Unveiling the Palettes of the Year: A Deep Dive into Trending Paint Colors for Your Home

The Ever-Evolving Canvas of Home Decor: Understanding Color Trends

As another year unfolds, so too does a fresh spectrum of colors ready to redefine our living spaces. Before you embark on your next home improvement project or consult with your trusted painter, delving into the trending paint colors can provide invaluable inspiration. The prevailing sentiment this year points towards a delightful array of blues and inviting terra cotta tones, promising to bring joy to anyone who appreciates these shades. Color, more than just a decorative choice, acts as a powerful storyteller, reflecting cultural shifts, collective moods, and our innate desire for comfort, connection, or vibrancy within our personal sanctuaries.

What’s particularly fascinating about the current trends is a noticeable pattern across various paint purveyors: a distinct lean towards either a signature blue or a captivating orange hue. This duality suggests a collective longing for both tranquility and warmth, a harmonious balance that homeowners and designers are keen to integrate into their environments. These trending palettes are more than mere aesthetic suggestions; they are carefully curated choices designed to evoke specific emotions and enhance the functionality and comfort of our homes.

Benjamin Moore: Sophistication in Neutrals and Deep Hues

Benjamin Moore, a perennial leader in paint and color innovation, consistently offers sophisticated choices that resonate deeply with design enthusiasts. This year, their selections demonstrate a masterclass in versatility, showcasing how profound hues and understated neutrals can coexist beautifully.

Hale Navy: A Timeless Classic for Modern Spaces

Consider Benjamin Moore’s Hale Navy, a deep, rich blue that exudes an undeniable sense of timelessness and sophistication. This versatile shade possesses an extraordinary ability to complement an extensive array of colors within Benjamin Moore’s 2019 collection. While the overall palette might lean less towards vibrant oranges, it beautifully incorporates softer, more unexpected tones, such as a delicate pink like Head Over Heels, demonstrating the intricate balance that defines modern color trends.

Hale Navy truly shines when paired with warmer neutrals like taupe, creating an inviting and grounded atmosphere. Its profound depth allows it to serve as a versatile neutral, capable of leaning towards either a feminine softness or a masculine robustness, entirely dependent on the complementary colors chosen to accompany it. This adaptability makes it an ideal choice for various rooms, from a sophisticated study to a tranquil bedroom. It also beautifully interacts with Benjamin Moore’s highly anticipated Color of the Year, Metropolitan, forming a cohesive and elegant design narrative.

Metropolitan AF-690: The Essence of Composed Elegance

Benjamin Moore’s Metropolitan AF-690, their esteemed Color of the Year, encapsulates a serene elegance. Ellen O’Neill, Benjamin Moore Director of Strategic Design Intelligence, eloquently described it in a press release: “Comforting, composed and effortlessly sophisticated, Metropolitan AF-690 exudes beauty and balance. It’s a color in the neutral spectrum that references a contemplative state of mind and design. Not arresting nor aggressive, this understated yet glamorous gray creates a soothing, impactful common ground.”

Metropolitan is more than just a gray; it’s a foundational color that promotes a sense of tranquility and groundedness. Its subtle allure makes it perfect for main living areas, offices, or bedrooms where a peaceful and sophisticated ambiance is desired. This elegant gray allows other design elements to shine, providing a perfect backdrop for artwork, vibrant textiles, or natural wood tones, making it an indispensable tool for achieving modern yet inviting interiors.

Behr: Earthy Warmth Meets Serene Blues

Behr’s approach to trending colors often marries practicality with inspiring aesthetics, providing homeowners with accessible yet impactful choices. Their selections for the year underscore a duality, offering both refreshing blues and grounding earthy tones, ensuring a wide appeal.

Blueprint S470-5: Architecting Serenity

Behr named Blueprint S470-5 as its Color of the Year, a choice that immediately brings a sense of calm and clarity. While Behr’s palette also includes hints of pinky hues, its accompanying orange tones distinctly skew towards a warmer, more Southwestern feel rather than a vibrant Havana exuberance. Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr, articulated the essence of this choice: “Much like the sketches builders rely on to bring an architectural design to life, Blueprint S470-5 lays a foundation for consumers to make their unique vision a reality. This universally appealing hue provides a steady stream of positivity and is poised to be an instant classic for years to come.”

Jodi Allen, chief marketing officer for Behr, further emphasized its accessibility: “Blueprint makes it easy for homeowners and apartment dwellers across the country to reimagine their space.” This speaks to the color’s ease of use and broad appeal, making it perfect for bedrooms, bathrooms, or any area where a refreshing and uplifting atmosphere is desired. Blueprint offers a hopeful and stable foundation, inviting creativity and personal expression.

Amber Autumn: Behr’s Embrace of Terra Cotta

Complementing the serene Blueprint, Behr also offers Amber Autumn, its significant contribution to the burgeoning terra cotta trend. This warm, earthy hue evokes the richness of autumn landscapes and the natural beauty of sun-baked clay. Amber Autumn is ideal for creating cozy and inviting spaces, particularly in living rooms or dining areas where a sense of gathering and warmth is paramount. Its inherent grounding qualities make it an excellent choice for balancing lighter, cooler tones, adding depth and organic appeal to any interior.

Sherwin-Williams: A Nod to Nature’s Rustic Charm

Sherwin-Williams, in a distinctive departure from the blues and grays favored by some contemporaries, embraced the raw beauty of nature with its Color of the Year. This choice highlights a desire for connection to the earth and a celebration of authentic, untamed aesthetics.

Cavern Clay SW 7701: The Spirit of Renewal and Bohemian Flair

Sherwin-Williams named Cavern Clay, a captivating terra cotta orange, as its Color of the Year. This hue is a confident nod to a rustic, yet modern aesthetic, playing beautifully with both bold and subdued color palettes. The company suggests five key color combinations for Cavern Clay, which intriguingly include a serene blue, a grounding taupe, and even a fresh green, illustrating its remarkable versatility.

Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, shared the inspiration: “We believe 2019 will be a renaissance of the 1970s—with a twist. In the coming year, we will embrace our pioneering spirits and artisan ingenuity. Our 2019 Color of the Year, Cavern Clay, embodies renewal, simplicity and free-spirited, bohemian flair.” She added, “Cavern Clay is an easy way to bring the warmth of the outdoors in. Envision beaches, canyons and deserts, and sun-washed late summer afternoons—all of this embodied in one color.” This vivid description invites homeowners to infuse their spaces with the comforting glow and adventurous spirit of natural landscapes, making Cavern Clay an ideal choice for creating inviting and deeply personal interiors.

PPG: A Journey into Tranquil Depths with Green

PPG took a distinctly different path for its 2019 Color of the Year, opting for a profound and enveloping green that speaks to a desire for introspection and connection with the natural world, even within urban settings.

Night Watch PPG1145-7: Escaping into Nature’s Sanctuary

PPG’s 2019 choice, a captivating dark green named Night Watch, stands out as a luxurious and grounding hue. This deep, black-infused green perfectly pairs with several of its other trend color palettes, offering remarkable flexibility in design. PPG describes its newest beauty as “born out of community, luxury and nature. In an ever-disruptive world, we want to escape to a quieter place – one that’s protective and beautiful.”

Night Watch provides this pathway, serving as a powerful hue that can be employed either as a sophisticated neutral or a dramatic statement accent. “Night Watch can make you feel healthy, grounded and calm, allowing other coordinating décor colors or interior plants to be showcased against its luxe backdrop.” This color is ideal for creating restorative spaces like a cozy reading nook, a serene bedroom, or an elegant dining room. It invites a sense of refuge, drawing inspiration from lush forests and providing a sophisticated yet earthy foundation for interior design.

Ace Hardware: Community-Chosen Zest and Diverse Finalists

Ace Hardware’s approach to identifying a trending color brought a unique, community-driven element to the forefront, engaging customers directly in the selection process. This democratic method resulted in a vibrant and unexpected winner, while also reaffirming broader industry trends.

Pineapple Cream Granita: A Sweet & Bright Surprise

While many major paint companies leaned into blues and earthy oranges, the winner of Ace Hardware’s color of the year contest was a delightfully bright and light yellow called Pineapple Cream Granita by Clark+Kensington. This cheerful hue offered a refreshing counterpoint to the more muted or deep tones. Ace Hardware actively involved its customers, inviting them to create their own color combinations during events held at neighborhood stores. Subsequently, a panel of experts and social media followers cast their votes, leading to Francine C.’s winning creation.

Francine C., the creator, shared the charming inspiration behind her winning color: “When I created this color, I was daydreaming about enjoying a delicious dessert while on a relaxing vacation in Sicily with my daughter. The color is soothing and yet bright; sweet with just a bit of tartness. It was so much fun to participate in this process and I hope everyone loves Pineapple Cream Granita as much as we do!” The rest of the finalists in Ace Hardware’s contest, however, closely mirrored the trends championed by larger paint companies, lending significant credence to the idea that blues and Southwestern hues would indeed dominate interior design throughout the year.

Valspar: A Spectrum of 12 Hues for Every Mood

Valspar distinguished itself by not committing to a single Color of the Year but instead presenting a comprehensive collection of 12 distinct shades. This diverse approach offers homeowners an unparalleled range of options, catering to virtually every taste and design aspiration.

A Dozen Ways to Transform Your Space

Valspar’s extensive selection includes a variety of compelling choices such as Metropolis Lilac, the serene Angelic Blue (featured initially in this article), a refreshing Green Water, the enigmatic Twilight Mist, the sunny Spring Squash, and the lively Lime Mousse, among others. Each color in this curated dozen is designed to empower homeowners.

Sue Kim, Valspar Senior Color Designer at Sherwin-Williams Consumer Brands Group, explained the philosophy behind this diverse offering: “The Valspar Colors of the Year are bolder takes on basic colors to provide color-curious consumers the opportunity to create change within their homes in an easy, fun and attainable way. We believe changing your outlook can be as easy as changing the paint on your walls.” This vision encourages exploration and personalization, making color transformation an accessible and enjoyable process.

Kim further highlighted specific examples: “Orange Slice, for instance, evokes a sense of playfulness, while Twilight Mist brings an aura of mystery.” Angelic Blue offers a serene escape, perfect for creating calm retreats, while Metropolis Lilac introduces a sophisticated and contemporary pop of color. The breadth of Valspar’s collection ensures that whether you seek vibrant energy, tranquil serenity, or understated elegance, there’s a hue perfectly suited to your vision.

Pantone: The Vibrant Heart of Global Color

Pantone, as the global authority on color, often sets the tone for the entire design industry, influencing everything from fashion to interior decor. Their Color of the Year announcement is always eagerly anticipated, revealing a hue that aims to capture the zeitgeist.

Living Coral 16-1546: Embracing Connection and Vivacity

All the aforementioned paint trends appear to be somewhat toned-down interpretations of Pantone’s electrifying Color of the Year — Living Coral (PANTONE 16-1546). This vibrant, pinky-orange hue is inherently bold, requiring a certain bravery for large-scale applications. It seems paint companies sought a broader, more universally approachable audience, opting for slightly more muted terracotta versions or pairing lively accents with sleek, sometimes sedate, grays and blues.

However, Pantone itself was unequivocal in its choice. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, explained the profound message behind Living Coral: “Color is an equalizing lens through which we experience our natural and digital realities and this is particularly true for Living Coral. With consumers craving human interaction and social connection, the humanizing and heartening qualities displayed by the convivial Pantone Living Coral hit a responsive chord.”

Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute, further elaborated on its significance: “Color enhances and influences the way we experience life. As a shade that affirms life through a dual role of energizing and nourishing, PANTONE 16-1546 Living Coral reinforces how colors can embody our collective experience and reflect what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time.” Living Coral, therefore, isn’t just a color; it’s a statement about optimism, connection, and the vibrant life force that energizes our world, offering a powerful burst of warmth and vitality in design.

Beyond the Brush: Integrating Trending Colors into Your Lifestyle

While the focus is often on walls, incorporating these trending colors extends far beyond a fresh coat of paint. For those who shy away from bold wall colors, an accent wall can introduce a powerful pop of a trending hue without overwhelming the space. Consider using Hale Navy in a study or Cavern Clay in a cozy reading nook to make a sophisticated statement.

Furthermore, textiles offer an excellent way to weave these colors into your home. Think throw pillows, blankets, or rugs in Living Coral or Amber Autumn to infuse warmth and energy. Upholstery on an accent chair or even draperies can transform a room with the calming presence of Blueprint or Night Watch. Even smaller decorative items like vases, artwork, or ceramics can pick up on these trending shades, creating cohesive and stylish vignettes.

When selecting colors, always consider the natural light in your room. A color might appear vastly different in a north-facing room compared to a south-facing one. It’s always advisable to purchase paint samples and test them on your walls, observing how they look at different times of day and under various lighting conditions. This small step can save significant time and money, ensuring you fall in love with your chosen shade before committing to the entire room. Working with an interior designer or a professional painter can also provide expert guidance, helping you navigate the vast world of color and bring your vision to life seamlessly.

The Enduring Power of Color in Interior Design

The array of trending paint colors for the year paints a vivid picture of collective desires: a longing for grounding and nature, a quest for comforting and sophisticated neutrals, and a surprising embrace of vibrant energy and joyful hues. From Benjamin Moore’s composed Metropolitan and commanding Hale Navy, to Behr’s foundational Blueprint and earthy Amber Autumn, Sherwin-Williams’ free-spirited Cavern Clay, and PPG’s tranquil Night Watch, homeowners are presented with a rich palette of choices. Valspar’s extensive collection and Ace Hardware’s unique community-chosen favorite further underscore the diversity and personal nature of color selection.

Ultimately, the power of color in interior design lies in its ability to transform not just a room, but also our mood and experience within that space. These trending colors offer more than just aesthetic appeal; they provide an opportunity to create environments that resonate with our deepest desires for comfort, connection, inspiration, and personal expression. By understanding these trends and thoughtfully applying them, you can craft a home that truly reflects your unique style and fosters a profound sense of well-being.