It’s that time of year when paint companies reveal the shades they believe will define the months ahead. But choosing a Colour of the Year is not as simple as you might think. We delve into how colour experts settle on a single shade and explore the wider colour trends set to dominate 2027.
Johnstone's Trade Colour of the Year 2027
Johnstone’s Trade has named Country Soil (PPG15-30) its Colour of the Year 2027. This earthy neutral brown draws inspiration from the raw beauty of natural materials such as clay and stone. Equally effective as a statement shade or a versatile backdrop, it brings depth and character to interiors. Reflecting a growing desire for authenticity, stability and connection, the colour embodies a more considered approach to design.
With people exposed to a constant stream of stimuli and news, Country Soil is intended to become a home’s sensory anchor, creating a space where you can focus, connect and recover.
‘Country Soil offers warmth without nostalgia. It’s familiar without feeling traditional, and it’s comforting without compromising on modern design,’ says Donna Taylor, Colour and Design Manager at Johnstone’s Trade.
This nature-inspired shade pairs effortlessly with timber, stone and tactile textures, alongside muted greens, soft greys and warm metallic finishes. Its low light reflectance value (LRV) helps create a softer, more cocooning atmosphere, making it particularly well suited to interiors focused on comfort and wellbeing.
A colour's LRV measures the percentage of visible light it reflects, with lower values creating a deeper, more enveloping effect. At around 20-30 per cent, Country Soil absorbs much of the available light, enhancing its grounding character.
How is the Colour of the Year picked?
You might be surprised to learn that colour experts do not begin the process with the shade itself. Instead, they examine the wider world, considering political, economic, social, environmental, health and technological factors alongside shifts in behaviour and attitudes. Together, these influences reveal how design must respond to the way people live.
‘Rather than asking which colours will be popular, we start by asking what people need. How are lifestyles changing? What pressures are shaping behaviours? What emotional trends are emerging?’ says Donna.
This in-depth research is translated into visual representations of the themes identified, allowing common colour threads to emerge. The experts use these findings to identify a colour, along with accompanying palettes, that speaks to society’s current needs.
For 2027, research conducted by colour experts at PPG, the company behind Johnstone's Trade, identified key priorities including focus, recovery, grounding and authenticity. Together, they shaped ‘Foundations’, the overarching theme for Johnstone’s Trade Colour of the Year, signalling a move beyond short-lived fashions towards enduring, nature-led design.
2027 colour trends
While Country Soil takes its cues from the earth, Johnstone’s Trade has also presented three accompanying palettes – Solid Ground, Quiet Zone and Life Shared – offering a glimpse of the colours set to dominate 2027.
The Solid Ground palette combines grounded neutrals, earthy greens, mineral blues and nature-inspired accents. Paired with materials such as timber, stone and clay, these tones help create spaces that echo the structural layers of the earth itself, making them feel authentic and connected to their surroundings.
Built around soft neutrals, muted tones and gentle contrasts, the Quiet Zone palette aims to create a sense of calm and clarity. It is designed to make spaces feel peaceful and restorative amid the chaos of the outside world.
Life Shared brings more energy through rich colours, vibrant accents and expressive combinations, balanced by warm, inviting tones. It is intended to make spaces feel dynamic and uplifting while sparking social interaction.
Collectively, the palettes span earthy shades, soft neutrals and bolder tones, offering practical starting points for bringing colour into your home. Rather than chasing fleeting trends, these colours invite you to create interiors that will stand the test of time.
Ultimately, Johnstone’s Trade Colour of the Year 2027 reflects a growing desire for stability, belonging and connection. Country Soil and its accompanying palettes answer that need in different ways, recognising that the colours which support physical and emotional wellbeing will not look the same for everyone.
As Donna says, trend forecasting isn’t about ‘following a seasonal palette or responding to fashion. It’s about understanding the relationships between people and places.’
