We are professional painters. Our team paints beautiful rooms and building exteriors using a wide array of colors however, by no means, are we color experts. Often asked about popular color palettes or trending colors, we must turn to the experts and visible patterns we see from our paint projects.
Last month, our newsletter focused on Pantone®’s 2019 color of year – Living Coral. We spoke about how to incorporate this color into your interior design. What we didn’t look at was how annual color trends and long-term color trends differ. There is a difference between a color of year and a trendy color palette. Knowing this information is helpful when figuring out how to select colors for your interior space. We set out to learn more about the difference between a hot color and a popular palette. What we learned may help you in picking colors for your life and space.
It is unreasonable to think a person would replace their entire wardrobe with items in the color of the year. It is even more ridiculous to think a person would paint their entire house the color of the year, every… single… year. This is where the trendy color palettes come into play. We are currently seeing a lot of cool, calming neutral colors for interior paint. There are a lot of grays, blues and even pale greens being utilized. These colors accented with bright white, fun patterns and dark fixtures make for a pleasing palette that will stand the test of time for at least a handful of years.
Unlike the colors of the year, the color palette trends change gradually and over time. Eight to 10 years ago people were opting for big, bold, bright interior paint colors in their homes, like reds, yellows and oranges. These warm colors elicit energy and power. Slowly, we’ve seen a shift to the cooler, calmer color scheme mentioned above, with grays leading the way.
Pantone’s Living Coral is kind of a pink-orange color reminiscent of tropical coral in the sea. It might be a bit much to paint an entire room in this color, but it would work very well as an accent wall amidst the grays and blues of the cooler color palette. Still, it’s a bold choice for a wall. If you’re not ready to make that commitment, consider instead, accent items like patterned pillows, throws, or even lamps, single furniture items and dishes that bring pops of the popular color into your cooler, neutral colored room. There are so many ways to use color, and it’s totally up to you how you do it. Do you follow the trends? Do you listen to your heart? Do you mix and match with a little bit of both?
Because we know the trending color palette will be around for a while, and at this time tends on a more neutral spectrum, that’s a great place to start. Your local paint store probably has lots of tools available to mix and match color and even get help determining what goes well together. There are also quite a few offered online from various paint manufacturers. Pick a main color-type, to start such as gray or blue, and go from there. Give it some thought, and then, when you’re ready, give us a call. We can’t pick the colors, but we can definitely make your vision become a beautiful reality in your space.