Pantone Color of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse

Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025 is Mocha Mousse (PANTONE 17-1230), a creamy mocha brown that feels grounded, tactile, and easy to pair across brands, interiors, and UI.

What color is Mocha Mousse?

• Mid-depth mocha brown with a soft cream note—think latte foam over cocoa.
• Sits between taupe and milk chocolate; reads neutral enough for long-term use.
• Works as a base or accent because it keeps warmth without tipping orange.

Why it’s the Color of the Year

• Aligns with the “warm minimal” shift: people want comfort and calm without bright saturation.
• A grounded neutral that bridges digital and physical products (packaging, devices, apps).
• Plays well with craft signals (wood, linen, metal), supporting premium and sustainable narratives.

Mocha Mousse values (HEX/RGB/CMYK/CSS copy-ready)

• HEX #A47864
• RGB 164, 120, 100
• CMYK 0, 27, 39, 36
• CSS color: #A47864; / --pantone-2025: #A47864;
• Medium-low value, mid saturation; holds neutral online without skewing orange.

Is it warm or cool? Compared with close neighbors

• Warm-leaning brown built from red + yellow; like a latte with cocoa depth.
• Versus terracotta (#C26B5E): Mocha Mousse is calmer and less pink.
• Versus smoky taupe (#918075): Mocha Mousse is richer and more cinnamon, great with metals.
• Against cool grays or blue-greens, it instantly adds human warmth and tactility.

Why it reads premium (color psychology & mood keywords)

• Brown = stability, craft, heritage; the creamy undertone keeps it approachable.
• Keywords: soothing, slow living, woodsy, grounded luxury, tactile calm.
• Resonates with metal, wood grain, linen—materials that signal cost and texture.
• As a background, it lowers noise and lets product photography or key copy stand out.

4 palettes (Style / Home / Brand / UI)

• Style: #A47864 / #F6F2EC / #4B342A / #C3A68A / #5B6B73
• Home: #A47864 / #E8E0D2 / #2C2A28 / #CBAE93 / #8C7358
• Brand: #A47864 / #0F172A / #F4F6F8 / #B67A4E / #D3A27A
• UI: #A47864 / #111827 / #E5E7EB / #F5F3EF / #D0B8A0

How to use it in different scenes (Home / Style / Print / Web)

• Home: Paint accent walls or soft furnishings, pair with bone white and wood; brass lighting lifts the palette.
• Style: Leather/suede pieces in Mocha Mousse; base with ivory or smoky gray; anchor with deep coffee shoes/bags.
• Print: Use as cover/packaging blocks, then add debossing, foil, or textured stock for luxe tactility.
• Web: Works as page or card background; keep text charcoal for AA contrast; use copper or gauzy white for CTAs.

Pitfalls to avoid

• Avoid huge areas of saturated orange-red—it muddies the brown; use dusty rose or copper instead.
• On UI backgrounds, do not drop body text to mid-gray; keep high contrast.
• Yellowish paper will darken it; choose neutral or cool white stock for print.
• Neon green/blue nearby pushes it sporty/cheap; choose muted greens or teal-grays.

FAQ

• Q: How is it different from coffee brown or khaki? A: It has more cream and a red undertone, so it stays soft rather than dusty.
• Q: Does it work in dark mode? A: Yes as a secondary surface; keep the main background deeper charcoal for contrast.
• Q: Do I need Pantone permission? A: Using the Pantone number for brand assets requires official licensing; inspirational use typically does not.
• Q: Will it flatter varied skin tones? A: The warm, low-value brown is friendly to yellow and neutral undertones; add a lighter inner layer to brighten the face.