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Sherwin-Williams Fall Report Focuses on Less Scrolling and More Doing

With Cabot®, shades such as Burnt Hickory (pictured left) enhance porches, decks and exterior wood seating which support casual fall routines and everyday connection. Credit: Cabot

Need to Know

“The Fall Reconnect” centers on tangible activities and temporary breaks from connected technology.
Retro references are being updated through contrasting finishes, activity zones and functional spaces.
The report applies the trend across Krylon, Dutch Boy, Minwax, Cabot and Purdy brands.

Sherwin-Williams Consumer Brands Group’s Fall 2026 Decor Trend Report identifies “The Fall Reconnect” as a shift toward homes designed for gathering, making and in-person activity.

The company’s Trendsight team found that consumers are creating spaces around game nights, music, hobbies, casual meals and small celebrations. The report describes these everyday occasions as “minorstones” and says they are influencing room layouts, surfaces and the objects people choose to keep visible and accessible.

The report’s “Fresh Take on the Familiar” direction draws on the comfort and optimism associated with earlier eras without literally recreating the past. Retro forms are paired with contemporary colors and contrasting finishes to produce spaces that feel social, playful and personal.

Krylon expresses the trend through smaller projects such as game caddies, lamps, frames, serving trays and organizers. Satin Meringue, Satin Beach Glass and Matte Vintage Rose provide softer references, while Satin Spring Grass, Gloss Pumpkin Orange and Original Chrome add stronger contrast. The report pairs satin and matte finishes with gloss and metallic accents.

Krylon® spray paints bring the trend to life through easy, contained projects that combine familiar shapes with playful color and contrasting finishes.

Dutch Boy Paints applies the trend to defined activity areas such as reading nooks, music spaces, game corners and hobby zones. One room shown in the report uses Felted Blue on the walls and trim, Deep Rooted on a bookcase and Timbered Green on an accessory, with a Minwax Pickled Oak finish on the bookcase ladder.

Walls, Trims: Felted Blue 430-5DB); Bookcase: 2027 Color of the Year Deep Rooted 311-7DB, vase: Timbered Green 232- 6DB; Bookcase ladder: Minwax® Wood Finish® Color Series Pickled Oak Semi-Transparent

Minwax focuses on entryways, mudrooms and other transition spaces that support daily routines. The report’s visual example uses Weathered Oak, Simply White and Violet finishes on a built-in storage piece.

Minwax® wood stain and finishing products can help bring warmth and character to hardworking surfaces that support everyday routines, from built-in benches to open storage. Minwax® Wood Finish® in Weathered Oak, Simply White and Violet

Cabot extends the trend to porches, decks, steps and outdoor seating areas. An exterior example uses Burnt Hickory to enhance a deck intended for informal fall gatherings.

Purdy completes the report’s hands-on theme by positioning painting itself as an alternative to passive screen time. Small projects involving storage, trim, furniture or activity areas provide a visible sense of progress while supporting the broader trend toward making and doing.

Purdy® tools support the focused painting projects that help define activity-centered spaces and make the creative process part of the fall experience.

Seasonal color trends help coatings companies understand how cultural behavior can influence finish preferences, product positioning and consumer project selection.