The Best and Worst Colors to Paint Your Home
The colors one chooses to paint the interior of their home is important, many folks feel, because it makes a statement about personal taste and the overall ambiance and character of the home that the owner wants to convey. And while this is a great point, it still pays to look at what colors are trending for the year ahead. After all, even if a homeowner who has set tastes, may still wish to broaden his horizons.
It seems each decade brings a new trend: The sixties had pastels, the 80s had its neon, and the nineties could be defined by Monica and Rachel’s living room on the TV show, “Friends.” What are the experts and paint companies saying about the coming year and decade?
To begin with, it should be remembered that contemporary pop culture along with technological and architectural trends play an important role, in addition to other factors.
Better Homes and Gardens is emphasizing various shades of pink, such as bubblegum, bright coral, fuchsia, magenta, (dark wood accents work well with magenta colored walls – adding distinction and a touch of class). Sunset pink walls in a bedroom can add a soothing, serene ambiance. And pinks always go well with crisp whites.
Benjamin Moore is out with their 2020 color advice. And they too are long on pink: There color of the year is a shade of pink they call, “first light.” They refer to it as a tone that “floats between warm and cool.” For you macho guys who wouldn’t think of using a pink paint tone: How many guys are dressing up a suit or blazer with a pink necktie nowadays – plenty.
Some of their other picks for 2020 include buxton blue which the company refers to as “a deeply elegant sapphire,” cushing green – “earthy and enveloping,” crystalline – “invigorates,” white heron –“refines,” (see hyperlink above for more).
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) says that grays and beiges are losing favor to more colorful interiors. The NAR predicts (based on current trends and recent articles by design and paint companies) that blues and greens will gain in popularity in 2020.
Erica Woelfel, vice president at Behr, a supplier of paint and wood, says, people reengaging with nature is the coming trend. “As we look ahead to the next decade, back to nature encourages us to reengage with the natural world …” Not surprisingly, Behr’s top color for 2020 is a meadow inspired green, called “back to nature.”
The paint company PPGs color of the year is Chinese porcelain – a blend of cobalt and subdued navy tones. Dee Schlotter, a senior manager at PPG says, “Blue is the easiest possible entry point from the world of neutrals to the world of color.” Blue in a bedroom matches well with a variety of whites (bedding, furniture, etc.). It can also be used as a feature color. It can also be used in a living room, offering a modern look.
The Color Institute concurs with the back to nature movement for 2020, adding that sea tones and ocean inspired palettes will be a big trend for the coming year. The Institutes, Lauren Pressman adds, “Colors of the sea - like sand inspired whites … and oxygenated cooler greens will be prevalent in 2020.”