Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025 Is Redefining Neutrals — And Here’s How Designers Are Using It at Home
- Beril Yilmaz
- Dec 4
- 6 min read
Every year, colour forecasts try to convince us that a bold, dramatic shade is the next must-try, but most of us are looking for something far simpler: a colour that solves real design dilemmas. Something timeless without being repetitive, grounded without feeling flat, and versatile enough to work in open-plan homes as easily as smaller UK proportions. That’s exactly why the dunn edwards colour of the year 2025 — Caramelized — has captured so much attention.
Caramelized is described as a terracotta-brown, but that hardly does it justice. It’s a mid-brown with a refined undertone that avoids the heaviness of deeper chocolate shades and the pinkness that often sneaks into traditional terracottas. Designers have already leaned into it because it replaces standard neutrals with something richer, more dimensional, and far more adaptable. For anyone who’s been searching for a dependable colour that feels elevated without going theatrical, this is it.
You’ll see how Caramelized behaves differently from typical beiges and whites, how it reshapes a room’s structure simply by grounding the eye, and why it works across so many materials — from light European oak to travertine to unlacquered brass. In this guide, we’ll break down the clever ways to use the dunn edwards colour of the year 2025, where it performs best, and the exact pairing colours that create a modern, confident scheme.
At A Glance
How Caramelized elevates everyday rooms
Why this brown works as a modern neutral
Where the colour performs best
Designer-approved pairing colours
Ways to use it without overpowering a space
Tips for kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms
How to build a whole-home palette with it
1. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Why Caramelized Works as a Neutral
Caramelized stands out because it behaves like a neutral while offering more structure than typical pale shades. When applied to walls, it visually anchors furniture, defines architectural lines, and brings depth to spaces that otherwise appear washed out under natural light. It also photographs beautifully — a small detail, yes, but a very real bonus for anyone who loves capturing their home at its best.
Designer Tip: Use this shade in rooms where white feels too stark but darker browns feel too heavy. It’s the balance many people have been missing.
2. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Understanding the Undertones
Caramelized has a subtle red-brown base, but it stays incredibly controlled. Unlike terracotta, it won’t veer toward rose tones, and unlike deeper tobacco shades, it won’t swallow the light. The undertone gives the colour dimension, allowing it to respond beautifully to both daylight and evening lamps.
Designer Tip: Test it on all four walls before painting — undertones shift dramatically depending on where the natural light enters your room.
3. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: The Best Rooms for This Shade
Caramelized works particularly well in areas where you want grounded visual contrast without resorting to darker paint. Hallways, living rooms, dining rooms, and home offices benefit from its mid-tone depth. It’s also ideal for kitchen islands, media walls, and alcove panelling where you want a purposeful, confident colour moment.
Designer Tip: If you use Caramelized on cabinetry, pair it with a matte stone like travertine or limestone for an instantly refined finish.
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4. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Pairing Colours That Always Work
Here are the most designer-approved pairings with Caramelized:
English Forest: a muted green
Sky Glass: a light grey-green
Pueblo White: a gentle, understated white
These shades sit beautifully alongside Caramelized because they balance its depth rather than fight against it.
Designer Tip: If you’re going for a tonal palette, choose slightly desaturated colours rather than crisp brights — they complement Caramelized’s grounded character.
5. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Using It in Modern Kitchens
Mid-brown tones are becoming the new alternative to greige kitchens. If you’re designing a kitchen, Caramelized works incredibly well on base cabinets, islands, or even full wall runs when paired with natural stone splashbacks. The effect is architectural rather than decorative.
Designer Tip: Choose streamlined hardware like knurled brass or brushed nickel to keep the scheme feeling structured and intentional.
6. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Living Room Applications
In living rooms, Caramelized helps unify contrast. If you have a mix of light woods, dark woods, linen upholstery and metal accents, this colour provides the grounding needed for everything to read as a single, cohesive composition. It also frames artwork and built-ins in a way that brings clarity to your focal points.
Designer Tip: If your living room feels visually “busy,” paint the walls Caramelized to instantly simplify the palette.
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7. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Bedroom Uses
Bedrooms benefit from the calm structure of a mid-tone shade. Applied behind a bed frame, Caramelized creates a strong backdrop that makes bedding, linens, and textures feel more intentional. It also allows for softer lighting moments, perfect for layered bedside lamps.
Designer Tip: Upholstered headboards look particularly refined against this colour, especially in tweed, boucle, or charcoal linen.
8. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Bathrooms and Cloakrooms
Bathrooms are where Caramelized truly surprises. Instead of stark whites or predictable greys, this shade transforms compact spaces into visually strong, design-led rooms. Pair it with white basins, stone counters, and brass taps for a look that feels deliberate and well-constructed.
Designer Tip: Choose matte tiles over gloss — they reflect the colour in a much more refined way.
9. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Colour-Drenching
Colour-drenching is increasingly popular, and Caramelized is perfect for the technique. Painting walls, skirting, and sometimes even the ceiling in one continuous shade creates a fluid, seamless look that minimises visual breaks.
Designer Tip: If you try colour-drenching, keep fabrics textured rather than patterned so the eye has room to breathe.
10. Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025: Building a Whole-Home Palette
If you prefer consistency throughout your home, Caramelized can act as your anchor shade. Build around it with mid-greens, off-whites, sage, clay tones, and muted charcoals. This creates a palette that feels unified without being monochromatic.
Designer Tip: Repeat the colour in small ways throughout your home — a lamp base here, a cushion there — to keep the palette linked.
Conclusion
Caramelized, the dunn edwards colour of the year 2025, is far more than a trending shade. It solves the long-standing problem many homeowners face: creating spaces that feel refined without committing to deep, dramatic colours or overly pale neutrals. Its controlled undertone, versatility across materials, and ability to define a room’s structure make it a dependable choice for any project.
Whether you’re exploring a full repaint or simply updating one feature wall, this is a colour that elevates rather than overwhelms. And as you start testing it in your own home, you’ll quickly see why designers have adopted it so enthusiastically.
FAQ: Dunn Edwards Colour Of The Year 2025
1. What is the Dunn Edwards Colour of the Year 2025?Caramelized is the dunn edwards colour of the year 2025, a terracotta-brown with a refined undertone that acts as a modern neutral.
2. Does Caramelized work in small rooms?Yes, its mid-tone depth grounds compact spaces without closing them in, especially with controlled lighting.
3. What colours pair well with Caramelized?Muted greens, grey-greens, and gentle whites pair particularly well, including English Forest, Sky Glass, and Pueblo White.
4. Can Caramelized be used in kitchens?Yes, it’s an excellent choice for base cabinets, islands, and panelling, especially with stone surfaces.
If you’re ready to design a home that finally feels aligned with your taste — whether that’s through paint palettes, layouts, or full room redesigns — we’d love to help you bring it to life. Explore our interior and exterior design packages and let’s start building a space you’ll feel proud of.
Author Bio
Beril Yilmaz leads BY Design And Viz with a detail-driven approach to digital interior design, creating thoughtfully structured spaces for clients across the UK, US, and beyond. Her work blends technical precision with creative vision, offering elevated e-design tailored to each project’s needs.
