The wait is officially over: Pantone’s 2025 Colour of the Year is Mocha Mousse, a chocolatey, decadent yet cosy brown. Expanding on the legacy of the 2024 pick, Peach Fuzz, and its emphasis on tactility, Mocha Mousse serves up a multisensory feast for all five senses.
“It’s a beautiful colour to look at. We think of tasting it, and know it’s going to be wonderful on the tongue. We think of the smell of chocolate in the oven,” Pantone Color Institute executive director Leatrice Eiseman says of this sweetly named shade. “Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence.”
Indeed, Mocha Mousse (a.k.a. Pantone 17-1230) reminds us of brown’s potential to feel glamorous instead of grounded. The quiet luxury element is there: The colour makes a subtly impactful statement on a wall, especially when used to contrast bright whites. It adds a dash of esteemed intrigue to any marbleized texture that forces one to truly stop and look. Between those sorts of subtly smart applications and the colour’s frequent appearance on runways and red carpets, one can see why Eiseman describes Mocha Mousse as “sophisticated and lush, yet at the same time, an unpretentious classic.”
The cosy shade also promises to play well across interior material palettes of wool upholstery, leather, and suede. If a bold—but not brash—statement is your aim, using Mocha Mousse as an amuse-bouche accent wall adds a pop of sophisticated vibrancy while creating bite-sized moments of joy.
But even the most otherworldly browns can’t truly lose their association with the earth. Mocha Mousse extends the concept of harmony to our relationship with the natural world. When featured alongside lighter wood tones, Pantone Color Institute vice president Laurie Pressman notes that Mocha Mousse can “honour the substance of our physical environment” without making you feel lost in a forest. Given the hue’s sophisticated slant, Pressman says it can articulate rustic charm without coming across as too folksy.
The Colour Palettes of 2025, According to Pantone
Coinciding with the colour reveal, Pantone has unveiled five Colour of the Year 2025 Palettes. Each pairs Mocha Mousse with seven other colours, articulating moods and aesthetics range in character from subtle to striking.
In bolder palettes, Mocha Mousse becomes an anchoring point. It’s a strong foundation from which to experiment with the bold colours of the Uniquely Balanced palette, where everything from the brilliant Blue Curacao to the sharpness of Spicy Mustard coexist. Meanwhile, the Floral Pathways palette references the colour’s unmistakable connection to the earth—seeing it not as an end in itself, but as how Cornflower Blue, Rose Tan, and other subtle pastels spring to life. There’s also Deliciousness, a decadent roundup of dessert-inspired Pantone colours. Whether pairing with the near-maroon of Winery to create a rich, velvety feel or used as a slight contrast to Caramel, Mocha Mousse helps keep the Deliciousness palette from feeling too saccharine.
For those who’d rather see Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year play more of a starring role, the Subtle Contrasts and Relaxed Elegance palettes are solid jumping-off points. In the former, Mocha Mousse feels sophisticated and nuanced, with Tapestry Coffee Quartz and even Buffed Beige lending options to broaden one’s perspective on neutrals. For the quiet-luxury types, Relaxed Elegance places Mocha Mousse towards the centre of its colour spectrum. Cannoli Cream offers the necessary contrast for Mocha Mousse to truly pop off of a wall, while Baltic Amber and Chocolate Martini present a chance to explore the world of browns in greater depth.
No matter your tastes, your aim, or your budget, Pressman argues that Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year expertly conveys that design-driven self-care isn’t selfish. Much like a dessert is best when shared, Mocha Mousse extends a sense of happiness and harmony to all who walk through your door.
“It [creates] a room you want to be in,” says Pressman. “People will say, ‘I love coming to your home. It feels so warm and welcoming.’ That’s the ultimate compliment, right?”
This story originally featured on architecturaldigest.com
