What’s hot and what’s not where color is concerned? The paint colors we’ll crave in the new year can be fitted under the single label “expression.” Paint used in and on homes these days really doesn’t follow a standard path like it often did years ago. Today, as we move further off that well-traveled path, we’re finding vast new color opportunities by reaching into our imaginations and expressing ourselves in all areas of our living spaces.
As for the paint colors that will most likely make big splashes this year, here are a few things to think about as you determine what kind of expression you want to make in your home.
On the well-traveled path that we mentioned, the name of the game for decades was safety, conformity and predictability. If you go into older homes, you’ll see color schemes that, while balanced and pleasant, are hardly what you’d call innovative and unique. But one look at newer homes, particularly those with interior landscapes thoughtfully designed in the last decade or so, and you’ll find a blazing palette of color and shade combinations that dazzle and inspire.
Trendy colors in paint for 2017 generally fall into two categories: Understated, and Notice Me!
Understated colors
This group was created by taking standard, stark colors and turning the knob to remove the flash. Standard green becomes Bowling Green or Plume Grass, two shades that not only make their own statements but which blend magnificently with a host of colors in the Notice Me! category.
A color known as Micropolis is a curious result – not exactly blue, but not specifically green, either. It’s the kind of color you can stare at for a time and see various standard ancestors. Because of this, truly blended shades like Micropolis – and Evermore (black-brown-gray), Day Spa (blue-gray) and Berry Crush (orange-maroon-brown) don’t reveal their true nature until they’re set off with other colors of contrast. That’s when you see all the color possibilities in these Understated colors.
Shades and tones that are a little “off” of standard are great for trim and accents as well as entire rooms, when that’s the statement you want to make.
Notice Me! colors
Color trends in the new year also include all that’s vibrant and eye-catching. Wild Rose is a serious shade of red, but darker and more mysterious than the fire-engine variety. Cyan Sky, from the turquoise family, is much zestier than its relatives, with plenty of personality and style.
Kung Fu is the name of a mysterious, ancient self-defense practice, and it’s also the name of a mysterious paint color that’s full of life with hints of thick burgundy and brown. This color will get noticed, as will Carrot Cake, with its strong, deep-orange burst and Honky Tonk Blue, which is world’s more majestic that your grandpa’s blue.
Heavy colors are sometimes bright, sometimes heavy, and all the time attractive. They’re perfect, popular choices for large and small accent areas within a home.
The bottom line with color trends: find the shade that you crave and get excited. And don’t be afraid to buck a trend and strike out in your own direction.
Franklin Painting of Connecticut knows color inside and out and uses this knowledge to create remarkable interior and exterior results for homes throughout the greater Farmington area. If you need help with a fresh paint job, the experts are standing by at (877) 646-7774.
Frank Campanelli, the esteemed founder of Franklin Painting LLC, has been leading the company since 1986. He takes immense pride in the stellar reputation his dedicated team has built by consistently delivering top-notch service to each customer.
