Pantone's Color of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse : Annie Elliott Design

You may be surprised to hear this, Gentle Readers, but I do not hate Pantone’s color of the year for 2025!

Mocha Mousse: a fluffy light brown with pink undertones.

*I* wouldn’t bestow the honor of Color of the Year upon a light brown, but I think Mocha Mousse is pleasant enough.

“Quiet luxury” is the most overused, insipid descriptor, but that’s designers’ (and manufacturers’) catchphrase right now. And that’s what Pantone is going for with Mocha Mousse. Pantone’s director, Leatrice Eiseman, describes it thus:

Huh. I think that’s giving Mocha Mousse a LOT of credit.

I don’t think the color is that weighty or complex, tbh. It’s not lush; it’s watery. It is warm but light, not dramatic, not threatening. Mocha Mousse doesn’t give you much, but it doesn’t ask much in return, either. It certainly isn’t aspirational. It’s just kind of…pretty.

Kitchen with brown and green cabinetry and brown furniture — From LivingEtc. Heidi Caillier Designs, photo by Haris Kenjar. Please don’t sue me

Interestingly, Mocha Mousse isn’t THAT far removed from Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year 2025, Cinnamon Slate. (I wrote a bit about that in my recent post about High Point.) That’s a lot more mauve in that color, but both are light, dusty versions of brown with pink undertones.

Bedroom with light mauve walls and fur throw — Photo by Angie Seckinger

But back to the color at hand:

Mocha Mousse continues our slow, plodding trek away from gray towards beige/camel/brown as our neutral of choice. From cool to warm.

Room with tan grasscloth and blue sectional — Photo by Angie Seckinger

Mocha Mousse will probably seep into my designs in a darker, more intense form. Dry black-browns, not orange-browns. Wouldn’t espresso-y brown be gorgeous with red?

Crocodile texture wallcovering — Schumacher’s Crocodile wallcovering in Java

Red and dark brown cut velvet fabric in paisley pattern — Schumacher’s Saz Paisley Silk Velvet

Geometric patterned fabric with dark red, rose, light blue — Brunschwig et Fils’ District fabric by Kelly Wearstler

Modern dark brown fabric with dark red and lavender velvet flowers — Lee Jofa, Aster Velvet

I just don’t think Mocha Mousse has the starpower to carry a room. Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon seems to be pretty close to Mocha Mousse, and this room just looks uninspired. And perhaps a bit dated.

Kitchen with light brown walls and botanical prints — Farrow & Ball’s Dead Salmon

This is more my speed:

Room with dark brown patterned wallpaper — Schumacher’s Agate Slice wallcovering

So. Mocha Mousse? Perfectly adequate. MY browns in 2025 will be deeper, richer, and infinitely more interesting.

Annie Elliott Design is now considering projects for spring. If a joyful home — including or excluding Mocha Mousse — is on your must-have list for 2025, please contact us.

Pantone’s Color of the Year 2025: Mocha Mousse