Every year starting in 0, Pantone, the company that defines and standardizes colors worldwide, releases their “Color of the Year,” which will become a major trend across different industries, whether it be in fashion, beauty, decor, or more.
This year, the shade has everything to do with the forever vibe of warming brown Mocha Mousse. Here is a guide on how you can incorporate the beautiful brown hue in your personal/professional settings in both minor and major ways!
What is “Mocha Mousse”?
The color of the year, the talk of the town, and well, add all the royal titles here, is…Mocha Mousse, specifically (Pantone 17-1230). The crowned winner is a warm brown shade that is actually quite cozy to look at.
Leatrice Eiseman, international color expert, author, and director of the Pantone Color Institute, comments on why this particular shade was chosen:
“Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence. It’s not just indulging ourselves and treating ourselves, which we deserve, but also the possibility of sharing it with others.”
Why Did Pantone Chose Mocha Mousse as the Color of the Year 2025?
The internet is generally at a crossroads when it comes to agreeing to the design company’s choice, just like any other topic really (with many making comments on how “brat green” or “matcha” should’ve bagged the title of Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year) But, most people have expressed joy with the Pantone Color of the Year 2025!
The particular mocha color is a comforting shade that reminds them of chocolate and coffee, which the company states in their Instagram post is one of the reasons for their choosing! Eiseman comments further on the choice:
“We call it sensorial warmth because it does warm the senses. When we look at a color like mocha mousse, we can smell that warm, delicious aroma of chocolate – we can certainly taste it! – and in addition to that, our eyes tell us that it has this inherent sensorial warmth.”
How To Include Mocha Mousse In Your Decor?
When it comes to incorporating Pantone Mocha Mousse into your decor, there are some amazing ways to embrace it, whether it be with the most popular choices like getting accent pillows or even making bigger changes in your home or workplace with the wallpaper in the said shade for a total transformation!
Ways To Use Mocha Mousse Pantone Color of the Year 2025 For Decorating
Decor/ Home interiors are usually dominated by Pantone’s annual pick. But, you shouldn’t go full in changing your whole room setting. Take in how the industry is taking the trend, get ideas, and then refresh your spaces with a smart, contemporary flair.
While painting the wall in the mocha shade would be the foremost idea that most people will think of, here are some more diverse ways that don’t require you to change your whole wall but rather create a striking yet harmonious focal point with this sophisticated shade to any room.
Major Interior Design Transformation
Furniture
Furniture is one thing that can instantly transform your room. In this shade, you can include the hue in classic furniture pieces like a settee, couch, table, etc.. Of course, wood pieces are on-demand because of their shade in the market right now.
The official release of Pantone Mocha Mousse even features a beautiful soto chair by Joybird that’s just stunning in the shade!
Wall color or wallpaper
If you’re feeling adventurous, hire or paint an accent wall to transform a room instantly.
Curtains
Refresh your room’s background with some long curtains that drape right over
Minor Interior Design Transformation
Don’t want to do something extreme but still want this trendy hue to be included in your settings? Use these ways how to make small but eye-catching upgrades to your home decor!
Start Small with Statement Pieces
Add a little personality and flair with even small statement home decor pieces such as vases, table lamps, and trays. They add more texture to your home without overwhelming the whole space.
Throws and Pillows
Knitted, linen or any material type of throw is usually a great way to layer around the house, especially in this trendy mocha hue.
Baskets
Baskets have often been seen in brown colors for a long time, so it would not be the most out-of-the-world idea to include them to keep your house well-stored and sophisticated.
Artwork
Whether you have made a small painting or you are a collector, a mocha mousse-shaded artwork will go well with most interiors flawlessly.
DIYs
Incorporate the shade in your craft projects at home, whether you are making any painting, ceramic, or anything that you are interested in or goes with your decor.
What Other Colors Compliment Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025?
As comforting as the Color of the Year 2025 is, you are going to need other shades as well when you are utilizing it to set up your place. Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, on the versatility of Mocha Mousse Pantone:
“It is a foundational shade that creates a base upon which to combine with other colors.”
So, here is the list of other phenomenal shades that go well with the warm, comforting:
Gold, White, Black, Navy, Brass, Caramel, Taupe, and Terracotta.
Also, remember you can always use the Pantone Matching System (PMS) to ensure color consistency around your personal or professional space when decorating with different furniture items and materials.
The Takeaway
Every year, a new color comes up, and new trends that complement it flare over the internet, and we try to incorporate it into our lives.
However, Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025 is more than just a trendy hue; Mocha Mousse is similar to the shades we have always associated with warm comfort. That’s the biggest advantage of this particular shade: you can use it in your home, in fashion, in projects, etc., without thinking it will look out of place as it is a forever shade.
