Warm Mahogany is Pittsburgh Paints’ 2026 Color of the Year

We live in a time where people crave intimate spaces, where they can rest or be with others. In a nod to that sensibility, The Pittsburgh Paints Company, along with its Glidden brand, selected Warm Mahogany (PPG1060-7), a rich red with brown undertones, as its 2026 Color of the Year.

“In 2026, we anticipate consumers will embrace opportunities to rest, rejuvenate and connect with others, prioritizing their wellness across all aspects of their lives,” says Ashley McCollum, color expert at The Pittsburgh Paints Company. “The desire for increased social intimacy requires spaces that promote togetherness, a core design focus that moves away from abiding to trends and delivers refined aesthetics that feel timeless and classic.”

McCollum says that one of Warm Mahogony’s strengths is its versatility. It is ideal for both interiors and exteriors, for color drenching a room or for highlights. It is truly a timeless color.

“Warm Mahogany is a rich, grounded red that thrives in residential, hospitality, and commercial spaces designed to encourage depth of conversation,” says McCollum. “It’s brown undertones ground a room, while its lively red adds warmth and abundance, delivering a refined aesthetic that feels timeless and classic.

“I encourage using Warm Mahogany in a big way — full walls and color drenching can make an incredible statement,” she adds. “I adore Warm Mahogany color drenched in shared spaces that generally promote intentional togetherness, such as living rooms, dining rooms, cafes, libraries, and study rooms.”

For a taste of Warm Mahogany, McCollum suggests trying it on a single wall or behind open shelving.

“Aside from that, it’s fitting for a cozy reading nook,” McCollum notes. “As much as Warm Mahogany shines indoors, don’t forget about your exterior spaces. Warm Mahogany works well as a main exterior color or an accent color. As a main color, balance it with natural, neutral tones — as an accent color, consider your doors, shutters, trim, garage doors or smaller details such as planter boxes. An unexpected and creative way to incorporate the color is on the ceiling of a covered patio.”

McCollum notes that Pittsburgh Paints’ team of color experts combines cultural and societal insights and narrative-driven creativity with rigorous market research, including multi-industry (textiles, runway, consumer products, etc.) trend monitoring, when making its selection for Color of the Year.

“We look for a color that we believe will inspire both homeowners and professionals in a variety of spaces, such as residential, commercial, retail, and hospitality spaces,” McCollum adds. “Based on this year’s research and consumer sentiment, we notice more and more people craving social intimacy and connection, prioritizing wellness across all aspects of their lives. Consumers are unapologetically selecting colors that bring them joy, worrying less and less about resale value and creating more curated, personalized spaces that don’t abide by a specific design theme.

“With this growing behavior, consumers have become more and more comfortable with color, and bold color. When forecasting the Pittsburgh Paints Co. 2026 Color of the Year, our team of color experts focused a lot on where warm tones are moving, specifically cinnamon browns and coppers, which are a natural evolution from the terracottas we’ve been seeing in the market,” McCollum continues. “Warm Mahogany is bold enough to blend in yet reserved enough to make a timeless statement. It represents an intensified desire by consumers to create spaces that embody connection, rest and play.”

McCollum observes that color trends are constantly evolving year to year. For example, Purple Basil was last year’s PPG Color of the Year.

“Grays dominated the color space since the mid to late 2000s, and just as quiet luxury brought us years of warm neutrals, our spaces now require a color that can feel both calming and adventurous,” says McCollum.

To that end, she is seeing more vibrant and bold colors making a comeback.

“Bold hues are here, and we don’t see them going anywhere soon,” McCollum points out. “We first invited consumers to embrace the transformative power of color in their spaces with our 2025 Color of the Year, Purple Basil. Shifting further into the warmer red side is a natural color evolution driven by consumer cravings for warmth, stability, and feeling rooted and grounded.

“The push towards Warm Mahogany stemmed from the desire to return to tradition in a very curated and individualistic way. Warm Mahogany is a color with a lot of tradition and heritage, giving it staying power while also having the ability to adapt to any style, any space and any mood. We’re already starting to see Warm Mahogany hues appear in case goods, soft accessories, textiles and other industries such as cookware/bakewear and appliances.” 

McCollum adds that Purple Basil and Warm Mahogany are similar in that they embrace bold color and stretch beyond the neutral colors of past years.

“With the shift in consumer sentiment caring less and less about resale value and more about expressing themselves through design, we’re empowering consumers to dip their toe into color and make their space their own,” McCollum concludes. “With Warm Mahogany, we’re maintaining that boldness but shifting from a purple, which is a color created by a blend of warm red and cool blue, further into the warmer red side for a natural color evolution driven by key factors such as consumer and cultural catalysts.  It promotes comfort, authenticity, creativity, and intimacy, helping individuals reconnect with themselves and others in meaningful ways.”  

Warm Mahogany is available at PPG Paints stores, independent retailers, The Home Depot, Menards and HD Supply.