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Benjamin Moore's October Mist (Photo courtesy Benjamin Moore)
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Farrow & Ball's Stone Blue (Photo courtesy Farrow & Ball)
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Sherwin-Williams' Evergreen Fog (Photo courtesy Sherwin-Williams)
Colors serve as reflections of life. They can calm the soul or inspire the mind, energize our thoughts or bring peace to our private sanctuary.
Every year, color authority Pantone and a variety of paint manufacturers each choose a color or color palette that will become their color of the year. For 2022, Pantone created a new color for the first time in Pantone Color of the Year history: Pantone 17-3938 Very Peri, a dynamic new shade of periwinkle blue enlivened with a violet-red undertone. The color blends the faithfulness of blue with the energy and excitement of red in a fresh, playful hue.
Benjamin Moore makes its yearly color selection based on relevance and long-lasting appeal, taking into account everything from furniture to fabric. The world of art and fashion also play into the color equation. For 2022, Benjamin Moore has chosen October Mist 1495, a botanical shade of green, along with its corresponding palette of warm earthy colors and updated primary colors.
Interior designer Stephanie Theofanos of Modern Traditions Interior Design is excited about the resurgence of color in 2022 following years of a mainly white and gray palette.
“There is a freshness to the colors. They are a little brighter,” she says, adding that these greens are not the timeworn avocado and goldenrod that were plentiful in the 1960s. “We are continuing to bring the outside in with greens such as aqua green, as well as emerald green. They help expand space, perception wise.”
The natural look of the greens pairs well with wood tones. “There are hints of brightness,” Theofanos says. “You can use yellow, blush and coral to accent."
Farrow & Ball is following course with five colors for 2022 that reflect comfort, function and simplicity: Babouche, a pleasing yellow; School House White; Breakfast Room Green; Stone Blue; and Incarnadine, a classic crimson.
Sherwin-Williams picked Evergreen Fog SW 9130, a subtle mid-tone gray-green, while Glidden went with a zesty shade of green called Guacamole PPG1121-5. Behr, on the other hand, chose Breezeway MQ3-21, a blue-green that mimics the colors of the ocean.
For a long time, homeowners have been hesitant to commit to color, but more and more, people are comfortable making what Theofanos calls “bold choices. If it’s a bold color on cabinetry, it can give it a pop.”
But if you discover you don’t like it, “you can always change the paint,” she adds. The good news with this annual color forecasting is that most of the picks work well in everything from traditional to modern design schemes.
Switching up the colors in your home can give it a whole new look and feel. “It’s fun to play with the color that way,” Theofanos says.
