We live in a world that is constantly changing, yet people do not always seek change. The colors we look for often reflect a longing for nature and trust, and these are trends that Mankiewicz saw when it selected Homecoming, Balance and Pulse as its 2025 Colors of the Year.

Homecoming, a light green shade, is a color that evokes a return to familiar surroundings. Balance, described as a light wool shade, brings forward a sense of sustainability and naturalness. Pulse, a darker red, is a striking, mysterious color.

Nina Karsten, senior designer for Mankiewicz, observed that the times that we live in are not the easiest, and the three Colors of the Year provide a sort of antidote.

“Pulse has an intense vibe, while Homecoming is looking at safer things, which gives us a feeling of trust,” Karsten said. “Balance has a lot to do with sustainability and the honesty of the materials we find.”

Mankiewicz focuses on high-quality coating systems for industrial production for a wide range of markets, including aviation, automotive, railway, yacht, utility vehicles, machinery, medical engineering and wind power.

“We are big in automotive, construction, niche industrial segments and aerospace markets,” Karsten said. “We have a lot of discussions over what product we are considering for these colors, and we have a lot of variety.”

Karsten spoke of each of the three colors, and the feelings they evoke.

“We have coatings for a lot of different industries,” Karsten noted. “You try to get on point with the color that you are showing. It could be automotive, airplanes, appliances, furniture. For Homecoming, the basic idea is that we look at things and surfaces, textiles, and products that feel familiar to us. We take something from the past and take it to the present to make something new. It’s not retro, but new designs with an aspect of something that is familiar.”

“Balance reminds us of very honest materials which are very important, such as clays and linens,” Karsten said. “What we see is the idea of balance. It is a huge topic that new materials are coming in that are sustainable, and it gives us new opportunities for colors. These are natural colors and a beautiful way of combining with surfaces.”

“Pulse is a very dark, serious red that has something interesting inside, a gold inside – it has a poetic idea, has an idea of galaxies and science fiction,” said Karsten. “It has an interesting sense of escapism. It is a very strong color, and a very new story.”

This year’s colors continue past trends, such as Undated or “Fog”, two previous colors of the year for Mankiewicz.

“It is always a story that continues,” said Karsten. “For example, Undated is an honest material and Fog is still popular and another example of sustainability. The main drivers are still developing.

“The trends behind it are how we read the world,” Karsten added.” One of the trends is the craziness of the world, as the last years have been so difficult. We think there is a heaviness in the world. We all need to keep an open heart for vivid things.”