- Business Insider asked color experts which hues are on their way out in 2025.
- Black may seem sophisticated, but it's not a great choice for long-term livability.
- More people will phase out colors like olive green and mustard yellow in favor of softer hues.
As the end of the year approaches, many designers and color experts are reflecting on the hues people added to their homes throughout 2024. However, some of these colors will likely be phased out in the new year.
Business Insider asked three color experts which hues they predict people will use less in 2025. Here's what they said.
In 2024, people got carried away with gray.
According to Vanessa Helmick, owner and interior designer at Fiore Home, more people will start replacing gray tones in 2025.
The designer said the color will likely be phased out because it was being used for elements — like flooring — that aren't naturally gray.
Additionally, since marble became trendy in kitchens and bathrooms in recent years, homeowners and builders felt they had to use gray everywhere.
However, these color choices often appear inorganic and cold, so Helmick predicts more people will avoid gray in 2025.
Cool colors, like slate blue and taupe, aren't as popular as they once were.
According to Paula Kennedy, a certified architectural color consultant and the CEO of Timeless Kitchen Design LLC, colors with gray in them, like taupe, slate, and cool blues, are fading away as well.
She said the move toward warmer colors is becoming stronger, especially in the Pacific Northwest, where the weather turns gray.
"Right now, there's just an overall theme of warming up," Kennedy told BI.
Sage green is falling out of favor.
Shades of green have long been in vogue, but Kennedy predicts sage will fall out of favor as people shift toward richer, deeper hues.
She also believes watery turquoise shades will replace basic blues and greens, as these hues have greater design flexibility and harmonize well with other colors.
Stark white can look too harsh or worn.
Color expert Amy Wax told BI that many people love white for its purity and cleanliness, but the hue can quickly look worn or tired when used on furniture — especially next to other white elements.
"If everything is as stark as the white, it's fine," said Wax. "Otherwise, fabrics become faded-looking."
Stark white can also be too harsh on the eyes, so more people are opting for hues that feel softer.
Black-and-white designs don't feel cozy.
Though black appears sexy and elegant at first glance, Kennedy believes people will move away from it because it isn't sustainable as a long-term color choice.
She also said combining black and white in a design is becoming passé."Black and white has a clarity," said Kennedy. "It's simple and matter-of-fact, but we're not in that place psychologically anymore."
The designer believes uncertainty in the world is causing more people to opt for cozy home designs — and black and white shades don't fit the bill anymore.
Fewer people are opting for nautical blue.
Nautical blue has long been a staple in Helmick's New England community, but the designer believes the color will start to become less popular in 2025.
According to Helmick, nautical blue-and-white themes can feel limiting, as updating or changing such a distinctive color scheme can be difficult. "People are moving less, the real-estate market isn't moving as fast, and they want to freshen up their homes," she told BI.
She predicts more people will bring in warm tones and pair them with colors that freshen things up and add a sense of coziness.
Mustard and olive hues are dated.
Though quirky colors like mustard yellow and olive green had a moment, 2025 may be a good time to rid your home of them.
"Mustard gold and olive green were attractive because they were unique," said Wax. "But people want something more easygoing."
She believes 2025 will see more people gravitating toward calmer hues.
Yellows and teals are on their way out.
Yellow and teal were popular in 2024, but Wax feels their time has passed.
"Intensely playful colors like bright yellows and teals have a harshness that has been overplayed," the expert told BI. "People want easier colors that you can decorate around."
