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What We Think Of Pinterest’s 2025 Color Trends (Based On Being Gen Z, Millenial And Almost Gen X)
One of the best things about this job is it keeps me young in a lot of ways because being a part of digital media (and social media) is inherently youth culture. I LOVE keeping up with what everyone is loving (and trying to figure out WHY????). Sometimes I truly don’t get it, but that’s the fun of it – we aren’t supposed to get everyone – it’s part of the ride of being alive in 2025. So today I thought it would be fun for each of us to analyze the Pinterest colors of the year and see how we would use them (either forced or voluntarily). I’m weighing in at age 45, born in 1979 so on the cusp of being Gen X and Millenial. Caitlin and Jess are both solid millennials, Gretch and Mal are millennial/Gen Z cuspers, and Marlee is a solid Gen Z. Here is what we ALLLL think :)
Cherry Red
Como Rechargeable LED Table Lamp | Vreeland Trays | Fortune Garden Stoneware Red Scallop Salad Plate | Staub Cast Iron 1-qt Round Tea Kettle | Ajax Steel Ladder Bookcase | Flowerpot V9 Rechargeable LED Portable Table Lamp
Emily (Elder Millennial/Gen X Cusp): LOVE. Definitely my favorite and I’m not afraid to use it in small doses everywhere (and have). If I were a hotel designer you bet I would incorporate it into a bar, bathrooms, dining spaces – just anywhere where I wanted that powerful punch.
Jess (Millennial): This one is my favorite. Bold but not too bright and even a little sexy:) Emily has long been using red as an unexpected pop of color, and I’ve loved it each and every time. I think that’s how I would use it, just as a little pop of color.
Caitlin (Millennial): LOVE. But, to be fair, I’ve been on the red train since we first called it as a trend in 2019. This shade of cherry almost works as a neutral – I’m thinking of using it in the same way that I’d use brass or chrome. (Think pops of red in cabinet knobs, light fixtures, or vessels.)
Gretchen (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): I love the boldness of cherry red, but in my own designs and stylings, it’s only a color I only use in small amounts. I live mostly in blues, greens and various shades of brown, so for me, I can only handle small pops. It’s a color I can definitely appreciate, but I will say, of these five colors, it doesn’t rank top of my list.
Mallory (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): I love nothing more than a cherry or wine red. Not only would I use it, but I literally did just use it in my closet-turned-speakeasy, so yeah I’m a fan of this anywhere and everywhere.
Marlee (Gen Z): Yes! But mostly in small doses – I do agree with the unexpected red theory. A frame or small piece of art, a stool, or ceramics. I have the same philosophy with clothes – I don’t think I can pull off a red sweater but I love a pair of red socks.
Butter Yellow
Coquille Mirror | le FLEUR* Linen Venice Set | Kiki Table Lamp/Sconce | Lucy Linen Embroidered Pillow | Middle Kingdom Miniature Porcelain Milk Jar Vase | HAY Basket
Emily (Elder Millennial/Gen X Cusp): I think this can be warm and inviting but isn’t my first choice in colors or yellows (I do LOVE a mustard, of course). But a kitchen in France? Sure :) A painted porch ceiling in the South? Yep! But otherwise, I think I’m not into this as much as a lot of people.
Jess (Millennial): This is the color I painted my room in high school. I wanted to be more sophisticated and what was more grown up than pale yellow walls with black and white toile? Ha. Anyway, in 2025 it wouldn’t be a color I would jump to use but when done right I think it’s very pretty.
Caitlin (Millennial): FINALLY, MY BATHROOM TILE IS EN VOUGUE. I knew this day would come!!! My home is filled with so much butter-yellow tile (it’s in the kitchen, too) that I would need to be paid to even consider putting this hue ANYWHERE else in my home. Hard pass on this one from me, though I am very into sunnier yellows right now – the mirror above is much closer to my preferred shade.
Gretchen (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): Sorry to disappoint my butter-lovers out there, but this one is probably my least favorite of the bunch. Does that mean I hate it? No. But I am not running to the paint store any time soon. To me, it’s just a little too pale and puny. Of all the yellows, I gravitate toward a richer, more saturated, golden hue. A yellow that feels a little more grounded than this.
Mallory (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): Yellow has been my favorite color since I was a literal baby (case and point: my nursery was painted yellow!!) I’m thrilled that this color is trending because I have vintage butter yellow tile in my 1950s apartment kitchen that will absolutely be staying and now I want to bring in even more butter yellow to the space.
Marlee (Gen Z): Hmmmm… maybe? It’s a nice color to look at. I’m not opposed to this shade of yellow for linen bedding or in the form of velvet throw pillows. I could also get behind some butter-yellow tiles as a bathroom or kitchen backsplash. The more I look at it the more I start to like it – I think I’d take this over mustard honestly.
Indigo Aura
Jolene Cotton Wool Woven Throw Blanket | Eloise Glass Table Lamp | Riley Velvet Platform Bed | Morgan Double Old Fashioned Glasses (Set of 4) | UO Home Toile Removable Wallpaper | Avery Squiggle Multi-INSTAX Picture Frame
Emily (Elder Millennial/Gen X Cusp): Not for me, but Elliot (read: my 9-year-old daughter) would love it. Generally, I think this color reads young, or if used by a grownup I fear that it goes tacky. There… I SAID IT, SORRY PINTEREST. And yes, this color did make me feel old… I’m really enjoying some of the below enthusiasm though (which always makes me doubt myself – Caitlin is sooooo good and predicting trends!!)
Jess (Millennial): I’ve simply never loved purple, not even when I was young. A burgundy or maroon is as close as I get. This is a hard pass for me even though I’ve liked it for other people when they’ve done something really cool with it.
Caitlin (Millennial): SORRY, I LOVE IT. I think this one is going to be the sleeper hit of the year, TBH. I’m (finally) putting the finishing touches on my (unexpectedly moody!) bedroom right now, and I’m looking for a quilt or blanket that echoes the palette of the wallpaper above. It feels a little fresh and unexpected, especially when paired against some deep, desaturated tones. (But also…indigo? Girl, this is lavender. Or lilac. Maybe even periwinkle. BUT INDIGO?! Who names these?!)
Gretchen (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): SORRY, I ALSO LOVE IT. When a few of us started sharing our initial thoughts on these colors and this pretty purple was getting somewhat poo-pooed, I was holding back a smile because this is a color I have really been liking lately. I am hesitant to incorporate too much into my space at once, but ever since I saw this rug at IKEA, (which I should’ve snagged when I saw it because it doesn’t seem to be available) I have been looking for ways to incorporate it. I especially love it in combination with the next color.
Mallory (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): This is definitely the hardest color to incorporate in the group so if this is a game of smash or pass I’m definitely going to have to pass. But if I HAD to use it, it could be fun just as a little pop of color somewhere (and I think it would look good with a creamy white and brown palate).
Marlee (Gen Z): Respectfully it’s a no from me. I know it’s technically not the same shade of purple but it really reminds me of Justin Bieber’s “Never Say Never” era. That’s NOT a bad thing but not something I want to think about daily. Who knows, maybe it will grow on me – never say never I guess!
Dill Green
Pablo Velvet + Linen Circle Pillow | Jade Artisanal Glass Vases | Green Coat | Kodhi Mini Table Lamp | Silas Media Console | Velvet Button Tufted Lumbar Pillow
Emily (Elder Millennial/Gen X Cusp): YES. I love this far more than olive (which I like, but tend not to use – wait, except Kaitlin’s basement). This feels happy and youthful and fairly easy to incorporate (I want that round pillow NOW).
Jess (Millennial): Also a big YES! I love this tone of green. I might ideally skew a little darker but overall I would happily use this green in small accents with decor in my home.
Caitlin (Millennial): LOVE. This feels like olive green’s spunky younger sister. I’ve never been too into cooler-toned greens (emeralds aren’t really for me), and this feels like such a welcome departure from the more muted greens we’ve seen ad nauseam for the last 5 years. Like, YES, DILL! Bring the energy! Bring the joie de vivre! (I also invested in a massive jade-colored sectional at the end of 2024, so I’m feeling validated here.)
Gretchen (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): Yes, yes, and YES. I am a green girl to my core. My favorite color, which I lovingly call, “baby sh*t green”, could be Dill’s color cousin. So I love this one deeply.
Mallory (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): Dill is perhaps my favorite herb so this color is a hell yes for me! This green would work anywhere, anytime.
Marlee (Gen Z): I am a huge green enthusiast so yes – I think this would be pretty in a bathroom. I’ve been eyeing one of those semi-sheer “sun shower” curtains and like the idea of this color for one of those.
Alpine Oat
Linen Table Lamp | SANDBRODD | Small Stoneware Vase | Wall Art | Jodie Wing Chair
Emily (Elder Millennial/Gen X Cusp): I mean yes ma’am, but to be fair it’s literally just a warm white. But since anything “alpine” or “apres” is trending this snowy color makes sense that it’s being called out (despite just being a white).
Jess (Millennial): Another slam dunk but I also think it’s funny that a light oat/cream is “trending”. Isn’t it kinda always? This color is key in my house and while I never plan to go full minimalist/no color, I love how it adds a quiet warmth to a space.
Caitlin (Millennial): ARE YOU JOKING? I see through your branding, “Alpine Oat.” YOU ARE JUST WARM WHITE. It’s fine. I will continue to use white as I always have (sparingly, lest everything in my home be covered in stains). I feel like Miranda Priestly here – “Cream? A trending color? Groundbreaking.” But congratulations to everyone with creamy white paint – we are all seemingly ahead of the curve!!!
Gretchen (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): It feels like a stretch to call this “color” Alpine Oat, unless the whiteness of the mountaintops are meant to entirely cancel out the gentle browns of an oat. Let’s call it what it is–this is just cream. Maybe oat milk? Regardless, it’s nice. It goes with everything and it will always be around, but it doesn’t excite me the way the other colors do.
Mallory (Millennial/Gen Z Cusp): Well this color is certainly creamy and delicious…I’m VERY into it (although I’m starting to get sick of seeing it used in a boucle fabric). Creamy whites are always in and I personally have this color all over my home currently (shoutout to Alabaster by Sherwin-Williams).
Marlee (Gen Z): This feels like it should be an obvious yes, but I’m struggling to think of where I would use this – could be a cozier alternative to white bedding. Would love some carpenter pants in this shade though:)
Ok so we had some agreements, some disagreements, and now we want to hear from you! What do you all think? Love all of them? Have a favorite? xx
Emily I hate to break it to you but you’re fully Gen X! 1965-1980. Love the idea for this post though and I enjoyed reading everyone’s opinions.
As a fellow 1979, I call myself an Xennial. I know Gen X is a desirable title in certain circles, but it truly doesn’t fit with my life experiences. I have far more in common with people born in the early 80s than those born in the 60s. For what it’s worth, I find the whole generational debate silly. When the ranges are so broad and the dates seem arbitrary, it’s impossible to create a relevant cohort. I feel like it can only work if the generations are like 5 year cycles.
As Lena and Emily say, ’79 doesn’t fit anywhere. There is a tiny window of two or three years that are different from our neighbors on either side. I’ve forgotten all the reasons and stats, but it’s true! My siblings on either side sometimes seem like aliens.
Oregon Trail Generation for life, baby!
Agree with Lena and Alice. As a fellow 1979er, we are weird in that we remember life before the internet (unlike Millennials) but weren’t adults without it (like Gen X).
I do find considerable variations among people I know who are slightly younger or slightly older (e.g. people who are younger and older who call without texting first — who does that? ;) ), but generational divides are never really neat.
By the way, Baby Boomers are the only generation defined by the government (the post war boom), and the cutoffs can vary slightly depending upon which demographer or marketer is doing the analysis.
Interesting! I didn’t know that: “Since it is tied to birth rates, this is the only generation with definitive dates and recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau.“ More info here:
Well…I can see why Emily said that she is “on the cusp” of being Gen X and Millenial, as she was born in 79 and Millenial’s begin in 1980. So she technically IS on the cusp. :-)))
I’m with Caitlin on the Indigo call; when Anthropology calls that lamp color lavender; it’s lavender. Initially I wrinkled my nose at the butter color, but Em’s mention of locations had me quickly change my mind, and I’m intrigued to see it in Caitlin & Jess’s places! It’s fun to explore and think about color from different perspectives and think of it being used differently than your first impression when posed the question.
Isn’t it Aura Indigo not Indigo Aura?
Yes!
Love this!! And honestly love all of the colors so maybe I’m too easily influenced
I’m a definite Gen X and nobody asked but:
Cherry color- yes, it’s gorgeous in that shiny style. Yellow is my favorite color but butter yellow is a no and yellow seems hard for decor. Why is purple called Indigo- I’m with Caitlin it’s a weird name. It’s my Gen Z daughters favorite color so I use it sparingly and it can be nice but another that’s hard to use in a grown up way! That green is a yes and is beautiful! I’m not surprised that everyone said yes, because green is nature and always feels pleasing to the eye (except for pukey greens!). Alpine oat is a funny name and makes me think of goats, but a pretty color always and I’m happy to see people painting there houses this color instead of stark white on homes that shouldn’t be so bright white. I’m loving the new posts lately and hope you keep up the vintage and art posts!
we asked!!! we’re nosy!!!!
LOVE these takes – totally agree on alipine oat over stark white
Gen X here- I have never liked purple, but someone mentioned pairing it with the dill green, and then I was intrigued. If I got to have a room for myself that was a bit Victorian and busy??? Maybe. Hmmmm.
There’s not many colours I don’t like but the cherry red above is one of them. I like a much fresher red.
But really, I suppose they all depend on what other colours they’re mixed with so maybe I could go the cherry with the right other colours. Loving all the others outright, including the warm white.
PS I’m in my fifties and I love the lavender!! Funnily enough I think lavender, mixed with the butter yellow and green would be a great colour combo.
I like the idea of getting everyone’s different take on things but I don’t think it’s all that compelling when it’s just about color. A color is just a color; it’s not good or bad until other elements are introduced. This is like choosing paint in a room before you’ve chosen a rug, curtains, sofa and art. When we moved into our house, two rooms were butter yellow and I hated it; repainted as fast as I could. Now, 7 years later, when I’ve realized my north-facing den is dreary and the deep teal I thought would looks so great on the walls feels cave-like (not in a good way), I keep thinking….maybe butter yellow would be nice? Maybe the previous owners actually knew what they were doing!?
Love this analysis – definitely helps me reflect on the colors and embrace ones I might have poo-pooed. @Gretchen, the Atlanta Ikea has that rug, happy to ship! I cracked up at @Caitlin’s Indigo comment – that was my internal dialogue, exactly. Maybe they mean “aura” in the sense that this could be the pale ghost of Indigo? ?
PERFECT description of indigo aura hahaha
Ooooo color is my favorite topic! That Cherry Red is a beautiful color, I love it as an accent. I think the only place I would like Butter Yellow is actually vintage tile. Indigo Aura – WTH? I agree that’s Lavender which is a gorgeous accent with dark chocolate brown, or even a deep wine color but will look juvenile when paired with light colors.
Dill Green is close to the paint color I used as an accent throughout my house so clearly I love it, paired with White Dove as main color. The Alpine Oat is just the color of wool, so not sure I would call it a trend, especially with the ivory bouclé trend of the last few years fading away.
You made me consider lavender differently for home decor: I think it’s a beautiful color for flowers but I haven’t thought of it as a desirable home color since I painted my childhood bedroom that color when I was 9. By age 11-12, I was done with that look.
But you’re right, lavender can be sophisticated and elegant, edgy even, with the right palette. I agree with you about the other colors, and I don’t know whether it’s because I’m also a Gen Xer or not, ha! Cherry and Dill are probably my favorites.
shopping tip! Urban Outfitters’ Kodhi Mini Table Lamp (from the Dill Green section above) comes in a color combo awfully close to “Indigo Aura” & “Cherry Red” and, it’s stinking cute : )
Frankly I love all of these! I’m trying my best to layer different colors to our rooms and have been adding bits of purple, which is fun and somewhat expected. And shout out to Alpine Oak! We almost painted majority of our house SW Alabaster but instead went with SW Westhighland White — it glows in the sun!
Cherry red – 100% not for me. Some people look great with a red lip. I am not one of them and neither is my house.
Butter yellow – I like this. It’s cosy and nostalgic. The house that fully converted me is this one:
Indigo aura – I have just painted my bedroom a greyed out version of this colour (Peignoor by Farrow and Ball). I absolutely love it and find it really calm and soothing.
Dill green – Love this (although to be fair I love almost every shade of green)
Alpine white – A tad too warm for me. Also I find the idea of an alpine white being warm confusing. Alpine = cold, surely?
That yellow kitchen you linked is SO pretty! Wouldn’t have thought I’d like yellow but it’s so cozy and bright.
Peignoor should be peignoir and alpine white should be alpine oat. I really need to learn to proof read!
I love that kitchen too!!
Also these variations of pale yellow:
And a more roughed up version (which includes dill green!):
Think it’s obvious I love colour!!
Jess I painted my childhood bedroom butter yellow in college too! LOL was trying to mature my bedroom. UO toile curtains were involved.
Also solid millennial here. I loooove all the lavender hits lately. I don’t know what’s happening to me. It’s like when millennial pink took over.
Love the shopping roundup in this post! I clicked on so many of the cute little colorful decor items
Millennial here! I’ve been pinning red accents onto my pinboards for a few years now, and am obsessed. I definitively do not like the green, and the “alpine oat” is cracking me up. The lavender is something I enjoy in small doses, like on a vase or in a flower bouquet. But I am currently adding it in large doses to my kiddos’ winter/spring wardrobes! (8 year old girl and 1 year old boy, to me it reads really fun and fresh for both ages and genders!)
I don’t know about everyone else, but I am sick of hearing every year about this silly color of the year and color trends. I mean, what a marketing scam to get people to buy, Buy, BUY!
Pale purple was a big deal in late 90’s-early 200’s. Think Monica’s apartment. And pairing a lighter periwinkle with dark cherry wood was sophisticated and fresh.
Cherry red is a re-brand of oxblood, which is an enduring classic. I have a desk that has worked beautifully in every room and pallet for 20 years…pale blue, pale mint, midnight blue. It is dark enough that it simultaneously is an impressive surprise and a conservative accent. To be fair, it is a parson’s desk, so there is plenty of visual space around it…it isn’t a giant block of dark. You almost can’t go wrong with it. 10/10 recommend! I shudder slightly at the thought of it next to butter yellow, but it might work!
As a designer, I’m open to all color-ways, in a whole room or as an accent piece. That said, cherry red and dill green are better as singular accents due to their strong color IMO. They provide basis for color-reading a room, like the statement that every room should have a hit of black. My 1964 (the nadir of American architecture) home, when purchased in early ‘90s, had butter yellow siding and a butter yellow master bedroom. Both have been changed to more definitive, classic colors. I’ve considered painting a bathroom lavendar or wisteria, but ended on classic warm white…in this article Alpine Oat, consistent with the subtle tiles and best at light reflection. Yes, I’m a Boomer and it’s most fun to have the entire swatch book of SW or BM paint colors to ponder!
These are such Hilma Af Klint colors. As with any color, I could love them all in the right places and spaces, it depends on the circumstance. The only color I don’t use in decor is blue since my Boomer mom overused it, but If I were in Morocco or Greece I could fall for for a cobalt. I am about to paint a stairwell that light lavender for what I hope is a moody glow… I have the very GEN X vanity of thinking of myself as not caring about decor trends.
Oh yes, you’re so right about these being Hilma colors!
I’m originally from France and now living in Australia, and I’m surprised by how much the Anglo-Saxon world talks about generations. In France, and most of Europe, terms like “Millennials” or “Gen Z” aren’t used much. We focus more on things like class, education, or history. Here, though, it feels like generations are treated more like personality types or marketing terms than just stages of life.
As a Boomer I’m here to say that Cherry Red only belongs on a sundae or in a Shirley Temple! IMHO! But I’m fascinated to learn how generations feel about colour! No doubt my grandmother’s fave would have been Indigo Aura! Lol!
I think Pinterest’s overall trend post for 2025 is also interesting:
Caitlin- I SO AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT THE “INDIGO” COLOR! WHA?! It’s totally NOT Indigo! Indigo is WAY darker, almost a navy, right? I agree a true purple is really hard to decorate with, and I am not a fan of THAT one. Yes, that color is more like a Lilac or a medium lavender! It’s one of my favorite colors (and I am Gen X btw)! I still use is for my sheets/bedding in my bedroom! It became a love of mine probably tbh, when I saw a version of this color on Monica Geller’s walls on Friends! I have still loved diff versions of it since then! I will always love the colors of summertime dusk hours! Esp in bedrooms as it’s just dreamy and calm! I LOVE the green color and the Wine Red’s! Always have and prob always will! Classics in my book! LOL= “Alpine Oat,” Really? Really? But yes, it’s a classic neutral. Always good. Only one I am truly NOT a fan of is the “Butter Yellow.” Ick. Reminds me of a color in a hospital trying and failing to be cheery or on a tile I got stuck with in an apt in… Read more »
PS Is anyone else SO SICK of Sage Green? UGH. To me, it’s like grey, very played out.
Please don’t leave us art-loving Baby Boomers out of the discussion. “Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.” —Franz Kafka