Decorating & Design
Benjamin Moore’s 2026 Colour of the Year Is Rich and Dramatic
Updated on October 21, 2025
Benjamin Moore’s pick for their 2026 Colour of the Year, Silhouette (AF-655), is a dramatic and moody choice: a mix of rich espresso hues blended with subtle notes of charcoal. “Fashion really stood out to us this year,” notes Benjamin Moore’s Director of Colour Marketing & Development, Andrea Magno. “The charcoal notes in Silhouette are refined and sophisticated, an embrace of increasingly darker tones in decorating. We’re really leaning into this colour, which is inspired by a modern take on classical suiting.”
Andrea says the colour of the year is determined by a series of workshops, using inspiration taken from travel and artifacts. “We are seeing a continuation of deepening, brown-tones, moving away from New Age-y colours like Hazy Lilac (2116-40) and last year’s colour of the year, Cinnamon Slate (2113-40), towards something moodier.”
“In 2023 we had browns like Wenge (AF-180), Leather Saddle Brown (2100-20), Chowning’s Tan (CW-195) in our colour of the year palettes, now we are moving towards a warmer, enveloping alternative,” says Andrea of the shade Silhouette. When tempered by creamy trim, this dark tone is a distinguished complement for wood and metals.
Related: 9 designer-approved colour palettes to help you get the look you want
Silhouette is a burnt umber you can use to drench a space or pair with other colours, like Swiss Coffee (OC-45). “Everything shines against it,” says Andrea. “It’s like wrapping yourself in a blanket, and it creates a relationship with textural fabrics like bouclé and woven rugs.”
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Courtesy of Benjamin Moore