Top Sherwin-Williams Colors for Halloween Projects 2025

Halloween 2025 is all about elevating the eerie with style, and Sherwin-Williams has just the right colors to bring your haunting visions to life. Whether you’re creating a haunted house backdrop, crafting rustic fall displays, or reimagining classic Halloween motifs with a modern twist, the right paint colors can make all the difference. In this guide, we’ve curated the top Sherwin-Williams palettes that combine sophistication, spookiness, and seasonal charm—perfect for DIY decorators, event planners, and Halloween enthusiasts alike.

Dive into rich earth tones, ghostly grays, and unexpected pops of eerie elegance to inspire your most stylishly spooky Halloween projects yet.

1. The “Eerie Elegance” Palette: Sophisticated & Subtle Spooky
This palette focuses on moody, rich tones that evoke a sense of mystery and depth, rather than overt scares.

It’s perfect for creating a chic and atmospheric Halloween display.

* Grounded SW 6089: A rich, deep chocolate brown. This is your refined base for a “haunted mansion” feel. Use it for a backdrop, furniture, or large props to create a sense of history and decay.
* Clove SW 9605: A deep, nearly black brown. This offers an even darker, more mysterious alternative to black, with a warmth that makes it feel less harsh. Excellent for silhouetting, outlining, or creating shadows.
* Rain Cloud SW 9639: A stormy, deep gray-blue. This moody hue adds a touch of cool eeriness, perfect for ghost-like elements, misty effects, or painted backgrounds for spooky scenes.
* Quietude SW 6212: The 2025 Color of the Year, a soft sage with a whisper of blue. Use this for a subtle, ethereal touch. Think ghostly apparitions, aged fabrics, or even as a base for painted pumpkins for a non-traditional look.
* Malabar SW 9110: A warm, sandy beige. This can represent aged bone, dusty cobwebs, or weathered stone, providing a muted contrast to the darker hues.

Halloween Project Applications:
* Haunted House Backdrop: Combine Grounded or Clove walls with Rain Cloud for misty effects and Quietude for ghostly figures.
* Aged Props: Paint plastic props (skulls, candelabras) with Malabar and then distress them with washes of Grounded or Clove for an antique, decaying look.
* Witch’s Brew & Potions: Use small touches of Rain Cloud and Quietude for labels on potion bottles.

2. The “Rustic Macabre” Palette: Earthy & Organic Spooky
This palette leans into the natural elements of fall and Halloween, using warmer, more organic tones that still have a slightly unsettling edge.
* Cavern Clay SW 7701: This rich, terracotta-like orange adds a classic autumnal Halloween warmth, but with a deeper, more rustic feel than bright orange. Ideal for pumpkins, gourds, or a warm glow.
* Coastal Plain SW 6192: A muted green-gray. This is perfect for swampy elements, old mossy stones, or even a subtle zombie skin tone. It feels ancient and a little bit sinister.
* Plum Brown SW 2828 or Patchwork Plum SW 6554: A sophisticated, muted purple. This color can represent magic, potions, or a subtle bruise-like effect, adding an unexpected depth to your spooky scene.
* Bosc Pear SW 6390: A rich, golden hue. While warm, it can be used for glowing eyes, faded candlelight effects, or to represent corn stalks and straw, subtly hinting at harvest time’s darker side.
* Iron Ore SW 7069: A deep, dark charcoal that is almost black but with a subtle gray undertone. Excellent for wrought iron fences, spooky trees, or grim reapers.

Halloween Project Applications:
* Creepy Garden Scene: Use Coastal Plain for foliage, Cavern Clay for pumpkins, and Iron Ore for fence elements.
* Witch’s Hut: Paint elements in Plum Brown, with accents of Bosc Pear for glowing details.
* Monster Make-up/Props: Use combinations of Smoky Olive and Dusty Plum for eerie skin tones or wounds.

3. The “Classic Reimagined” Palette: Elevated Black & Orange
For those who love the traditional Halloween colors but want a more sophisticated approach.
* Raucous Orange SW 6883: A vibrant, yet rich orange. Use this for focal points that pop, but in a controlled manner, like painted pumpkin details, candy corn stripes, or bold accents.
* Umber Rust SW 9100: A deep, earthy orange with brown undertones. This offers a more muted and sophisticated orange, blending well with the “Rustic Macabre” palette. Great for a vintage Halloween feel.
* Tricorn Black SW 6258: A true, deep black. Essential for classic Halloween imagery: silhouetted cats, bats, spiderwebs, or a stark backdrop for other colors to pop.
* Pure White SW 7005 or Extra White (SW 7006): Crisp whites are crucial for contrast and to make other colors truly stand out, especially against deep blacks and oranges. Use for teeth, eyes, or stark bone details.
* Bosc Pear SW 6390: As mentioned, this golden hue can serve as a “glowing” accent, particularly striking against black.

Halloween Project Applications:
* Classic Silhouettes: Use Tricorn Black for shapes against a background of Raucous Orange or Umber Rust.
* Trick-or-Treat Signage: Paint signs in Raucous Orange with Tricorn Black lettering.
* Jack-o’-Lantern Details: Use Pure White for the whites of eyes or teeth on a painted pumpkin base of Umber Rust.

When planning your 2025 Halloween projects, consider not just the specific shades, but also how they interact with each other to create the desired mood – whether it’s subtly eerie, rustically chilling, or classically playful with a sophisticated twist.

Always get physical paint chips to see the colors in your specific lighting conditions!