For the past few years, color trends have been shifting towards the bright and the bold. We continue to see its popularity soar, along with big prints and patterns. As designers, color is a very important tool when it comes to creating your perfect home. It’s one of the least expensive ways to refresh or update your home in a big way and it can greatly change the feel of a room without taking up any space! Colors and moods go hand-in-hand and there are several different ways for your home to make you feel the way you want.
Light vs Dark
Before we get into specific colors, it’s important to note that every color has different shades and hues. This is one of the reasons why the color you choose for a room can be so impactful; lighter shades can make a small room look larger while a dark color can make a big room look smaller. Lime green can make a room seem lively and energetic, whereas forest green can make a room look more dramatic. So before you start choosing specific colors for your home, take a look and think about what you want that room to feel like; warm and inviting? Bold and dramatic? Or calm and relaxing? The possibilities are endless.
Everyone Loves Blue
In 2017, Zillow’s Paint Analysis showed that homes with blue bathrooms sold for over $5,000 more than similar homes. In 2018, homes with navy blue doors and kitchen cabinets also sold for more. Last year, we had customers request blue for their kitchen, straying from the traditional white. And this year, both Pantone and Sherwin-Williams announced Classic Blue and Naval Blue as their respective colors of the year. Clearly, people love blue!
One of the reasons why blue is such a popular color is because it is calm, relaxing, and very versatile. For smaller spaces, a light or pastel blue is ideal for creating a serene environment while making the room seem a little larger and more inviting. When it comes to exteriors, darker shades of blue can highlight architectural details and create more of a statement to those passing by.
High Energy Colors
Vibrant and vivid colors are making their way into more homes as accent walls, cabinetry, upholstery, and artwork. While not many feel courageous enough to paint entire rooms one loud color, a small pop of bright red or yellow can a lot of energy and life into a room. Lime green and tropical pinks have also been a trending pair in the past year! Rooms where a more energetic vibe would fit in include the kitchen, dining room, or game room. And remember – you don’t have to choose just one color to make a room feel a certain way! You can pair different colors together and have the spirit of many moods in a single room.
Going Neutral
Neutrals are no longer hidden background colors. In fact, color is making its way into neutrals, too! This year, Benjamin Moore chose First Light, a very light pastel shade of pink, as its color of the year. It works both as a standalone color but pairs well with others as a neutral color, too! There are a wide variety of neutral colors that can also determine the mood of a room, yet are more subtle than a stronger hue. Greige and other organic tones give a room a more natural feel, while subtle pastels add more space and cheer into a room. We’ve also seen more homeowners choose gray as a neutral, which changes the mood of the room depending on the time of day.
