As consumers around the world continue their search for balance and beauty in their lives and homes, color expert Leatrice (Lee) Eiseman explained to The Inspired Home Show 2025 attendees today the reasons why “Welcome Home” was selected as the theme of the Pantone View Home + Interiors 2026 forecast. The seven palettes unveiled at the show are on view in the Pantone ColorWatch display.
Eiseman is a color specialist whose color expertise is recognized worldwide as the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and director of the Eiseman Center for Color Information and Training.
To explain the “Welcome Home” theme, Eiseman said, “These are two words, when used together, that express the most deep-seated and intrinsic human needs. It’s a theme that’s highly relatable and well understood, as a welcoming home provides the roof over our heads, whether it be a condo in the city, an expansive loft that has reminders of its industrial origins, or the relaxed elegance of a country cottage with a revisit to not so shabby chic.”
She said the 2026 color trends will be deeply rooted in the past. “When people are uncertain about the future, they invariably look to the past,” said Eiseman, quoting Vanessa Friedman, fashion director of the New York Times. She added that we will see a mixing of different eras as we look to the future.
Eiseman told the full-house crowd that the 2026 palette was also heavily influenced by the 2025 Pantone® Color of the Year, Mocha Mousse, which she described as an “evocative, soft brown that transports our senses into thoughts of pleasure and deliciousness.” She reminded attendees, “If you can get a color to evoke an emotion that involves the senses and you involve more than one sense, it really captures the human eye.”
Eiseman then explained each of the seven palettes in the Pantone® View Home + Interiors 2026 forecast, sharing how they take elements from the past to make the palette fresh and modern. “The home needs to provide a functional and organized workspace – for us to live within, but also for us to make a living in,” she said, offering various palette options for different lifestyles and play styles.
Out of the Ordinary — Eiseman calls this “Scandinese style,” blending time-honored Scandinavian and Japanese design principles. Simple modern elements are blended with the imperfect beauty of nature. The palette includes familiar neutral colors with a few warmer ones that are “out of the ordinary.” This palette embraces homeostasis, where a balance of warmth and coolness helps to regulate the temperature of the person living within that environment, providing a sense of equilibrium.
Ancestral —This palette reminds us of our human heritage — think caves and early native dwellings with raw, earthy warmth. It largely has warm colors, with some cooler colors, like neutral gray, and is a warmer alternative to black and white.
Modern West—This is where Western classic meets modern style and cowboy/cowgirl couture. Global influences from countries like Argentina, Australia and the Czech Republic include some brightness with turquoise. Browns are balanced by green – a neutral color in nature. Indigenous patterns and authentic Western embellishments also influence this palette.
Augmented — In this palette, surreal and abstract design is inspired by AI, as well as immersive and digital experiences. This vibrant combination of reds, pinks, oranges and yellows has blue and gray to balance the brightness.
Rustic Revival —This is all about sustainability and industrial design with a softer, outdoor cabin feel. It’s a muted, subtle palette with sienna and gray tones representing transforming waste into functional home elements.
Exotic Retreat — Eiseman says this palette is perhaps the most fun. It touts nature’s maximalism with vibrant colors and is a beautiful balance of cools and warms, including fuchsia, purples and browns. With tropical glamour meeting boho paradise, it helps bring vacation color and design back home.
Futura — Inspired by the cosmos with celestial motifs and galactic influences, Futura is minimalist and high tech. But it’s not cool like you might think, says Eiseman. There are nuances of color that add a bit of warmth.
An audio recording of the program will be posted on the Show’s website at TheInspiredHomeShow.com/education/#keynotes.
