Design Trends: Warmth and Rhythm Set the Tone for 2026 Color Palettes
When designing interiors, the choice of color and floor finish sets the tone for the entire space. Current trends continue to move toward warmer, lighter wood floor tones that create inviting and comfortable environments.
Color trends warming within wood finishes overall are set to continue well into next year. This shift is part of a broader movement across the design industry, where both professionals and consumers are leaning toward tones that feel more inviting, comforting, and natural, and away from grays and cool brown shades.
Natural tones add warmth
At AkzoNobel, we have started to see a lot of traction with more natural surfaces, such as light, dark, and warmer brown tones that are increasingly dominating wood finishes in all spaces. These shades bring balance, depth, and a sense of authenticity to interiors, whether in rustic designs or sleek modern settings. With the ongoing popularity of the open home concept and the use of brown wood tones, these warmer coatings offer a variety of opportunities that pair well with this interior style.
Organic “boney” whites, soft bleached wood tones, and earthy shades such as terracotta, blue, and green also continue to resonate strongly with consumers. Favored as complementary colors and accent tones, these hues offer a refined way to introduce personality and a splash of color into interior spaces.
These accents not only create visual interest but also allow designers to experiment with subtle contrasts that highlight the natural beauty of wood. Each shade is subtly muted with white and softened by an ashy touch of black, resulting in a gentler overall aesthetic that complements open-plan living concepts and pairs seamlessly with the warmth of popular brown wood tones.
Colors of the year
AkzoNobel’s Global Aesthetic Centre has been translating trends into desirable colors for spaces for more than 30 years to create its annual ColourFutures trend forecast. Our Colors of the Year is the result of extensive research into the color, design, cultural, economic, and social trends that shape our society, and it draws on the skill and experience of our team, as well as international architects, designers, and journalists.
AkzoNobel’s Colors of the Year 2026 bring Rhythm of Blues™ to the wood finishes market with a trio of upbeat and versatile colors that are calming, connecting, and creative. The colors, textures, and special effects that take center stage in the collection have been designed to help designers and manufacturers find on-trend wood coatings to differentiate their projects, while making it easier for customers to choose colors and combinations that match their design preferences.
The Colors of the Year 2026 comprise three indigo shades: a light blue Mellow Flow™, a dark blue Slow Swing™, and the vibrant Free Groove™ – three different rhythms that offer endless scope for furniture, cabinets, building products, and flooring.
We know that different wood products require specially crafted finishes, and floor coatings are often used to highlight and play with the natural beauty of the wood rather than to cover a blank surface. It’s why our Global Color and Design team works so closely with our technical service team to create coatings that combine on-trend colors with natural finishes that maintain good clarity and grain definition.
These colors provide both inspiration and practicality for professionals and consumers, while capturing the cultural mood of the moment and pairing with the enduring popularity of natural wood finishes.
Bryan Hodges is the global color and design manager for wood finishes at AkzoNobel. For more information, visit akzonobel.com.