Why People Are Loving Soft, Soothing Colors at Home
Color has the ability to make us feel calm in a chaotic world — and that’s reflected in new palettes for the home
In the face of scary headlines and cultural overload, colors at home appear to be moving in a more tranquil direction. Presentations at this month’s Design Chicago conference, along with just-announced colors of the year, suggest that major paint brands, designers and homeowners are looking to muted, calming palettes and design choices in general. While the news and the public’s mood aren’t the only factors driving soothing colors’ popularity, experts say people do seem to be looking for comfort and quiet at home and that color trends reflect that.
As Plank told Design Chicago attendees, those palettes — meant to “bring joy, serenity and focus to the mind, body and spirit,” according to Sherwin-Williams — include Mantra, a collection of dusty pinks and warm beiges influenced by minimalism, serenity and sanctuary, and Haven, a set of richer but still muted blues, greens and grays that draws from simplicity and “beckons to those seeking an oasis.”
Plank also cited as influences the concepts of healthy living, sustainability and even JOMO, the homebody cousin of FOMO (fear of missing out). It stands for “joy of missing out.”
Sherwin-Williams’ annual forecast “is a reflection of key influences in pop culture, fashion, design and technology, which are constantly evolving,” the company’s director of color marketing Sue Wadden told Houzz. “Each year, our global color and design team travels the world to research and identify key trends that influence the way we interact with color. From those findings, the team turns emerging themes into the annual forecast, and 2020 was all about wellness and slowing down to bring our best selves into the next decade.”
Paint on smaller arch: Breathless, Sherwin-Williams; gray wall paint: Software, Sherwin-Williams
Is a Kitchen Designed for Wellness the Key to a Healthier You?
Plank also cited as influences the concepts of healthy living, sustainability and even JOMO, the homebody cousin of FOMO (fear of missing out). It stands for “joy of missing out.”
Sherwin-Williams’ annual forecast “is a reflection of key influences in pop culture, fashion, design and technology, which are constantly evolving,” the company’s director of color marketing Sue Wadden told Houzz. “Each year, our global color and design team travels the world to research and identify key trends that influence the way we interact with color. From those findings, the team turns emerging themes into the annual forecast, and 2020 was all about wellness and slowing down to bring our best selves into the next decade.”
Paint on smaller arch: Breathless, Sherwin-Williams; gray wall paint: Software, Sherwin-Williams
Is a Kitchen Designed for Wellness the Key to a Healthier You?
Experts from Benjamin Moore noted similar trends in their company’s 2019 palettes compared with recent years. In a Design Chicago presentation on Benjamin Moore palettes of the last five years, 2019’s colors had a more minimalist feel overall, with fewer highlighted colors and more whites, grays and pale blues. Instead of 2018’s bold red Caliente, for instance, a soft gray called Metropolitan was featured this year.
“For 2019, we observed a shift where quietude and a retreat from noise and chaos seemed to pervade the mood,” Hannah Yeo, a Benjamin Moore color and development expert, told Houzz. “There’s a need to pause and enjoy not only moments of quiet and tranquillity, but also the small details that we may otherwise overlook when we are immersed in the hustle and bustle of the day. Our research signaled a balance between strength and softness, presented in a subtle yet powerful manner.”
Wall paint: Windmill Wings, Benjamin Moore
Maison & Objet: 7 Color Trends to Watch in 2019
“For 2019, we observed a shift where quietude and a retreat from noise and chaos seemed to pervade the mood,” Hannah Yeo, a Benjamin Moore color and development expert, told Houzz. “There’s a need to pause and enjoy not only moments of quiet and tranquillity, but also the small details that we may otherwise overlook when we are immersed in the hustle and bustle of the day. Our research signaled a balance between strength and softness, presented in a subtle yet powerful manner.”
Wall paint: Windmill Wings, Benjamin Moore
Maison & Objet: 7 Color Trends to Watch in 2019
The company’s 2020 Color of the Year — a soft, rosy shade called First Light, shown here — was released Oct. 11, a week after Design Chicago ended.
“First Light 2102-70 reflects a new definition of the home — a shift in mindset from the material to satisfying the core needs in life: community, comfort, security, self-expression, authenticity and, ultimately, optimism,” Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s director of color marketing and development, said in a news release.
Wall paint: First Light, Benjamin Moore
“First Light 2102-70 reflects a new definition of the home — a shift in mindset from the material to satisfying the core needs in life: community, comfort, security, self-expression, authenticity and, ultimately, optimism,” Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s director of color marketing and development, said in a news release.
Wall paint: First Light, Benjamin Moore
Interior designers at Design Chicago who talked with Houzz said they’re seeing this attraction to calm simplicity show up in client color and design requests.
“I have found my clients craving visual rest in their homes,” designer Sarah Coe said. “This is achieved by creating rooms that are monochromatic in theme — rooms that are all light or all dark. They are never boring or oversimple; if anything, it demands the eye to look closer to find interest in texture, trim and material.”
Wall paint: Verde Marrón, Sherwin-Williams
Find an interior designer near you
“I have found my clients craving visual rest in their homes,” designer Sarah Coe said. “This is achieved by creating rooms that are monochromatic in theme — rooms that are all light or all dark. They are never boring or oversimple; if anything, it demands the eye to look closer to find interest in texture, trim and material.”
Wall paint: Verde Marrón, Sherwin-Williams
Find an interior designer near you
Designer SuzAnn Kletzien covered color trends specifically for the kitchen in her Design Chicago presentation, and told Houzz that her clients have been expressing a desire for less stuff, though the color picks can lean quiet or loud depending on the homeowner.
“I’ve had a repeat client that had very dramatic contrasts — although not necessarily strong color — request a very muted palette in their second home. This was because they have four young children and wanted as serene a backdrop as possible,” Kletzien said. “On the other hand, I’ve had clients hire me recently specifically for my use of strong and saturation colors. They had a very dull home before, however, so perhaps the blandness drove the color requests.”
Wall paint: Granite Peak, Sherwin-Williams
“I’ve had a repeat client that had very dramatic contrasts — although not necessarily strong color — request a very muted palette in their second home. This was because they have four young children and wanted as serene a backdrop as possible,” Kletzien said. “On the other hand, I’ve had clients hire me recently specifically for my use of strong and saturation colors. They had a very dull home before, however, so perhaps the blandness drove the color requests.”
Wall paint: Granite Peak, Sherwin-Williams
When bolder colors did show up in Sherwin-Williams’ 2020 predictions, they were inspired by ideas like escapism and nostalgia, Plank said — meaning that even homeowners and designers who are using strong colors may also be using them to create a comforting, reassuring space.
Designer Summer Thornton said her clients were still all about maximalism, which got a lot of buzz at last year’s Design Chicago event, but that she’s seeing more interest in an airy and light West Coast look. Thornton said she tries to steer clear of trendy colors in general to keep her work timeless.
Wall paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about maximalism at last year’s Design Chicago event
Designer Summer Thornton said her clients were still all about maximalism, which got a lot of buzz at last year’s Design Chicago event, but that she’s seeing more interest in an airy and light West Coast look. Thornton said she tries to steer clear of trendy colors in general to keep her work timeless.
Wall paint: Pure White, Sherwin-Williams
Read more about maximalism at last year’s Design Chicago event
For all the attention on color as an escape from an overwhelming world, designers and homeowners may be glad to know that the latest hues are also tied to optimism. Colors such as Benjamin Moore’s First Light and even offerings from companies abroad, like Dulux’s just-released 2020 Color of the Year, the pale green Tranquil Dawn, bring to mind a sense of peaceful new beginnings, in name as well as appearance.
Background wall paint: First Light, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
How to Create a Cohesive Color Flow Throughout Your Home
See more inspiration photos of muted color palettes
Background wall paint: First Light, Benjamin Moore
More on Houzz
How to Create a Cohesive Color Flow Throughout Your Home
See more inspiration photos of muted color palettes
Shelf paint: Acacia Haze, Sherwin-Williams