See the Colors of the Year from 4 Major Stain Companies

If you’ve been staring at your faded deck, tired fence, or “meh” dining table thinking,
“You deserve better,” you’re not alone. Stain brands know we’re all itching to refresh
our wood surfaces, which is why they now announce their own stain colors of the year
just like paint companies do with wall colors. The result? A handy shortcut to what’s trending,
plus a curated palette that makes picking a stain much less stressful.

For 2025, four major players in the wood-care worldBehr, Cabot, Pittsburgh Paints/Olympic, and Minwax
have each crowned a hero hue:
Cedar, Burnt Hickory, Oxford Brown, and Violet.
Together, they showcase where wood finishes are headed: warmer, more natural, and just bold enough
to show personality without overwhelming your home.

Why Stain “Colors of the Year” Matter

These annual picks aren’t random. Stain companies track broader design trends in architecture,
outdoor living, interior style, and even lifestyle data (how often we entertain, how much we
’re renovating instead of moving, and what kind of mood we want at home). Then they translate
those insights into one spotlight stain shade that:

• Pairs well with common exterior paint colors and roofing materials.
• Works across multiple surfaces like decks, fences, siding, and doors.
• Reflects what’s happening in interior design (hello, earthy tones and expressive accents).
• Helps homeowners avoid decision fatigue by offering a “can’t-go-wrong” starting point.

In other words, picking a stain color of the year can save you from endlessly scrolling
color charts and standing in the aisle at the home center wondering if you’ve completely lost the plot.

The 4 Major Stain Companies Setting the Tone for 2025

Several U.S. brands offer wood stain, but four have stepped forward with big, highly promoted
“color of the year” campaigns for 2025:

1. Behr – Cedar, a warm golden-brown exterior stain that boosts curb appeal.
2. Cabot – Burnt Hickory, a rich brown with charcoal depth inspired by charred wood.
3. Pittsburgh Paints/Olympic – Oxford Brown, a timeless, amber-tinged brown for exterior projects.
4. Minwax – Violet, a bold, jewel-toned purple stain aimed at expressive interior woodwork.

Let’s dive into what makes each of these colors different, where they shine, and how to choose
the right one for your home.

Behr: Cedar – The Warm Golden-Brown Crowd-Pleaser

Behr’s 2025 Exterior Stain Color of the Year, Cedar, is a warm,
light golden-brown inspired by the natural tones of cedarwood. It’s designed to highlight
the grain of your wood while giving it a sun-kissed, elevated look rather than a heavy,
opaque blanket of color.

What Cedar Looks and Feels Like

Think of Cedar as that friend who looks good in every photo. It’s not too orange, not too red,
and not so dark that it makes your deck feel small. Instead, it:

• Adds a soft glow to decks, porches, and fences.
• Pairs effortlessly with white, cream, charcoal, and deep blue exterior paints.
• Feels grounded and natural, which fits the current shift toward earthy, nature-connected design.

Behr positions Cedar as a go-to option for homeowners who want upgraded curb appeal without
getting too trendy or high-maintenance. It’s the color that says, “I pay attention to design,”
without shouting it from the rooftops.

Where Behr Cedar Works Best

Cedar is ideal if you have:

• A deck that gets a mix of sun and shade and you want it to glow rather than look flat.
• Traditional or craftsman-style architecture that needs warmth.
• A modern exterior in deep gray or navy that could use a warm wood counterpoint.

Use Cedar on decks, porch floors, pergolas, and fences, then repeat the warm wood tone in
smaller accents like planters or porch furniture to create a cohesive outdoor story.

Cabot: Burnt Hickory – Japandi-Inspired Depth and Drama

Cabot’s 2025 Color of the Year, Burnt Hickory, takes things a notch moodier.
It’s a deep, earthy brown with a hint of charcoal, inspired by the Japanese technique of
Shou Sugi Ban (or yakisugi)the art of charring wood to protect and preserve it.

Instead of looking like a basic brown, Burnt Hickory feels artisanal, almost hand-crafted.
It’s perfect for anyone who loves:

• Japandi style (a blend of Japanese minimalism and Scandinavian warmth).
• Modern cabins or black-and-wood exteriors.
• Outdoor spaces that feel like quiet retreats rather than party decks.

How to Use Burnt Hickory Outdoors

Burnt Hickory makes a fantastic choice for:

• Decks and patios where you want a luxurious, spa-like vibe.
• Vertical surfaces like siding, privacy screens, or pergolas to frame lighter elements.
• Outdoor furniture where the darker tone helps hide wear and tear.

Pair it with pale stone, creamy stucco, light gray pavers, or warm off-white exterior paint
to keep the overall look from becoming too heavy. Add simple plantings in green-on-green
(boxwood, ornamental grasses, evergreens) for a calm, modern aesthetic.

Pittsburgh Paints/Olympic: Oxford Brown – Rustic Meets Modern

Pittsburgh Paints’ U.S. woodcare brands, including Olympic, crowned Oxford Brown
as a 2025 stain color of the year. Oxford Brown is a warm, earthy brown with subtle amber and russet
undertones. It’s often showcased as a semi-transparent exterior stain, letting the
wood grain show through rather than covering it up completely.

What Makes Oxford Brown Stand Out

Oxford Brown hits that sweet spot between rustic and refined:

• It’s rich enough to give your home character, but not so dark that it feels severe.
• The amber and russet tones add warmth, making outdoor spaces feel welcoming.
• It works with both modern architecture and more traditional porch-and-gable homes.

You’ll often see Oxford Brown recommended for fences, decks, and porches where homeowners
want a “classic, but upgraded” looklike the stain equivalent of a really good leather belt.

Best Uses for Oxford Brown

Consider Oxford Brown if you:

• Love farmhouse, rustic, or lodge-inspired style but want it to feel polished.
• Have a lot of greenery in your landscape and want a stain that harmonizes with it.
• Prefer semi-transparent finishes that highlight the natural character of your wood.

Oxford Brown pairs nicely with white trim, soft taupes, greige siding, and black or bronze
metal accents (think railings and light fixtures).

Minwax: Violet – A Bold, Jewel-Toned Interior Statement

While the other three brands leaned into natural browns, Minwax did something
delightfully unexpected with its 2025 Color of the Year: Violet. This isn’t a shy
pastel or a dusty mauve. Violet is a deep, saturated, jewel-toned purple designed for interior
wood surfaces.

Minwax positions Violet as part of a broader move toward maximalismmore pattern, more color,
more personality. Instead of trying to make your wood disappear into the background, Violet
turns it into the star of the room.

Where Violet Really Works

Violet shines on pieces that can act as focal points, such as:

• A powder room vanity or bathroom cabinet.
• Floating shelves or a built-in bookcase in a home office.
• A vintage dresser, credenza, or bar cabinet you’re upcycling.
• Accent trim, stair risers, or a single statement door in a creative space.

Because it’s a stain, not a solid paint, Violet still lets the wood grain peek through.
That keeps it from looking like plastic or laminate and maintains a sense of depth and craft.

How to Style Minwax Violet

To keep Violet looking sophisticated instead of cartoonish:

• Pair it with warm neutrals: creamy whites, soft greiges, or tan leathers.
• Add metallic accents in antique brass or brushed gold for a luxe feel.
• Use it in moderationone or two Violet pieces per room is plenty.

It’s an excellent option for people who love color but still want their space to feel
grown-up and curated.

What These Four Colors Tell Us About 2025 Wood-Stain Trends

When you line up Cedar, Burnt Hickory, Oxford Brown, and Violet, some clear
themes emerge:

• Earthy warmth is in. Cedar, Burnt Hickory, and Oxford Brown all lean into
  natural, warm tones that echo soil, bark, and sunlit wood.
• Texture and grain still matter. Semi-transparent and translucent finishes are
  widely promoted, reinforcing that homeowners want to see the wood, not cover it up.
• Individual expression is rising. Minwax Violet proves that not everything has
  to be “safe neutral”; there’s room for expressive, personality-driven choices.
• Outdoor spaces are high priority. Multiple picks are exterior-focused,
  reflecting our ongoing love affair with decks, patios, and porches as true living spaces.

The bigger picture? Stain color isn’t just about preserving lumber anymoreit’s a design decision
as impactful as your sofa, your siding color, or your kitchen cabinetry.

How to Choose the Right Color of the Year for Your Project

Just because these four stains are trending doesn’t mean they’re all right for your specific home.
Here’s a quick decision framework to make the choice easier.

1. Start with Location: Exterior vs. Interior

• Mainly exterior? Focus on Behr Cedar, Cabot Burnt Hickory,
  or Oxford Brown, all designed with decks, fences, and siding in mind.
• Mainly interior? Minwax Violet is the star, especially for furniture and
  accent pieces, though Cedar-like tones indoors can also look fantastic on beams or ceiling planks.

2. Consider Your Existing Colors and Materials

Look at your roof, siding, brick, stonework, and interior finishes:

• If you have cooler exteriors (charcoal, deep blue, crisp white), Cedar or Oxford Brown
  add warmth without clashing.
• If you have warmer exteriors (tan, beige, brown roofs, clay brick), Burnt Hickory can
  deepen and modernize the palette.
• For interiors with neutrals and wood, Violet works well as a pop of color against white,
  cream, or medium wood tones.

3. Think About Light, Climate, and Maintenance

Darker stains like Burnt Hickory and Oxford Brown can:

• Show dust and pollen a bit more, but
• Hide small imperfections in older boards surprisingly well.

Lighter tones like Cedar:

• Feel airy and bright on small decks or shaded yards.
• May show spills or heavy traffic more, but often fade more gently over time.

Indoors, Violet will look more dramatic in low light and jewel-like in brighter spaces.
If you’re nervous, test it on a small drawer front or scrap board first.

4. Test Before You Commit

No matter how confident you feel, always:

• Buy a small can or sample size.
• Apply the stain to the same type of wood as your project (pine vs. cedar vs. oak can change the look dramatically).
• Check it in morning, midday, and evening light before committing to the entire project.

Stain shifts more than paint because the wood’s natural color and grain are part of the final result.
A quick test patch can save you from a weekend of regret.

Which 2025 Stain Color Fits Your Style?

Here are a few quick “profiles” to help you match a color to your personality:

• The Easygoing Entertainer
  You host barbecues, game nights, and birthday parties. You want your deck to look great but not
  require an interior-design degree to style. Go with Behr Cedar. It’s friendly, versatile,
  and plays nicely with nearly any outdoor furniture you already own.
• The Design-Obsessed Minimalist
  You pin Japandi interiors, love black window frames, and prefer three perfect objects over
  30 random ones. Cabot Burnt Hickory is your matchmoody, architectural, and quietly dramatic.
• The Modern Rustic Homebody
  You’re into shiplap, natural textures, and homes that feel cozy but not cutesy.
  Oxford Brown offers that timeless, “has always belonged here” look for fences and porches.
• The Creative DIY Collector
  You rescue furniture off Facebook Marketplace, name your power tools, and love a good weekend project.
  Minwax Violet is perfect for turning thrifted pieces into statement-makers.

Real-World Experiences with 2025 Stain Colors of the Year

To bring these colors to life, imagine a few realistic project scenarios and what you might learn from each.

A Weekend Deck Makeover with Behr Cedar

Picture a weathered, splinter-prone deck that’s gone gray from years of sun and rain.
After cleaning and lightly sanding, you roll on Behr Cedar in a solid or semi-transparent finish.
At first coat, you might be surprised by how light it looks in the canbut once it dries, the color
settles into a warm golden-brown that instantly makes the deck feel newer and more intentional. The
railings look sharper, the furniture suddenly matches better, and your potted plants pop against the
warm wood backdrop. The big takeaway: Cedar is forgiving. Even if your boards aren’t perfect, the
stain unifies everything into one cohesive surface that looks planned, not patched together.

Creating a Japandi-Inspired Patio with Cabot Burnt Hickory

Now imagine a small backyard with a basic concrete slab and a plain privacy fence. Instead of tearing
everything out, you build a simple wood screen and bench, then stain them in Burnt Hickory. The deep,
charcoal-brown instantly adds structure and sophistication. Add a couple of neutral outdoor cushions,
a simple black metal lantern, and potted evergreens, and the space suddenly feels like an outdoor room
from a boutique hotel. The lesson here: darker stain colors like Burnt Hickory can visually “frame”
your outdoor area, making it feel intentional and intimate even if the footprint is small.

Refreshing a Front Porch with Oxford Brown

Think about a classic front porch with turned posts and a wide set of steps. The railings and floor
are faded, and the whole entry feels tired despite a charming house. After basic prep, you brush on
Oxford Brown in a semi-transparent stain. The amber undertone warms up the porch, making your white
trim look crisper and your black front door feel richer. Rocking chairs, a coir mat, and planters of
seasonal flowers suddenly feel elevated against the richer wood tone. The experience: Oxford Brown is
especially good at making older homes look lovingly maintained rather than “old.”

Upcycling a Thrifted Dresser with Minwax Violet

Finally, picture a solid-wood dresser you scored secondhand: great bones, terrible orange finish.
You strip and sand it, then apply Minwax Violet as a stain rather than paint. The grain of the wood
still shows through, but now it’s wrapped in a deep purple that looks like something you’d see in a
boutique design shop. Paired with brass knobs and a simple round mirror, the piece becomes the focal
point of your bedroom or entryway. What you learn: a bold stain like Violet can give new life to
existing furniture without losing the warmth and authenticity of real wood.

Across all these experiences, one pattern stands out: the right stain color of the year doesn’t
just change the woodit changes how you use and feel about the space. A freshly stained deck invites
more dinners outside. A bold Violet dresser nudges you to keep the top clutter-free. A moody Burnt
Hickory fence turns a plain yard into a retreat.

Final Thoughts: Let the Wood (and You) Lead

The 2025 stain colors of the year from Behr, Cabot, Pittsburgh Paints/Olympic, and Minwax are more than
marketing buzz. They’re distilled, thoughtfully chosen options that reflect real design trends: warmer
palettes, outdoor-focused living, and a growing appetite for personal expression.

But remember, these colors are tools, not rules. Use them as a smart starting point:

• Pick the brand and color that fits your home’s architecture and your lifestyle.
• Test on your actual wood before committing.
• Start with one projectyour deck, your fence, or even just a single piece of furniture.

Whether you land on Cedar, Burnt Hickory, Oxford Brown, Violet, or a custom combination, the real
“color of the year” is the one that makes you want to step outside (or into that room), take a deep
breath, and think, “This feels like home.”