If you love following interior design trends, you’re in for a real treat. Behr just announced Rumors (MQ1-15), a deep ruby red, as its 2025 Color of the Year. It’s only right since TikTok’s “unexpected red” theory has been shaking up the design world lately. (The concept calls for using red in surprising ways, even if it doesn’t necessarily match).
Behr, which is sold exclusively at The Home Depot, encourages you to lean into Rumors in any way that suits your style, whether you experiment with it in small doses or make a bigger impact (maximalists, we’re talking to you!). Try it on kitchen cabinets, create a modern bedroom accent wall or test your DIY skills by upgrading a piece of furniture, like a bench or console table. It can work on a front door, too.
“Rumors is the perfect color with that balance of warmth and vitality,” said Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr Paint Company, told Gold Housekeeping. “We love it for its versatility.”
Need a little more motivation to consider Rumors in your own space? In a recent survey, Behr says it found that three quarters of the people they asked would deck out an entire room or just one wall with the bold paint color. “In doing our research, we found that people are really embracing color again, and we wanted to give them one that would be approachable enough to try,” Woelfel says.
The brand gave a small group of design editors, including the Good Housekeeping team, a firsthand look at the dynamic hue during a media preview in Los Angeles. The Behr team showed off Rumors’ beauty in a variety of vignettes, from a charming fireplace to a statement kitchen and living room. You can use it as an accent wall for larger spaces or to make smaller areas, like a hallway, pop.
While this year’s eye-catching color choice is quite different from Behr’s 2024 Color of the Year — Cracked Pepper, a soft black shade — it’s just as luxurious, if you ask us.
Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand’s home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, “What’s in My Cart.”
