Sherwin-Williams names Universal Khaki as its 2026 colour of the year
The US manufacturer has chosen a warm neutral, Universal Khaki SW 6150, as its 2026 colour of the year — continuing a shift away from cool greys.
Sherwin-Williams has named Universal Khaki (SW 6150) as its colour of the year for 2026, according to the company’s own colour programme. The company describes the choice as tailored and timeless.
Colour-of-the-year announcements are marketing instruments as much as design forecasts. They are chosen by the manufacturer that sells the paint, and they shape what appears in retailers’ displays, in sample pots and, eventually, on walls.
The choice of a warm neutral continues a broader movement away from the cool greys that dominated interior specification for much of the previous decade.
Why this matters
Colour programmes set expectations. Architects, interior designers and hotel operators often specify against a manufacturer’s published palette, so a change at one large manufacturer quickly propagates through sample libraries and specification documents.
What remains unconfirmed
- Whether the choice reflects measured sales data or an internal trend forecast.
- How the colour will be merchandised across different markets.
- Whether equivalent shades will be offered in low-VOC and mineral bases.
Source & editorial note
- Source
- Sherwin-Williams
- Source reliability
- High
- Last reviewed
Read the original report — external site, in the source publisher's own words.
This article is a summary prepared by the ArtCoatings editorial desk from the source named above. It is second-hand reporting: figures, dates and quotations are reproduced as published by the source and have not been independently verified unless stated in the text.