Mocha Mousse – Ten ways to embrace Pantone’s colour of the year in 2025

Heard of the latest Mocha Mousse colour trend? You will do. Declared Pantone’s colour of the year for 2025, we’re seeing Mocha Mousse (aka Pantone 17-1230) cropping up all over the place – including our homes.

Each year, the trendsetters at Pantone share their colour hero for the year. And this year’s Mocha Mousse could be one of the easiest colours to embrace into our homes yet.

Described by the colour experts at Pantone as a ‘warming, brown hue imbued with richness’, this sophisticated neutral is the perfect colour in our homes for so many reasons:

• Comforting – It brings a warm, calm feel to any room
• Versatile – Colour works in contemporary and traditional homes alike
• Easy to match – Pairs well with soft neutrals, dusty pinks, and bolder hues like colour-popping mustards. Discover what other colours go with brown in our blog
• Subtle – Part of the neutral colour family, it’s easy to tap into the trend with Mocha Mousse accessories, such as rugs and cushions
• Timeless – Mocha Mousse is a classic hue which ages well

So, bye-bye, drab greys – there’s a new neutral in town. Keep reading for ten ideas on channelling Mocha Mousse into every room.

1. Make a feature

If you’re after a subtle nod to the Pantone trend, try painting a feature wall in a soothing Mocha Mousse shade. Painting just one wall is less of a commitment (and less time spent painting!) than redecorating an entire room. Plus, it’s easy to change up if you decide it’s not quite right.

Paired with brushed gold lamps and other accessories, it will elevate the elegance of a room while making it feel cosy at the same time.

Or take inspiration from the boho-chic look scheme above. Mocha Mousse works perfectly with natural rattan furniture, jute rugs, and linen accessories to create an effortless, neutral scheme. Add some black accents to ground the space and avoid it looking too ‘wishy-washy’, and you’re good to go!

2. Colour-drench a space

Colour-drenching a home office in the rich, velvety hues of Pantone’s colour of the year for 2025 will create a cocooning, calm retreat to work in. This decorating technique involves painting your entire room a single colour, including the skirting boards, woodwork and ceilings.

Bright-white office furniture is perfect for a brown décor scheme to keep things fresh. Alternatively, as shown above, light wood textures work just as well.

Add some potted indoor plants for a pop of colour. Not only will they liven up your working space, but they’ll also improve your air quality!

Not sure if your painting skills are up to scratch? Hiring a professional painter decorator is easy with Checkatrade’s free search directory.

Just enter your postcode below to find experienced painter decorators near you. You’ll be able to read reviews and see photos of their work for some decor inspiration.

3. Embrace the half-half trend

Not sure if you’re brave enough to commit to painting the entire room? Why not try the half-painted wall trend? Painting the lower half of the wall in a Mocha Mousse tone, as shown above, might be the decor level-up you’re after.

Bringing this look to life in your home is simple:

• Make sure the dividing line sits just above or below most of your lower-level furniture (for instance, your sofa or dining table) for a cohesive look
• Keep the other half in a soft, neutral beige or cotton-white hue
• To create the perfect straight line, invest in a laser light tape measurer and top-quality masking tape (Frogtape brand is a professional decorator’s go-to). This will help you create the perfect line. Or add a dado rail as shown above, which will be easier to paint

It’s a great way to spruce up a space with less painting but maximum impact. And it’s easy to switch up when it’s time for a change.

4. Try zoning

If you have an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen space, why not consider zoning your dining area by painting it in a Mocha Mousse shade? Zoning helps to create a sense of division in a larger space and will make your dining area feel cosier.

Wall paints with brown undertones will take on a different look and feel depending on how much light you have in a room and the time of day. The same space that feels bright and airy in the morning sun (as this concept image shows) will feel atmospheric and intimate by night – perfect for dinner parties!

5. Cocoon yourself in accent colours

If you don’t have the time to get involved in repainting, why not nod to the colour trend with furniture instead? These soft brown leather Chesterfield sofas, pictured above, are a timeless classic that will long outlive the latest colour trends.

But if your budget doesn’t stretch to new sofas, accessorising with Mocha Mousse accent cushions can be just as effective. The soft brown accents in these tweed cushions above tap into the latest colour trend to create a heritage feel.

All set against a light natural wood tone, it brings a cosy feel to the space. Perfect for snuggly winter evenings beside a roaring fire.

6. Give wood panelling a whirl

After a boutique feel to your bedroom? Why not tick off two trends in one go? Installing wood panelling and then painting it a Mocha Mousse shade will bring heaps of character to a bedroom.

DIY-wood panelling is surprisingly simple if you have the right equipment, and there are plenty of free tutorials available online. But if you’d rather leave it to a professional, a local carpenter could have panelling fitted and ready for you to paint in no time.

Is panelling an entire room working out too costly? Consider panelling just one wall as a feature wall. Alternatively, build your panelling up to a dado rail in the middle of the wall, as seen earlier.

7. Try a mural

Not sure if you want to commit to painting? Or perhaps you live in rented accommodation, so need something more temporary? Then, consider a wallpaper mural instead to inject some interest into a room.

Nowadays, that’s heaps of removable peel-and-stick self-adhesive wallpaper murals to choose from. So it’s easy to change up when it’s time for a decor refresh or when you move.

A Mocha Mousse wallpaper mural with gold accents dials up the luxury. Or, for something softer and more feminine, Mocha Mousse looks great paired with dusty rose colours in a wallpaper, too.

Discover lots more brown bedroom ideas on our blog.

8. Switch up kitchen cabinets

If you fancy updating your kitchen, why not consider painting your kitchen cupboards mocha mousse or investing in kitchen door wrapping?

As Mocha Mousse is considered a neutral, the colour won’t age. This is well worth considering if you plan to sell up in the future.

A matt Mocha Mousse finish on modern kitchen cabinets works well for a contemporary look, like this subtle light brown kitchen with pink undertones above. Meanwhile, an eggshell finish in a deeper brown hue paired with brushed gold door furniture looks great in a shaker-style kitchen.

Fancy making a bolder statement? The colour Mocha Mousse works just as well with an industrial-style kitchen with plenty of brushed bronze accents. Or, for something more retro, pair it with a vibrant orange for a midcentury feel.

Still not convinced? Our kitchen colour ideas guide has lots more ideas to inspire you.

9. Upgrade your tiling

If you’re updating your bathroom tiles, Moroccan or Victorian-patterned ceramic tiles with Mocha Mousse accents can look great against a bright white bathroom.

But if you’d rather tap into the trend with something less permanent, consider peel-and-stick tile decals. Made from vinyl, the latest designs are waterproof and durable – and you’d never know they were stuck on!

After a more professional, long-lasting finish? Find an experienced tiler using our free directory below. Just search your postcode to find highly-rated tilers near you.

10. Layer up on Mocha Mousse accessories

Accessorising can make a big impact if you can’t afford to revamp a room with painting or tiling but are still keen to embrace the neutral look.

Layer up on faux-fur blankets, cushions and other soft textile accessories in Mocha Mousse hues on your sofa or bed.

Do you have existing light-coloured cushion covers and throws that are stained and could do with a refresh? Give them a new lease of life with an all-in-one fabric dye that you pop in the washing machine. Various shades of brown dyes are available to buy, and it couldn’t be simpler to do.

Pantone’s colour of the year 2025: key takeaways

• Mocha Mousse is a rich, warm colour that suits many styles and spaces – from boho-chic and industrial to minimalist and timeless elegance
• This Pantone colour of the year for 2025 goes well with a myriad of other colours, from restful neutrals and dusty pinks to warming mustards and vibrant oranges
• A room painted in Mocha Mousse feels bright and airy in the day and cosy and intimate by night
• Consider different ways to tap into the Mocha Mousse trend in your rooms. From revamping kitchen cupboards to investing in wallpaper. Or, for something more subtle and cost-effective, update your rugs and accessories

Keen to try out the Mocha Mousse decor trend but need a helping hand? Search for an interior designer near you to get your project off the ground.