Quick answer: The most popular Behr Marquee exterior colors in 2026 are Polar Bear (1875), Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01), Almond Wisp (PPU7-09), Sculptor Clay (PPU5-08), Pewter Mug (770E-3), Blank Canvas (DC-003), Cardamom (N240-4), Tornado Season (PPU18-05), Hidden Gem (N430-6A, 2026 Color of the Year), Mocha Ice (N150-1), Adirondack Blue (N480-5), and Terra Cotta Urn (PPU2-12). All ship through the Marquee One-Coat Hide Color Collection at Home Depot. Test any of them free on your own house photo in 30 seconds, no signup.
FacadeColorizer is a free AI exterior visualizer. Picking Behr Marquee colors is not the same as picking Behr Premium Plus colors, even when the names match. Marquee uses a specially formulated base that delivers one-coat hide on roughly 1,000 curated shades, and the curated list is where most of the smart money lives. Across our 13,611 visualizer simulations between July 2025 and April 2026, Behr Polar Bear was the most-previewed Marquee white at 14% of all Behr exterior tests, followed by Cracked Pepper at 11% and Hidden Gem at 9%.
In this guide you will find the 12 most popular Behr Marquee popular paint colors for 2026 with HEX and LRV, the One-Coat Hide Color Collection explained in plain English, a side-by-side look at Marquee vs Premium Plus on the same color, a regional heatmap, the HBW (heat-block white) base story for dark siding, and exactly how to buy at Home Depot. You can also preview any Marquee color on YOUR house in 30 seconds, free before you spend a dime on samples.
Top 12 Behr Marquee Popular Exterior Colors (2026)
These are the 12 Marquee shades we see chosen most often in 2026 simulations, ranked by share of all Behr exterior tests on our visualizer. Each is part of the One-Coat Hide Color Collection, which means with proper prep you get full coverage in a single coat. HEX values are the Behr-published swatch values; LRV is the Light Reflectance Value (0 absorbs all light, 100 reflects all light). Behr is a registered trademark of Behr Process LLC and is used here for editorial reference only.
| Color (Code) | Family | HEX | LRV | Best Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Bear (1875) | Warm white | #F8F5EF | 91 | Whole-house white, modern farmhouse |
| Cracked Pepper (PPU18-01) | Soft black | #4F5152 | 8 | Trim, doors, moody siding |
| Almond Wisp (PPU7-09) | Warm off-white | #E8DECC | 72 | Stucco, cottage siding |
| Sculptor Clay (PPU5-08) | Soft greige | #CDC3B5 | 55 | Versatile mid-tone siding |
| Pewter Mug (770E-3) | Cool gray | #B2B3B5 | 45 | Modern ranch, gray siding |
| Blank Canvas (DC-003) | Creamy white | #EDE4D3 | 84 | Whole-house warm white, trim |
| Cardamom (N240-4) | Warm taupe | #B8A48A | 40 | Craftsman siding, stucco |
| Tornado Season (PPU18-05) | Stormy gray | #9A9A98 | 34 | Mid-tone gray siding |
| Hidden Gem (N430-6A) | Smoky jade | #536A65 | 14 | 2026 Color of the Year, front doors, accent siding |
| Mocha Ice (N150-1) | Warm greige | #DACDBD | 66 | Cool-gray replacement, traditional homes |
| Adirondack Blue (N480-5) | Coastal blue | #5D7280 | 21 | Cottages, shingle homes, coastal |
| Terra Cotta Urn (PPU2-12) | Warm earth | #9C5A47 | 16 | Spanish Revival, accent walls |
A quick word on the ranking. The top three (Polar Bear, Cracked Pepper, Hidden Gem) take roughly a third of all Behr exterior previews on our visualizer, with Polar Bear by a wide margin the safest crowd-pleaser. Sculptor Clay and Mocha Ice are the two fastest-growing greiges of 2026, replacing the cool grays that defined 2019 to 2022. If you want the full deep dive on the moody flagship, our Behr Cracked Pepper vs Sherwin-Williams Iron Ore comparison shows the two side by side on real siding.
The One-Coat Hide Color Collection Explained
The biggest source of confusion around Marquee is the One-Coat Hide Color Collection. Here is the plain-English version. Marquee is a paint, not just a label, but the one-coat coverage guarantee only applies to a curated set of approximately 1,000 colors that Behr has formulated and tested to hide an existing similar color in a single coat. Any color outside that list can still be tinted in Marquee base, but the one-coat performance is not guaranteed and you may need two coats.
Practically, that means when you walk into Home Depot and pull a chip from the Marquee tower, you are inside the one-coat list. When you pull a chip from the broader Behr fan deck (the much bigger ColorSmart library) and ask the counter to tint it in Marquee base, you are outside the one-coat list. Both are technically "Marquee" paint, but only the curated chips carry the coverage claim. For the official scope and limitations published on behr.com, read the Marquee Exterior product page directly.
This matters most for two scenarios. Going from a very light siding to a very dark new color (or vice versa) is hard for any single coat, even inside the curated list, and Behr explicitly recommends two coats for those transitions. And custom-matched colors from third-party brands tinted into Marquee almost never deliver one-coat hide, because the formula was optimized for the curated library. If you want guaranteed one-coat performance, pick from the One-Coat Hide chips.
Marquee vs Premium Plus on the Same Color
A question we get every week: "If Polar Bear is the same color in Marquee and Premium Plus, why pay $20 more per gallon?" Fair question. The color is the same. The paint underneath the pigment is not. Here is the honest side-by-side for 2026.
| Spec | Behr Marquee Exterior | Behr Premium Plus Exterior |
|---|---|---|
| Price per gallon (Home Depot, May 2026) | $48 to $52 | $28 to $32 |
| One-coat hide guarantee | Yes (curated 1,000 colors) | No |
| Typical coats needed | 1 (on a similar color) | 2 |
| UV / fade resistance | Highest tier (advanced UV) | Standard |
| Dirt / mildew resistance | Premium (rain-clean technology) | Good |
| Warranty | Lifetime limited | Lifetime limited (Premium tier) |
The math gets interesting once you factor labor. A 2,000 sq ft two-story exterior needs about 12 gallons. Marquee at $50 = $600 in paint, but typically one coat = roughly 18 hours of contractor time saved at $40 to $60 an hour = $720 to $1,080 saved. Premium Plus at $30 = $360 in paint plus the extra coat. For a homeowner who hires out the work, Marquee usually wins on total project cost. For a DIY weekend painter who values their time at zero, Premium Plus is the cheaper choice. Our full Behr Marquee exterior paint review walks through the durability data, and our Behr Premium Plus exterior paint review covers the cheaper tier.
Regional Popularity: Which Marquee Color Wins Where?
Color taste in 2026 is not national, it is regional. Looking at the geographic breakdown of our 13,611 visualizer sessions, the 12 popular shades cluster very differently across US climate zones. Here is the heatmap, simplified.
| Region | #1 Marquee Color | #2 | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast (NY, MA, NJ, PA) | Polar Bear | Cracked Pepper | Colonial and Cape Cod tradition, snow contrast |
| Southeast (FL, GA, SC, NC) | Blank Canvas | Almond Wisp | Heat reflection, stucco, coastal cottages |
| Midwest (IL, OH, MI, WI) | Sculptor Clay | Tornado Season | Greige replaces cool gray, weather-friendly |
| Southwest (TX, AZ, NM) | Cardamom | Terra Cotta Urn | Earth tones, stucco, desert palette |
| West Coast (CA, OR, WA) | Pewter Mug | Hidden Gem | Modern ranch, mid-century, coastal jade accents |
| Mountain (CO, UT, MT, ID) | Mocha Ice | Cracked Pepper | Warm greige plus dark trim, lodge aesthetic |
Local building stock drives a lot of this. Florida loves warm whites because they bounce sun off stucco and keep attic temps reasonable. Texas leans into Cardamom and Terra Cotta Urn because they read native against desert sky and Saltillo tile patios. The Pacific Northwest tilts to soft pewters and jades that hold their tone in low light. If you live in a region where the local norm is one thing but your house is another (a craftsman in Phoenix, a Spanish Revival in Boston), trust the architecture more than the heatmap. For a comprehensive 2026 outlook, see our best exterior paint colors 2026 guide and our broader Behr exterior paint colors 2026 roundup.
HBW Base: Why Dark Marquee Colors Need Special Tinting
If you are eyeing Cracked Pepper, Hidden Gem, Tornado Season, or any deep saturated color, the Home Depot counter will tint your gallon in a specific base called HBW. HBW stands for the Marquee deep-base formula used for medium-to-dark colors, distinct from the standard "ultra pure white" base used for light shades. The HBW base carries more carrier and less filler, so the high concentration of dark pigment has room to disperse without losing hide.
This matters for two reasons on the homeowner side. First, the can label still reads "MARQUEE Exterior Flat / Satin / Semi-Gloss", but the base code printed below the UPC (and on the receipt) will read something like B330 or B340 for HBW versus B310 for the standard base. If you order a touch-up gallon later and the counter accidentally tints a darker color in a lighter base, the result will not match. Always re-check the base code when reordering. Second, dark Marquee colors absorb significantly more heat. A south-facing wall in Cracked Pepper can run 15 to 25 degF hotter than the same wall in Polar Bear during a Phoenix afternoon. For homes with WDVS (exterior insulation systems) or vinyl siding, manufacturers often cap LRV at 25 or higher to avoid heat-induced expansion damage. Check with your siding manufacturer before going below LRV 20 on a south or west facade. Our dark exterior paint colors pros and cons guide covers the heat math in detail.
Hidden Gem N430-6A: The 2026 Color of the Year, Up Close
Behr named Hidden Gem (N430-6A) its 2026 Color of the Year, calling it a "smoky jade" that lives at the intersection of blue and green. On the swatch it reads moody and serious; on a house it shifts noticeably with the surrounding palette. Paired with Polar Bear trim and natural cedar accents, Hidden Gem leans more green and feels rooted. Paired with Pewter Mug siding and black metal rails, the same shade leans more blue and reads contemporary coastal.
With an LRV of 14, Hidden Gem is a low-reflectance color, so on a full elevation it absorbs light and feels dense. It is at its best on accent applications (front door, shutters, board-and-batten section) and on the smaller faces of architecturally complex homes (Tudor revival, modern farmhouse with a contrasting front gable). It is not the right pick for a hot south-facing wall in Phoenix or for a vinyl-sided ranch with manufacturer LRV caps. Read our dedicated Behr Hidden Gem 2026 visualizer guide for full pairings, undertone behavior, and real-home test photos.
Where to Buy Behr Marquee at Home Depot (and What to Ask For)
Behr is sold exclusively at The Home Depot and on homedepot.com. Marquee Exterior comes in three sheens (Flat, Satin, Semi-Gloss) and two can sizes (1 gallon, 5 gallon). The 2026 retail price hovers at $48 to $52 per gallon and $230 to $250 for the 5-gallon pail. Here is the exact script for the paint counter.
- Bring the chip or the code. A printed chip from the Marquee tower or the color code on your phone is enough. Asking for "Polar Bear" without "1875" can land you on a similar-named color from a different line.
- Confirm "Marquee Exterior", not "Marquee Interior". The two product names look alike on the can, and the wrong one will not hold up outdoors.
- Pick your sheen. Flat hides surface flaws and is the most common pick for siding. Satin and Semi-Gloss go on trim, doors, and shutters and clean more easily.
- For dark colors, confirm HBW base. See the previous section. Receipt should show base code B330 or B340 for medium-to-deep shades.
- Buy one extra quart for touch-ups. Tint match drifts batch to batch even with the same code. Having a sealed quart from the same tint job saves you a 30-mile round trip three years from now.
Home Depot offers 8 oz sample pots in the same Marquee formula for about $7 each. Useful, but a 2 inch by 2 inch sample brushed on a single board still misleads you on how the color reads across a 30-foot facade. The smarter sampling workflow: preview 3 to 5 candidates on a photo of your real house first, narrow to 2, then buy sample pots only for the finalists. Two-step process beats six $7 pots taped to siding every time.
How These Marquee Colors Read Across Siding Materials
A color on stucco is not the same color on lap siding. Texture changes the way pigment scatters light, which shifts the apparent value (lighter or darker) by half a step in either direction. Across our visualizer sessions, here is how the top 12 behave by surface.
- Smooth fiber cement (HardiePlank smooth, LP smooth): Reads closest to the swatch. Polar Bear, Almond Wisp, and Sculptor Clay all keep their published LRV.
- Cedar lap or vinyl with wood-grain emboss: Reads roughly one shade darker because micro shadows in the grain absorb light. Cracked Pepper deepens; Hidden Gem leans inkier.
- Stucco (smooth or fine-sand): Reads about a half-shade lighter due to scatter. Cardamom, Mocha Ice, and Terra Cotta Urn read warm and softer on stucco than the chip suggests.
- Brick (painted over): Reads slightly chalky because brick texture scatters light unevenly. Cracked Pepper on painted brick can lose 1 to 2 points of perceived saturation.
- Board and batten: Reads richer because the deeper shadow lines next to the battens make the field color feel more saturated. Adirondack Blue and Hidden Gem both gain visual weight here.
Because the same Marquee color reads three different ways across fiber cement, stucco, and cedar, the only way to know what your house will actually look like is to test it on a photo of your house. That is exactly what the free visualizer is built for, and it takes about 30 seconds per color.
Pairings: Trim, Door, and Accent Combinations for the Top 6
The single biggest mistake homeowners make is choosing a beautiful siding color and then defaulting to a stock white trim that fights it. Here are the pairings our visualizer users land on most often for the top six 2026 Marquee picks.
| Siding | Trim | Front Door | Style |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polar Bear | Cracked Pepper | Hidden Gem | Modern farmhouse |
| Cracked Pepper | Polar Bear | Cardamom | Moody contemporary |
| Sculptor Clay | Almond Wisp | Cracked Pepper | Transitional |
| Pewter Mug | Polar Bear | Adirondack Blue | Modern ranch |
| Blank Canvas | Cracked Pepper | Terra Cotta Urn | Spanish Revival, coastal |
| Cardamom | Blank Canvas | Hidden Gem | Craftsman, desert |
Two rules of thumb. Rule one: the trim should be at least 30 LRV points lighter or darker than the siding. Polar Bear (LRV 91) over Cracked Pepper trim (LRV 8) is a textbook example; the eye reads it instantly. Rule two: the door is allowed to break the rules. A Hidden Gem door on Polar Bear siding adds dimension; a Terra Cotta Urn door on Blank Canvas siding adds warmth without the rest of the elevation having to commit. For more whole-home pairings, see our exterior house color combinations 2026 guide and our Sherwin-Williams vs Benjamin Moore exterior comparison.
Marquee Color Visualizer: Free Alternatives to Behr's Tool
Behr offers ColorSmart, a free in-app and online color tool that lets you load stock house templates or upload your own photo and apply Behr colors. It is useful for quick experimentation, but most homeowners report two friction points: stock templates rarely match their architecture, and the photo upload often takes more masking work than expected. For an independent take, our Behr Color Visualizer review and free alternatives breaks down the gaps and shows side-by-side previews.
Whichever tool you choose, the goal is the same: see the color on YOUR house, in YOUR light, before you tint a 5-gallon pail. A 30-second AI preview prevents the $250 mistake of buying the wrong shade. For broader 2026 inspiration beyond Behr, browse HGTV exterior paint trends and the editorial coverage on This Old House.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular Behr Marquee exterior color in 2026?
Polar Bear (1875) leads, accounting for 14% of all Behr exterior previews on our visualizer between July 2025 and April 2026. It is a warm white with LRV 91 that pairs well with almost every trim color and reads soft rather than stark on real siding.
What is the Behr 2026 Color of the Year?
Behr named Hidden Gem (N430-6A) its 2026 Color of the Year. It is a smoky jade that blends blue and green, with LRV 14 and HEX #536A65. It works best on accent applications (front doors, shutters, board-and-batten sections) and on the smaller faces of architecturally complex homes.
How many colors are in the Marquee One-Coat Hide Collection?
The Marquee One-Coat Hide Color Collection covers roughly 1,000 curated interior and exterior colors that Behr has formulated and tested to hide an existing similar color in a single coat. Any color outside that list can still be tinted in Marquee base, but the one-coat coverage claim does not apply.
Is Behr Marquee the same paint as Premium Plus?
No. The color names overlap, but the paint formulas are different. Marquee is Behr's top exterior tier with one-coat hide on the curated list, advanced UV protection, and rain-clean technology, sold at $48 to $52 per gallon. Premium Plus is the mid-tier at $28 to $32 per gallon with standard durability and typically needs two coats.
What is HBW and why does it matter for dark Marquee colors?
HBW is the Marquee deep-base formula used for medium-to-dark colors like Cracked Pepper and Hidden Gem. It carries more carrier and less filler to accommodate heavy dark pigment loads. The base code (B330 or B340) appears on the receipt; always re-check it when ordering touch-up gallons to ensure tint match.
Where can I buy Behr Marquee paint?
Behr is sold exclusively at The Home Depot and on homedepot.com. Marquee Exterior comes in Flat, Satin, and Semi-Gloss sheens, in 1-gallon ($48 to $52) and 5-gallon ($230 to $250) sizes. The paint counter tints any of the 1,000 One-Coat Hide colors on demand.
Will dark Marquee colors damage my vinyl or WDVS siding?
Dark colors absorb significantly more heat. Most vinyl siding manufacturers cap LRV at 25 or higher to avoid heat-induced expansion that can warp panels, and WDVS (exterior insulation) systems often have similar limits. Check your siding manufacturer's specifications before going below LRV 20 on south or west elevations. Cracked Pepper (LRV 8) and Hidden Gem (LRV 14) are below typical caps.
Can I preview Behr Marquee colors on my own house before buying?
Yes. FacadeColorizer lets you upload a photo of your home and apply any of the 12 popular Marquee shades (Polar Bear, Cracked Pepper, Hidden Gem, and more) in seconds. It is completely free, requires no signup, and works on phone or desktop, so you see how the color reads on your actual siding before opening a can.
Behr®, Marquee®, Premium Plus®, and ColorSmart® are trademarks of Behr Process LLC. Sherwin-Williams® and Benjamin Moore® are trademarks of their respective owners. Brand, product, and color names are used here for editorial and comparative reference only (nominative fair use under 15 U.S.C. §1125, Lanham Act). FacadeColorizer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Behr Process LLC, The Home Depot, or any of these companies. HEX and LRV values are publisher swatch approximations and may vary slightly on actual painted surfaces depending on substrate, sheen, and lighting.
