Artist Wassily Kandinsky once said, “Color is a power which directly influences the soul.” If that’s the case, it’s going to be a beautiful year in 2017 with these colors of the year.
Every year, different paint companies come up with color predictions based on what they’re seeing in the marketplace and our culture. The colors of the year are symbolic, “a color snapshot of what we see taking place in our global culture that serves as an expression of a mood and an attitude,” according to Pantone.
Let’s take a look at five colors of the year for 2017 and see what we can learn.
Pantone: Greenery
The grandaddy of color predictions come from Pantone, which announced “Greenery” to much fanfare recently. Pictured above, Greenery is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore, and renew.
“Illustrative of flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, the fortifying attributes of Greenery signals consumers to take a deep breath, oxygenate and reinvigorate,” they say, pointing out that is is nature’s neutral, something that’s always been on the periphery, now being pulled to the forefront.
“The more submerged people are in modern life, the greater their innate craving to immerse themselves in the physical beauty and inherent unity of the natural world. This shift is reflected by the proliferation of all things expressive of Greenery in daily lives through urban planning, architecture, lifestyle, and design choices globally.”
Sherwin-Williams: Poised Taupe
Sherwin-Williams announced “Poised Taupe” as their 2017 color of the year, a color that “creates a cozy lifestyle and brings a sense of sanctuary into our homes…earthen brown combines with conservative grey and the result is a weathered, woodsy and complex neutral.”
“Poised Taupe celebrates everything people love about cool gray as a neutral, and also brings in the warmth of brown, taking a color to an entirely new level,” said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing. “Not cool or warm, nor gray or brown, Poised Taupe is a weathered, woodsy neutral bringing a sense of coziness and harmony that people are seeking.”
PPG: Violet Verbena
Calling on the popular bohemian, “gypset” lifestyle, “Violet Verbena” is the 2017 color of the year from PPG. It’s meant to and be an update on a classic shade of purple-gray.
Violet Verbena “is a moody purple with a chameleon-like presence….[it] adapts to surrounding environments and complements a variety of design aesthetics, from playful rooms to tranquil spaces,” according to PPG.
Glidden: Byzantine Blue
Byzantine Blue is Glidden’s 2017 color of the year, a serene gray violet blue that they said is “truly a purple in disguise.”
“It stretches the boundaries of purple to borrow all of best qualities of blue and gray, making it an appealing color choice for nearly any room, said said Misty Yeomans, PPG color marketing manager, Glidden Paint. “Its unique versatility and incredible ability to bring out certain hues based on its surroundings make Byzantine Blue a perfect shade for all ages. It is also gender-neutral, making it easy to use throughout your home.”
Olympic: Cloudberry
Olympic’s Cloudberry is meant to create a sense of calm in the middle of a busy world, and its the final of the colors of the year we’ll look at today.
“Home décor trends for 2017 are reflecting society’s urge to find a space apart from constant connectedness, and to create balance by establishing our homes as places to refresh,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager, Olympic Paints & Stains brand. “Cloudberry is the perfect complement to the minimalist style that is strongly trending in the year ahead.”
