Paint Colour Trends for Vancouver Homes: The Complete 2026 Guide
Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams have both named their 2026 Colour of the Year — and both picked a warm, grounding neutral. Here's what each brand chose, what it signals for the year ahead, and how to pick a colour for your own home with confidence.
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The 2026 Colour of the Year, From Both Major Brands
Each year, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams independently name a Colour of the Year — a single shade meant to represent the direction colour design is heading. For 2026, both landed on a warm, grounding neutral rather than the cooler grays that led in past years:
Benjamin Moore · 2026 Color of the Year
Silhouette (Benjamin Moore AF-655)
A deep, muted charcoal-brown neutral with espresso undertones — described by Benjamin Moore as bold yet cozy, suited to cabinetry, trim, and accent walls.
Sherwin-Williams · 2026 Color of the Year
Universal Khaki (Sherwin-Williams SW 6150)
An earthy, mid-tone tan with a soft yellow undertone — named jointly with HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams as a calming, versatile neutral for walls throughout the home.
What this means for Vancouver homes
Vancouver gets long stretches of overcast daylight for much of the year, and cooler-toned paint can read flat under that kind of light.
A warm neutral like either of this year's picks tends to hold its warmth and character even on a grey day — which is one reason both colours work well here, independent of them being the official picks for 2026.
Colours That Pair Well With This Year's Picks
Established, well-documented Benjamin Moore colours that work alongside a warm 2026 neutral as a wall colour, trim, or accent.
Edgecomb Gray
Benjamin Moore HC-173
A long-standing, versatile warm greige that pairs easily with both of this year's Color of the Year picks — a common choice for walls when a bolder colour is used as an accent.
White Dove
Benjamin Moore OC-17
One of Benjamin Moore's most popular warm whites — a softer alternative to a stark, cool white for trim or whole-home walls.
Hale Navy
Benjamin Moore HC-154
A classic deep navy that works well as a front-door or accent colour alongside warm neutrals.
Wrought Iron
Benjamin Moore 2124-10
A soft, near-black with warm undertones — a popular lower-contrast alternative to true black for doors and trim.
Swatches are approximate on-screen — we bring physical samples from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams to your home before any commitment.
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Where to Use a Bold Colour (And Where to Play It Safe)
Trying a Colour of the Year pick doesn't have to mean a full repaint. Here's how we generally advise applying a deeper or more saturated colour:
Front door
The easiest, lowest-commitment way to try a deeper colour like Silhouette — inexpensive to redo later if you change your mind.
Kitchen island or cabinets
A single bold colour on an island while keeping surrounding cabinetry neutral gives an updated look without a full kitchen repaint.
Living room or bedroom feature wall
One wall in a deeper tone, with the rest of the room in a neutral, keeps the look flexible if you want to change it later.
Whole-home interior walls
A warm neutral like Universal Khaki or Edgecomb Gray is a safer long-term choice for large surfaces than a very dark or saturated colour.
Full exterior siding
Warm off-whites and soft greiges work well for whole-house exteriors; save the boldest colours for the door and trim.
How to Test a Colour Before You Commit
Paint a real sample, not just a swatch
A 2x2 ft painted sample board or patch on the actual wall tells you far more than a 2-inch paint chip ever will.
View it at different times of day
Vancouver's light shifts a lot between morning, midday, and evening — a colour that looks great at noon can look completely different under evening lamplight.
Test next to your fixed finishes
Check the sample against your flooring, countertops, and any wood tones already in the room — undertones can clash in ways that are hard to predict from a chip alone.
Live with it for a few days before deciding
Don't commit the same day you paint a sample. Colours read differently once the initial excitement (or doubt) wears off.
How Maple Brothers Can Help
Every quote includes a colour consultation — we'll bring physical samples from Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams to your home, help you weigh a bold choice like this year's Colour of the Year picks against your home's lighting and fixed finishes, and recommend where it makes sense versus where a timeless neutral will serve you better. All work is backed by a 2-year warranty.
Get a Free QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
What is the 2026 Color of the Year from the major paint brands?
Benjamin Moore named Silhouette (AF-655), a muted charcoal-brown neutral, as its 2026 Color of the Year. Sherwin-Williams, together with HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, named Universal Khaki (SW 6150), an earthy mid-tone tan, as its 2026 Color of the Year. Both brands describe their picks as warm, grounding neutrals rather than the cooler grays that were popular in past years.
Is gray paint going out of style?
Both major paint brands' 2026 Color of the Year picks lean warm rather than cool-gray — Benjamin Moore's Silhouette has warm charcoal-brown undertones and Sherwin-Williams' Universal Khaki is a warm tan. That doesn't mean gray is gone, but it does suggest a shift toward warmer neutrals for 2026. A warm greige like Edgecomb Gray is a popular way to bridge the two.
Should I paint my whole house in a Color of the Year pick, or just use it as an accent?
That depends on the room and your lighting — a deep, saturated neutral like Silhouette can work beautifully on a full wall in the right space, or as a lower-commitment accent on a door, island, or single feature wall. We walk through this with you during your colour consultation based on your home's actual light and layout.
How do I know if a colour will work in my home?
Lighting changes everything. We recommend painting a sample patch (at least a 2x2 ft section) in two or three different spots in the room and viewing it at different times of day before committing. A colour that looks right on a paint chip or on screen can read very differently under your home's actual light.
Does a darker or more saturated colour cost more to paint with?
Pricing is based on surface area, prep work, and number of coats — not the specific colour or brand swatch. Deeper, more saturated colours sometimes need an extra coat for full, even coverage over a lighter existing colour, which we account for in your written quote.
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