Grounded: Designing With Behr’s 2027 Color of the Year

Grounded, Behr’s 2027 Color of the Year, is warm, earthy, and full of possibility.

Image credit: Behr

Color of the Year announcements are a little like Fashion Week: They give us a point of view, spark a conversation and, ideally, make us want to play. We don’t need to use every color we see, but we do love what a fresh perspective can unlock.

Enter Grounded, Behr’s 2027 Color of the Year—a mossy olive with earthy brown undertones. Our first reaction? We love it. But what really interests us is that Grounded doesn’t behave like a color that needs to be carefully rationed. We think of it more like a neutral.

And that makes it surprisingly versatile.

Grounded feels warm, cozy and sophisticated, with an inherent connection to nature that makes it naturally welcoming. It can be the quiet backdrop that lets other elements shine, or it can take over a room and make a statement all on its own. It can lean rustic or refined, traditional or transitional—and, with the right approach, decidedly modern.

So rather than asking whether Grounded is “in,” we’re more interested in what it can actually do for a space.

Our advice? Don’t be shy. Here’s how we’d put it to work across our design verticals.

Kuchar pairs mossy olive with earthy, wellness-inspired tones for a palette you want to sink into.

RESIDENTIAL

In residential design, we’re always encouraging our clients to get a little bolder with color. Grounded is a great place to start because it feels approachable without being boring.

The first move we’d make is simple: commit. Rather than defaulting to the predictable—and, frankly, dated—feature wall, we’d consider enveloping a room in Grounded from walls to ceiling. In a living room, for example, color-drenching the entire room could create a warm, cocooning backdrop layered with a walnut or oak coffee table, a soft wool or mohair sofa and patinated brass accents. Keep the furnishings tonal and textural, and the effect is sophisticated without feeling overly formal.

The second move? Go smaller—but make it count. A Grounded powder room or bar can become a jewel box, especially when the color is carried onto cabinetry or tile rather than stopping at the walls. Pair mossy olive tile with creamy natural stone and aged brass, or introduce a graphic pattern that gives the earthy color a little tension. A small space gives you permission to push the design further.

Paired with candy pink, mustard lace or styled fully tonal, mossy olive sparked plenty of conversation at recent fashion weeks.

Credits, from left: Dries Van Noten, Gestuz, and Tom Ford SS 2027 looks

WORKPLACE

Workplace design asks something different of color. For the offices and showrooms we design, we’re often creating environments for a lot of people with a lot of different preferences. We want spaces that feel welcoming without being overly opinionated.

Grounded fits that brief beautifully.

For an office lobby or common area, we’d use the hue as a quiet architectural backdrop. For a sophisticated yet welcoming lobby, we envision Grounded walls, natural oak furnishings, a sculptural lounge chair and plenty of daylight to create a sense of warmth as soon as you walk in. Because Grounded is so versatile, it won’t compete with the company’s existing brand palette. And in that context, it’s doing what a good neutral does: supporting the space rather than demanding all the attention.

Then there’s the wellness application, which feels especially natural for this color. We’re currently designing a spa suite for a financial firm in Chicago, where creating a place for employees to step away from the intensity of the workday is a priority. Here, we’d lean into Grounded’s connection to nature. Think a glossy Grounded tile paired with natural stone, soft upholstery, warm wood and layered lighting to create a genuine transition from high-stress work mode to something calmer.

In both scenarios, the color isn’t just decorating the space; it’s helping establish how the space should feel.

Mossy olive green sets an earthy backdrop for this Kuchar-designed sushi bar, warmed up with brass accents and deep woods.

HOSPITALITY

Hospitality gives us permission to turn up the volume a little. We’re not just designing a space; we’re creating an experience.

For an intimate restaurant, Grounded could become the foundation for a warm, moody atmosphere. Imagine the walls drenched in the color, deep velvet banquettes, walnut tables and aged brass lighting. The materials add richness without making the palette feel heavy, while the color creates the kind of intimacy that makes you want to linger over another glass of wine.

In a boutique hotel lounge, we might take the same color somewhere completely different. Keep Grounded as the backdrop, but introduce a sharper contrast—a hit of cobalt in an occasional chair, artwork or rug, for example. The cooler blue makes the olive feel warmer and gives the space a more contemporary, fashion-forward edge.

Same color. Different attitude. And that’s where we’d have some fun with it. The beauty of a versatile neutral is that you get to decide what happens next.

COMMERCIAL

In commercial design, color can become part of the brand story. Here, we see Grounded working particularly well for sophisticated brands with a little edge—brands that are more subdued than loud and more interested in quiet luxury than making a high-impact statement.

In a showroom, we’d again let Grounded create the architectural backdrop: walls or built-ins, plus select furniture pieces. Layer it with walnut presentation tables, blackened metal hardware and patinated brass accents, and the result feels polished and intentional without stealing the spotlight from the products on display.

Same earthy base, but with a bit more attitude. Here, Kuchar sets olive with persimmon, chartreuse, and a pop of bright blue—plus plenty of rich texture.

For a retail brand with a little more attitude, we’d use that same earthy foundation but introduce a sharper moment. Persimmon or even chartreuse could appear in a single piece of furniture, a graphic textile or an unexpected display element. Suddenly, the earthy color feels less traditional and much more fashion-forward.

And really, that’s the opportunity we see with Grounded across all verticals. It can feel familiar without feeling predictable. It can be quiet without disappearing. And with the right supporting cast, it can go in directions you might not expect.