Every year, color forecasting asks a deceptively simple question: what comes next? But for the 2027 Colormix^® Trend Forecast, Rewild, the color and design experts behind it found themselves investigating something a little different and a little more interesting. This year’s forecast is not just about what colors are on the horizon, but about what color means in today’s design contexts – and about who decides what to do with them.

“Color is deeply personal,” says Emily Kantz, interior designer and the lead color strategist for Colormix on our Trendsight Team^℠. “Everyone has an opinion, and many people want to know what is trending. However, they don’t want to be told what to do with that information.” That instinct became the philosophy of the 2027 forecast: 48 colors, no prescribed pairings, and an open framework she describes as “a bit of a choose-your-own-adventure,” where Rewild provides the insight and perspective, and designers take it from there.

The process of building a color forecast is more collaborative – and more globally informed – than many expect. Our Trendsight Team^℠ brings together a wide range of voices: regional design managers; international contingents; a team specializing in everything from automotive and medical devices to home appliances, lighting, and building materials; and trend experts who are looking as far as five to ten years into the future.

Balancing such a varied group’s perspectives with the broader data is, Emily says, an art in itself. “If you have your finger on the pulse, you naturally become more in tune with the subtle shifts that are happening – those early signals that don’t show up in the data right away but are still really important to listen to. At the same time, what helps ground that intuition is the fact that we have such a strong group of experts across different fields. When you start to see overlap in what others are noticing, that’s where the data starts to validate those instincts.”

The shift away from traditional curated palettes evolved from something the Trendsight Team^℠ was observing across residential, commercial, hospitality, and beyond – a cultural move toward authenticity, individuality, and spaces that feel genuinely inhabited rather than styled for a moment.

“With the oversaturation of digital perfection, everything starts to look the same, or becomes harder to distinguish between real and AI-generated,” Emily says. “In response to this, people are embracing quirky, one-of-a-kind objects, mismatched furniture, and bolder color combinations that feel authentic to them.”

Rather than organizing the 48 colors into designated palettes, the 2027 Colormix Trend Forecast is structured around three design stories – Revive, Reignite, and Reconnect – each representing a different epoch of influence on contemporary design. Together, they trace an arc from the past to the present to the future. Separately, each one offers a distinct lens through which to approach color.

Our first design story is the forecast’s look backward – but as Emily is quick to point out, it’s not nostalgia for its own sake. “What makes this reinterpretation feel especially fresh for 2027 is how it’s being paired with unexpected bursts of color,” she says. “It adds a sense of energy and playfulness to what could otherwise feel purely nostalgic. It’s not about recreating the past as a carbon copy. What makes this moment so unique is this blurring of past and present.”

That blur shows up in how designers are working with clients today. When we gave a panel of celebrated designers an exclusive first look at Rewild, they remarked upon how resonant these design stories are. “The more collected and lived-in a home feels, the more elevated and aspirational it actually becomes,” says designer Tamara Day of the Revive story. “Luxury today isn’t about everything matching perfectly – it’s about creating warmth, personality, and authenticity.” Designer Kerrie Kelly echoes this. In her experience, “clients are asking for pieces that hold meaning, craftsmanship, and permanence.”

Reignite is where the forecast lives most fully in the present tense – and where its energy is most visceral. “This shift is really a response to years of minimalism and neutrality,” Emily says. “People are craving spaces that feel more personal, uplifting, and full of energy. Just like what we’re seeing in fashion – people are drawn to color, contrast, and moments that feel more human and less controlled. There’s also a growing confidence to take more risks and move beyond ‘safe’ choices. At the end of the day, it’s about emotion. People want spaces that make them feel something.”

Among the designers, Reignite sparked the widest range of interpretation. Designer Ramona Tan says, “Unexpected moments bring romance to a home. They create the impression that a space has evolved naturally over time – effortless rather than overly composed.” And Amanda Steinert Francfort has a name for what she’s reaching for in every project: “joyful friction – that one element that shouldn’t work but does. If a room is perfectly color-coordinated, it lacks soul.”

Laura Hodges says she uses unexpected ideas to create a sense of “joyful discovery” in interiors: “We love it when a client is happily surprised with a design plan for a room and often this comes from a surprising design element they didn’t expect whether it’s a bold color, fun texture or original art.” Ryan James Conover’s take is perhaps the most expansive: “Playing is the groundwork of all creation. Imagining what could be with endless opportunities allows for magic to happen, and the art of play gives a way to find the correct answer for each individual project. The key is to trust your instincts, let your imagination take over, and always lead with your heart.”

The third story looks forward, centering the relationship between people, the places they inhabit, and the natural world – and it’s a conversation that has evolved well beyond aesthetics. “Designing with a sense of connection is about creating spaces that feel rooted – to place, to people, and to the natural world,” Emily says. “What is happening now feels deeper and more meaningful – a real shift in how we relate to nature. There is a growing recognition that we are not separate from it, but part of it.”

Designers are feeling this pull acutely. “We recently completed a European-style spa in Houston, and this ‘Reconnect’ philosophy was the narrative direction for our material and color choices,” says designer Kim Lewis. “Color as a therapy or means for connection is psychological and one of the strongest tools in our belt.” Another panelist, Autumn Dawn agrees, citing the increase in wellness-centered spaces in the home, and how this tells her “we’re getting back to a better equilibrium.”

One of the new elements in the 2027 forecast is a designation that didn’t exist in previous editions: Continuity Colors. These are the 10 hues within the forecast that the Trendsight Team^℠ identifies as having staying power – colors that both transcend and endure trends.

What gives a color a longer lifespan? For Emily, it comes down to a particular quality she describes as chameleonic. “Some carry an innate warmth and depth, while others enhance calm and balance, and there’s a complexity that allows them to shift depending on how and where they are used. The most enduring colors are the ones that connect back to nature – those deep mossy greens, lichen tones, mineral shades, rusted and stone-like hues. There’s something instinctive about them. I think we’re naturally drawn to those colors because of that biophilic connection – it’s built within us.”

The Continuity Colors of Rewild can be thought of as a foundation within a more fluid, exploratory palette, bringing a sense of balance and longevity, whether they’re used on larger surfaces, a key material, or a foundational element around which the rest of a design is built. The result, she says, is confidence – the assurance that as a palette evolves, these anchors will hold.

Ask Emily to describe where design stands today in a single word, and she doesn’t hesitate: unbounded. “We’re seeing a blending of styles and ideas – timelines are overlapping, and there’s a real freedom in how spaces come together,” she says. “It’s less about following a formula and more about creating something that feels right, that feels good, that feels authentically you. Color is going to continue to be more intentional, more emotional, and ultimately, more human.”

With our 2027 Colormix Trend Forecast, we invite you to explore all 48 colors, three stories, and the wildest reaches of your creativity. Register for Design+ to order your complimentary designer-exclusive Colormix Sample Kit.