This year’s paint colors offer something for everyone.
Story by Tracy Dickinson
Featured in Winter 2023
So many factors affect a home’s style: trim design and finish, fixtures, material choices, furnishings. But perhaps one of the simplest ways to update a look or create a new one is by changing the paint color. This year’s Paint Colors of the Year provide the perfect palette for every mood.
Delightful
After several years of predominantly neutral shades, several paint manufacturers have announced bolder choices for their 2023 collections.
As Benjamin Moore’s Andrea Magno says, “People are ready to bring color back into the home, taking a step outside their color comfort zone.” Its Color of the Year, Raspberry Blush, is a saturated red-orange that delivers “delight and personality,” the company says. The 2023 Color Trends palette features bold blues and shades of orange, inspired by modern art and natural metals.
Dunn-Edwards has selected a similar shade, naming Terra Rosa as the 2023 Color of the Year. A terra cotta with rosy pink undertones, the color is a refreshing alternative to typical browns and burgundies and adds a “confidence and coziness” to a home’s exterior or interior.
At PPG and Valspar, bold colors are also the trend.
Vining Ivy, PPG’s 2023 Color of the Year, “intertwines bold blue and refined green” that is suitable to any space, inside or out. The blue tones communicate tranquility; the greens provide balance and complement landscaping beautifully.
Valspar’s 2023 lineup is a delightful selection of bold and neutral colors. Sue Kim, color marketing manager for the company, says, “Valspar’s 2023 Colors of the Year are usable shades that encourage self-expression.” Each color is connected to a specific mood. The company has chosen shades that evoke joy and inspiration, as well as mindfulness and balance.
Joyful
The 2023 Sherwin-Williams color collection is a slightly subdued take on some of those bolder shades. The company’s palette “embraces creativity, connection, and joy” in four palettes that focus on earth tones, natural clays, restful neutrals, and powdery pastels.
Although more saturated colors are making a comeback, neutrals remain the most popular choice for homeowners.
Within those four palettes, the Sherwin-Williams 2023 Color of the Year, Redend Point, is a blush-beige that “instantly makes you feel at home,” the company says. With warm pink undertones, “The color is a natural choice for those looking for a warm and joyful neutral in both interiors and exteriors,” says Sue Wadden, the company’s director of color marketing.
Welcoming
Although more saturated colors are making a comeback, neutrals remain the most popular choice for homeowners. In response to that trend, two companies have chosen neutral shades as their 2023 Color of the Year.
At Behr, the 2023 Color of the Year is Blank Canvas, “a hopeful and welcoming warm white that is meant to inspire feelings of tranquility and renewal,” according to the company. Behr says that over 90% of homeowners state that they want their home to be a place to unwind and escape from stress, and 75% of homeowners believe whites promote relaxation and calm.
Although the company offers a variety of whites in each of the paint product lines, Jodi Allen, global chief marketing officer for Behr, says “We wanted to spotlight the one that we believe is most versatile.”
Dutch Boy announced three color trend palettes for 2023. Each of them features the welcoming hues of Rustic Greige, a medium-toned neutral with a slight red undertone. According to senior color designer Ashley Banbury, Rustic Greige is about “retreating to a calmer, simpler lifestyle.” With colors inspired by nature, the company’s three 2023 palettes include the luxurious Blush Palette, the eclectic Wistful Palette, and the creative Botanic Palette.
The past several years have seen an overwhelming preference for neutrals and the soft colors of nature. In 2022 virtually every paint manufacturer selected its own version of a soft gray-green as its Color of the Year, universally acknowledging homeowners’ need for peace and comfort at home.
2023 is expected to bring more stability and, we all hope, a less volatile economy. Still, homeowners continue to view their homes as the retreat they need from the hectic pace of their daily lives. Because of that, welcoming, joyful colors with delightful splashes of bolder shades to emphasize a growing sense of confidence in the future will continue to dominate the trends. •
Resources
- Behr
- Benjamin Moore
- Dunn-Edwards
- Dutch Boy
- PPG
- Sherwin-Williams
- Valspar
