New neutrals replace gray
Designers are shifting away from cool gray toward warmer, more forgiving neutrals, and Sherwin‑Williams named 'Universal Khaki'—a mid‑tan with green undertones—as its 2026 Color of the Year. The change is being framed as a move to more 'welcoming' base tones that pair easily with texture and travel‑inspired accents. (homesandgardens.com)
Cool gray is losing ground in interiors as designers swap in warmer neutrals, and Sherwin-Williams has put its weight behind the shift with Universal Khaki as its 2026 Color of the Year. (sherwin-williams.com) Sherwin-Williams describes Universal Khaki SW 6150 as a mid-tone neutral with a slight yellow undertone, and its color page calls it an earthy, timeless tan for common areas. The company published the 2026 selection on its Color of the Year pages and archive. (sherwin-williams.com 1) (sherwin-williams.com 2) (sherwin-williams.com 3) Homes & Gardens reported on April 15, 2026, that designers are moving from steely gray toward beige, greige, taupe, putty, earthy greens, plaster pinks, and caramel browns. The article said the category of “neutral” has broadened as homeowners pay closer attention to undertones. (homesandgardens.com) That change has been building for years, not weeks. Homes & Gardens wrote in 2024 that beige had already become “the new gray” in many rooms, while Apartment Therapy reported in 2023 that beige was back as a designer neutral after years of cooler palettes. (homesandgardens.com) (apartmenttherapy.com) By 2026, the palette had widened beyond plain beige. Apartment Therapy’s 2026 State of Home Design report said color palettes were warming up and referencing the natural world, tying the neutral shift to cozier architectural details and more layered rooms. (apartmenttherapy.com) Sherwin-Williams is framing its pick in similar terms. Its design-facing materials say the choice reflects a “deliberate approach” built around simplicity, usability, nature-inspired color, and finishes made to last. (sherwin-williams.com) The move away from gray does not mean every pale neutral is back in the same way. Apartment Therapy reported in 2025 that some designers were also pushing clients past flat beige schemes toward layered neutrals, richer textures, deeper woods, and moodier accent colors. (apartmenttherapy.com) That leaves 2026 with a narrower target than the all-gray rooms of the last decade: warmer base colors, visible undertones, and more texture on top. Universal Khaki fits that brief by landing between beige, tan, and olive rather than reading as a cold gray substitute. (sherwin-williams.com) (homesandgardens.com)
