Another paint company is wondering whether you might want a splash of green inside your house next year.
On the heels of Behr naming Hidden Gem, an emerald hue, its 2026 color of the year, and Sherwin-Williams releasing a color forecast that included several shades of green, the Cleveland, Ohio-based paint company Valspar plucked Warm Eucalyptus as its color for the year to come.
Valspar stated in an announcement that it selected the grayish-green for its “restorative and serene” energy that “reflects a collective desire for calm, grounding design that adapts to the ever-changing pace of life across residential and commercial design.”
It’s also a versatile shade for a home's interior and exterior, said Sue Kim, Valspar’s director of color marketing. “The softness and warmth of this hue makes it a great choice for monochromatic color drenching to create a sense of serenity in the spaces where you need it most,” she said over email. For a residential exterior, the color’s close association with nature “allows a home to connect directly with its surroundings.”
The color choice makes sense to Kate Pearce, a Chicago-based designer and founder of Kate Pearce Vintage. She noted that “we've been seeing the design world at large lean into warm colors over the last year.”
“Greens are eternally popular, and this green in particular evokes a sense of calm, leaning into the other big trend of the year: an emphasis on self-care and restorative spaces within the home,” Pearce said over email.
Warm Eucalyptus can also serve as tonal training wheels for the color-curious, she suggested.
“A lot of people have been taking the leap from choosing safer neutrals to dabbling in color lately, and Warm Eucalyptus is the perfect transition color for those hesitant to jump on the color wagon; it offers a warmth and interest that is lacking with most neutrals, yet can still absolutely read as a neutral,” Pearce said. “It's easy to design around and doesn't require an all-in commitment to the design scheme around the paint color.”
Use it in a serene space
When it comes to where to use Warm Eucalyptus, consider spaces where a certain quietude comes in handy.
Kim suggested using it in bedrooms and bathrooms or as “a grounding anchor in an otherwise visually busy space.”
Pearce agreed: “It would work well in any space you are looking to wind down and relax.”
Good for a bedroom but not ideal for a home gym
With its subtle undertones, Valspar’s Warm Eucalyptus can adapt to different spaces (Kim called it a “new neutral”), but it might not be the ideal fit for every space in a house.
For Pearce, the color isn’t the best choice for an office space, kitchen, or home gym. “These are spaces where people are often looking for energy to perform tasks, and I would opt for a more evocative color in those spaces,” she said.