Embracing Warmth: A Deep Dive into the Top Paint Color Trends of 2017
Hello fellow design enthusiasts and Remodelaholics! It’s Cyndy from The Creativity Exchange, and I’m thrilled to be back to share my insights into the most captivating paint color trends shaping 2017. As a dedicated color aficionado, I dedicate significant time each year to meticulously analyzing the forecasts from leading paint manufacturers. My goal is to distill these predictions into actionable trends, highlighting the hues that are poised to transform our living spaces.
While I firmly believe that the perfect color should always resonate with your personal style rather than merely following a fleeting fad, understanding these emerging trends offers invaluable guidance. Whether you’re undertaking a complete home renovation, strategically preparing a property for resale, or simply seeking fresh inspiration to update a single room, these forecasted colors provide an excellent starting point for discovering truly beautiful and contemporary palettes. They offer a glimpse into the collective aesthetic consciousness, guiding us towards choices that feel both current and timeless.
As we settle into 2017, there’s a clear, unanimous consensus from paint industry experts that a significant shift is underway: colors are decidedly warming up. For the past couple of years, the emphasis was predominantly on cooler tones—think crisp grays, serene blues, and stark whites that offered a clean, minimalist aesthetic. However, the current trajectory points towards a comforting embrace of warmth and depth. This means we’re seeing a rise in popularity for inviting creams, sophisticated transitional blues, and rich, warm grays. This move towards more inviting, grounded, and subtly complex tones reflects a broader desire for comfort, authenticity, and a welcoming ambiance within our homes, setting a beautiful and enduring direction for interior design in the coming year.
Unveiling the Key Paint Color Trends for 2017
Warm Grays: The Evolving Neutral for Modern Homes
The pervasive reign of cool, almost icy grays is gradually giving way to their warmer, more inviting counterparts. This evolution signifies a collective desire for more nurturing and less sterile neutrals within our living environments. Warm grays strike a perfect balance, offering the foundational versatility of a traditional gray while infusing spaces with a subtle, comforting glow. These nuanced hues often carry delicate undertones of beige, taupe, or greige, making them incredibly adaptable to a vast array of design styles, from modern minimalist to cozy farmhouse or even elegant traditional settings. They act as a sophisticated backdrop that can highlight both vibrant and muted decor.
For those ready to embrace this sophisticated shift, outstanding examples abound. **Sherwin-Williams Popular Gray** is a versatile shade that truly lives up to its name, offering a soft and welcoming presence that works beautifully in almost any room. **Behr Close Knit** presents another beautiful option, providing a snug, approachable feel that is ideal for creating intimate and comfortable living areas or bedrooms. And **Sherwin-Williams Mindful Gray** stands out as an impeccably balanced warm gray, renowned for its ability to create serene and elegant environments that feel both current and enduring. These colors move beyond being merely “gray”; they are complex, nuanced neutrals that bring depth and warmth without overwhelming a space, offering a truly livable foundation.
Discover more inspiration: Explore Beautiful Gray Paint Colors For Your Home
Sherwin-Williams Mindful Gray via Mawr Design
Another phenomenal choice that perfectly encapsulates the warm gray trend is **Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray**. This particular shade has quickly ascended to become one of Sherwin-Williams’ best-selling paint colors, a testament to its broad appeal and exceptional versatility. Repose Gray offers a delightful blend of gray with subtle beige undertones, creating a sophisticated greige that effortlessly complements both traditional and contemporary interiors. It’s renowned for its ability to shift beautifully with varying light conditions, always maintaining its inviting character. This makes it an ideal choice for open-concept living spaces where light changes throughout the day, providing consistent warmth and elegance.
Sherwin-Williams Repose Gray via The Creativity Exchange
Related: Sherwin-Williams Silver Strand Color Spotlight: A Gentle Gray-Blue
Transitional Blues: Sophistication with a Hint of Warmth
Moving away from the starker, often overtly cool blues that dominated recent years, 2017 ushers in a new era of “transitional blues.” These enchanting shades are characterized by their inherent warmth and often subtle undertones of green or gray, providing a sophisticated depth that is both calming and dynamically interesting. Transitional blues offer a refreshing alternative to traditional neutrals, capable of creating inviting atmospheres in a variety of spaces, from tranquil bedrooms and peaceful home offices to vibrant living rooms. They are perfect for those who adore the soothing qualities of blue but crave a softer, more integrated feel than a pure, unadulterated cool blue might offer. These hues foster a sense of serene comfort without losing their vibrant appeal.
Leading the charge in this captivating category are exceptional hues like **Sherwin-Williams Stardew**, a gentle blue with a touch of gray that evokes a serene, ethereal quality, reminiscent of a misty morning. **Sherwin-Williams Mountain Air** captures the essence of a clear sky with a hint of natural warmth, making it feel expansive yet grounded, ideal for opening up smaller spaces. And the exquisite **Farrow and Ball Pale Blue** is a prime example of a transitional blue, offering a timeless elegance that feels wonderfully fresh and subtly inviting, lending an understated charm to any room. These colors beautifully demonstrate how blue can be warm, complex, and utterly chic, providing a sense of sophisticated tranquility.
Further reading: Choosing and Using Transitional Paint Colors in Your Home
Farrow and Ball Pale Blue via Lebey Interiors
Another stunning transitional blue that deserves a spot on your watch list is **Behr Frozen Pond**. This captivating shade offers a beautiful blend of blue with distinct green-gray undertones, reminiscent of tranquil waters on a calm day or a serene winter landscape. It’s a color that effortlessly brings a sense of serenity and natural harmony into any space, making it perfect for creating a peaceful retreat in bedrooms or a subtly sophisticated atmosphere in dining rooms. Its versatility allows it to pair wonderfully with both warm woods and cooler metallic accents, adapting to diverse decor styles with ease.
Behr Frozen Pond via I Heart Organizing
Related: Benjamin Moore Beach Glass Color Spotlight: A Soothing Blue-Green
Greens: Bringing Nature and Serenity Indoors
The resurgence of green in the 2017 paint forecasts comes as no surprise, reflecting a growing desire among consumers to bring the tranquility, refreshing qualities, and restorative power of nature into their homes. Green has steadily gained traction over the past year, becoming a beloved choice for its innate ability to create serene, balanced, and invigorating spaces. These trending greens are often soft, muted, and sometimes carry subtle blue or gray undertones, making them feel organic and harmonious rather than overtly bright or overpowering. They connect us to the outdoors, fostering a sense of calm and well-being.
Perfect examples of these nature-inspired hues that are set to continue their upward trend include **Behr Polished Aqua**, a gentle, spa-like green that evokes calm and clarity, ideal for bathrooms or meditation spaces. **Benjamin Moore Sea Star** offers a slightly deeper, more saturated green with a sophisticated coastal appeal, perfect for adding a touch of understated drama. And the universally adored **Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt** continues to be a star performer; its chameleon-like quality allows it to appear as a soft green, blue, or even gray depending on the light, making it incredibly versatile for bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas where a peaceful, airy ambiance is desired. These greens are more than just colors; they are mood enhancers, designed to create a haven within your home.
Sherwin-Williams Sea Salt via Studio McGee
Related: Benjamin Moore Guilford Green: A Timeless and Natural Choice
Whites and Creams: The Essence of Purity and Warmth
The enduring popularity of white shows no signs of waning; rather, it’s undergoing a beautiful evolution. While crisp, cool whites have long been a staple for their bright and airy qualities, 2017 forecasts indicate a definite shift towards warmer whites and inviting creams. This move reflects a desire for softer, more comfortable, and intimately cocooning spaces that still feel fresh and expansive. Warmer whites offer a subtle depth and character that pure, stark whites sometimes lack, preventing a room from feeling sterile or cold. They are perfect for creating serene backdrops that allow furniture, textiles, and artwork to truly shine, while also making a space feel more cohesive, integrated, and profoundly welcoming. These shades create an elegant simplicity that never goes out of style.
Among the standout recommendations in the 2017 paint color forecasts are **Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White** and **Benjamin Moore Chalk White**. While High Reflective White is indeed a brilliantly crisp white, its consistent inclusion often points to its foundational versatility, making it perfect for trim, ceilings, or even walls when combined with other warm tones to provide a clean contrast. Benjamin Moore Chalk White, on the other hand, truly embodies the trending warmth with its soft, subtle undertones, making it an excellent choice for walls where a gentle, inviting glow is desired. These shades illustrate the nuanced beauty of white, proving it’s far from a one-dimensional color but rather a spectrum of sophisticated possibilities.
Expert Advice: Tips for Choosing the Perfect White Paint Color for Your Home
Sherwin-Williams High Reflective White via White Lane Decor
Related: Benjamin Moore Intense White: A Soft and Inviting Hue
Sophisticated Blacks: Deep Hues with Unexpected Warmth and Drama
Perhaps one of the most intriguing and surprising revelations in the 2017 color forecasts is the prominent highlighting of rich, dark, den-like colors, with various sophisticated shades of black taking center stage. Far from being stark or imposing, these trending blacks are characterized by their inherent warmth, often possessing subtle undertones that lean towards deep charcoal, espresso, or even a very dark brown. This unexpected warmth transforms black from a potentially intimidating shade into an incredibly inviting, luxurious, and dramatic choice for interiors. It speaks to a desire for depth and personality in design.
These darker hues create spaces that feel intimate, dramatic, and exceptionally chic, perfect for studies, elegant dining rooms, cozy media rooms, or as a powerful accent wall in a living area. The warmth cleverly integrated within these blacks ensures they don’t feel cold or oppressive but rather envelop a room in a cocoon of sophistication and comfort. Notable examples prominently featured in the forecasts include **Benjamin Moore Salamander**, a lush, deep green-black that is incredibly rich and captivating, adding an organic yet luxurious feel. **Sherwin-Williams Caviar** is another stellar choice, a striking, classic black with just enough softness to make it universally appealing and surprisingly versatile. These colors are ideal for making a bold design statement, adding architectural drama, or serving as a sophisticated backdrop for vibrant artwork and lighter furnishings, creating truly memorable spaces.
Design Inspiration: Choosing a Cabinet Paint Color for Modern Spaces
Sherwin-Williams Caviar via Sherwin-Williams.
Related: Benjamin Moore Wrought Iron: The Ultimate Dark Gray for Modern Interiors
What a truly fantastic and inspiring time it is in the vibrant world of color! The trends for 2017 clearly indicate a beautiful trajectory towards richer, warmer, and more nuanced palettes that promise to create inviting, sophisticated, and deeply personal home environments. It’s exhilarating to witness this evolution, moving us towards spaces that feel both elegantly current and profoundly comfortable. These trends encourage us to view color not just as a coat on the wall, but as an integral element in crafting the mood and story of our homes.
For those eager to delve even deeper into the intricacies of 2017’s color forecasts and discover many more gorgeous examples and practical applications, I invite you to explore my comprehensive recap on The Creativity Exchange blog. Additionally, my Pinterest boards are a treasure trove of design inspiration, with several dedicated specifically to showcasing an array of stunning paint colors, categorized for easy browsing and endless ideas. You can find them right here to fuel your next painting project.
Thank you for joining me today on this colorful journey of discovery and transformation!
Warmly,
Cyndy
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