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“The Pantone Color of the Year 2025 is a soft brown shade whose visceral richness, sensual and cozy warmth appeal to our desire for comfort and the simple pleasures we can give and share with others.”
— Laurie Pressman, Vice President, Pantone Color Institute
I have to admit, when I first saw the Pantone 2025 Color of the Year, I was a little underwhelmed. Usually the color they pick every year is “in your face”. But the more I researched it and heard why they picked this color, I understood it a little bit more and it certainly fits in with the other colors the paint companies have picked for 2025. Brown is the color of the moment and deep red colors (burgundy, cranberry, merlot, oxblood) have been trending for awhile. You can even put them together and you get MAROON, which is a combination of brown and red.
If you want to check out my previous blog post about the top two COY trending colors of 2025, see it here:
Colors of the Year 2025 – Browns and Deep Reds
Mocha Mousse is a rich velvety cocoa brown that is both luxurious and comfortable. It actually draws inspiration from the coffee culture that is so prevalent in America. And I’m totally here for it. It is very calming and it evokes a restful and peaceful existence. I love browns even though it gets a bad rap in interior design and people think it’s boring only second to the dreaded beige. But I’ve always loved brown because first, I’m brown LOL, and there’s so many shades of brown from milk chocolate, dark chocolate, caramel, terracotta, chestnut, auburn, umber, etc.
You get my drift? Brown can be badass and there are many different ways you can use this both timeless and modern color. Colors like Mocha Mousse tap into our psychological need for stability and comfort. Brown tones are naturally associated with feelings of warmth, strength, and trust. And Mocha Mousse isn’t just brown; It’s one of those colors that appears deeper and moodier in dim settings, yet soft and inviting in brighter spaces. It’s warm, but not “heavy” and will ground the space or clothing with a quiet sophistication. It’s neutral but it has a personality.
So, sit back and relax and learn more about how you can use Mocha Mousse in not only Interior Design, but in Fashion.
All images are from PANTONE unless otherwise noted.
Interior Design and Home Decor
Mocha mousse blends with wood, leather and stone, which fits into the move towards earthy tones that the design industry is embracing. And like I said before, brown has a timeless endurance and it can be quite sophisticated but also approachable.
In this entryway, the color creates a calming sensibility.
The use of texture, metallics and natural materials keeps this living room from feeling too monotone.
Wallpaper will always be in style, but this brown wallpaper creates just enough interest while still being neutral.
You can really see how this reading nook is not “boring” at all, even though it’s basically brown. The greenery, textured velvet pillow, stone & metal side table, wood slat wall and natural curtains make this little corner pop.
You can even use Mocha Mousse in the kitchen. Check out this stove, hood and refrigerator. Stunning!
This color is perfect for a bedroom. Don’t you just want to dive into this bed. So calm and serene.
This is a perfect example of how this color changes in the light and when you add a limewash finish, it just takes it up another notch.
Home appliances and gadgets are now becoming more design-forward also and using warm neutrals like Mocha Mousse is a growing trend in product design. It signals a shift toward approachable luxury, offering elegance without the cold industrial look of product design in the past.
This rug is very on trend with it’s 70’s mod look using these neutral browns. And I dig it.
Brown and velvet just go together, right?
Terracotta can skew on the reddish side, but this set is the perfect mocha color and grouped together, it makes a fantastic statement.
Mocha on the walls in this stunning tile is the perfect backdrop for any accessories.
Leather walls, yum! This stunning “wallpaper” would be perfect for a Modern Organic style.
Fashion
Mocha Mousse is a shades that complements a wide range of skin tones so it’s a natural fit in fashion. It goes equally with bright and muted shades. That’s what also makes it a staple in makeup palettes whether in a lipstick, bronzer or eyeshadow. Brown tones in hair is hot right now with subtle shades of auburn, caramel and chocolate.
If you thought “quiet luxury” was over, think again. It’s still here but has expanded from beige and caramel to mocha mousse and is not only the backdrop or base, but can be the main attraction. Minimalism is the buzzword for Spring and brands like Khaite, Fendi, Gucci and The Row are running away with it.
People are looking for timeless clothes that can last from season to season and that’s really what “quiet luxury” is. I actually think that’s why SKMS does so well, because it provides those base layers that can match your skin and provides the silhouette you want to achieve.
For Spring/Summer 2025, mocha made its presence known. It’s so sophisticated but very wearable.
Spanish designer Alejandra Alonso Rojas made Mocha Mousse a key shade of Spring/Summer 2025 with his crochet dress. The head-to-toe mocha tone with matching underwear (SKMS again?) makes this an easy to wear shade and the orangey lipstick is killing it..
Look how sophisticated this look is from Max Mara. Anything but boring.
A cool color blocked satchel with tones of brown. Comes with a plethora of styling options.
A furry beret. Need I say more?
A furry clog by Crocs. Reminds me of a labradoodle’s fur. LOL
You can always find great makeup palettes in brown tones, but these bronzers from Aillea are something special.
This mocha lipstick from Dose of Colors would literally go with any skin tone.
Mocha Mousse pairs well with multiple colors and some of the suggested tones are from Pantone below. But you could also not limit yourself and look outside the box. I think a bright yellow and a fuschia would pair well also as well as metallics. Whether you combine different tones of brown with it or use pastels, brights or whites, Mocha Mousse is an extremely versatile tone to consider in 2025 for Interiors or Fashion.
Let me know in the comments what you think about 2025’s Pantone Color of the Year and would you use it in your interiors or fashion.
See ya next time!
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