Denver homeowners are moving away from gray, painting company says

Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore both chose warm, earth-toned Colors of the Year for 2026, and Denver painters say the change is already showing up across the Front Range. Harmony Painting says homeowners are shifting from cool gray and stark white toward warmer neutrals that better fit Denver’s historic housing stock and weather conditions.

Why it matters: - Denver’s long run of white, gray and black home exteriors appears to be giving way to warmer neutrals. - The shift affects both curb appeal and durability in a climate with stronger sun, hail and freeze-thaw cycles. - Harmony Painting says the new direction fits Denver’s older homes better than the cooler palettes that dominated the 2010s.

What happened: - Sherwin-Williams named Universal Khaki SW 6150 its 2026 Color of the Year. - Benjamin Moore named Silhouette AF-655 its 2026 Color of the Year. - Both picks fall in the warm, earthy color family rather than cool gray. - Harmony Painting, a Denver-based residential and commercial painting company, says the trend is already visible on Front Range streets. - CEO Spencer Melfi said homeowners are looking for warmth, personality and colors that feel connected to their home’s character.

The details: - Benjamin Moore described Silhouette as a mix of rich espresso hues with subtle notes of charcoal. - Universal Khaki traces its name to a Persian word for dust or earth. - Harmony Painting sees deep greens in Baker, warm creams in Platt Park, and earthy tones on Denver brick homes as signs of the shift. - Benjamin Moore’s Narragansett Green appears in its eight-color Color Trends 2026 palette. - Benjamin Moore’s Southwest Pottery is another color in the company’s 2026 palette. - Warm neutrals use brown, taupe, clay or greige undertones rather than blue or black undertones. - Benjamin Moore color marketing director Andrea Magno cited growing interest in the brown color family when the company announced Silhouette in October 2025. - Sherwin-Williams color marketing director Sue Wadden said warmer neutrals like Universal Khaki provide a foundation that sets the tone for an entire design. - A 2026 paint color guide for home builders advises avoiding high-contrast grays and says warm minimalism is expected to replace cool gray dominance. - The guide also points to warm charcoal replacing blue-toned gray, creamy whites replacing stark white and earthy green siding as key exterior moves. - Denver has protected its architectural inheritance since ratifying its Landmark Preservation Ordinance in 1967. - More than 300 individual landmarks and nearly 50 historic districts have been designated since then.

Between the lines: - The color shift is not just a style change. It is also a reaction to how Denver homes age and how their historic architecture reads against different palettes. - Melfi said homes that age best are usually the ones choosing colors that belong to the architecture rather than chasing what is fashionable. - Colorado conditions make color choice more technical than in many markets. - Denver’s 5,280-foot elevation means more ultraviolet exposure, which fades and dries exterior finishes faster. - Hail season runs from mid-April through mid-September. - The exterior painting window closes in October before freeze-thaw cycles begin. - Deep and saturated colors depend on product selection and pigment quality to hold their tone in those conditions. - Harmony Painting says coating specification matters as much as the color chip. - The company provides exterior painting, interior painting, cabinet refinishing and drywall repair. - Harmony Painting is an EPA Lead-Safe Certified Firm, which matters for the many pre-1978 homes in Denver neighborhoods seeing the shift.

What’s next: - Homeowners considering a color change can get pricing through Harmony Painting’s instant online estimator without a sales visit. - The company expects warm, earth-toned palettes to keep replacing the gray-heavy look that defined the last decade. - Harmony Painting serves Denver and nearby cities including Lakewood, Arvada, Littleton, Englewood, Aurora, Centennial, Highlands Ranch, Thornton, Westminster and Castle Rock.

The bottom line: - Denver’s gray era is fading because homeowners want homes that feel warmer, more personal and more aligned with the city’s architecture.