Press Release

Behr Paint Company Announces 2024 Exterior Stain Color of the Year, "Tugboat," Part of its New Curb Appeal Collection

The brownish gray wood stain anchors the new collection of expertly curated exterior paint and stain colors.

Today, Behr Paint Company debuts its 2024 Exterior Stain Color of the Year: Tugboat, a delicate blend of brown and gray tones offering a timeless finish with a charming nautical appeal suited to ease into any design style. The versatile stain color enhances the natural beauty of wood grain, while providing protection on exterior surfaces that will not only elevate the aesthetic of outdoor spaces but stand the test of time. 

"Our 2024 Exterior Stain Color of the Year provides a new perspective on color for exterior wood stains, adding both character and freshness to projects," said Erika Woelfel, Vice President of Color and Creative Services at Behr. "With a timeless finish, Tugboat's versatile brownish gray color provides organic beauty to make any outdoor space feel like a safe harbor."

Behr's Exterior Stain Color of the Year headlines the brand's first-ever Curb Appeal Collection, a curated set of 30 go-to exterior paint, exterior stain, and spray paint colors to support consumer confidence during the color selection process. The curated collection provides a variety of colors for any project scale, whether consumers are looking to give their home an entire exterior refresh or looking to make a big impact with a small project, like painting their front door or trim. 

Behr's Exterior Stain Color of the Year and Curb Appeal Collection work in tandem to solve one of consumers' biggest painting pain points, as many DIYers struggle with color paralysis when selecting hues, particularly for the exterior of their homes. In fact, according to a recent study conducted by Behr Paint[1], more than half (55%) of homeowners say color selection is the biggest hurdle when it comes to starting a home exterior project and 75% of homeowners look for color inspiration before starting home exterior projects. 

"We recognized the challenge consumers are constantly facing when it comes to the color selection process—especially for exterior projects," said Andy Lopez, the Head of Marketing at Behr. "By offering a collection of curated colors in a diverse product offering, we aim to provide consumers with the confidence they need to select a color and complete their exterior projects with ease."

The 2024 Exterior Stain Color of the Year is available exclusively at The Home Depot in a variety of BEHR® products including the #1 rated exterior stain, according to a leading independent consumer publication, BEHR PREMIUM® Solid Color Premium Waterproofing Exterior Stain, as well as BEHR PREMIUM® Semi-Transparent Waterproofing Exterior StainBEHR PREMIUM® ADVANCED DECKOVER®BEHR® Solid Color House & Fence Wood Stain, and BEHR® DECKPLUS®.

To learn more about Tugboat and the Curb Appeal Collection, visit behr.com/2024staincoty

1 Behr commissioned an online survey among n=1,007 American homeowners 18 years of age and older. Data is balanced across age, gender, race/ethnicity, and region. The survey was fielded between March 20-28, 2024. The margin of error (MOE) for the total sample is +/- 3 percentage points.