The marketing departments of paint manufacturing businesses spend a significant amount of time researching global paint color trends so that the color palettes they offer their customers are fresh, relevant, and reflect today’s styles and personality. This is the time of the year when paint manufacturers roll out their predictions for next year’s favorite colors and select their own “Color of the Year”.  Paint color matters and it means big business!

This year, both Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore selected a “white” as their choice for Color of the Year. Sherwin-Williams selected “Alabaster” (SW7008).  Jackie Jordan, Director of Color Marketing for Sherwin-Williams, describes “Alabaster” as representing “a straightforward and necessary shift to mindfulness.  It provides an oasis of calmness, spirituality and ‘less is more’ visual relief. Alabaster is neither stark nor overly warm, but rather an understated and alluring white.”  It’s a great color choice to set a healing, restful and meditative tone in residential and commercial spaces.  This color can be paired with contrasting dark colors or with other neutrals to crate an interesting harmony, or it can stand by itself as a hue in an entry way or lobby.  Check out www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-collection/color-forecast/color-of-the-year/ to view a sample of Alabaster and to see it at work with other paint colors in a variety of settings.

“Simply White” (OC-117) was selected by the designers at Benjamin Moore as its choice for Color of the Year for 2016.  “It was the most neutral and it was very constant in various light sources,” explains Priscilla Ghaznavi, Color & Design Director.  Benjamin Moore offers over 250 “white” paint colors in its catalog, so the fact another white was selected as a Color of the Year attests to the importance of white in residential and commercial decor and design. White is sophisticated, elegant, refined, and deliberate.  It doesn’t go in or out of style, and it can be layered with other whites.  Visit www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/benjamin-moore-color-trends-2016 to see a sample of Simply White and to view photos of it in various residences.