Question: What colors will be on trend this year in home design?
Answer: Every year, paint manufacturers and designers announce the trends and colors for the following year. For 2024, the trend in colors evokes feelings of calm and bliss.
Sherwin-Williams explores in their annual Colormix Forecast the rising influences and movements shaping tomorrow’s designs through a curated collection of color. Their color of the year is Upward SW 6239.
Described as denim blue with calm gray undertones, this breezy, blissful blue helps us slow down, take a breath and allow the mind to clear. It will have you “dreamily adrift in the stratosphere.”
They suggest pairing this light neutral with a cool pastel or dark, earthy tones to complete the effect with these colors:
Icicle SW 6238
Extra White SW 7006
Neutral Linen SW 9109
Snowbound SW 7004
Drift of Mist SW 9166
Gale Force SW 7605
Tricorn Black SW 6258
Honeydew SW 6428
Palm Leaf SW 7735
Antiquarian Brown SW 0045
Not all paint manufacturers have the same color of the year. So, look at each brand and find the ones that suit your design vision.
Q: I want to mix a specific paint color. I was asked to provide the PMS number at the paint store. What is a PMS number?
A: A PMS color is from a process called Pantone Matching System (PMS). Pantone is not a paint manufacturer. You can’t go to the hardware store and buy Pantone paint. Pantone is the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer. That means that the people at Pantone collaborate with graphic, fashion, textile and interior designers to create new, inspiring colors.
When a color is created, it is given a name and a number. The associated number is its PMS number and is the code for how the color was created. It is basically the recipe that is needed to make the color. You can find the number at pantone.com. The number may not mean anything to the homeowner, but the paint store needs it to mix a batch of paint to match the desired color. You don’t need to provide the recipe, just give them the PMS number. They will have the rest of the information. Peach Fuzz, for instance, is PMS 13-1023, and it’s Pantone’s 2024 Color of the Year.
Here’s where it gets a little confusing. Not every color name is the same color. For example, Pantone’s Peach Fuzz is brighter than Sherwin-Williams’ Peach Fuzz SW 6344. So, if you want Pantone’s Peach Fuzz made with Sherwin-Williams or another paint manufacturer, you will need the PMS color, hence PMS 13-1023.
Pantone’s Peach Fuzz (left) is brighter than Sherwin-Williams’ Peach Fuzz SW 6344.
Q: How can I incorporate new colors in my home?
A: Rochelle Horn, a sales consultant and designer for Rosie Right Design Build Remodel, a Rosie on the House certified partner, notes, “color makes a huge difference in how we view our space,” she says. “I often suggest, especially if the clients are nervous about it, incorporating color using paint or accessories instead of cabinetry, countertops, etc., which are easier to change and less expensive. Other clients want to be fully immersed in their favorite color like a dramatic range and hood in blue or red.”
She also sees these colors being implemented in today’s trends.
“The most popular cabinet colors are white, blue, black and green, although wood tones are still strong, and blending is common,” she says.
Don’t buy cans of paint without knowing how the colors will look in your home. Rochelle cautions, “try before you buy.”
That’s where utilizing paint samples comes in. For example, Sherwin-Williams offers these sample options.
Color to Go paint samples are great for seeing how a color looks and feels in your space throughout the day. Each sample comes in a Twist-n-Pour container with enough paint to create test swatches so you can choose your final color with confidence.
Peel & Stick repositionable 8-inch by 8-inch samples allow you to see how your color favorites look throughout the room.
Color chips are available in all colors and will help narrow your choices. Receive up to 10 chips for free.
ColorSnap Visualizer is a mobile app that allows you to see how a color looks in a whole room. Their newest version of ColorSnap Visualizer for mobile integrates a cutting-edge augmented reality experience called Instant Paint. This feature provides a fast, seamless way to visualize any of their 1,700 colors on walls in real time. Easily create custom palettes, save colors, try different color options and share results in a variety of ways.
Q: What inexpensive and easy ideas do you have about adding color to a room without having to paint?
A: You can inexpensively incorporate new colors without painting. Changing throw pillows and blankets takes a lot less effort. And, if you like the paint color in a room, why change it just to be trendy?
As exciting as new colors can be, Rochelle says, “I find it’s so important to listen to the client. Do they want trendy or classic? Is this their forever home?”
There is a lot to consider when changing colors. You can go big with new paint or scatter accessories for pops of color.
Whatever you decide, before starting any painting project, whether it be a DIY job or one that you hire a professional to do, be sure to read Rosie’s Painting Consumer Guide at tucne.ws/paintingguide. There you will find instructions about the types of paint needed for specific jobs to hiring a contractor.
