Color of the year: Rumors/Burgundy

Over the next year, you’re going to see millions of products made using this year’s hottest color. Here’s the twist: you don’t need a single drop of paint to take part in this color trend. Behr just announced the 2025 color of the year, which is a burgundy called Rumors. 

Why Is the Color of the Year Important?

This announcement is a signal that you’re going to see a lot of things that coordinate with this color. Over the next year, you can expect to see rugs, fabrics, upholstery pieces, accessories, and even dishes that go with this trending color.

Burgundy is a cooler red because it has a little bit of brown and blue undertones. The opposite on the color wheel is kind of a bluish-green.

It’s important to look at the mood of the color before you decide if you want to use it in your space. Do you want your space to feel warm and cozy, sophisticated, or moody? These are the kind of colors that work well in a library, a dining room, or a bedroom. It’s a very sophisticated, moody color.

Is it new? No, burgundy has been around for a long time, but it’s going to be popular in the next year. If you are considering trying this paint out in your space, Behr has a color visualizer where you can snap a picture of your room, upload it to their AI, and choose an accent wall. You can also choose to see what your room looks like with all of the walls that color. It’s a nice first step to see if you like the color at all. 

I will caution you that this test method is not 100% what your room is going to look like. It doesn’t account for lighting. If you’re considering painting in this color, I highly advise you to go over to Samplize and buy a swatch of it or two. Hang it up on your wall at different times of the day. See if you like the color in your room. The virtual tool is a start. But, just know samples will give you a better idea.

Basic Color Theory and Application

Color theory tells us there are three ways that we can use this color in our color schemes.

  1. We can use it as a complementary color, meaning we’re going to use it plus a color that’s opposite on the color wheel, which is more of a bluish-green.
  2. We can use it as an analogous color scheme, meaning that we will use burgundy and two other colors right next to it on the color wheel.
  3. Or, we can use it in a monochromatic color scheme.

For more tips read Forget Color Theory: What Designers Don’t Want You to Know, where I cover color design in detail.

Can we use it in a million other ways? Absolutely, you could. These are the three ways that your eye likes to see color and will make your space feel more cohesive and intentional.

If you don’t want to think about color theory, there’s a shortcut to using this color in your space. Find a fabric, rug, or piece of art that uses this color and let it dictate the color palette in your room.

You can read how to do that here: Rugs to Set Color Palette and Use Fabric to Set A Color Palette. The designer or artist that created the piece of fabric or piece of art know about color theory. They’re picking colors that work together well. Use what they’ve already created and pull those colors into your room. It’s kind of a shortcut to not thinking about color theory.

4 Paint-free Ways to Use the Burgundy Color

Here are four ways to use the color in your space without paint: 

  1. Use it in your textiles, a rug, fabrics, and drapes.
  2. Use it in your decorative accessories, a vase, and dishes. 
  3. Use it on a small piece of upholstered furniture. If you don’t have the budget for a big piece of burgundy furniture, use it in an accent chair, or stool, or bench. 
  4. Use it in artwork.

If you love this color, Rumors, but you’re not sure how to incorporate it into your space, I have an idea for you. Send me an email of your space plus one inspiration photo and I’ll send you a mood board. This offer is free for a limited time. You can find my contact info and more information about my virtual designs here: Virtual Design Plan.

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