Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year Is So Warm and Comforting

‘Tis the season for holiday parties, cozy nights by the fire (or TV yule log, whichever), and—if you love paint and color trends like we do—color of the year predictions. Every year, the Pantone Color of the Year announcement is highly anticipated, and this year, the company’s color selection feels like it’s coming at exactly the right time. Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year is Mocha Mousse, a warm, soft brown that reminds us of a beverage we want to drink, a dessert we want to indulge in, and a luxurious velvet textile we want to wrap around ourselves. According to executive director Leatrice Eiseman and VP Laurie Pressman of the Pantone Color Institute, the color was chosen with “sensorial warmth” and “thoughtful indulgence” in mind, and it was, in part, inspired by a viral TikTok trend.

In the past year, the expression “sweet little treat” or “little treat” has become a common expression for creators on TikTok and Instagram. Creators use the expression when treating themselves to a small indulgence, like a coffee or pastry, either as a reward for doing something difficult, as an emotional pick-me-up, or just because. The “little treat” trend is ultimately a way that people are practicing self-care and finding joy in small moments. While the trend itself was far from the only inspiration for Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year choice, the philosophy behind the trend aligns with much of the reasoning that the experts used to select Mocha Mousse.

“The whole idea of little treat culture [is about asking] how do we fill ourselves back up and nourish ourselves?” Pressman says. “[It’s] about elevating the every day, taking joy in those moments, these simple pleasures, whether they’re sweet treats or nature walks, that reach further into our desire for comfort.” Keep reading for more on Pantone’s comforting Color of the Year below.

Introducing: Mocha Mousse

With the color brown trending in both fashion and home design in the past year, Mocha Mousse feels equally of-the-moment and timeless at the same time. The soft delicate shade is more widely approachable than some of the rich, deep browns that are also trending. Depending on the application, finish, and lighting, the color can read as softer, with warm pink undertones, or it can have a more rich, earthy feel.

While color of the year selections often follow the ebbs and flows of typical trend cycles (whatever was in last year, the opposite is in the next year), Pantone’s color selection is more of an evolution from last year’s pick, rather than a complete departure. Last year’s selection was Peach Fuzz, a soft peach color, that was selected to convey the feeling of peacefulness, kindness, and community. As the Pantone experts started discussing the choice for the 2025 Color of the Year selection, Pressman says they decided, “We’re kind of still there.”

“The world is still feeling very complex and we still want to have that nurturing in order for us to face that world, we need to still feel nourished,” she explains. “[Mocha Mousse is about] embracing that whole idea of caring and sharing and community and collaboration a step further.”

How to Use Mocha Mousse in the Home

Along with the Color of the Year announcement, Pantone collaborated with several brands to create consumer products in Mocha Mousse tones, which offers an easy way to work the shade into your own home. Those collaborations include wallpaper designs with Spoonflower and a wide range of furniture offerings from Joybird in the warm, inviting shade—perfect options for a home upgrade project.

As far as where you can incorporate the color around your home, Eiseman says, “I can’t think of a room that you wouldn’t want to use it in.” But she particularly calls out the bathroom as a perhaps unexpected but perfectly fitting place to incorporate this inviting shade. Whether that means painting the walls in a Mocha Mousse shade or incorporating some warm wood tones or accents that match the color, that’s up to you.

And even if you don’t use this exact shade in your home, you may just be inspired to infuse a bit more indulgence, comfort, and special moments into your decor—since that’s really what Mocha Mousse is all about.