Asian Paints Unveils ColourNext 2026 with Moonlit Silk

Asian Paints has also presented ColourNext 2026, its yearly design forecast, which interprets the changing cultural, material and emotional shifts that support the future of interiors and design.

Presently in its 23rd year, ColourNext is the most popular intelligence platform of colour, materials, textures and finishes in South Asia, delivering insights that are based on the global trends and trends in the region. Ever since the establishment of the programme in 2003 Asian Paints has perceived colour not as a creative expression only, but as a social behaviour, lifestyle change, and material innovation.

Key Highlights

• Moonlit Silk named Colour of the Year 2026, reflecting calm and emotional grounding
• Four emerging design directions: IRL, Solarpunk, Pastoral, and Daydream
• Launch of ColourNext Lab to explore experimental materials and design innovation

The ColourNext report is established because of the interdisciplinary cooperation between architects, designers, artists, sociologists, and media specialists, which allows the company to determine the emerging design stories that define the spaces of the present.

The ColourNext 2026 forecast predicts four design directions, which are interrelated, such as IRL, Solarpunk, Pastoral, and Daydream, each with a shifting approach to technology, sustainability, heritage and emotional wellbeing.

The main focus of the forecast of this year is the Colour of the Year 2026 called Moonlit Silk. The color is said to be a warm, radiant neutral which captures a shared need to be relaxed and have emotional roots in the world that is too stimulated. Its low-key nature reminds of daily routines and common grounds, making it a multifaceted tone of a modern interior that is looking to be comfortable, soft, and natural.

Along with the colour announcement, there is the Wallpaper of the Year 2026- Zanskar, which will be based on the sceneries of the Himalayan region along with the traditional pastoral embroidery. Its design is a bloomed rose pattern in a trellis and the metallic detailing on the design is hand-block printed and reflects the moonlit mountain texture and cultural narrative of craftsmanship and storytelling.

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Another new research-based platform that Asian Paints came up with is the ColourNext Lab which focuses on experimenting with materials, conserving heritage, and developing new design systems. By undertaking experimental finishes and co-creating the future, the project will enhance the potential in the future of the colour and material intelligence as well as create discourse between designers, architects and cultural thinkers.

Data, Statistics, Quotes, Figures

Key Data & Industry Context

• Asian Paints’ ColourNext initiative began in 2003 and is now in its 23rd edition.
• The company reported a consolidated turnover of ₹33,797 crore (₹338 billion).
• Asian Paints operates in 14 countries with 26 manufacturing facilities, serving consumers in over 60 countries.

Key Announcement

• Colour of the Year 2026: Moonlit Silk
• Wallpaper of the Year 2026: Zanskar

Quote

“Culture today is being shaped in moments of transition where certainty gives way to curiosity and new ways of living emerge. ColourNext 2026 maps these shifts through colour, material, and design, offering a lens into how people are reimagining presence, progress, and value in a changing world.” - Amit Syngle, MD & CEO, Asian Paints

Additional Insight
Moonlit Silk reflects a broader cultural shift from “consumption to connection, spectacle to meaning, and speed to presence.”