Featuring three rising stars and their commercial designs leveraging Behr’s color of the year, Rumors, and the theme “No Clear Boundaries.”
Behr Paint Company, in collaboration with MattoBoard, recently announced the winners of its Student Design Competition. Challenged to design a commercial space using colors from Behr’s 2025 Commercial Color Forecast - including the richly muted “Rumors,” the brand’s Color of the Year - students were encouraged to think beyond traditional boundaries.
Using MattoBoard’s innovative digital tools, participants developed design concepts across sectors like hospitality, workplace, healthcare, and multifamily housing. The competition centered around the theme “No Clear Boundaries,” inviting students to explore the evolving nature of interior design where physical and digital, old and new, and function and style increasingly overlap.
The competition celebrated not just the innovative use of BEHR’s 2025 Commercial Color Palette, but also the vision, voice, and future-thinking approach of emerging designers. This year’s winners shined through with entries that were not only technically refined, but also emotionally resonant and conceptually rich. We spoke with the winners about their designs and future aspirations.
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LeAnne’s project, BOUNDLESS, reimagines a space where working women and mothers can seamlessly integrate career, childcare, and social connection. Inspired by BEHR’s “No Clear Boundaries” theme, the concept removes the traditional divide between roles, creating a modern, flexible environment that supports every facet of women’s lives. Influenced by mid-century modern design, the space uses open layouts, indoor-outdoor flow, and bold, earthy colors to define function without physical separation. The result is a nurturing, productive setting where professional and personal life can coexist - with thoughtful visual connections between workspaces and childcare areas, and a color palette that balances sophistication, warmth, and energy.
For LeAnne, design is holistic - it's about user impact, environmental sensitivity, and meaningful experiences. Looking ahead, LeAnne’s excited by a design future rooted in sustainability, inclusivity, and well-being - values she believes are finally getting the spotlight they deserve. Tools like MattoBoard, she says, support creativity rather than replacing it, helping designers make smarter, faster, and more impactful material decisions. In the future, she sees herself working in an interior design firm where architecture and interiors are closely linked and eventually hopes to start her own studio.
LeAnne was awarded a $3,000 cash prize and a one-year MattoBoard Pro subscription. Her design school also received $1,000.
Mary’s project; “Aeternum”, conceptualizes a Schiaparelli-inspired fashion pavilion in Rotterdam. The space uses BEHR’s 2025 Commercial Color Forecast to create a structure that evolves with the setting sun. At its core is Rumors, the 2025 Color of the Year, which glows warmly at dusk, echoing the city's sunset and acting as a beacon that invites visitors in. As light fades, the space transforms - colors like Wild Ginger, Baronial Brown, and Limo-scene create layers of richness, contrast, and texture, blending warmth with sleek modernity. The pavilion isn’t static; it’s a dynamic, color-driven experience that reflects themes of transformation, rebirth, and the fluid relationship between fashion, light, and architecture.
Mary approaches design with intentionality and curiosity, constantly drawing inspiration from beyond architecture. Film, literature, art, and philosophy all inform her narrative-driven process. She values the iterative nature of design, embracing sketching, critique, and revision as tools for growth. For this project, Mary found MattoBoard helpful in overcoming creative blocks, offering a flexible way to explore and test materials early in the process. Mary also sees MattoBoard as a powerful complement to tactile design tools that, when used intentionally, allow for more meaningful decisions and beautifully crafted environments. Mary hopes to eventually start her own studio but also recognizes the value of learning within established firms first.
Mary was awarded a $1,500 cash prize and a one-year MattoBoard Pro subscription.
Urban Sipology reimagines the wine tasting experience in the heart of Chicago, blending the city's industrial roots with a sleek, modern design aimed at a younger, more diverse crowd. Drawing inspiration from the graceful form of a wine glass, the space guides visitors on a sensory journey - from a narrow, intimate retail corridor to a lively, expansive tasting area. BEHR’s Rumors provides sultry warmth, while rich materials like bronzed metals and leather create an atmosphere that feels both sophisticated and approachable. Referencing the wine-making process itself, the design flows with elegance and movement, offering a stylish, inclusive space to sip, explore, and connect.
Brittany is driven to craft purposeful, high-performing environments that enhance everyday experiences and turn creative visions into spaces that leave a lasting impression.
Brittany was awarded a $500 cash prize and a one-year MattoBoard Pro subscription.
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