominent factors are significant trends within and across multiple sectors. “As director of color marketing, I lead a team of color, design, and style experts, and we’re each continuously researching and observing a variety of global lifestyle trends across pop culture, media, fashion, design, technology, and even food,” says Kim. 

Of course, it’s also crucial to look close to home at emerging and long-standing design and decorating preferences. “We work collaboratively to understand consumer lifestyle trends, how people are living in their homes, and the direction trends are going in to help determine the colors people are looking to bring into their home,” says Banbury.

Brand and Market Data

Color forecasters collect and evaluate brand data as well, from sample orders to paint tint particulars. “We carefully watch the trend curve on current and upcoming production colors to forecast what’s on the horizon for color,” says Miller about York’s COTY process. “Combining trend forecast information, sales data, consumer polls, and runway fashion, we focus on colors that dominate or repeat over time.”

Relatedly, market factors and distribution channels “will influence selection based on your primary audience, the average size and scale of the spaces your product works within, and how it is used in tandem with other design components to build cohesive aesthetics,” says Miller. “Wallcoverings either define or anchor a space because of the scale of the installment. The broad spectrum of pattern types requires consideration regarding the color’s diversity and how well it will complement most interior design styles,” Miller adds. 

Predictive Research

The COTY selection process is also predictive, anticipating what will have an impact during the year the color is released. “We’ll also try and predict what will be culturally relevant at the time we announce … and how that may impact the feeling people want to have in their homes,” says Banbury. “For example, our research starting two years ago for the 2025 Color Collection of the Year, Naturally Refined, pointed us toward the need for people to create a sense of calm and quiet in their homes to help counter external influences,” Banbury adds. 

How Far Out Are Colors of the Year Forecasted?

The research, analysis, and evaluation are ongoing until the color is selected. “We are continually observing how design aesthetics evolve and how color is responding to this evolution,” says Banbury. “You will see slight shifts in color and design styles and the color combinations that are bringing it to life.”

“We work a year or two in advance, coming together in the fall to analyze our findings,” explains Kim about Valspar’s selection, “and tap into what these trends indicate consumers are craving to provide forward-thinking direction on color that best represents what is to come.”

While the COTY is certainly trendy, it’s not a fleeting shade. COTY selections may already be starting to trend at announcement time, but as a forward-looking hue, its presence is expected to grow. Many brands release a COTY, and you are likely to see similar colors between years and brands, with differences representing cultural shifts and nuanced industry changes. “It’s truly a perfect harmony of art and science,” says Kim.