Silhouette | Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2026 Paint Color Review + How to Use It!
Silhouette Benjamin Moore AF-655
Photo: Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore just announced their 2026 Color of the Year to be ….. Silhouette AF-655. And to be honest, this is not a color I would pick as their color of the year. It feels like a redo of Sherwin Williams’s Color of the Year 2021 Urbane Bronze. And I’m not sure why you would do that!
Benjamin Moore describes Silhouette as a distinctive color that weaves luxurious burnt umber with delicate notes of charcoal. In basic terms, the color is dark brown meets dark gray with a hint of berry. Virtually the same as Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze, but slightly different shades which most people would not really notice.
What’s Is Silhouette’s LRV?
Silhouette’s LRV (Light Reflective Value) is 10.18 which makes this color dark, very dark. Which isn’t necessarily bad, but a very dark color may not always fit into everyone’s house’s design style, their existing furniture and figuring out which room to put it in make be tricky.
Read: What is LRV + How do I pick a paint color for my house?
What is a House’s Design Style and how does this affect the color you pick for your home?
A house’s design style, does have an impact on what colors you may use, or not use in your home. There are many different styles of interior design for your home, ranging from transitional or traditional, from contemporary, industrial & mid-century to boho and eclectic, glam, coastal, modern farmhouse, traditional farmhouse, just to name a few. lol
Some house’s architecture, naturally gravitate towards a certain design style, like coastal houses, industrial or contemporary to name a few.
Knowing what your style is important to help you not only create a home that you love and reflects your style and personality, but it will help create a home that is cohesive and flows from one room to another throughout the house.
Benjamin Moore’s Silhouette is a deep impactful color but its not going to suit everyone’s home. The warm dark vibe would naturally fit into traditional, glam, industrial, and some contemporary homes. It doesn’t mean that it won’t work in other design styles, but it will depend on what other features, furniture, styling etc. in going on in the home.
Read: What are Interior Design Styles + how do I pick one for my home?
What are Silhouette’s Undertones?
Silhouette is a complex color of brown and gray with violet undertones.
Is Silhouette a warm or cool color?
Silhouette is definitely a dark warm dramatic color.
Left: Benjamin Moore Silhouette Color of the Year 2026 AF-655
Right: Sherwin Williams Urbane Bronze SW7048 Color of the Year 2021
As you can see from the two pictures above, there isn’t much difference between Benjamin Moore’s Silhouette and Sherwin Williams’s Urbane Bronze, They’re both deep versions of brown meets gray. Their undertones are slightly different but you can certainly see the resemblance.
Where can I use Benjamin Moore Silhouette?
As I previously mentioned, Silhouette is a dark warm, inviting but very bold color. Its going to work very well in certain interiors but its a hard no for other interiors. Let’s explore where and when to use this color.
Can you use Silhouette in an open concept space?
Yes & no. It depends on your home’s design style and how dark you want your space to be. In the photo above, the entire main floor was painted using Silhouette. The color suits the traditional style of decor this home has and the colors showcases the furniture in a positive way. The key why it works here is the home’s traditional style, that gorgeous big fat warm white trim, against the moody dark brown color.
However, with an LRV of 10.18, you may get tired of an entire space this color. You may be better off choosing a room or two for this color. As I tell my clients, its a matter of personal preference and your design style.
Using this color in a hallway or in an open concept area, would be like color drenching your home. Color drenching is using one color for the walls, trim and ceiling. In the hallway, the ceiling has a warm white, so this room, by definition, is not color drenched. But we’ll in the bedroom picture below, that the ceiling was painted the same color as the walls, and is definitely color drenched!
Read: What is Color Drenching & 4 Tips You Need to Know before you start!
Benjamin Moore Silhouette in the Living Room
Picture: St. Louis Style
Silhouette in the living room would not be everyone’s first choice for color. Using this color in the living room requires the correct design style to pull this look off. Since Silhouette is a warm paint color, pairing warm whites and warm beiges and taupe is the best way to go here. The stark white trim color on the fireplace and ceiling is a bit too stark in my humble opinion. I would color drench the ceiling and carry Silhouette to the ceiling to make this work. You could pull it off in this room with the oversized windows letting in the sunlight.
Benjamin Moore Silhouette in the Dining Room
Picture: Benjamin Moore
Silhouette would look beautiful in any style of dining room. I can see it specifically, working well in modern farmhouse, modern coastal, modern cottage, glam, industrial and rustic styled dining rooms.
Picture: Benjamin Moore
You can see in this kitchenette area how Silhouette works well in this contemporary space. A dramatic backdrop to the contemporary furniture. We can’t see in the picture if the entire room is painted Silhouette, but if you find the color too much, an accent wall would definitely pop the space.
Silhouette in the Bedroom & Office
I could definitely see Silhouette in a bedroom or office. This color would work well in a space where its self contained and there’s a beginning and an end.
Photo: NorthwestSpecialitypainting.com
This bedroom above is absolutely stunning, but not everyone wants dark brown for a bedroom. I can definitely see this color being used in a separate self-contained office. Its dramatic and warm at the same time.
Silhouette as an Accent Wall
Picture: Pinterest
Silhouette can definitely be used as an accent wall or a half wall as seen above if a whole room in Silhouette feels overwhelming.
Is Silhouette a good color for a Kitchen?
Photo: Pinterest
NO! Absolutely not! I would not use this color to paint your kitchen, HOWEVER, I can see these color as a kitchen cabinet color for a masculine, contemporary or a traditional kitchen. In this kitchen above, I like how the homeowner softened the kitchen by using Silhouette for the coffee station and the desk area. The warm dark vibe would naturally fit into traditional, glam, industrial, and some contemporary homes. The homeowner softened the look by using a white on the rest of the kitchen in this traditional kitchen.
Is Silhouette a good color for a bathroom?
Photo: Pinterest
Absolutely! I would lean towards putting Silhouette in a moody powder room for guests vs. a family bathroom with kids. I think there are more fun color options for family bathrooms.
Is Silhouette a good color as an exterior paint color?
Photo: Pinterest
The above picture is a stain, and not quite the same color as Silhouette, but you can see how this dark moody brown would look great on an exterior.
Without a doubt this would be a great color for an exterior as the body, trim or front + garage door depending if that coordinates with the exterior’s fixed elements. I have already recommended this color to a client in an exterior paint color consult.
What white trim goes with Silhouette?
Silhouette is a warm paint color and typically you pair warm white trim colors with a warm paint color. So if you’re looking for white trim, I would definitely lean towards a warm white.
Check out the whites listed below would to find a great warm or cool white color for the trim, doors and ceilings.
- Benjamin Moore White Dove OC-17 is a great warm white that works well with every room, especially those tricky north facing rooms. Its hard to go wrong with White Dove as a trim color.
- Benjamin Moore Simply White OC-117 is another popular classic warm white. This color has a slight yellow undertone which makes it a warm white paint color but you definitely want to test this color first to make sure you’re happy with it.
Read: The Best White Paint Colors for your Doors & Trim
So what room or rooms are you going to paint with Benjamin Moore Silhouette?
Need some color or design guidance?
Perhaps your exterior needs updating, like your front door. Or perhaps you need some help picking out paint colors or you need to “Pick My Brain” on a room that you’re working on. You have some ideas but you’re just not sure which way to go. I can help you with that!
I help busy homeowners, just like you, to style their house to make it a stunning retreat, where they can live and enjoy their home. I help homeowners, make money beyond their wildest expectations from the sale of their house by guiding them when they’re getting their house ready to sell.
Check out my online e-design + color consults here
Hi! I’m Debi Collinson. Designer. Color Consultant & Real Estate Investor.
I conducted my first color consult at the age of 7, for my father for one of his design | build projects. I’m an Interior Designer, a Double-Certified Paint Color Expert, with advanced training in kitchens + bathrooms!
Since 2006, I have helped hundreds of clients, just like you, to style their house to make it a stunning retreat, that is functional for the family AND that they love and enjoy their home. I have successfully flipped 9 houses and just completed a major coffee shop transformation..
In 2020, I moved my design business online. In my spare time lol, I renovate, manage and am the general contractor for my rental properties.
