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Everybody loves a comeback these days, whether it’s a return to Y2K fashion, the collective embrace of the avocado green kitchen (are we Sheldon Cooper?), or the viral unexpected red trend that is a blatant ’90s throwback. Going into 2025, we’re still having a retro moment, Behr believes. Today the California-based paint company crowned Rumors, a deep red, its 2025 color of the year. It’s rekindling the ’90s nostalgia for all things red—but not in a way that reminds you of your regrettable makeup choices.
Rumors is a sultry dark take on red, with ruby and brown undertones that give it a grown-up feel. It’s playful, yet sophisticated. And it’s oozing with an aura of status and luxury. “Red was the big overarching trend we kept seeing, and when determining which version of the hue to go for, Rumors really checked all the boxes,” says Erika Woelfel, Behr’s vice president of color and creative services. “It’s approachable, it’s inspirational, it has great energy, and it’s tremendously versatile.”
Behr is one of many paint companies aiming to provide guidance to designers and DIYers alike through the annual christening of one hue deemed to be the It color of the forthcoming season. This year’s color choice is a fitting departure from last year’s reveal, a charcoal shade dubbed Cracked Pepper—which, seen alongside vibrant colors in the pink-and-red sphere, were part of the “Barbenheimer” effect we observed across the colorverse.
For the Behr team, Rumors reflects a new wave of optimism and freedom to express. “Today’s consumer doesn’t want to be told what they like,” says Sarah. “They’re more confident, and they’re past latching onto everyone else’s style. They’re using their own hybrid terms like vintage-modern-casual, to describe their style. Rumors is that bold choice that can be incorporated into many different versions of self-expression.”
The reveal is in line with the seeming omnipresence of this rich shade, as of late. Since Gucci’s creative maestro, Sabato de Sarno, declared Gucci Rosso (i.e., burgundy) the brand’s new It color earlier this year, we saw it play out everywhere in the design and fashion world—from the Pantone lounge at Salone del Mobile to the 2024 runways to many of our favorite designer’s latest interior projects. Behr’s customers, too, are on board. According to a survey the paint company conducted, a lofty 76 percent of its American customers would consider painting a room or wall a shade of red. Just as many customers (73 percent) said they believe that embracing the color red can add “depth and character” to an interior.
Considering giving your home a douse of drama? Introducing this bold hue into your space can run the gamut of small pop of color to all-out color drench. “We love seeing it as a statement color for kitchen cabinetry in a beautiful satin finish or a pop accent on a front door,” Woelfel says. The color also really sings on one specific architectural detail in the home, like a fireplace mantel. Of course—if you really want to release your inner ’90s child—give one room in your house a rousing floor-to-ceiling treatment with a high-gloss finish. We’ll spare you the overly plucked eyebrows, though.
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