Inspiration: Unveiling ‘Sugar Drenching’ as 2025’s yummiest interiors trend
From Butter Yellow to Pistachio Green, these deliciously rich hues are enough to make the mouth water. But lately, food-inspired shades have been making their way beyond the plate and into our living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and hallways, inspiring a whole new wave of interior design choices.
At The Paint Shed, we believe this is a natural evolution. Psychologists have long highlighted how both food and colour can spark feelings of comfort and happiness, so why not blend the two?
Our new study into the trend we’re coining “Sugar Drenching” reveals a fascinating connection between Britain’s favourite desserts and emerging interior colour choices. So, in collaboration with psychotherapist Amy Thomas-Owen, we’ve uncovered the next chapter of edible-inspired paint trends and can confidently declare that 2025 is the year of the Sugar Drench.
From apple to chocolate: these are the most popular food-based paint trends
Food-based interiors have slowly been creeping up on us, but in 2025, “Sugar Drenching” looks set to dominate. Our latest research shows that so far this year, we’ve seen more than 2.4 million Google searches globally for food-based paint shades (that averages at around 405,000 searches per month). The most in-demand? Apple paint. Queue the crumble curtains.
Most in-demand food-inspired colours (Worldwide) | ||
Paint colour | Number of Worldwide Google searches (2025) | |
‘Apple Paint’ | 453,000 | |
‘Lime Paint’ | 373,000 | |
‘Olive Green Paint’ | 302,000 | |
‘Chocolate Paint’ | 219,000 | |
‘Peach Paint’ | 164,000 | |
When it comes to the British, their edible interior interests largely mirror global trends with one notable exception. They’ve swapped peach for mint, which makes sense given that mint choc-chip ice cream and mojitos are so much tastier than a tin of peaches ever could be.
Most in-demand food-inspired colours (United Kingdom) | ||
Paint colour | Number of UK Google searches (2025) | |
‘Lime Paint’ | 116,000 | |
‘Apple Paint’ | 78,000 | |
‘Olive Green Paint’ | 77,000 | |
‘Chocolate Paint’ | 48,000 | |
‘Mint Paint’ | 41,000 | |
The rising demand for food-based paint trends in the UK
So, what does the rise of “Sugar Drenching” actually look like? While the shades above are already in high demand, we’ve also identified 2025’s fastest-growing food-inspired paint shades in the UK, based on the increase in search volume from January to June 2024 versus today. It seems Brits are increasingly reaching for warm, indulgent paints.
2025's highest rising food-inspired paint trends across the UK | ||
Paint colour | 2025 Percentage (%) increase | |
‘Butter Yellow Paint’ |
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‘Candy Apple Red Paint’ |
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‘Cherry Red Paint’ |
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‘Espresso Paint’ |
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‘Wine Red Paint’ |
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The psychology behind “Sugar Drenching” and why comfort food colours feel so good
With evidence that this trend is very much on the rise, we wanted to explore the psychology behind this, so we chatted to psychotherapist Amy Thomas-Owen for the answers. Amy told us:
“The psychological connection between comfort foods and emotional wellbeing is rooted in memory, familiarity and nervous system regulation. Comfort foods often evoke feelings of nostalgia and safety, especially when linked to happy memories, childhood and cultural traditions.
“The benefits of comfort eating are both emotional and neurological. It can have a soothing effect because it offers a predictable sensory experience in terms of taste, texture and temperature, which helps to regulate the nervous system. And it can also stimulate a dopamine release, which is the brain’s reward chemical, offering a temporary emotional uplift.”
So, why are comfort foods heading into our interior choices?
“Paint choice has a huge impact on emotional responses because colour acts as an emotional cue. Food-inspired tones can evoke a sense of comfort, cosiness and emotional satisfaction, much like the foods themselves. In the wake of ongoing uncertainty, from cost-of-living stress to digital overwhelm, people are understandably turning to their homes for a sense of emotional safety and comfort.
The best shades to bring the nation’s favourite desserts into your home
Apple Crumble (Green)
Apple crumble blends warm, rich brown crumbly tones with a cooler, golden-yellow hue, which we’ve interpreted through a soft, apple-inspired green. Psychotherapist Amy Thomas-Owen explains that green tones are “balancing and grounding, associated with growth and nature.” Paired with gentle neutrals, this shade creates the ultimate nostalgic mix of warm and cool, tart and sweet.
Where to style: Kitchens
Recommendation: Farrow & Ball Cooking Apple Green
Victoria Sponge (Cream)
Victoria sponge combines soft neutrals with a pop of red, but it's the delicate cream tones that take centre stage here. Amy describes cream as “a neutral tone, soft, warm and comforting.” It’s gentle and simple, but a definite crowd-pleaser.
Where to style: Living rooms
Colour recommendation: Dulux Trade Fine Cream
Carrot Cake (Orange)
Carrot cake would be nothing without its spiced orange crumb. It’s rich, earthy, and full of warmth. Amy describes carrot-orange as “energising and optimistic, traditionally associated with creativity and passion,” so we’d recommend trying out this shade in your study to help with motivation. Where to style: Home offices
Colour recommendation: Benjamin Moore Carrot Stick
Jelly (Red)
Jelly brings glossy finishes and pops of red into interiors, for a look that feels fresh, fun, and just a little bit retro. Amy describes this tone as “bold and vibrant, retaining the warmth of red, but with a fun, modern twist.” Perfect for adding personality and flair.
Where to style: Kitchen cabinets
Colour recommendation: Dulux Heritage Florentine Red
Bread and Butter Pudding (Plum)
Bread and butter pudding inspires a palette of warm caramels, custard creams, and golden browns. But it’s the deep raisin purples running through it that bring unexpected richness. Psychotherapist Amy Thomas-Owen explains that purple tones are “rich and luxurious, historically chosen by royalty. They can be calm, cosy, and dramatic all at once.” Used as an accent, raisin-inspired shades lend themselves beautifully to moody, romantic interiors.
Where to style: Bedrooms and hallways
Colour recommendation: Little Greene’s Adventurer
Conclusion
So, is this the year of edible interiors? At The Paint Shed, we certainly think so!
Methodology:
To analyse the evolution of food-inspired interior design trends, we examined search interest using Google Trends data accessed via Glimpse. We gathered global and UK-specific data spanning the past 20 years for each relevant term. By comparing search volumes from January to June 2024 with those from the same period in 2025, we identified the most current trends shaping interiors in 2025.
A list of the nation’s favourite desserts was sourced via this study by Breville.