Pantone’s 2025 Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse, brings a warm, taupe-toned neutral to the forefront of design, inspiring versatile and cozy aesthetics.

On December 5th, Pantone made their highly anticipated annual Color of the Year announcement: 2025 will be the year of Mocha Mousse, a soft, milky chocolate brown. The overall reception of the color has been…lukewarm (and not helped by the frankly unappetizing AI-generated video they used to make the announcement.) Carol Sickman-Garner, owner of the local yarn shop Spun, put it very politely:

“I love brown. That brown … is not my favorite?”

 

Charmin’s social media team was a bit more blunt: “Our color of the year every year.”

But viewed in a more hospitable – and less…slurpy – context, the warm, taupe-y brown with a slightly rosy undertone is actually pretty cozy, and definitely versatile. Caramel-y brown (or what I think of as “Carhartt Brown”) has been quietly simmering away in both fashion and interior design for a year or two now – I know this because my wardrobe is full of it – so I wasn’t surprised to see a brown announced this year. The exact shade is not what I would’ve predicted, but it is a logical next step. It appears that, in interior design especially, we’re finally (finally!) starting to see the pendulum swing after the sterile catastrophe that was millennial gray, and craving the comfort of warm neutrals (could beige be next? *Gulp*)

Mocha Mousse is a little easier to work with than its caramel predecessor, and a neutral flattering color with not much more than a nudge in the right direction (taupe has been a staple in cosmetics for decades, for good reason.) Here are a few suggestions for keeping it more “Haute Cocoa” than “Hot Caca.”

Pick Rich Textures

Mocha Mousse is a color that’s almost inherently velvety, no matter what the actual material is (which kind of makes sense – “taupe” is actually the French name for mole, and if you’ve ever had the pleasure of looking at one of those little animals up close, they are velvet incarnate.) It lends itself to sumptuous textures like silk, velvet, cashmere, and even fine linen, which in turn keep it looking luxe instead of blah. Natural fibers will be your friend here.

Dress: Anthropologie | Bed set: Urban Outfitters | Blanket Scarf: Purl Soho | Fabric: Fableism Supply Co

Go Southwest

The cowgirl trend is still riding high (pun intended), but we’re starting to see a little less “pink pony club” and a little more, well, Wild West. I suspect Mocha Mousse will be as at-home in this trend as it is in a desert landscape.

Boot Candle: Anthropologie | Autumn Silky Bandana: Urban Outfitters | Quilt: sewjenquilts/Jenny Gastler |

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Singin’ the Blues

Rich, jeweled blues (and even greens)  lean into Mocha Mousse’s luxurious side, offering the perfect contrast of warm and cool, soft and deep. Lighter, dustier shades lend it a thoroughly vintage flavor.

Blue brown hat: milenapauliina on IG | Floral pattern: gargipanwar on Spoonflower | Sweater: starcrossed.knits on IG | Jungle pattern: Target

Nice & neutral

Simplest of all, Mocha Mousse looks delicious paired with other warm neutrals – serene creams, dark chocolates, those aforementioned trendy caramels, and even a little rust. The overall vibe is a bit 60s/70s, but in an understated and comfortable way – more cozy nostalgia than funky revival.

brown fairisle: Su Yan Tay/thedragonknitter | Checkersweater: Erin Guimond/pickyfemme IG | white Fairisle: trin_annelie | Wild Yarn by Imogen Bright Moon, photo from Anthropologie

Mauvin’ on out

I’ve been shocked to see MM’s baby sister mauve creep into the zeitgeist in the last year – and even more shocked that I’m kind of into it. Somehow we’ve taken the ultimate “grandma” color and a whole host of “grandma” motifs (bows, swans, Persian cats) and made them feel fresh and nostalgic at the same time. I guess it’s true that everything really does come back around. If I was going to wax philosophical, I’d say it’s a reflection of our desire to feel cozy and comforted in a world that feels increasingly tech-driven and out of control… but that’s besides the point. Since they share undertones, Mocha Mousse and Mauve work wonderfully together, and create something that’s feminine, understated and earthy.

Quilt:peonypedalquilts | Frog: nathnolu | Cushion: Pigment | Sweater: yama_fibre_art 

Love it or hate it, we can expect to see a lot more of ole Pantone 17-1230 in the year ahead, and I’m excited to see the craft community run with it. Let us know in the comments: does this chocolatiest of taupes do it for ya, or is it a bit too…doo-doo for you?