| At the end of each year, as the seasons turn more gray and white, paint manufacturers announce their new Colors of the Year. For 2019 these colors tend to be earthy and nature-oriented, a throwback to mid-20th-century design.
These new colors set the stage for the hues one will find in new carpeting, wallpapers, fabrics and accessories, all the new items you might put in your home.
Color is an emotional element. A different paint on the walls changes the mood, the feeling of a space. Whether you want to make the space more energetic, more relaxing or more open, color has the power to create that transformation.
Behr Paint’s Color of the Year 2019 is a mid-tone blue called Blueprint. Erika Woelfel, the company’s vice president of color and creative services, describes the color as a blue that’s “warmer than denim and softer than navy.” Says Woelfel, “Much like the sketches builders rely on to bring an architectural design to life, Blueprint lays a foundation for consumers to make their unique vision a reality.” This very usable color works well with pastels or neutrals, as well as many darker colors.
A deep green called Nightwatch, the color of forests and dark green leaves, is PPG’s color for 2019. Said the company’s senior color marketing manager Dee Schlotter, “The restorative power of nature is important in society now more than ever. Nightwatch is about bringing the healing power from the outdoors into your home through color. The hue pulls our memories of natural environments to the surface to recreate the calming, invigorating euphoria we feel when in nature.”
Dutch Boy also picked green – a bright green called Garden Patch, reminiscent of fresh peas or new lettuce – as its color for 2019. “When the Dutch Boy color team selects a color, we want it to be something the homeowner can use to transform just about any space,” said Rachel Skafidas, the company’s color and design manager, adding that Garden Patch is reflective of a new feeling of optimism in society. “Even though people may see challenges in their lives, they’re thinking positively and expressing more empathy,” she said.
From Sherwin Williams is a terracotta color called Cavern Clay. This color nods to midcentury modern style and the American Southwest; it works well with materials like leather, wood and clay. Said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing for Sherwin Williams “We believe 2019 will be a renaissance of the 1970s – with a twist. Cavern Clay embodies renewal, simplicity and a free-spirited, bohemian flair.”
While the other brands went warm for 2019, Benjamin Moore picked Metropolitan, a sophisticated, calming gray. “It’s a color in the neutral spectrum that references a contemplative state of mind and design,” said Ellen O’Neill, director of strategic design intelligence for the company. “Not arresting nor aggressive, this understated, yet glamorous, gray creates a soothing, impactful common ground. Metropolitan is color that can provide a beautiful, yet neutral, background for anything you might place in your home.” |
