Rosie on the House: Make it a colorful 2023

Question: What is a project that I can do now that will refresh my home?

Answer: Depending on how big the project is, one way to refresh your home is by infusing new colors with fresh paint. Painting projects, whether they are DIY or completed by a contractor, should be undertaken early in the year, especially if you want to paint the exterior of your home. In addition to painting the exterior and interior of your home, other projects like refreshing shelves and furniture can give your home a lift. Painting can cover a lot of areas (pun intended).

Q: What types of paint should I look at for my home improvement project?

A: There are three types of paint: acrylic, water-based (latex) and oil. All paint is formulated with water or oil-based binders combined with pigments to create the desired color.

Acrylic paint: Acrylic paint’s pigment is suspended in an acrylic polymer solution and acrylic resin. It is chemical-based and becomes water-resistant when dry. Acrylic paint dries quickly and is ideal for exteriors and some interior areas.

Latex paint: Latex is a water-based paint. It is also made from acrylic resin. However, it is ideal to use latex for large interior surface areas. It provides a long-lasting finish with good performance values. Latex paints are easy to work with, dry quickly and are exceptionally durable.

Oil Paint: Oil paint offers good adhesion, excellent durability, and stain resistance. However, not many oil-based products are being manufactured. The Environmental Protection Agency has been phasing those out over the years.

Just about any surface can be covered with paint. The key is selecting the right paint for a particular surface, and properly prepping the surface before you paint.

Q: What colors are trending this year and how can I incorporate them into my home?

A: Every year paint companies select their Color of the Year. For 2023, Sherwin-Williams selected Redend Point SW 9081.

Described as “minimal, calming and intriguing,” Redend Point is an earthy color with subtle pink undertones, invoking a feeling of down-to-earth coziness.

“We’re craving connection and that’s starting to show in our homes,” says Director of Color Marketing Sue Wadden. “Redend Point is a thoughtful hue that knows how to reinvent a space in the warmest of ways.”

This hue, she notes, reflects the need for nurturing ourselves and others.

When styling, think minimal and calming to complement the quieter nature of the color. From rounded shapes to warm wood tones, it’s about balancing layers of naturals and neutrals for a look that instantly makes you feel at home.

Pair Redend Point with Sherwin-Williams’ other colors that they highlight for 2023.

Foothills SW 7514

Cool Beige SW 9086

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

Hushed Auburn SW 9080

Carnelian SW 7580

Malted Milk SW 6057

Pure White SW 7005

Urbane Bronze SW 7048

Toile Red SW 0006

“What I really love about this palette, is that it’s this great team of colors,” says Wadden. “They all look pretty on their own, but when you pull them together, they create this gorgeous harmony.” From pink clays to terracotta shades, this palette is as rich in tone as it is in options, too. “You don’t have to use every single one of these colors, but you can pull in the ones you like and still get the essence of the collection,” concludes Wadden.

We asked Laurie E. Clark, senior design account executive at Sherwin-Williams, how these colors are chosen.

“It is quite the process actually,” she said. “An organization called the Color Marketing Group, consisting of a cross section of industries from fashion to plumbing fixtures, comes together each year to talk about color. At the meetings, themes are discussed by attendees. These themes are partly social, political, cultural, even geographic. This research gets funneled into different stories for the various colors and a comprehensive report is issued. At Sherwin-Williams we take these reports and break them down into bite-size pieces and themes. As these various themes are reviewed, a particular color presents itself to the color team and is chosen as color of the year. You will notice that we have developed color palettes that complement the color of the year and the stories behind each. These come from the same review process.”

So, who chooses the names for colors? According to Clark, that is quite a stressful job.

“At Sherwin-Williams we have over 1,500 different colors with new colors being developed each year,” she said. “In fact, that process has begun for the 2024 palettes. Can you imagine having to find names for all these colors? Think about how to say yellow 200 different ways. Butter, sunflower, sunshine, dandelion, and you start to get the picture. I always imagined that person waking up in the middle of the night screaming out a new name for a color.”

If painting a whole room is more than you want to tackle, paint an outdated piece of furniture, such as a dresser, desk or nightstand. Just one freshly painted item can breathe new life into a room.

Pantone recently announced its 2023 Color of the Year: Viva Magenta. The brand describes the shade as a “crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool.”

The Pantone system is the standard language for color communication from designer to manufacturer to retailer to customer.

Whether you select Sherwin-Williams’ Color of the Year, or colors in the Pantone spectrum, try them without committing to a whole can. Order color chips or peel and stick samples.

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. Inside you will find instructions about the types of paint needed for specific jobs to hiring a contractor.