Sherwin-Williams 2027 Color of the Year is the color of a place worth lingering in – soft enough to live with every day, yet alive enough to still catch the eye on the hundredth glance. Celery SW 6421 (154-C1) is fresh, balanced, and built for spaces that are meant to be experienced, not just seen. 

We asked Sherwin-Williams Color Marketing Manager, Ashley Banbury, to talk through how this shade came to be our latest Color of the Year, and we provided five interior designers with an exclusive first look at this iconic shade. Here’s what they all have to say about how this expertly chosen color tells us where design is headed next.

Some Color of the Year selections arrive as a surprise. This one didn’t need to. “Celery stood out right away, but it was also a color I kept coming back to throughout the process," Ashley says. “It really encapsulated the trends we were seeing across industries and reflected a broader desire for colors that feel fresh, balanced, and approachable.”

Ashley Banbury’s path to color forecasting started in interior design – an NCIDQ certification, a Kent State education, and early career chapters that helped shape her appreciation for design and storytelling. Thirteen years into her career at Sherwin-Williams, that appreciation has become a discipline that guides her forward as a member of our expert Trendsight Team^℠.

“I spend a lot of time looking for recurring themes and signals across different industries,” she explains. What she kept seeing this year, across every signal she tracked, was a hunger for serenity. “People are looking for shades that feel fresh and uplifting but are also usable enough to incorporate into their everyday spaces. They’re looking for calm, restoration, and connection.”

“We’re seeing green emerge across multiple industries – in both fashion and interiors, which is often a strong signal of a broader cultural shift,” she continues. “When a color begins to appear across categories, its story is worth paying attention to, and it allows us to anticipate how people will embrace a trend in different aspects of their lives.”

As experts who immerse themselves in colors both trending and timeless, designers are perhaps the best equipped to assess our Color of the Year for 2027. And from the perspectives of the five designers who were granted an early look, Celery is exactly the kind of color that will call to clients, start conversations, and create room for more adventurous uses of color.

Chicago-based designer Abigail Morris took an immediate liking to Celery. “It feels fresh yet grounded, bright yet approachable, energizing yet organic. My clients have been craving more bright, cheery colors. I’ve been incorporating more playfulness through color in my projects lately, and I think Celery hits that mark perfectly. It’s so playful and alive, but it’s also toned down enough that it’s very livable.”

“What I find so interesting about Celery is that it has a vibrancy to it, but at the same time it feels calm,” adds Julee Ireland, interior designer and the creative force behind Home Renovation School. “It’s a versatile color that I could see using in a laundry room, home office, craft room, sunroom, children’s playroom, mudroom, or even a breakfast nook – spaces where you can personalize with color and create something that speaks to your soul.”

Jessica Bremner echoes this sentiment, and the Canadian designer says her first impressions of this color choice were positive. “What I love most is that this doesn’t feel like the muted, earthy greens we’ve been seeing for the last decade. It feels playful, nostalgic, and a little whimsical. I don’t think people are tired of neutrals, but I think they’re tired of playing it safe. They’re becoming more willing to take thoughtful risks with color and moving toward homes that feel more layered, collected, and personal.”

For Lindsey Henzy of Home & Hue Staging and Interiors, Celery evokes both optimism and ease. “It immediately brings to mind early morning light filtering through leaves. Rather than demanding attention, it creates a sense of quiet confidence, which I think many homeowners are craving.” And Kelly Grimes of Canadian firm Go To Your Room Interior Decorating & Design says she can feel this color’s mood-boosting effects herself: “The more I sat with the color, the more I found myself relaxing into it. It evokes both calm and joy, as though a weight has been lifted. It’s a color that naturally makes me smile.”

Eliciting these positive feelings is just what the Trendsight Team^℠ intended in choosing a color with such quiet vitality. Ashley says she wanted the story of Celery to reflect how design has evolved from the creation of beautiful, comfortable spaces to actively supporting wellness within those spaces. She explains, “Thoughtful designs foster balance, comfort, and connection. Color is central to that conversation, and Celery’s fresh green brings a sense of renewal and ease that helps create environments that feel restorative and grounded in everyday well-being.”

Lindsey believes that this experience starts to take hold instantly. “Wellness begins with how a space makes you feel the moment you walk in. Colors inspired by nature naturally lower visual stress and encourage a slower pace. Celery brings warmth without overstimulation, making it ideal for spaces where families gather, unwind, and reconnect.” 

And for Kelly, the act of updating a space is a kind of wellness practice. “Creating a home that truly reflects who you are is an act of self-care,” she says. “It’s an investment that supports well-being. The green hue of Celery offers a sense of solace while the warm undertone provides a spirit-lifting energy about it – which can genuinely influence how people feel in their everyday lives.”

One of the reasons Celery is so usable is its ability to hold a room together without taking it over. “Celery feels authentic because it has a natural, approachable quality that doesn’t overpower a space,” Ashley says. “It has the ability to create a backdrop that allows personal style and meaningful objects to shine, giving people the freedom to create spaces that feel uniquely their own.”

With the rise of social media and AI-generated images, this individuality is becoming increasingly hard to find. “I think social media has given us endless inspiration, but ironically it’s also made so many homes start to look the same,” Jessica says. “The homes I love most aren’t finished in six months. They’re collected over decades through travel, family heirlooms, vintage finds, and everyday life. They’ve been lived in. They tell the story of the people who call them home. Colors like Celery help create that feeling because they’re a little unexpected. They invite individuality instead of perfection.”

Julee agrees. “The best homes don’t look like a showroom – they reflect the personal story of the people who live in them. For me, Celery has an understated quality that I can see layering beautifully with natural materials, antiques, and collected pieces, allowing any home to feel personal and lived in.”

Homes today are rarely doing just one job. They’re offices and gyms and gathering spaces and quiet retreats, sometimes all in one day. Ashley Banbury sees Celery as uniquely suited to that overlap. “Celery’s adaptability is endless. It’s fresh with a sense of energy and optimism that can support productivity and connection, while its soft undertones create a calming backdrop for rest and recharging – making it a natural fit for how we live in our spaces.”

That adaptability is in service of something bigger than function. “This particular Color of the Year encourages people to truly feel at home because it makes a space feel welcoming,” Ashley says, “allowing people to surround themselves with the colors, furnishings, and personal touches that reflect who they are and how they want to live.”

For Abigail, it all starts with understanding what puts a specific client at ease and what makes them feel most comfortable. She says that, for some, this could mean a moody, wood-clad room where they can read a book and unwind in peace, while others feel most connected to themselves in a bright kitchen with light streaming in, collected vessels holding utensils, and maybe, she says, even some Celery-colored cabinets. “Understanding the vibe a client requires to relax is key to creating a space completely tailored to their unwinding rituals,” Abigail believes.

Within the worlds of wellness, storytelling, and connection, Celery can play a variety of meaningful roles. “It can be used on walls to bring fresh balance; or on millwork, kitchen cabinetry, textiles, and decorative finishes to provide a gentle backdrop for luxurious elements such as brushed brass, marble, fluted detailing, and sculptural lighting,” Ashley says. “Rather than competing with statement pieces, Celery acts as a restorative foundation that softens bold forms and metallic accents, helping create spaces that feel both elevated and approachable.”

In commercial design – specifically offices, healthcare settings, hospitality environments, and retail spaces – she sees this calming shade used for walls, feature areas, or collaborative workspaces. And with Full Spectrum Possibilities, there are virtually endless applications for this influential green. “As a paint color, Celery provides a soft, nature-inspired backdrop,” Ashley explains. “Applied to architectural details, it highlights sculptural forms and craftsmanship while adding subtle character. In powder-coated and coil-coated finishes, Celery introduces a fresh, sophisticated color to metal elements, softening their appearance while maintaining durability and refinement. And Celery can be incorporated into terrazzo flooring through green aggregate chips blended with warm neutrals or creamy bases to add texture and movement.”

Designers Kelly Grimes and Jessica Bremner were both inspired to use this hue for accent trim. Kelly calls Celery a “color with a positive attitude,” saying it adds happiness without overwhelming the room, making it ideal for homeowners who love all-white simplicity but might want to add a dose of personality. Jessica says, “I’m a big believer that you don’t always need to paint every wall to make an impact, and I love color on trim even more than on walls. It lets everything from artwork to bedding to furniture continue to evolve over time.”

Abigail says she’s thinking in terms of layers. “If (and when!) I spec Celery in a project, it will be for a client that I know will be excited and delighted by this color in their home,” she says. “I envision it with other bright pops of color that are balanced by the tension of a dark rustic wood, perhaps in the form of a primitive cabinet.”

Lindsey also loves the thought of our Color of the Year paired with wood tones and is drawn to the adaptability of Celery. “At first glance it seems delicate, but when paired with rich walnut, warm oak, unlacquered brass, or natural stone, it suddenly feels elevated and luxurious. I especially love it in kitchens, breakfast rooms, mudrooms, and libraries where natural light allows the color to shift beautifully throughout the day.”

That versatility plays out across the full coordinating palette Sherwin-Williams built around Celery. Kirsch Red SW 6313 (112-C6) adds a bold pop of energy, while Potentially Purple SW 6821 (181-C2) introduces an uplifting, playful twist. Cosmos SW 6528 (178-C3), an unexpected blue with a violet undertone, pairs beautifully with Georgian Bay SW 6509 (175-C6) for a serene contrast.

Warm neutrals like Woven Wicker SW 9104 (203-C4), Plum Brown SW 6272 (229-C7), and Artichoke SW 6179 (213-C5) ground the palette with organic richness, while White Flour SW 7102 (267-C2) and Cocoon SW 6173 (211-C6) provide soft, airy backdrops. Our coordinating Minwax^® wood stain, Pickled Oak MW 260, is a soft, desaturated enhancement to the palette, creating a light, airy foundation that feels both natural and adds a touch of modernity to traditional interiors.

“Together,” Ashley concludes, “these shades create a harmonious story, rooted in nature yet energized with optimism, perfect for interiors that feel restorative, expressive, and future-forward.”

When it comes to distilling this Color of the Year selection down to a single cultural statement, Ashley cites a shift in what people want from their surroundings. “As consumers seek environments that are both uplifting and restorative, Celery offers a fresh, optimistic green that connects people to nature while providing a sense of comfort and renewal. Its gentle energy supports the growing desire to feel calm, positive, and grounded without sacrificing personality or creativity.”

And there’s something more personal in it, too. Jessica Bremner believes it’s most representative of a departure from designing for resale and toward designing for real life – a response to clients wanting spaces that feel collected, not copied. “If this color gives people permission to be a little braver and create a home that genuinely reflects who they are, then I think it’s doing exactly what great design should do.”

Our 2027 Color of the Year is available now across Sherwin-Williams’s complete paints and coatings portfolio through Full Spectrum Possibilities. For your complimentary Designer Sample Kit, order now using your Design+ membership, and connect with your Account Executive for details, specification support, and more.