Tailored & Timeless: Color of the Year 2026 - Universal Khaki - Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams Universal Khaki living room; Photo courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Sherwin-Williams’ Trendsight Team has announced the Sherwin-Williams Color of the Year for 2026: Universal Khaki SW 6150, a tailored and timeless neutral with the endless possibility of a fresh canvas. They selected this color for its beautiful balance of livability and longevity.

''Universal Khaki is unmistakably classic and at the same time forward reaching. It represents traditional values reimagined for today’s color space, breathing new life into this staple hue''.

— Maggie O’Hare Global CMF & Trend Manager, Industrial Wood Coatings

From Classic to Contemporary: Khaki trough History

“There’s something enduring about khaki — it bridges the past and the future in a way that feels both familiar and forward-thinking,” says Trendsight Team color strategist and Director of Color Marketing Sue Wadden. “Historically, khaki dates back to the mid-19th century. The name comes from a Persian word meaning ‘dust’ or ‘earth,’ in reference to the color’s nature-based tone.”

Sue points out that utility clothing in an olive, gray or khaki tone has long been a practical choice of uniform colors throughout history and by the early 20th century, khaki found its way into everyday fashion, making it a popular choice in workwear, outdoor clothing and casual wear. It is now widely associated with comfort, craftsmanship and versatility.

In commercial design — such as hotels and restaurants, wellness environments and modern offices — Sue says that Universal Khaki brings a sense of stability, understated sophistication and a dose of warmth, especially in the current landscape of adaptive-reuse buildings. “It’s ideal for wall finishes, flooring and branded elements, especially when paired with matte black or brushed bronze for added depth.” 

“Across Latin America — especially in Brazil — we’re witnessing a shift in what luxury means,” says Patrícia Fecci, Color Marketing Manager of Sherwin-Williams Brazil and member of the Trendsight Team. “It’s no longer about excess. It’s about authenticity, memory and materials with soul. Universal Khaki fits perfectly into this new narrative.”

Core neutrals are fundamental to this design philosophy — timeless shades known for their longevity and reliability. “Understated and hardworking, warmer neutrals like Universal Khaki blend seamlessly with their counterparts and provide a foundation that sets the tone for an entire design,” adds Sue Wadden. This is why contemporary khakis are found in such a wide variety of settings — and why their experts see it as a color worth reaching for and reinventing again and again.

Color of the Year 2026 Sherwin-Williams - Universal Khaki SW 6150

Coordinating Colors with Universal Khaki

Universal Khaki, its beauty lies in its versatility. Sue Wadden says she envisions countless pairings to achieve a wide range of different moods and aesthetics: “For a warm, desert-inspired softness, Universal Khaki paired with Henna Shade is a combination that feels sunbaked and serene. You can achieve a bold, dramatic look by layering it with Dark Auburn or Tarragon, introducing rich, deep tones that add depth and sophistication. If you’re leaning into a neutral maximalist approach, Universal Khaki balances with White Snow and Cream and Sugar — a clean white and a soft creamy tone that together create a subtle interplay of cool and warm.” See the color palette below. Hope this article inspires you ......... You can find additional information in the links below. For my 2nd article about Colors of the Year 2026, see this link HERE

Coordinating Colors with Universal Khaki

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Sherwin-Williams, Fashion Trendsetter and BING
Photos: courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Favorite Painting Color: Great color called 'Magnolia Green' for the bathroom

Love this green painting color 'Magnolia Green' for the bathroom. Design Guru and Fixer Upper star Joanna Gaines revealed earlier her favorite paint color 'Magnolia Green' for bathrooms. Although this blog is a repost from my blogpost of 26-08-2018 I think it is still a timeless, fresh and elegant color to use. Be Inspired ......

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Source: Elle Decor. Ph. via Country Living US.

Fluid Art by Irene (07)

Now and then I am experimenting with making fluid art. It really gives me so much joy to express myself with paint, colors and abstract forms. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Fluid Art by Irene (06)

Now and then I am experimenting with making fluid art. It really gives me so much joy to express myself with paint, colors and abstract forms. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Fluid Art by Irene (05)

Now and then I am experimenting with making fluid art. It really gives me so much joy to express myself with paint, colors and abstract forms. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Art: Beautiful artwork by Russian painter Vladimir Volegov

Longtime readers know how much I love art. Today I would like to show you artwork of the Russian painter named Vladimir Volegov. I am a huge fan of this work. He is such a very talented painter with a great and natural feeling for expressing beauty, elegance, purity and brightness in his painting. This is real craftsmanship on a very high level! I could not resist to show work of him on my weblog. Be Inspired ....... Earlier I wrote MORE BLOGS about this inspiring artist. 

More about the artist

Vladimir was born in the city of Khabarovsk, on December 19, 1957. When he was two years old, his mother abandoned his father, took her son and moved to Sverdlovsk (formerly, Yekaterinburg). From then on, the family had often relocated from one place to another. The mother wanted Vladimir to become a doctor, but he had a strongly pronounced desire to paint. He was remarkably diligent and observant. While at school, his teachers often asked him to help create visual aids, and he earned his first money for drawing the slogan Long Live the First of May! when he was 13.

At the age of 14, he started to paint 3 m cinema posters, which later often added something special to the youth parties. In the city of Krivoi Rog, Vladimir entered an arts school, and during his time there, he discovered the art of many classical painters. The works by Ilya Repin and Valentin Serov had a particular effect on him.

In 1980, he entered the School of Graphics at Lvov Institute of Printing Art. At the entrance exam, he painted an illustration to the novel The Young Guard. The Admission Committee, having seen Vladimir’s work, unanimously made a decision about his admission, even though his Literature and the History of CPSU exam results were far from brilliant.

In 1982, in Krivoi Rog, Vladimir became the head of SPLAV artistic association. In 1986, he often visited Moscow, participated in international poster exhibitions, and in one of such contests, he won the first prize. In those very days, he visited the exhibition of Andreas Zorn’s works, which had a significant influence on him. 

In 1988, he moved to Moscow in order to achieve his artistic potential. He started with painting portraits in Arbat, while at the same time he was looking for work. That was when his first contacts with publishing houses, advertising and record companies were established. They willingly employed him. With the emergence and development of digital technologies, Vladimir learned computer painting. He painted posters, covers for vinyl and CD albums, worked with advertising agencies for periodicals and street posters advertising. Throughout all that time, he never ceased to paint. The confused and hectic years of 1990 – 2000 were full of commercial orders, comic books, making sketches for promotional items. In order to survive, Vladimir accepted all the offers that came along. 

In 1990, Vladimir started travelling to Europe, earning his living by painting portraits in the streets of Barcelona, Berlin, Vienna and other European cities. For 10 years, he participated in the Summer Portrait project in the Austrian town of Wels. Having seen his works on the vinyl and CD album covers he made for show business projects, Russian show business celebrities started making orders for painted portraits.

In 1992, during his summer work as a contracted painter in the park of Gardaland (Italy), in one of the local markets, he purchased a book with Giovanni Boldini’s pictorial reproductions, which impressed, amazed and inspired Vladimir.

When he saw the impressionists’ originals in the Musée d'Orsay, he started to spend more time on painting and never stopped working. At the beginning of 2000, Vladimir created a web page with his commercial and artistic works. It was through that page, that his art manager found him, and in 2004, Vladimir signed a long-term contract with Soho Editions, NY, USA. Vladimir discovered the names of John Singer Sargent, Joaquin Sorolla, adopted the style of romantic realism and started to paint in that manner.

After seven years of marriage, in 2006, Vladimir and his wife, Ekaterina, moved to Spain. And in that same year, their son Anton was born. In 2007, he started his successful cooperation with Galeries Bartoux in France as well as with art galleries in the USA, Italy and Sweden.

In 2011, while Vladimir was working on a 3D project, an idea of creating 3D dolls dawned on him. He set up web page and took part in the exhibitions in Paris (Doll Expo 2012), in Barcelona (Doll Show 2012), in New York (Art Expo New York 2012), in which both his paintings and dolls were a tremendous success. Vladimir worked on the inflow of private orders for portraits while simultaneously pursuing his artistic endeavours, the main theme of which was depicting women and children. Besides, Vladimir created videos dedicated to the process of painting creation, and has composed music to them.

Since 2015, Vladimir has started to conduct video tutorials in figurative oil painting and, after his followers’ persistent requests, he has created a tutorial DVD. You can find more work of Vladimir on You Tube: Golden Day, 100x73, detail.

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: VOLEGOV, GOOGLE and YOU TUBE
Note: these photos have been placed with approval of the artist. 

Art: Beautiful artwork by artist Vladimir Babich

While surfing on internet today I found this refined and rich painting from the artist Vladimir Babich. What a Beauty to see! Be Inspired ......

More about the artist

Vladimir Babich is a contemporary Russian artist. He works in the style of Post Impressionism following the traditions of Van Gogh, Monet. Vladimir N. Babich graduated from the Moscow University of Art (Stroganovskoye uchilishye). He is a member of the Moscow Artists Association since 1986. Since 1993 he has been working for Marlboro Gallery in the USA and many private galleries. His oil on canvas paintings are acquired by the Gallery of Germany, Stuttgard. Many of his works are in private collections in Italy, USA, Hungary, Germany, France, Austria, Greece, Israel, South Korea, Philippines, China, Australia, Russia etc.

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Source: Vladimir Babich

Color Ideas: Perfect Bedroom Color Scheme in grey & beige hues

As Interiorstylist / Color consultant / Homestager I am always looking for interesting color palettes which I can use for decorating rooms and to inspire my weblog readers. This afternoon on Pinterest I found this great bedroom color scheme. Love the combination of colors in grey, blue grey and beige hues for a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere in the bedroom. I wrote MORE BLOGS about color palettes, see also my INSTAGRAM account as well as my PINTEREST account. 

Thank you for reading this blogpost.
Sources: Instagram and Pinterest

Fluid Art by Irene (04)

 Now and then I am experimenting with making fluid art. It really gives me so much joy to express myself with paint, colors and abstract forms. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Fluid Art by Irene (03)

 
 In 2020 I started with making fluid art. It is so much fun to do and I noticed it really makes me happy. Now and then I will show you some of my artwork here on my weblog and on my Instagram account. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Fluid Art by Irene (02)

In 2020 I started with making fluid art. It is so much fun to do and I noticed it really makes me happy. Now and then I will show you some of my artwork here on my weblog and on my Instagram account. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Introduction: Fluid Art by Irene (01)

In 2020 I started with making fluid art. It is so much fun to do and I noticed it really makes me happy. Now and then I will show you some of my artwork here on my weblog and on my Instagram account. Today I would like to share with you my new fluid artwork below. I used here the open cup technique for fluid art. For more artwork made by me, SEE HERE. Have a great day! 

More about Irene
My name is Irene Pouw. I live in Holland not so far from the city Amsterdam. I am a blogger, haute couture lover and (hobby) photographer. I am a great lover of art. I always had this interest to discover beauty, colors, harmony and diversity in art. Art can surprise and touch us in so many ways. I feel a deep desire to express myself more in creativity, using colors and abstract forms. Would like to develop myself the coming years as a creative artist by learning certain techniques and discover unknown areas of freedom and expression. I am looking forward to this journey. :-)  Hope I can inspire you .......  

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Sources: Instagram Abstract Art and All my Art Blogs

Favorite Painting Color: Great color called 'Weekend' for the bedroom

Love this beautiful painting color called 'Weekend' for decorating the bedroom. Design Guru and Fixer Upper star Joanna Gaines reveals her favorite paint color 'Weekend' for bedrooms. What a great color to see. Be Inspired ......

Thank you for reading this blogpost.

Source: ELLE DECOR Ph. via Country Living US