Kylie M’s Colours of the Year – FOR THE REAL PEEPS!

So, how do you feel about the ‘colours of the year’ for 2018?  Ya, me too. While I can see some of them working, there’s others that I just don’t get.

The colour of the year should be something that people are inspired to USE. It should be a colour that talks to people (mind you, every colour talks to me after a few glasses of wine) and a colour that you can say ‘you know what, maybe I’ll step outside of my comfort zone and give it a try’. And while red and bright teal are certainly outside MOST people’s comfort zones, I don’t see a LOT of us committing to them on a scale larger than a front door or a fresh pair of undies.

Let’s look at the 4 main brands and their 2018 Colours of the year…

Behr Quiet Moments  /  Benjamin Moore Caliente  /  Sherwin Williams Oceanside  /  PPG Black Flame

Behr Quiet Moments. Nicely done, I can see a lot of us biting on this one. (See my Quiet Moments Colour Review)

BM Caliente? Well, of the hundreds of e-designs I’ve done this year alone, only 2 have requested red on a scale larger than their front door.  Nuff said.  (See my Caliente Colour Review)

SW Oceanside. I get it, I really do. But while a lot of my clients are wanting some form of blue/green/gray – it’s more along the lines of Quiet Moments.  I do see the intrigue in this colour, specifically for a front door or accents, but I just don’t see us jumping on the bandwagon.

PPG Black Flame. You’d be SURPRISED at how many of my clients are interested in a colour like this. In smaller rooms, feature walls, cabinets and front doors, these darker moody colours are in it to win it.

So, if I were coming up with the 2018 Colours of the Year (which I am shortly) where would I look? I would look where almost EVERYBODY is looking – Pinterest (you should follow me here – drink the Koolaid, it’s goooood). I sure as heck wouldn’t be looking at airports, Moma (Museum of Modern Art) or fashion runways.

And why does that matter? Because I think that MOST of us aren’t looking in those places. I like to think that I’m a pretty good representation of the everyday person (who likes to drink wine by noon) and while some of these colour trends make sense for magazines or marketing, that doesn’t mean that they make sense for US and how we use colours on a regular basis.

Let’s get this party started…

Sherwin Williams Cyberspace SW 7076

This is along the same lines as PPG Black Flame (great minds think alike). Cyberspace is a dark charcoal with a decent navy blue undercurrent. It’s striking without being punchy. It can act like a neutral, without being boring or typical.

A bit more about Cyberspace

Cyberspace is pretty damn dark with an LRV of 6, but the navy will rise-up on the large scale – it’s really a great way to do ‘navy blue’ with committing to the real-deal (for the colour-phobes).

Read more:  The Ultimate Guide to LRV and Choosing Paint Colours

Where can you use Cyberspace?

• On the front door
• As a feature wall
• In a small room (like a powder room)
• In a media room
• On kitchen cabinets

Sherwin Williams Agreeable Gray SW  7029

While we aren’t out of the gray world yet, I find that more and more people are looking for a slightly softer, dare I say WARMER approach to their paint colours and THIS is where Agreeable Gray comes into play. Is it inspiring? No.  Is it titillating (hehe)? No. But it DOES have MASS appeal and would satisfy any NUMBER of rooms and tastes.

Kylie M E-Designs & Gingham and Grace

Another good reason it is a good CYOT (colour of the year) is that it’s a stepping stone. There are a lot of my clients who are trying to get out of the beige range, but aren’t quite ready to embrace the traditionally cool-toned gray paint colours. Agreeable Gray is a nod to gray without totally alienating our warmer inclinations – now THAT is inspiring!

Read more:  How to Change from Beige to Gray

I think the dog is doing yoga – the downward dog obviously

A bit more about Agreeable Gray

It has an LRV of 60, which is darned close to the MAGIC number for the average homeowner/room. It’s flexible because it isn’t a hardcore gray. And while it’s certainly not WARM, it’s also not a traditionally cold colour as the subtle beige/greige undertone saves the day.

Where can you use Agreeable Gray? 

• Agreeable Gray will go even MORE gray in a north facing room and can pick up a subtle blueish cast. Is this bad? No, but it is if you’re nervous about cool tones (as shown in the living room above)
• Agreeable Gray won’t hold itself up AS well in a room without a lot of natural light, it can get a bit muddy/flat as it doesn’t have a lot of ‘colour’ in it – you HAVE to supplement with adequate interior lighting
• It can be a GREAT transition colour for those of you wanting to flex out of the beige tones without going TOTALLY gray. I also like the light/medium version of Agreeable Gray which is Anew Gray.

Benjamin Moore Woodlawn Blue HC 147

Woodlawn Blue is the EPITOME of what my clients are asking for when they want a bit of colour (and yes, that is a big word for me). It’s a blue with a vague gray base and a wink o’ green. It hits just the right note, not too boring and not too punchy.

A bit more about Woodlawn Blue

It has an LRV of almost 61, so it’s a pretty ‘average’ depth. If you don’t like green undertones, you’ll probably STILL LIKE this colour as the green is super duper passive and hardly shows up the party (unlike me who shows up with a coconut bra and a tutu).

Where can you use Woodlawn Blue?

• It’s gorgeous for a master bedroom or a guest bedroom
• It’s beautiful for a playroom that doubles as a family room!
• A dining room with wood toned furniture
• It’s a beautiful complement to wood tones and is great for the country farmhouse or beachy look
• A great way to add some fresh life to a laundry room or bathroom!

Read more: The 8 Best Blue and Green Paint Colours

Benjamin Moore Stonybrook 1566

Stonybrook is a bit brave, but not so much that it will fall TOTALLY out of your comfort zone. This is a blue/gray blend, pretty well-balanced between the 2 with a subtle green that just stops it from going cold, icy OR purple.

A bit more about Stonybrook 

This is a beautiful medium toned blue/gray with a passive green undertone. It’s not rich, it’s not fresh – it’s calm. With an LRV of 28, it’s stormy and moody without being heavy.

Where can you use Stonybrook?

• I might hesitate to hit it in a north facing room, simply because it is a bit more of a stormy colour
• It is great for a reasonably well-lit room
• It’s a beautiful complement to warm wood tones
• It’s great for a beachy, but more grounded vibe (not fresh and airy)
• It’s great for a medium size room or as a feature wall

So what do you think, are there any of these that you find inspiring?

If not, let’s find YOUR perfect colour – check out my affordable and fun E-design and Online Color Consulting Packages! 

Chat soon,