Fabric Colour Stories: Alpine Oat

Welcome back to our Fabric Colour Stories series. We’re taking a deep dive into key colours from Pinterest's annual palette, alongside Pantone's colour of the year, having a look at how these trend-driven hues translate into real-world fabric and design applications from our perspective at FibreGuard.

So, with no further ado, we give you:

So what colour is 'oat' colour?

Alpine Oat (hex #F0E7DA, RGB 240, 231, 218) is a warm, sophisticated neutral that goes beyond traditional beige. Highlighted by Pinterest's 2025 colour palette and trends, Alpine Oat has captured the attention of designers and consumers alike, who are only too happy to welcome more nuanced, warmer neutral colours in both textiles and interiors.

It has a gentle warmth reminiscent of unbleached linen, weathered limestone, or the soft hue of morning oat grain…hence its name. It’s easy to see how this colour can bridge the gap between organic and refined aesthetics.

Pinterest Predicts: the Colour Palette of the Year

What is the colour theme for 2025?

Pinterest's 2025 colour palette reflects a movement toward more sophisticated, nuanced tones that blend comfort with contemporary appeal. The theme centres around colours that feel both grounded and elevated.

The full 2025 palette features five standout colours: Cherry Red, Butter Yellow, Aura Indigo, Dill Green, and Alpine Oat. These colours collectively represent the year's trending aesthetic preferences based on user engagement and search data (according to Pinterest).

What is the colour of the year 2025 Pinterest?

While Pinterest doesn't designate a single "colour of the year" like Pantone, it’s based on data and research, nevertheless. And Alpine Oat is a really wonderful place to start when it comes to upholstery.

How do Pinterest find their colours?

Pinterest's data-backed insights and visual search technology have identified Alpine Oat as part of a larger movement (in textiles and elsewhere) toward warmer, more grounded neutrals. Their algorithm tracks not just saves, but active engagement and user behaviour patterns.

Why Alpine Oat Works in Textiles

What Colours go with oat?

Alpine Oat's versatility shines in its ability to work with both warm and cool colour families. From our experience at FibreGuard, we've seen successful pairings with deep emeralds, rich burgundies, soft lavenders, charcoal greys, and warm terracottas.

The colour also works beautifully with other neutrals, from crisp whites to deeper taupes, creating sophisticated monochromatic schemes that rely on fabric texture for visual interest.

Layering Potential: Creates a perfect backdrop for layered textures, increasingly requested for both residential and commercial spaces.

In our experience with performance fabrics, Alpine Oat serves as an ideal foundation that doesn't compete with architectural elements or statement furniture pieces.

This makes it particularly valuable for upholstery and drapery applications where designers want to create visual depth through ‘touch and feel’ elements rather than bold colour contrasts.

The neutral oatmeal tone allows the real tactile qualities of our ‘luxurious touch’ fabrics to truly shine.

Complementary Versatility: Pairs beautifully with both warm and cool accent colours, making it ideal for diverse design schemes.

We've seen it specified alongside deep emeralds, rich burgundies, and soft lavenders with equal success. The versatility extends beyond colour pairing, Alpine Oat is a real crowd-pleaser, working across different textile characteristics.

In performance fabrics, this adaptability is crucial for creating cohesive design stories across multiple applications, from heavy-duty upholstery that needs to withstand daily wear to delicate drapery that filters light. The colour’s balanced undertones prevent it from skewing too yellow or grey, making it a reliable choice for designers working with varied lighting conditions and mixed material palettes.

Timeless Appeal: Because it’s such a team player, this neutral shade has real staying power, which is crucial for furniture and heavy-use textiles. While trends come and go, Alpine Oat possesses the kind of enduring quality that makes it a smart investment for commercial installations and high-end residential projects.

This longevity is particularly important in performance fabrics where durability meets aesthetics. For upholstery and drapery that must maintain their appearance over years of use, Alpine Oat as a colour offers a lovely practical style.

In commercial settings especially, where frequent replacement isn't feasible, this enduring quality makes Alpine Oat an economically sound choice that continues to feel fresh and relevant throughout multiple design cycles.

Alpine Oat in Practice: fabrics and aesthetics

Refined Luxury Inspired Hotel Interiors: Creates calm, elevated spaces inspired by mountain retreats and luxury travel destinations. This trend has driven demand for fabrics that evoke alpine lodges and sophisticated hospitality environments.

Boho Aesthetic: Because it’s a good fit for furniture with rustic elements, Alpine Oat feels right at home in the laid-back world of boho design,

Texture-Forward Design: Excels when applied to textiles with pronounced texture like bouclés, natural weaves, and dimensional fabrics.

Alpine Oat and Performance Fabrics: dare to go neutral

So many of our existing textile designs feature extremely similar neutral tones, even while we don't have a specific collection centred around Alpine Oat specifically.

We might be biased, but our performance fabrics are ideal candidates for spaces embracing this warm, inviting neutral. Our stain-resistant, durable upholstery ensures that Alpine Oat-inspired textiles maintain their laid-back luxe appearance, even in high-traffic spaces like restaurants and hotels.