“Color is the place where our brain and the universe meet.” —Paul Klee
I absolutely love color, so this time of year is great because several major paint companies in the U.S. announce their 2017 colors of the year. These are their predictions for design and style, and give us insight into how people are using color. It also starts a conversation about how we live with color, which is always interesting.
Sherwin-Williams: Poised Taupe
This year, there are some lovely colors of the year. Let’s start with Sherwin-Williams, which has chosen a color called “Poised Taupe” as its 2017 color of the year.
Photo courtesy of Sherwin-WIlliams
Gray has dominated the neutrals for the past several years, so for people a little tired of it, this color should be a breath of fresh air. Sherwin-Williams describes Poised Taupe as a color that “creates a cozy lifestyle and brings a sense of sanctuary into our homes…earthen brown combines with conservative grey and the result is a weathered, woodsy and complex neutral.”
“Poised Taupe celebrates everything people love about cool gray as a neutral, and also brings in the warmth of brown, taking a color to an entirely new level,” said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing. “Not cool or warm, nor gray or brown, Poised Taupe is a weathered, woodsy neutral bringing a sense of coziness and harmony that people are seeking.”
PPG: Violet Verbena
A gray-purple hue, “Violet Verbena” is the 2017 color of the year from PPG. It’s meant to call on the popular bohemian, “gypset” lifestyle and be an update on a classic shade.
Photo courtesy of PPG
As I noted recently in my blog post about the psychology of color, purple is the color of creativity. If someone wants to tap into creativity, they should surround themselves with purple for inspiration. In the past, purple was worn by royalty and it has the connotation of being a rich color.
As PPG notes, Violet Verbena “adds depth, luxury and pampering to every space, making it the perfect backdrop for consumers looking to blend the masculine, the feminine, the mystic and the modern…[it] adapts to surrounding environments and complements a variety of design aesthetics, from playful rooms to tranquil spaces.”
Glidden: Byzantine Blue
With a serene gray violet blue, Glidden has predicted Byzantine Blue as its color of the year for 2017. This is a bit of a chameleon color: next to dark neutrals, it feels more grayish; next to whites, more blue-purple.
Photo courtesy of Glidden
“The name may say blue, but Byzantine Blue is truly a purple in disguise,” said Misty Yeomans, PPG color marketing manager, Glidden paint. “It stretches the boundaries of purple to borrow all of best qualities of blue and gray, making it an appealing color choice for nearly any room.”
Blue colors like this tend to be soothing, and make people feel calm. It’s also a cool color, so it will bring your perceived temperature down. I would use a blue-purple like this in a room where I wanted to create a sense of serenity, like a bedroom or bathroom. Keep in mind that with all colors, the more saturated the hue, the more intense the psychological effect.
Olympic: Cloudberry
Interestingly, a third company has chosen a soft violet as their 2017 color of the year. Olympic’s Cloudberry is meant to create a sense of respite and solace from the busy world.
Photo courtesy of Olympic
“Home décor trends for 2017 are reflecting society’s urge to find a space apart from constant connectedness, and to create balance by establishing our homes as places to refresh,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager, Olympic Paints & Stains brand. “Cloudberry is the perfect complement to the minimalist style that is strongly trending in the year ahead.”
How interesting that all four 2017 colors of the year are softer hues meant to help people nest and create a place of refuge from a noisy, over-connected world. As I noted last year, these are symbolic color predictions, “color snapshots” of what is happing in our country and our world. They express a general mood and attitude happening around us.
What do you think of these 2017 colors of the year predictions? I’d love to hear your thoughts on Poised Taupe, Violet Verbena, Byzantine Blue, and Cloudberry. Please leave a comment.
