Sherwin-Williams named “Universal Khaki (SW 6150) as 2026 color of the year
Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams, who worked for the first time with HGTV Home of Sherwin Williams during a color publication, mentioned Universal Khaki (SW 6150) as its 2026 color of the year. The middle tan has a subtle yellow undertone and gives it a warm, shocking feeling.
The basic neutral is connected to uniforms, external equipment, worn jackets and heavy canvas. In short, the efficient color can pull your own weight – especially if they are used in common areas on walls.
An industry -wide shift to neutral tones
Khaki is considered fundamentally neutral.
Sherwin-Williams
The choice of the 159-year-old brand harmonizes with the selection of the annual color of other color companies all warm, earthy colors that signal comfort and lightness. These include Valspar's warm eucalyptus, Behr's hidden jewel, Gliddens warm mahogany, C2 paints EPERNAY, Krylons matt coffee beans and minwaxs special walnut.
“In art and fashion we see a return to organic pallets, natural textures and a hug of materials that feel more connected to the earth,” says Alykhan Velji, Creative Director at Alykhan Velji Designs in Calgary.
Fashion turns to organic pallets and natural textures.
Getty pictures for BFC
Universal Khaki is a double mandatory and is “more than just a neutral,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. “It is a timeless, every shadow that gives a feeling of the grounded elegance in every room.” Wadden, who heads the global trendsight team from Sherwin Williams, further describes the color as a “rich, inviting backdrop”, which can influence the design concept of a room with a “calm self-confidence”.
The historical origins of Khaki
Khaki was first associated with uniforms when it was used in military clothing because it was optimally mixed with a desert environment. (Photo by Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images)
Getty pictures
The name of the shadow comes from the Persian/Urdu word, Khākī, which means “dusty” or “earth colors”. Khaki was first connected to uniforms when the British army of the British Indians from the 1840s used them for their ability to mix with a desert environment. In addition to the usual earthy associations of the Hue, Khaki also sends a feeling of trust and an objective but same friendly sense. Because of these links, there are often eco-forward companies with the color in their marketing materials.
However, Khaki has not been a stable shadow in the past 150 years. “Over the years, Khaki has changed from a light brown color to a green undertone,” said the research website TRVST. “Now there are shades that reach from dark green khaki to almost beige. In addition, fashion designers use it to create styles that people feel more confident and bold.”
The shadow has long been associated with masculinity, but women started breaking this form at the beginning of the 20th century, and in combination with pants – sometimes scandalous effects – to rebel. Women's sportswear and leisure clothing increasingly used the color in the following decades and during the world war it became a standard look in clothing.
In interior design, Khaki, which cannot be found on traditional color bikes, can help enlarge smaller rooms, especially well -lit, and at the same time give them with a feeling of calm comfort.
Breaking Sherwin-Williams nine color approach
Sherwin-Williams' choice fits, among other things, to lighter white and darker browns.
Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams has chosen ten coordinating colors that distinguish a feeling of minimalism and simple elegance that Universal Khaki embodies: Griffin (SW 7026), Minwax Special Walnut (MW 224), creamy (SW 7012), neutral 6181), still water (SW 6471) and Lemon chip (SW 6686).
Last year, Sherwin-Williams made the standard color of the year to announce nine colors of the year for 2025, which called its color capsule of the year. The selection was reminiscent of the 15th announcement of the brand. The palette contained white tones made of white, brown, blue -green, yellow -green, golden and steamed purple.