October 11, 2025 • 51 mins
In this episode of Home in Progress, brought to you by RepcoLite Paints and Benjamin Moore, host Dan Hansen explores the fascinating world of color theory and design trends.He’s joined by interior designer Andy Yates for an in-depth conversation about the Color of the Year—why it matters, how it’s chosen, and what it reveals about our culture and emotions. Together, they unpack the psychological and marketing forces behind color trends, trace their historical roots, and share practical advice for bringing them into your own home.The discussion also looks ahead to 2026, highlighting the growing movement toward earthy, natural palettes that reflect society’s search for comfort, authenticity, and connection to the natural world.Episode Breakdown00:00 — Introduction and Overview00:23 — Why the Color of the Year Matters01:06 — How Psychology and Culture Shape Color04:18 — A Look Back: Historical Color Trends07:23 — The Influence of Marketing16:02 — Designers’ Perspectives on Trends25:29 — The Role of Color in Interior Design26:57 — The Emotional Impact of Color31:21 — Predictions for 202633:51 — Earthy, Natural Tones on the Rise44:49 — Practical Tips for Using the Color of the Year49:11 — Conclusion and Contact Information
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome back to Home in Progress, sponsored by Repcolite Pains
and Benjamin Moore, and coming up on today's episode, I'm
going to be diving really deeply into color theory, color trends.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You name it.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Benjamin Moore is going to reveal their pick for the
twenty twenty six Color of the Year on October sixteen,
and the entire design world is watching to see what's coming.
And since that's coming up, we're going to spend today
talking about why the color of the Year matters in
the first place, what we should do with the color announcement,
if anything, and we'll also make some predictions as to
(00:35):
where we think things are going. And to help me
do all of this, I'm joined by interior designer Andy Yates. Andy,
thanks for being here.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Thank you, Dan. It's a pleasure. I'm glad to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Happy to have you back, happy to talk through all
of this stuff with you and see what's what your
expert mind will suggest to all of our listeners. And
I want to start at the beginning. When a company
names a color of the year, but what in the
world is behind that? You know, what's going into all
of that effort?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
What are they after.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So it's a really important question, I think, starting with
the idea that you know, our brains process about eighty
percent of the information we take in from our world visually,
so we know that the visuals, especially with color, are
very important, like you said, psychologically, but also from a
marketing perspective and the way that we experience the world.
(01:29):
So these colors of the year, while they can be
as you said, kind of dismissed as marketing gimmicks, they
do serve a really important purpose. One of the key factors,
I think is just market influences and trend forecasting. So
we look at these colors again, as you said, to
influence what's happening in interiors, in fashion, in manufacturing of
(01:53):
most all products, but especially those multi billion dollar industries.
They really want to understand what's happening out in the zeitgeist.
And I think you hit the nail on the head
mentioning psychology, because there really is a component of trying
to have a finger on the global pulse, not just
(02:16):
in smaller markets like America or Europe, but so globally
a large global understanding. Right, so there will always be
cultural and local influences on cultures and of course, colors
are geographically important as well. So the way you might
decorate spaces and wear clothing at the equator right in
(02:37):
tropical locations is not how people necessarily experience color in
Scandinavia or the Arctic. Sure, so there are factors like
that right light location. But it really is a global
endeavor because these companies such as Benjamin Moore send out
teams to scour countries, villages, markets, they meet with artists
(03:02):
and makers all over the place. Yeah, and it is
a massive endeavor that I think can be minimized if
you're just thinking, oh, this is a marketing gimmick to
try to sell you know, teal products or green products.
But it really does come from building on years of
research and momentum from what's actually happening in the world.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
So how do we, you know, take all of that,
you know, how does that research that's out there, that
they're doing all of this work, how does that translate
into something that we as consumers you know, actually see
or feel in our home and our products. And I
guess what I'm getting at is, you know, you mentioned
just now you know, this isn't a gimmick to sell teal,
which almost made it sound like the teal stuff came
(03:46):
first and then we okay, we want to move this stuff.
How does how does this all translate? Does the color
of the year set the stage for what's coming? Does
it see what's coming and try to call it ahead
of time?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
You know what's going on?
Speaker 3 (04:01):
That is a very interesting question. I know that there
are executives way above my pay grade that actually study
this intensively. My understanding of these color trends is really
based on looking at the historical data and understanding how
(04:21):
colors have shifted through the decades to influence what's happening
now and what will happen in color. So a really
good example is basically like looking at the twentieth century,
we had an industrial revolution. We had changes in technology
that moved us away from very toxic dyes and a
very expensive coloring techniques to things that the everyday consumer
(04:45):
could access. So we had this kind of explosion of
color in an everyday market during times of war. Throughout
the twentieth century, and this is still true. We see
color trends become more subdued, more calm, We're less loud,
we're less bold in times of economic downturn and uncertainty.
(05:05):
We see the way that people feel reflected in the
colors they choose to wear and to surround themselves with
in their homes.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So interesting is it somebody who dreams that up?
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Is it the psychology which I know we'll get into
of a color, how we normally or just naturally fall
into something, you know, the world stressed, we naturally Is
that what's going on? Fall into these more subdued, calming colors.
It's interesting, you know, I think which starts the wheel rolling?
But I kind of got a feelings it's the real
(05:36):
you know, we talk about color psychology, and I know
that there's a huge group of people who completely yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's the real deal. And then there's another group who
think that's kind of silliness. But it's it is real,
and it really does impact us. And we really do
lean towards colors or certain tones in certain times and environments.
And I think that's what you're referencing there potentially.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Right, Yeah, And you can look at it in like,
you know, the times between the wars, like the twenties,
the times after the World War two, and the fifties,
turbulent social uprising in the sixties, led to sort of
a more environmental awakening and global perspective of the seventies,
and then there was a large boom, economic boom and
(06:21):
lots of excess in the eighties. And in each of
these times, you see, like the twenties and the fifties
and the eighties, we go back to like colors of candy,
primary colors, neon colors. Everything's fun and bubbly and bright.
You know, we're like the world's at peace, we're happy,
we're spending money, we're not stressed out. In the other times,
(06:42):
it's almost cyclical, right, you see color trends become more subdued.
We're looking more at like naturals, earthy tones. People back
off of that brightness and intensity.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
We're trying to just blend in with the environment a
little bit. In somebody's site, right, maybe signal yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
And it feels like there is also of course culturally right,
like certain people, certain genders, certain ages over historical data,
you know, shouldn't quote unquote where a certain color or
certain colors are associated negatively in some way. Well, now
it's a whole new ballgame because we have the Internet,
we have an age of self expression, more awareness of
(07:24):
authenticity and mental health, and people really wanting to feel
personalized in their wardrobes and their homes and actually amplifying
what they truly love, not necessarily what a marketing company
is telling them to like. Okay, so both factor in right.
There is of course the peer pressure of marketing. Right,
(07:45):
we set design trends, we're generating consumer excitement. You know,
we're looking to influence cross industry products, all of those
reasons why colors of the Year are important.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Well, how does this that's kind of leading and in
this next part, you know, how do these color announcements.
You're you're an interior designer. You know, how do these
color announcements influence designers? You know, manufactures, homeowners, all of us.
You know, what do you see when these things come out?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I do see a general affinity for colors when they
are announced as colors of the year and when they
are marketed heavily, especially in the realms of social media.
We have a lot of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. You know,
(08:37):
people are inundated with these colors in general, and with
a lot of cross promotional campaigns. You'll see maybe Pantone
or Benjamin Moore announce of color, and then a fashion
house puts out a collection based around that color, and
there's a shoe issued to honor that color of the year,
(08:58):
and then an interior company, a furniture company, you know,
creates a whole collection kind of imbuing that sense of it.
So there really is a large push for product marketing.
But to distill it down to the every day when
I work with clients, essentially people have color preferences already established,
(09:24):
and normally when somebody is at the point of hiring
me to help them realize a design vision, they are
secure and confident generally in their color choices that a
palette is sort of already selected, pre selected in a
way for us to use as a departure point. So
(09:46):
we may look at colors of the year. Recently, it was,
you know, a grand millennial color scheme where a lot
of like blush and mauve came back and those kind
of peachy pink tones. So you would see that like
integrated right in a lot of interiors where maybe it
had gone quote unquote out of fashion.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And you think that comes back just because people are,
like you said, inundated with it. In marketing, they see
it everywhere and then they think, Okay, I kind of
like that, or that's why they're bringing it back, or
that's why your clients perhaps are asking for it.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Is that what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Sometimes, yes, there's it's almost like some marketing campaigns, some
designers and creative directors will amplify a color and it
sort of gives people permission to like it in a
way that's like giving you know, traditionally, like men the
(10:45):
permission to like pinks and blushes, when one hundred years
ago it was exclusively a color reserved for men, right
like it was for women. Pink was a color that
was reserved for men because it was considered a softer
shade of red, and red was a bold, bright, loud,
passionate color.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So one hundred years ago, pink was a dude's color.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely what shades of red were really
considered risque for women to wear in more like conservative cultures,
especially Western European culture, American culture. Now in the Asian market, right,
red has always had a different significance and a very
large influence in fashion for men and women, like in
Japan and China and those Oriental markets. But in Western society,
(11:31):
as we talk about it, right, We come from, especially
in America, that more conservative end of the color spectrum,
so it was seen as pretty inappropriated for women specifically
to wear like bold and bright shades in certain instances.
This is all like caveat being like what class are you?
(11:53):
What's the occasion? But ultimately having those colors associated with
certain specific gender stereotypically is fluid throughout the years. So
the one aspect of color marketing is it might give
people permission to use the color that traditionally they didn't
feel they had. And I think secondarily it allows people
(12:17):
to explore color and really personalized ways, so that I
see younger individuals more interested in the palettes of let's
say the eighties, like gen Z is really interested in
what they consider vintage, which is kind of like eighties
and nineties, Oh that's so sad, which is the time
in which we grew up, right goodness, But if you
(12:38):
look at that cycle in the eighties, especially too, in
like some of the nineties, there was an interest more
in the color palette of like the fifties, everybody's kind
of looking at what their parents had and maybe grandparents
and finding some affinity.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
For what do you think that palette. So why do
you think that is.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
It's a connection to the past and to heritage in
some ways, it's also in the cycle of marketing that
pendulum will shift back and forth.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Right.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
So if you spend ten to twenty years focusing on gray, right,
you have this entire generation of younger people who grew
up with like the Gray's homes and you know, lots
of stark, crisp whites, and that's you know, happening for
so long. Now when someone is moving out of that phase,
(13:38):
they're tired of it. We're also creatures of novelty, like
we love to see things that are new and exciting.
We also some people like change right more often than others.
So when we move out of those kinds of cycles,
now you see almost as a reactionary.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Nope, we see that yeah, to be like, oh, we
were in a very beige, gray age, kind of sterile
palette for a while.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Let's move into something more fun.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And that's what I do see.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Like you talked about the permission thing, and we always
see that play out. You know, you're stuck in beige,
but you don't feel boy, I don't know that I
can jump into something else because everybody's And then all
of a sudden, the color of the year comes out
that pushes the boundary a little bit and now you
feel like, okay, it's all right to jump out. So
the permission thing makes perfect sense. And then the other
(14:27):
side of it is I just think sometimes, you know,
these color trends come out, and what I get from
them is I see combinations or colors that I hadn't
thought to think about. You know, it's kind of just
presented to now. I normally don't jump on it right away.
You know, it came out and it hits me, and
I'm kind of intrigued because it's new that normally is
what happens. It's it's the novelty of it. But I
(14:49):
got to give it a little bit of time to
see how I grow with it.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You know.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Is it just the news that's capturing my interest or
is there something deeper? And then I find one way
or the other whatever I find. And the thing that
I love about it is just that it challenges me.
You know, they're putting combinations together that I hadn't thought about. There,
you know, cinnamon slate got the little purply toned to it,
not something I never really resonated with it. I didn't
hate it, but I certainly didn't put it all over
(15:15):
my house. But I did find the interest in just
digging into what other people did with the color, and
what other companies produced, what other industries produced, you know,
fashion and you name it. All these things came out
with those tones. It's very interesting to see and it
helps me form, you know, and find new color schemes
(15:37):
for my own home that maybe aren't anything connected to
cinnamon slate. It's a jumping board, so I see all
of that play out. You know, what do you, guys,
as interior designers do with it?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Do you wait with baited.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Breath to find out what's coming out? And if you do, why,
you know, what are you what are you looking for
when these colors come out?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
What does that do for you?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
That is a good question. I think as designers we
do want to have an awareness of trends in product
as it relates to color specifically, again, because it's a
visual medium, right What we're executing is in the built environment,
(16:23):
so it's an applied art, but we see it in
I think here's my grand take on it. I generally,
as a designer and a self professed nerd, I'm always
kind of researching and reading and seeking on my own
to understand how to push the boundaries of what I
(16:45):
do and develop deeper meaning to the work. And in
that I make very strong connections with clients because ultimately
I want these interiors, whether it's a business like a
law firm or a medical office that has to sort
of tell a story about the brand and the profession,
(17:06):
or a home right that's the narrative of this family,
this individual, I want it to express them. So I
do tend to research heavily in understanding how we can
use all of the tools at our disposal to execute that.
When we look at colors of the year and trend forecasting,
(17:28):
I always think that I'm aware of them before they happen,
because I'm understanding what's happening in the world. And they
really have been more in recent years, especially the last
six reflections of again like the climate globally, not like
(17:51):
literal weather.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
So we see the political the sort of.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Keepen conditioned climate right and generally know they tend to
stay within a sort of safer realm of selection, like
I would be shocked to see anyone select like a
bright saturated primary color or a neon color for a
color of the year. They're always nuanced.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Any year, any year, Right, we stay.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Away from things that were like, let's say, traditionally, if
you think about things marketed to children toys like fast food,
primary colors are generally probably never going to be selected
as a color of the year. Right, we just have
those associations, suffice to say, too, it's rare, but we
see it, right sometimes like blacks and whites are. But
(18:43):
they're essentially either you know, void of color or all colors.
So we also don't really tend to live in those areas.
So when these colors come out again, like I feel
like I understand why there's not a lot of curveballs
that are thrown even this year. The outliers, which we'll
(19:04):
get into, aren't really outliers when you think about the
larger trends and themes of what's happening in color and
what's happening globally. But they are used, and I do
see clients who will engage with them in that way.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Do you use them? Do you look at this and
say make these suggestions? Is that how it works for you?
Are you're making suggestions, but you're also listening to what
your clients are looking for and trying to find those things.
I guess I've always been very curious how a designer
who's established, you know, I can see how me, if
I wanted to try to be a designer, would love
(19:40):
this collection that's put together for me.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Oh look here.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
But I always wonder how you guys would use that,
because it's kind of what you do. You don't really
need them to put it together for you. I'm curious
how you guys take this color trends palette that Benjamin
Moore is going to come out with ten colors and
then one star, you know, the color of the year.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
How do you use that?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
I personally love the tools that are given to us
by companies such as Benjamin Moore. I think they have
invested so much into their incredibly talented teams to create
these palettes, and they work beautifully, and it's a wonderful
tool to give a homeowner or you know, maybe a
(20:25):
client that is interested in a consultation or kind of
a light touch style of decorating. It's like these colors
work well together, you know, in one space, whether it
be like a room or a house as long as
you think about proportion, which is where you might want
to discuss it with a designer. It's a wonderful template
(20:47):
to be able to give someone. I use them sometimes
in that way. I love engaging with them and seeing.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
What they are.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
I think to specifically answer your question, I will allow
them to influence my direction if I feel like it's
already where we are with the client, so I meet,
let's say a residential client. I will meet with them.
I want to look at their vehicle. I want to
know what they chose to drive, what color it is,
(21:18):
what are the interior finishes and fittings, like, what's the
trim level?
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Right?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Where do they live? In aesthetics, but also quality and function.
I want to look at their closet. I want to
see their wardrobe. What colors they wear are generally going
to be colors they like to see in their home
and that they already know work with their maybe specific
skin tone or their moods. So if they have a
(21:45):
generally neutral palette or a palette that imbues very specific
shades of like let's say it's a red or a green,
I might start there right to understand if they have
a specific. I keep using the word affinity. Let's find
another synonym dan if they have a specific preference for
(22:08):
certain shades or you know, that's a good place to start,
because if a client loves purple, you're probably going to
hit a home run if you use that as the
accent color primary color in their residence, which I have
you know executed before for a client. You know, you're like, oh,
(22:29):
lilax and plums, and what works well with purples? Where
do we want a complimentary color scheme and analogous color scheme?
You know, so you're thinking, oh, purples and greens, or
is it like keep it on the cool spectrum. Let's
use purples and blues and maybe go into a little
bit of plums and wines to give it warmth. I
(22:50):
let the architecture speak. I understand what the light does
in the space, natural and artificial, because lighting is everything.
I mean, the only reason we see a color right
is because it's the absorbing of and reflection of those
waves of light. So all of those factors play into it,
(23:12):
and I think it helps to understand psychologically where any
client is in their specific journey at the time. Is
it a chaotic house with a lot of young kids.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
So if it is, do you lean into the chaos,
do you find colors that just will exacerbate the chaos
or do you try to calm it down?
Speaker 3 (23:35):
I think both, depending on the purpose of the space. Right,
color serves a purpose. In my mind, all design serves
a function art, even for art's sake, right as an
artist who is creating something completely individual on a canvas
as an expression of self, you know, whatever they choose.
(23:55):
When I go to select art for clients, we do
this the same. So is the color palette interesting to them?
Is it complementary to the house? Does it make sense
to have bright colors in like a child's play space
or a space of activity and energy?
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Is there a uswer no to that question? Or is
that always going to be subjective? You know, because sometimes
people will say, just if it's a child's room, it
shouldn't have these energizing you know, we're talking to color psychology,
the colors that energize. Is that a hard and fast
rule that you stick with or is it kind of
just subjective based on the situation.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I will say yes, generally, bedrooms need to be calm
and spaces where there's not the primary activity is to
sleep in a bedroom. I was just speaking about this
to Good Housekeeping, So I was speaking to the journalists
(24:58):
there and quoted in an article talking about the trend
of maximalist bedrooms. So we came into a trend of maximalism.
It became popular again, and with that there were a
lot of designers and stylists who were showcasing very patterned, bright,
(25:22):
bold like primary suites. You know, I would say to
the consumer. Number one, a lot of these are editorial
in nature.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Number two.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I see a lot of these primary suites in spaces
where it's maybe second or third homes. You see them
in places where you know clients have the ability to
have multiple spaces. So there's a sort of privilege in
it too. But it's also to sell products.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
In a way.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
But ultimately, like the purpose of a bedroom is to sleep,
and you want calm and serene and subdued, and if
you introduce bright, energetic colors, it's antithetical to the function
of the space. Now, maybe you want that in your
breakfast room, maybe you want that in your kitchen, Maybe
(26:13):
you want that in your family room, maybe you want
it in your child's playroom. But I think we do
a disservice to surround children with limited colors. Like I
had said primary colors for example, But that's just because
they're so saturated. It's they're strong, and they're colors that
help develop cones in the eye and vision among infants
(26:37):
and toddlers. But we should expose people to the full
range of color. But yeah, I think that certain colors
as a quote unquote rule, but let's say a general
guideline should be avoided in places where they seem again
antithetical to the purpose of the space. You know, there
(26:58):
was a really there's been a lot of experiments and
examples of this, but essentially, like, yeah, if you paint
your bedroom red, you're going to have generally more anxiety
slash energy in that room. It's just what red does
to us. We are primarily you know, primates who see
red as association with blood, right, So it still triggers
(27:23):
that in us, right like, and it's also a color
that increases appetite, so you see it a lot in
kitchens because high blood carnivores meat butchering, right, and green
like again another appetizing color because we're also like omnivores, right,
So you have those sides of it, so there's not
(27:44):
necessarily negative associations. They just have really specific connotations.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
It's a passionate red in my bedroom.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
But then we installed the refrigerator right in there, took
care of everything.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
We get.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
It's a passionate color, right, it's a very sexy color red.
But you know, you say, like orange again, or like
really bright colors that are in that warm spectrum. We
love them, but they do psychologically at a very base level,
they emit like waves of energy. This is like literal
I don't to metaphysic, but they literally do. So if
(28:18):
you want to go into a gym and you want
to be energized to work out, use those bright, hot colors. Absolutely.
If you go into a spa and you're you know,
you want to relax, get a massage, facial treatments, everything
is more subdued. It's eucalyptus, it's water, it's calming for
a reason. A lot of experiments in the seventies, I
(28:40):
think I remember they were like painting prisons different shades
of pink and like buttercup and lilac, and they saw
a significant decrease in anxiety and aggression among inmates because
they surrounded them with these colors that naturally imbued them
(29:00):
sense of calm and peace, and it works.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Now, I think, yeah, it's it's it's something that seems
a little out there, but really not when you think
about it. Because as you're describing a gym and you
talked about you didn't describe it, you just said a
gym and a spa, And instantly I've got colors, you know,
my brain. When I think of a gym, I'm not
covering those walls with blue, you know, light blues and
(29:29):
soft greens and stuff like that. That's not even remotely
what I picture. And a spa, I don't picture anything
with orange, reds, you know, any of those. Without even
thinking about, oh, what I'm trying to do color wise,
trying to create calm or anything. It's just my natural
leaning is the spa is going to have this oceany
kind of a you know, neutrals and blues, and it's
(29:52):
very Uh. I think it's it's something that we all
inherently know, whether we know we know it or not,
lean towards that because it's built into us.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
It is.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
How it works, is how we perceive color and what
happens to us psychologically literally genetic.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, and it's it's it is an important facet. I
think that maybe the general public isn't aware, but color consultants,
specialist experts are hired in literally every profession. You know,
I specifically design interiors and sometimes products, and maybe I'll
(30:29):
work with a company on branding. But essentially one of
the most important design elements, right when we talk about
contrast and scale and proportion. Color specifically it's used by everyone.
So you know, in any type of publishing industry, in
any manufacturing industry, in any you know, medical professional services,
(30:52):
everyone has someone helping them decide what colors are correct.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
To use, correct to use.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
It's not just stuff that looks good together all the time.
You've got a mission or a goal with this product
or with this space or whatever, and there's certain colors
that are going to help you get to that mission
achieve that mission, and other ones that might not work
as easily towards that. They could all look good together,
you might end up choosing colors that don't accomplish what
(31:20):
you want. So let's zero in on twenty twenty six.
You know you've been looking at the announcements from different
brands what are the big unifying themes that you see
showing up this year as we're looking at color of
the year and what it might be.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
So to piggyback on our discussion of these colors, sort
of referencing.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
The pulse of the culture.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
We are definitely in an uncertain time, let's say, without
diving too deep into it, right there are chaotic elements
at play in society and in politics. Had some really
volatile years, especially in America, where things seem to be
(32:09):
a little uncertain I think right now for people, Not
that I'm trying to be pessimistic, but it's the world
in which we live is a little less certain, a
little rocky right now, and we see that reflected in
the polarization of kind of like not just the punditry,
(32:31):
but there are people on the margins and they seem
to be very loud, right So there's this chaos, there's
a lot of noise. We're inundated with information right through
TikTok and the global news cycle, and now more than ever,
I think, because the planet has become smaller for everyone,
(32:53):
and we're very aware of what's happening globally, and we're
also more aware of what's happened domestically. It is a
kind of contraction into these themes for twenty twenty six.
So we see a lot of earth inspired tranquility. We're
(33:14):
looking at timelessness and comfort. We're looking at these thoughtful
nature first applications. Essentially the colors of the year and
the way that things have been kind of trending for
the last few years are that people want to feel
more comfortable, safe, and secure in their homes. Specifically, they
(33:39):
want to feel more connected to nature. There is a
cloud of climate change and uncertainty hanging over us. So
there is almost in this biophilic trend, like the deep,
(33:59):
deep design for people to return to nature in ways
that are executed in their interiors, right, So they're reflected
in the colors, the textures, the shapes. We talked about
this in a previous episode where we were looking at like, yeah,
the explosion of biophilic design, organic shapes, really natural textures.
(34:22):
This is also a reaction to people having a deeper
understanding of what chemicals have kind of been introduced into
our products and our bodies over the last one hundred years, right,
And there is a level of discomfort with that. So
people want to go back to like fewer ingredients, less ingredients,
(34:44):
more natural products. You know, they want to know what's
in their paint, they want to know what's in their upholstery, they.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Want to under andy.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Just because I was not going to say anything but
this very small, warm studio.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
I wanted to let you know because I could tell
you were trying to get further and further away.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
But no, but that that it's just my concern and
it's true. Right.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
We're seeing that in you know, the rejection of kind
of plastics and certain ingredients in plastics, and looking at
people being aware of what is in the products that
they use, the food they consume, and how that's reflected
in color trends is very very obvious.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Wo.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
How because I'm completely helped me see that connect the
dots between what's in my food to color trends.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Right.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
So the first thing I honestly thought when you said
that was mac and cheese, Like there is an unnaturally
orange color to what is essentially, you know, a pasta
and a cheese, and there's a kind of disconnect in
that that we feel like that's artificial.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Yeah, you think homemade macriage and it never looks the same.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
It's never electric orage.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
And my kids have always said, how comeures isn't the
right color?
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Right?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
And I'm sorry to I don't mean to call them out.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Specifically, but I'll bleep that. Right.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
So let's say like generic brand. But there's a sense
of understanding, like artificial ingredients tend to amplify and saturate
and intensify color in food that you wouldn't normally find.
So this backlash right against dies preservatives things that we
really don't necessarily need for nutritional value. It's the same
(36:35):
in color. And there is also to tie it to
the political and kind of uncertain aspects of society right now.
We're seeing people and these forecasts want to be a
little safer, so we're going back to nature, you know,
kind of like retreating back into our caves and our villages,
right Like, thinking about that from a primal perspective.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
So more subdu color, that's what you're seeing.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
Absolutely, it's definitely a very natural palette. It's definitely a
palette that references the arts and crafts movement of the
early twentieth century, which was a direct rejection of Victorian
industrialism and victorianism, right like the ostentatious nature of those bold,
(37:21):
bright colors, which were, as we were discussing, kind of
only reserved for the wealthy because those dyes were very expensive.
Also turns out some of them, like well arsenic, were
extremely poisoned and getting you know, lead based paint. Well,
we did a whole tinted with arsenic.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
You're like, it's a beautiful.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
One of my favorite episodes that we ever did on
the show was probably five years ago, I don't know
more than that, but it was wallpaper that was arsenic,
you know, that's how they got that green about that
and it there's literal cases where it killed people.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
It's even suggested it's possible that this is what killed
Napoleon because that was in the room where he was ill.
He was already ill, right in a room surrounded by
arsenic laced paper in a musty, damp environment, and it's
just putting it in the air.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Right it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
So yeah, all those did yeah crazy color, you know, dies,
all this horrible stuff used to get to these colors.
So you're seeing more subdued tones. That's what you're predicting
for Benjamin Moore, and that's what you're seeing now.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
I know there's some bold outliers though, yeah, because we
mentioned though, so I did.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Aggregate the colors of the year already announced from other
companies and brands for twenty twenty six. And the definite
theme is this return to a very natural, earthy craftsmen,
arts and crafts kind of William Morris palette.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Right.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
So if we look to what that meant, it was
that rejection, as we said, of industrialism and the sort
of sterile nature of the blacks and grays of industrial
industrial world, plus the right ostentatious nature of kind of
(39:05):
the garishness of bright colors of like the now fallen
monarchies and dynasties of the past. So in Western culture specifically, right,
what you know, William Morris and those of that ILK
did was to go back to using old techniques, using
natural products stained naturally, you know, letting let's say a
(39:29):
species of wood like red oak, the red oak, not
trying to paint it or kill that natural pink hue
with a color. It was about the authenticity and expression
of materials from nature. And that is absolutely a trend
with twenty twenty six. We see a lot of brown
(39:52):
as the new black, Okay, and beige. Let's say tan
linen white as new white and zero gray. There's virtually
like the backlash against gray is actually quite strong, and
you see it in these colors because they all have warm, rich,
(40:15):
earthy brown undertones. And if there's any whites, which there
are a couple, they're really creamy beiges. They're earthy tans.
We see colors like red browns, brick browns and reds, walnuts.
You know, there's one plummy kind of color announced already,
(40:37):
graham and brown and greens and blues, and even the
ones that are outliers as you mentioned, like, you know,
there's a teal from one company, but it's not that bright,
and it still aligns with the idea of a teal
that you would see in nature. It's not like a
(40:58):
radioactive invents saturated, highly primary color. None of these colors
are saturated. They're all very earthy. It's like you would
go in your backyard and dig in the dirt and
you know, go into the forest and you see all
these colors rich brown, reds, greens that are earthy ochres.
(41:18):
So I'm very curious to see if Benjamin Moore will align.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
With this palette. I feel like they will.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
I'm not a predictor of color normally, but I feel
like that they will introduce a color that blends right
into this very earthy, subdued, calming palette.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Right, you have a family that you think it will
come from. I'm not going to make you name a color.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Oh I did for the research, I looked at some.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Oh are you prepared to name it? Well?
Speaker 3 (41:50):
For Benjamin Moore, right, you mentioned what cinnamon slaves last year.
It was last year, and so they were kind of
already ahead of it.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Right.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
You think about the color of cinnamon and that kind
of brownish red or the and slate adding a little
bit of depth of blue gray to it a beautiful color.
So will they introduce something this year that's in that
vein of like a brown red. Probably not. I think
they did it already. They did it, and the year
(42:18):
before it was a blue, and the year before it
was a red. So I don't think we'll be seeing
like maybe a brown red que or a blue. We
may see a green or a green based hue like
I looked at Mediterranean teal is a one hidden falls
(42:41):
they might be in that realm there also, It might
just be like a tan or a beige, yeah, mansfield tan,
twisted oak path or a couple that I looked at
and thought, you know, maybe these oakrey rich warm gold
based tans and beiges, because that's definitely where we are.
It could be just a linen white that you know,
(43:05):
we see that stark whites, cold whites, gray whites are out,
blue based whites. Anything cool, it's sterile. People don't want
it anymore. I'm painting an entire house, literally, every wall, ceiling,
an inch of trim, every door, in every window, all
three stories linen white that these clients just purchased. It's
(43:26):
everywhere now because we want that warmth again. We want
to see that.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
So linen white.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
For the people out there thinking, help them understand what
a linen white.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
So if you look at flax, you know as a
cellulus material, so flax as it grows, it's kind of
warmish gray, right, used to make linen thread. And so
when it's just a natural linen without dye, it's a
very warm, very earthy white. It has a lot more
(43:57):
gold in it and a lot more warmth. Right, So
it is reflecting warmth back in any Calvin color temperature.
So in really bright daylight. When you're at like four
thousand and five thousand, like six thousand Calvin, really bright
white blue light, linen white will still look warm that light,
(44:22):
unlike more neutral whites like the blue lights blue or
light won't cool it down. It will remain warm. And
then in very warm light like back to twenty seven
hundred Calvin or that candle light glow where there's a
lot of orange, it's even warmer. So when you add
enough of that to a white, you know, it stays
(44:43):
warm regardless. We're looking for whites that feel like warm now.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
Okay, yes, So thinking about this as we get to
the end. If somebody's listening right now and they're thinking
about working, you know, a color of the year into
their own space, how do they approach that, you know,
the announcement comes out on October sixteen, and they're ready
to move on that, or they're really ready to you know,
look at those colors and start working. How do you
suggest they do that without overdoing it, without you know,
(45:10):
jumping into something that's maybe a novelty that they you know,
who knows if it's going to be a novelty it
maybe it's going to be exactly what you're saying, and
we kind of all have been sliding into this. It
might not be as novel as as I'm suggesting.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
I'm very curious, actually, just to wrap that up forecasting. Yeah,
when I when I was looking at it's beige's and tns,
it's it's red browns, and it's ochres and you know,
a kind of a couple of plums and teals. I'm
very interested to see what Benjamin Moore has chosen. So
for the average consumer or for the seasoned professional, you know,
(45:44):
designer or product developer, I think understanding that the color
of the year is part marketing campaign, part reflection of society. Ultimately,
I would say, if you like the color and you
personally enjoy it, perhaps you consider using it somehow in
(46:05):
your home, in your wardrobe, maybe looking at pieces of
art to introduce to your collection that have that general palette.
I'm seeing a lot more in art and in these
kind of color palettes too, go back to what we
would say is like a desert palette, almost like those
kind of beautiful desert colors of the Southwest, but not
(46:25):
as saturated. So the fact that I see so much
more art and fashion reflecting that I think if you
like the color, if you enjoy the palette and you
want to use it, figure it out, you know, paint
an accent wall, paint a small room, paint a large room,
if you really love it. I always think with color,
(46:46):
especially with paint, it's so easy to buy, it's easy
to change, it's easy to experiment because you can get
Benjamin More peel and stick samples. You can get pints
of just paint seven or eight shades of it on
a wall. That's the great thing about these colors when
they're announced. You know, let's say it's Benjamin Moore Mansfield
(47:06):
Tan twenty twenty six, and you're like, I like it,
but it's a little yellow, it's a little blood, you know,
go to the website search it. They're like, here's a
lot of shades, intents of that color. Here are colors
that complement it. So they're going to give you a
lot of tools to be able to integrate.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Even the color trends, seeing colors that work well with.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
It, right and on my palette is right, yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (47:26):
You can work with those colors. But you can do
the same thing like, Okay, I don't like the main color,
but let's find some variations on that, but some of
these other colors it can help you. Okay, well maybe
I'll look at this kind of a tone, but try
to find another version of that that will work with
the new version that I picked. I mean, it just
gives you a starting point, like a springboard.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
It does. And if you're paying attention. Let's say, if
you're listening to this show, you're interested in home improvement,
maybe the business of home DIY these subjects, so maybe
you're already aware, but anyone paying attention, we'll see, Like
the color palettes that's come out for twenty twenty six
is like going back to a kind of like two
(48:08):
thousand Starbucks, Like we want that feeling again, earthy, warm woods.
We're seeing a lot more cherry and brown and kitchens again.
We're seeing these brick tones and these linen whites and
these ochres and these eucalyptus greens. Right, Like that's what
(48:30):
that feeling of like a warm, cozy cafe was when
the company kind of exploded, right, And you remember feeling
that and thinking, yeah, this is cozy, this is warm,
this is comfortable. And then as we shifted away into
a lot more like pale oak, a lot of black,
a lot of white, a lot of gray.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
It was sort of.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Reflective of what was happening. But we're now back, and
that was only referential of like, right, the sort of
vegetable autumnal colors of the seven which was really just
referential again of the arts and crafts movement, right, which
was really just referential of living in nature like most
people did.
Speaker 1 (49:09):
So many different things. It's so sick looking. We've got
the big announcement coming October sixteen for Benjamin Moore. You
know other people have already released their colors.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
Andy.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
If our listeners want to get in touch with you,
because you do, I mean all kinds of stuff you
into your design, Like you mentioned it, you'll help people
with a lot of different things relating to color. If
they want to reach out, how do they best find you?
Speaker 3 (49:31):
I can be found on all the socials at Andy
Yates Design and my website is Andy Yatesdesign dot com.
I'm happy to speak with anyone if they're interested in
talking about color. I have color consultations and understanding really
just how to use color in your life to better
enhance not only your daily living, but reflect who you are.
(49:56):
This big trend in general with color is about personalization.
So if you don't like the specific deeal that company
X has come out with, maybe you use it to
find the version of blue green that speaks to you.
It could be brighter, it could be darker, it could
be less or more intense. But ultimately that's what I do.
(50:18):
I help people work out these issues. So if you
want to reach me, I'm available.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
All right, we'll put links in the show notes. Thanks
so much for hanging out.
Speaker 3 (50:26):
Yeah, thank you, Dan.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
This was great and that's going to.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
Do it for this episode of Home in Progress sponsored
by Repcolite Paints and Benjamin Moore. If you enjoyed today's conversation,
be sure to leave us a good review. It helps
other folks find the show, and I really appreciate the help.
Also consider subscribing to the show and you'll never miss
an episode. All Right, have a great week everybody, and
I'll see you next week. I'm Dan Hansen for Home
(50:50):
in Progress. Thanks for listening.
Welcome back to Home in Progress, sponsored by Repcolite Pains
and Benjamin Moore, and coming up on today's episode, I'm
going to be diving really deeply into color theory, color trends.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
You name it.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Benjamin Moore is going to reveal their pick for the
twenty twenty six Color of the Year on October sixteen,
and the entire design world is watching to see what's coming.
And since that's coming up, we're going to spend today
talking about why the color of the Year matters in
the first place, what we should do with the color announcement,
if anything, and we'll also make some predictions as to
(00:35):
where we think things are going. And to help me
do all of this, I'm joined by interior designer Andy Yates. Andy,
thanks for being here.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Thank you, Dan. It's a pleasure. I'm glad to be back.
Speaker 1 (00:46):
Happy to have you back, happy to talk through all
of this stuff with you and see what's what your
expert mind will suggest to all of our listeners. And
I want to start at the beginning. When a company
names a color of the year, but what in the
world is behind that? You know, what's going into all
of that effort?
Speaker 2 (01:03):
What are they after.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
So it's a really important question, I think, starting with
the idea that you know, our brains process about eighty
percent of the information we take in from our world visually,
so we know that the visuals, especially with color, are
very important, like you said, psychologically, but also from a
marketing perspective and the way that we experience the world.
(01:29):
So these colors of the year, while they can be
as you said, kind of dismissed as marketing gimmicks, they
do serve a really important purpose. One of the key factors,
I think is just market influences and trend forecasting. So
we look at these colors again, as you said, to
influence what's happening in interiors, in fashion, in manufacturing of
(01:53):
most all products, but especially those multi billion dollar industries.
They really want to understand what's happening out in the zeitgeist.
And I think you hit the nail on the head
mentioning psychology, because there really is a component of trying
to have a finger on the global pulse, not just
(02:16):
in smaller markets like America or Europe, but so globally
a large global understanding. Right, so there will always be
cultural and local influences on cultures and of course, colors
are geographically important as well. So the way you might
decorate spaces and wear clothing at the equator right in
(02:37):
tropical locations is not how people necessarily experience color in
Scandinavia or the Arctic. Sure, so there are factors like
that right light location. But it really is a global
endeavor because these companies such as Benjamin Moore send out
teams to scour countries, villages, markets, they meet with artists
(03:02):
and makers all over the place. Yeah, and it is
a massive endeavor that I think can be minimized if
you're just thinking, oh, this is a marketing gimmick to
try to sell you know, teal products or green products.
But it really does come from building on years of
research and momentum from what's actually happening in the world.
Speaker 1 (03:25):
So how do we, you know, take all of that,
you know, how does that research that's out there, that
they're doing all of this work, how does that translate
into something that we as consumers you know, actually see
or feel in our home and our products. And I
guess what I'm getting at is, you know, you mentioned
just now you know, this isn't a gimmick to sell teal,
which almost made it sound like the teal stuff came
(03:46):
first and then we okay, we want to move this stuff.
How does how does this all translate? Does the color
of the year set the stage for what's coming? Does
it see what's coming and try to call it ahead
of time?
Speaker 2 (03:59):
You know what's going on?
Speaker 3 (04:01):
That is a very interesting question. I know that there
are executives way above my pay grade that actually study
this intensively. My understanding of these color trends is really
based on looking at the historical data and understanding how
(04:21):
colors have shifted through the decades to influence what's happening
now and what will happen in color. So a really
good example is basically like looking at the twentieth century,
we had an industrial revolution. We had changes in technology
that moved us away from very toxic dyes and a
very expensive coloring techniques to things that the everyday consumer
(04:45):
could access. So we had this kind of explosion of
color in an everyday market during times of war. Throughout
the twentieth century, and this is still true. We see
color trends become more subdued, more calm, We're less loud,
we're less bold in times of economic downturn and uncertainty.
(05:05):
We see the way that people feel reflected in the
colors they choose to wear and to surround themselves with
in their homes.
Speaker 2 (05:13):
So interesting is it somebody who dreams that up?
Speaker 1 (05:16):
Is it the psychology which I know we'll get into
of a color, how we normally or just naturally fall
into something, you know, the world stressed, we naturally Is
that what's going on? Fall into these more subdued, calming colors.
It's interesting, you know, I think which starts the wheel rolling?
But I kind of got a feelings it's the real
(05:36):
you know, we talk about color psychology, and I know
that there's a huge group of people who completely yeah, yeah, yeah,
that's the real deal. And then there's another group who
think that's kind of silliness. But it's it is real,
and it really does impact us. And we really do
lean towards colors or certain tones in certain times and environments.
And I think that's what you're referencing there potentially.
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Right, Yeah, And you can look at it in like,
you know, the times between the wars, like the twenties,
the times after the World War two, and the fifties,
turbulent social uprising in the sixties, led to sort of
a more environmental awakening and global perspective of the seventies,
and then there was a large boom, economic boom and
(06:21):
lots of excess in the eighties. And in each of
these times, you see, like the twenties and the fifties
and the eighties, we go back to like colors of candy,
primary colors, neon colors. Everything's fun and bubbly and bright.
You know, we're like the world's at peace, we're happy,
we're spending money, we're not stressed out. In the other times,
(06:42):
it's almost cyclical, right, you see color trends become more subdued.
We're looking more at like naturals, earthy tones. People back
off of that brightness and intensity.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
We're trying to just blend in with the environment a
little bit. In somebody's site, right, maybe signal yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
And it feels like there is also of course culturally right,
like certain people, certain genders, certain ages over historical data,
you know, shouldn't quote unquote where a certain color or
certain colors are associated negatively in some way. Well, now
it's a whole new ballgame because we have the Internet,
we have an age of self expression, more awareness of
(07:24):
authenticity and mental health, and people really wanting to feel
personalized in their wardrobes and their homes and actually amplifying
what they truly love, not necessarily what a marketing company
is telling them to like. Okay, so both factor in right.
There is of course the peer pressure of marketing. Right,
(07:45):
we set design trends, we're generating consumer excitement. You know,
we're looking to influence cross industry products, all of those
reasons why colors of the Year are important.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Well, how does this that's kind of leading and in
this next part, you know, how do these color announcements.
You're you're an interior designer. You know, how do these
color announcements influence designers? You know, manufactures, homeowners, all of us.
You know, what do you see when these things come out?
Speaker 3 (08:15):
I do see a general affinity for colors when they
are announced as colors of the year and when they
are marketed heavily, especially in the realms of social media.
We have a lot of Instagram, TikTok, Facebook. You know,
(08:37):
people are inundated with these colors in general, and with
a lot of cross promotional campaigns. You'll see maybe Pantone
or Benjamin Moore announce of color, and then a fashion
house puts out a collection based around that color, and
there's a shoe issued to honor that color of the year,
(08:58):
and then an interior company, a furniture company, you know,
creates a whole collection kind of imbuing that sense of it.
So there really is a large push for product marketing.
But to distill it down to the every day when
I work with clients, essentially people have color preferences already established,
(09:24):
and normally when somebody is at the point of hiring
me to help them realize a design vision, they are
secure and confident generally in their color choices that a
palette is sort of already selected, pre selected in a
way for us to use as a departure point. So
(09:46):
we may look at colors of the year. Recently, it was,
you know, a grand millennial color scheme where a lot
of like blush and mauve came back and those kind
of peachy pink tones. So you would see that like
integrated right in a lot of interiors where maybe it
had gone quote unquote out of fashion.
Speaker 1 (10:07):
And you think that comes back just because people are,
like you said, inundated with it. In marketing, they see
it everywhere and then they think, Okay, I kind of
like that, or that's why they're bringing it back, or
that's why your clients perhaps are asking for it.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
Is that what you're saying.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Sometimes, yes, there's it's almost like some marketing campaigns, some
designers and creative directors will amplify a color and it
sort of gives people permission to like it in a
way that's like giving you know, traditionally, like men the
(10:45):
permission to like pinks and blushes, when one hundred years
ago it was exclusively a color reserved for men, right
like it was for women. Pink was a color that
was reserved for men because it was considered a softer
shade of red, and red was a bold, bright, loud,
passionate color.
Speaker 2 (11:04):
So one hundred years ago, pink was a dude's color.
Speaker 3 (11:07):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely what shades of red were really
considered risque for women to wear in more like conservative cultures,
especially Western European culture, American culture. Now in the Asian market, right,
red has always had a different significance and a very
large influence in fashion for men and women, like in
Japan and China and those Oriental markets. But in Western society,
(11:31):
as we talk about it, right, We come from, especially
in America, that more conservative end of the color spectrum,
so it was seen as pretty inappropriated for women specifically
to wear like bold and bright shades in certain instances.
This is all like caveat being like what class are you?
(11:53):
What's the occasion? But ultimately having those colors associated with
certain specific gender stereotypically is fluid throughout the years. So
the one aspect of color marketing is it might give
people permission to use the color that traditionally they didn't
feel they had. And I think secondarily it allows people
(12:17):
to explore color and really personalized ways, so that I
see younger individuals more interested in the palettes of let's
say the eighties, like gen Z is really interested in
what they consider vintage, which is kind of like eighties
and nineties, Oh that's so sad, which is the time
in which we grew up, right goodness, But if you
(12:38):
look at that cycle in the eighties, especially too, in
like some of the nineties, there was an interest more
in the color palette of like the fifties, everybody's kind
of looking at what their parents had and maybe grandparents
and finding some affinity.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
For what do you think that palette. So why do
you think that is.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
It's a connection to the past and to heritage in
some ways, it's also in the cycle of marketing that
pendulum will shift back and forth.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
Right.
Speaker 3 (13:16):
So if you spend ten to twenty years focusing on gray, right,
you have this entire generation of younger people who grew
up with like the Gray's homes and you know, lots
of stark, crisp whites, and that's you know, happening for
so long. Now when someone is moving out of that phase,
(13:38):
they're tired of it. We're also creatures of novelty, like
we love to see things that are new and exciting.
We also some people like change right more often than others.
So when we move out of those kinds of cycles,
now you see almost as a reactionary.
Speaker 1 (13:54):
Nope, we see that yeah, to be like, oh, we
were in a very beige, gray age, kind of sterile
palette for a while.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
Let's move into something more fun.
Speaker 2 (14:06):
And that's what I do see.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
Like you talked about the permission thing, and we always
see that play out. You know, you're stuck in beige,
but you don't feel boy, I don't know that I
can jump into something else because everybody's And then all
of a sudden, the color of the year comes out
that pushes the boundary a little bit and now you
feel like, okay, it's all right to jump out. So
the permission thing makes perfect sense. And then the other
(14:27):
side of it is I just think sometimes, you know,
these color trends come out, and what I get from
them is I see combinations or colors that I hadn't
thought to think about. You know, it's kind of just
presented to now. I normally don't jump on it right away.
You know, it came out and it hits me, and
I'm kind of intrigued because it's new that normally is
what happens. It's it's the novelty of it. But I
(14:49):
got to give it a little bit of time to
see how I grow with it.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
You know.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
Is it just the news that's capturing my interest or
is there something deeper? And then I find one way
or the other whatever I find. And the thing that
I love about it is just that it challenges me.
You know, they're putting combinations together that I hadn't thought about. There,
you know, cinnamon slate got the little purply toned to it,
not something I never really resonated with it. I didn't
hate it, but I certainly didn't put it all over
(15:15):
my house. But I did find the interest in just
digging into what other people did with the color, and
what other companies produced, what other industries produced, you know,
fashion and you name it. All these things came out
with those tones. It's very interesting to see and it
helps me form, you know, and find new color schemes
(15:37):
for my own home that maybe aren't anything connected to
cinnamon slate. It's a jumping board, so I see all
of that play out. You know, what do you, guys,
as interior designers do with it?
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Do you wait with baited.
Speaker 1 (15:50):
Breath to find out what's coming out? And if you do, why,
you know, what are you what are you looking for
when these colors come out?
Speaker 2 (15:58):
What does that do for you?
Speaker 3 (16:00):
That is a good question. I think as designers we
do want to have an awareness of trends in product
as it relates to color specifically, again, because it's a
visual medium, right What we're executing is in the built environment,
(16:23):
so it's an applied art, but we see it in
I think here's my grand take on it. I generally,
as a designer and a self professed nerd, I'm always
kind of researching and reading and seeking on my own
to understand how to push the boundaries of what I
(16:45):
do and develop deeper meaning to the work. And in
that I make very strong connections with clients because ultimately
I want these interiors, whether it's a business like a
law firm or a medical office that has to sort
of tell a story about the brand and the profession,
(17:06):
or a home right that's the narrative of this family,
this individual, I want it to express them. So I
do tend to research heavily in understanding how we can
use all of the tools at our disposal to execute that.
When we look at colors of the year and trend forecasting,
(17:28):
I always think that I'm aware of them before they happen,
because I'm understanding what's happening in the world. And they
really have been more in recent years, especially the last
six reflections of again like the climate globally, not like
(17:51):
literal weather.
Speaker 2 (17:54):
So we see the political the sort of.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Keepen conditioned climate right and generally know they tend to
stay within a sort of safer realm of selection, like
I would be shocked to see anyone select like a
bright saturated primary color or a neon color for a
color of the year. They're always nuanced.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
Any year, any year, Right, we stay.
Speaker 3 (18:19):
Away from things that were like, let's say, traditionally, if
you think about things marketed to children toys like fast food,
primary colors are generally probably never going to be selected
as a color of the year. Right, we just have
those associations, suffice to say, too, it's rare, but we
see it, right sometimes like blacks and whites are. But
(18:43):
they're essentially either you know, void of color or all colors.
So we also don't really tend to live in those areas.
So when these colors come out again, like I feel
like I understand why there's not a lot of curveballs
that are thrown even this year. The outliers, which we'll
(19:04):
get into, aren't really outliers when you think about the
larger trends and themes of what's happening in color and
what's happening globally. But they are used, and I do
see clients who will engage with them in that way.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Do you use them? Do you look at this and
say make these suggestions? Is that how it works for you?
Are you're making suggestions, but you're also listening to what
your clients are looking for and trying to find those things.
I guess I've always been very curious how a designer
who's established, you know, I can see how me, if
I wanted to try to be a designer, would love
(19:40):
this collection that's put together for me.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Oh look here.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
But I always wonder how you guys would use that,
because it's kind of what you do. You don't really
need them to put it together for you. I'm curious
how you guys take this color trends palette that Benjamin
Moore is going to come out with ten colors and
then one star, you know, the color of the year.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
How do you use that?
Speaker 3 (20:01):
I personally love the tools that are given to us
by companies such as Benjamin Moore. I think they have
invested so much into their incredibly talented teams to create
these palettes, and they work beautifully, and it's a wonderful
tool to give a homeowner or you know, maybe a
(20:25):
client that is interested in a consultation or kind of
a light touch style of decorating. It's like these colors
work well together, you know, in one space, whether it
be like a room or a house as long as
you think about proportion, which is where you might want
to discuss it with a designer. It's a wonderful template
(20:47):
to be able to give someone. I use them sometimes
in that way. I love engaging with them and seeing.
Speaker 2 (20:53):
What they are.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
I think to specifically answer your question, I will allow
them to influence my direction if I feel like it's
already where we are with the client, so I meet,
let's say a residential client. I will meet with them.
I want to look at their vehicle. I want to
know what they chose to drive, what color it is,
(21:18):
what are the interior finishes and fittings, like, what's the
trim level?
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Right?
Speaker 3 (21:22):
Where do they live? In aesthetics, but also quality and function.
I want to look at their closet. I want to
see their wardrobe. What colors they wear are generally going
to be colors they like to see in their home
and that they already know work with their maybe specific
skin tone or their moods. So if they have a
(21:45):
generally neutral palette or a palette that imbues very specific
shades of like let's say it's a red or a green,
I might start there right to understand if they have
a specific. I keep using the word affinity. Let's find
another synonym dan if they have a specific preference for
(22:08):
certain shades or you know, that's a good place to start,
because if a client loves purple, you're probably going to
hit a home run if you use that as the
accent color primary color in their residence, which I have
you know executed before for a client. You know, you're like, oh,
(22:29):
lilax and plums, and what works well with purples? Where
do we want a complimentary color scheme and analogous color scheme?
You know, so you're thinking, oh, purples and greens, or
is it like keep it on the cool spectrum. Let's
use purples and blues and maybe go into a little
bit of plums and wines to give it warmth. I
(22:50):
let the architecture speak. I understand what the light does
in the space, natural and artificial, because lighting is everything.
I mean, the only reason we see a color right
is because it's the absorbing of and reflection of those
waves of light. So all of those factors play into it,
(23:12):
and I think it helps to understand psychologically where any
client is in their specific journey at the time. Is
it a chaotic house with a lot of young kids.
Speaker 1 (23:25):
So if it is, do you lean into the chaos,
do you find colors that just will exacerbate the chaos
or do you try to calm it down?
Speaker 3 (23:35):
I think both, depending on the purpose of the space. Right,
color serves a purpose. In my mind, all design serves
a function art, even for art's sake, right as an
artist who is creating something completely individual on a canvas
as an expression of self, you know, whatever they choose.
(23:55):
When I go to select art for clients, we do
this the same. So is the color palette interesting to them?
Is it complementary to the house? Does it make sense
to have bright colors in like a child's play space
or a space of activity and energy?
Speaker 1 (24:14):
Is there a uswer no to that question? Or is
that always going to be subjective? You know, because sometimes
people will say, just if it's a child's room, it
shouldn't have these energizing you know, we're talking to color psychology,
the colors that energize. Is that a hard and fast
rule that you stick with or is it kind of
just subjective based on the situation.
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I will say yes, generally, bedrooms need to be calm
and spaces where there's not the primary activity is to
sleep in a bedroom. I was just speaking about this
to Good Housekeeping, So I was speaking to the journalists
(24:58):
there and quoted in an article talking about the trend
of maximalist bedrooms. So we came into a trend of maximalism.
It became popular again, and with that there were a
lot of designers and stylists who were showcasing very patterned, bright,
(25:22):
bold like primary suites. You know, I would say to
the consumer. Number one, a lot of these are editorial
in nature.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
Number two.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
I see a lot of these primary suites in spaces
where it's maybe second or third homes. You see them
in places where you know clients have the ability to
have multiple spaces. So there's a sort of privilege in
it too. But it's also to sell products.
Speaker 2 (25:51):
In a way.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
But ultimately, like the purpose of a bedroom is to sleep,
and you want calm and serene and subdued, and if
you introduce bright, energetic colors, it's antithetical to the function
of the space. Now, maybe you want that in your
breakfast room, maybe you want that in your kitchen, Maybe
(26:13):
you want that in your family room, maybe you want
it in your child's playroom. But I think we do
a disservice to surround children with limited colors. Like I
had said primary colors for example, But that's just because
they're so saturated. It's they're strong, and they're colors that
help develop cones in the eye and vision among infants
(26:37):
and toddlers. But we should expose people to the full
range of color. But yeah, I think that certain colors
as a quote unquote rule, but let's say a general
guideline should be avoided in places where they seem again
antithetical to the purpose of the space. You know, there
(26:58):
was a really there's been a lot of experiments and
examples of this, but essentially, like, yeah, if you paint
your bedroom red, you're going to have generally more anxiety
slash energy in that room. It's just what red does
to us. We are primarily you know, primates who see
red as association with blood, right, So it still triggers
(27:23):
that in us, right like, and it's also a color
that increases appetite, so you see it a lot in
kitchens because high blood carnivores meat butchering, right, and green
like again another appetizing color because we're also like omnivores, right,
So you have those sides of it, so there's not
(27:44):
necessarily negative associations. They just have really specific connotations.
Speaker 2 (27:48):
It's a passionate red in my bedroom.
Speaker 1 (27:50):
But then we installed the refrigerator right in there, took
care of everything.
Speaker 2 (27:54):
We get.
Speaker 3 (27:54):
It's a passionate color, right, it's a very sexy color red.
But you know, you say, like orange again, or like
really bright colors that are in that warm spectrum. We
love them, but they do psychologically at a very base level,
they emit like waves of energy. This is like literal
I don't to metaphysic, but they literally do. So if
(28:18):
you want to go into a gym and you want
to be energized to work out, use those bright, hot colors. Absolutely.
If you go into a spa and you're you know,
you want to relax, get a massage, facial treatments, everything
is more subdued. It's eucalyptus, it's water, it's calming for
a reason. A lot of experiments in the seventies, I
(28:40):
think I remember they were like painting prisons different shades
of pink and like buttercup and lilac, and they saw
a significant decrease in anxiety and aggression among inmates because
they surrounded them with these colors that naturally imbued them
(29:00):
sense of calm and peace, and it works.
Speaker 1 (29:05):
Now, I think, yeah, it's it's it's something that seems
a little out there, but really not when you think
about it. Because as you're describing a gym and you
talked about you didn't describe it, you just said a
gym and a spa, And instantly I've got colors, you know,
my brain. When I think of a gym, I'm not
covering those walls with blue, you know, light blues and
(29:29):
soft greens and stuff like that. That's not even remotely
what I picture. And a spa, I don't picture anything
with orange, reds, you know, any of those. Without even
thinking about, oh, what I'm trying to do color wise,
trying to create calm or anything. It's just my natural
leaning is the spa is going to have this oceany
kind of a you know, neutrals and blues, and it's
(29:52):
very Uh. I think it's it's something that we all
inherently know, whether we know we know it or not,
lean towards that because it's built into us.
Speaker 2 (30:02):
It is.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
How it works, is how we perceive color and what
happens to us psychologically literally genetic.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, and it's it's it is an important facet. I
think that maybe the general public isn't aware, but color consultants,
specialist experts are hired in literally every profession. You know,
I specifically design interiors and sometimes products, and maybe I'll
(30:29):
work with a company on branding. But essentially one of
the most important design elements, right when we talk about
contrast and scale and proportion. Color specifically it's used by everyone.
So you know, in any type of publishing industry, in
any manufacturing industry, in any you know, medical professional services,
(30:52):
everyone has someone helping them decide what colors are correct.
Speaker 2 (30:57):
To use, correct to use.
Speaker 1 (30:59):
It's not just stuff that looks good together all the time.
You've got a mission or a goal with this product
or with this space or whatever, and there's certain colors
that are going to help you get to that mission
achieve that mission, and other ones that might not work
as easily towards that. They could all look good together,
you might end up choosing colors that don't accomplish what
(31:20):
you want. So let's zero in on twenty twenty six.
You know you've been looking at the announcements from different
brands what are the big unifying themes that you see
showing up this year as we're looking at color of
the year and what it might be.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
So to piggyback on our discussion of these colors, sort
of referencing.
Speaker 2 (31:40):
The pulse of the culture.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
We are definitely in an uncertain time, let's say, without
diving too deep into it, right there are chaotic elements
at play in society and in politics. Had some really
volatile years, especially in America, where things seem to be
(32:09):
a little uncertain I think right now for people, Not
that I'm trying to be pessimistic, but it's the world
in which we live is a little less certain, a
little rocky right now, and we see that reflected in
the polarization of kind of like not just the punditry,
(32:31):
but there are people on the margins and they seem
to be very loud, right So there's this chaos, there's
a lot of noise. We're inundated with information right through
TikTok and the global news cycle, and now more than ever,
I think, because the planet has become smaller for everyone,
(32:53):
and we're very aware of what's happening globally, and we're
also more aware of what's happened domestically. It is a
kind of contraction into these themes for twenty twenty six.
So we see a lot of earth inspired tranquility. We're
(33:14):
looking at timelessness and comfort. We're looking at these thoughtful
nature first applications. Essentially the colors of the year and
the way that things have been kind of trending for
the last few years are that people want to feel
more comfortable, safe, and secure in their homes. Specifically, they
(33:39):
want to feel more connected to nature. There is a
cloud of climate change and uncertainty hanging over us. So
there is almost in this biophilic trend, like the deep,
(33:59):
deep design for people to return to nature in ways
that are executed in their interiors, right, So they're reflected
in the colors, the textures, the shapes. We talked about
this in a previous episode where we were looking at like, yeah,
the explosion of biophilic design, organic shapes, really natural textures.
(34:22):
This is also a reaction to people having a deeper
understanding of what chemicals have kind of been introduced into
our products and our bodies over the last one hundred years, right,
And there is a level of discomfort with that. So
people want to go back to like fewer ingredients, less ingredients,
(34:44):
more natural products. You know, they want to know what's
in their paint, they want to know what's in their upholstery, they.
Speaker 2 (34:50):
Want to under andy.
Speaker 3 (34:52):
Just because I was not going to say anything but
this very small, warm studio.
Speaker 1 (34:57):
I wanted to let you know because I could tell
you were trying to get further and further away.
Speaker 2 (35:02):
But no, but that that it's just my concern and
it's true. Right.
Speaker 3 (35:07):
We're seeing that in you know, the rejection of kind
of plastics and certain ingredients in plastics, and looking at
people being aware of what is in the products that
they use, the food they consume, and how that's reflected
in color trends is very very obvious.
Speaker 2 (35:25):
Wo.
Speaker 1 (35:25):
How because I'm completely helped me see that connect the
dots between what's in my food to color trends.
Speaker 2 (35:35):
Right.
Speaker 3 (35:35):
So the first thing I honestly thought when you said
that was mac and cheese, Like there is an unnaturally
orange color to what is essentially, you know, a pasta
and a cheese, and there's a kind of disconnect in
that that we feel like that's artificial.
Speaker 1 (35:58):
Yeah, you think homemade macriage and it never looks the same.
Speaker 3 (36:01):
It's never electric orage.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
And my kids have always said, how comeures isn't the
right color?
Speaker 2 (36:06):
Right?
Speaker 3 (36:06):
And I'm sorry to I don't mean to call them out.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
Specifically, but I'll bleep that. Right.
Speaker 3 (36:11):
So let's say like generic brand. But there's a sense
of understanding, like artificial ingredients tend to amplify and saturate
and intensify color in food that you wouldn't normally find.
So this backlash right against dies preservatives things that we
really don't necessarily need for nutritional value. It's the same
(36:35):
in color. And there is also to tie it to
the political and kind of uncertain aspects of society right now.
We're seeing people and these forecasts want to be a
little safer, so we're going back to nature, you know,
kind of like retreating back into our caves and our villages,
right Like, thinking about that from a primal perspective.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
So more subdu color, that's what you're seeing.
Speaker 3 (37:01):
Absolutely, it's definitely a very natural palette. It's definitely a
palette that references the arts and crafts movement of the
early twentieth century, which was a direct rejection of Victorian
industrialism and victorianism, right like the ostentatious nature of those bold,
(37:21):
bright colors, which were, as we were discussing, kind of
only reserved for the wealthy because those dyes were very expensive.
Also turns out some of them, like well arsenic, were
extremely poisoned and getting you know, lead based paint. Well,
we did a whole tinted with arsenic.
Speaker 2 (37:37):
You're like, it's a beautiful.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
One of my favorite episodes that we ever did on
the show was probably five years ago, I don't know
more than that, but it was wallpaper that was arsenic,
you know, that's how they got that green about that
and it there's literal cases where it killed people.
Speaker 2 (37:52):
Absolutely.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
It's even suggested it's possible that this is what killed
Napoleon because that was in the room where he was ill.
He was already ill, right in a room surrounded by
arsenic laced paper in a musty, damp environment, and it's
just putting it in the air.
Speaker 2 (38:08):
Right it.
Speaker 1 (38:09):
So yeah, all those did yeah crazy color, you know, dies,
all this horrible stuff used to get to these colors.
So you're seeing more subdued tones. That's what you're predicting
for Benjamin Moore, and that's what you're seeing now.
Speaker 2 (38:21):
I know there's some bold outliers though, yeah, because we
mentioned though, so I did.
Speaker 3 (38:27):
Aggregate the colors of the year already announced from other
companies and brands for twenty twenty six. And the definite
theme is this return to a very natural, earthy craftsmen,
arts and crafts kind of William Morris palette.
Speaker 2 (38:44):
Right.
Speaker 3 (38:44):
So if we look to what that meant, it was
that rejection, as we said, of industrialism and the sort
of sterile nature of the blacks and grays of industrial
industrial world, plus the right ostentatious nature of kind of
(39:05):
the garishness of bright colors of like the now fallen
monarchies and dynasties of the past. So in Western culture specifically, right,
what you know, William Morris and those of that ILK
did was to go back to using old techniques, using
natural products stained naturally, you know, letting let's say a
(39:29):
species of wood like red oak, the red oak, not
trying to paint it or kill that natural pink hue
with a color. It was about the authenticity and expression
of materials from nature. And that is absolutely a trend
with twenty twenty six. We see a lot of brown
(39:52):
as the new black, Okay, and beige. Let's say tan
linen white as new white and zero gray. There's virtually
like the backlash against gray is actually quite strong, and
you see it in these colors because they all have warm, rich,
(40:15):
earthy brown undertones. And if there's any whites, which there
are a couple, they're really creamy beiges. They're earthy tans.
We see colors like red browns, brick browns and reds, walnuts.
You know, there's one plummy kind of color announced already,
(40:37):
graham and brown and greens and blues, and even the
ones that are outliers as you mentioned, like, you know,
there's a teal from one company, but it's not that bright,
and it still aligns with the idea of a teal
that you would see in nature. It's not like a
(40:58):
radioactive invents saturated, highly primary color. None of these colors
are saturated. They're all very earthy. It's like you would
go in your backyard and dig in the dirt and
you know, go into the forest and you see all
these colors rich brown, reds, greens that are earthy ochres.
(41:18):
So I'm very curious to see if Benjamin Moore will align.
Speaker 2 (41:21):
With this palette. I feel like they will.
Speaker 3 (41:24):
I'm not a predictor of color normally, but I feel
like that they will introduce a color that blends right
into this very earthy, subdued, calming palette.
Speaker 2 (41:41):
Right, you have a family that you think it will
come from. I'm not going to make you name a color.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
Oh I did for the research, I looked at some.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
Oh are you prepared to name it? Well?
Speaker 3 (41:50):
For Benjamin Moore, right, you mentioned what cinnamon slaves last year.
It was last year, and so they were kind of
already ahead of it.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Right.
Speaker 3 (41:58):
You think about the color of cinnamon and that kind
of brownish red or the and slate adding a little
bit of depth of blue gray to it a beautiful color.
So will they introduce something this year that's in that
vein of like a brown red. Probably not. I think
they did it already. They did it, and the year
(42:18):
before it was a blue, and the year before it
was a red. So I don't think we'll be seeing
like maybe a brown red que or a blue. We
may see a green or a green based hue like
I looked at Mediterranean teal is a one hidden falls
(42:41):
they might be in that realm there also, It might
just be like a tan or a beige, yeah, mansfield tan,
twisted oak path or a couple that I looked at
and thought, you know, maybe these oakrey rich warm gold
based tans and beiges, because that's definitely where we are.
It could be just a linen white that you know,
(43:05):
we see that stark whites, cold whites, gray whites are out,
blue based whites. Anything cool, it's sterile. People don't want
it anymore. I'm painting an entire house, literally, every wall, ceiling,
an inch of trim, every door, in every window, all
three stories linen white that these clients just purchased. It's
(43:26):
everywhere now because we want that warmth again. We want
to see that.
Speaker 2 (43:31):
So linen white.
Speaker 1 (43:32):
For the people out there thinking, help them understand what
a linen white.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
So if you look at flax, you know as a
cellulus material, so flax as it grows, it's kind of
warmish gray, right, used to make linen thread. And so
when it's just a natural linen without dye, it's a
very warm, very earthy white. It has a lot more
(43:57):
gold in it and a lot more warmth. Right, So
it is reflecting warmth back in any Calvin color temperature.
So in really bright daylight. When you're at like four
thousand and five thousand, like six thousand Calvin, really bright
white blue light, linen white will still look warm that light,
(44:22):
unlike more neutral whites like the blue lights blue or
light won't cool it down. It will remain warm. And
then in very warm light like back to twenty seven
hundred Calvin or that candle light glow where there's a
lot of orange, it's even warmer. So when you add
enough of that to a white, you know, it stays
(44:43):
warm regardless. We're looking for whites that feel like warm now.
Speaker 1 (44:47):
Okay, yes, So thinking about this as we get to
the end. If somebody's listening right now and they're thinking
about working, you know, a color of the year into
their own space, how do they approach that, you know,
the announcement comes out on October sixteen, and they're ready
to move on that, or they're really ready to you know,
look at those colors and start working. How do you
suggest they do that without overdoing it, without you know,
(45:10):
jumping into something that's maybe a novelty that they you know,
who knows if it's going to be a novelty it
maybe it's going to be exactly what you're saying, and
we kind of all have been sliding into this. It
might not be as novel as as I'm suggesting.
Speaker 3 (45:23):
I'm very curious, actually, just to wrap that up forecasting. Yeah,
when I when I was looking at it's beige's and tns,
it's it's red browns, and it's ochres and you know,
a kind of a couple of plums and teals. I'm
very interested to see what Benjamin Moore has chosen. So
for the average consumer or for the seasoned professional, you know,
(45:44):
designer or product developer, I think understanding that the color
of the year is part marketing campaign, part reflection of society. Ultimately,
I would say, if you like the color and you
personally enjoy it, perhaps you consider using it somehow in
(46:05):
your home, in your wardrobe, maybe looking at pieces of
art to introduce to your collection that have that general palette.
I'm seeing a lot more in art and in these
kind of color palettes too, go back to what we
would say is like a desert palette, almost like those
kind of beautiful desert colors of the Southwest, but not
(46:25):
as saturated. So the fact that I see so much
more art and fashion reflecting that I think if you
like the color, if you enjoy the palette and you
want to use it, figure it out, you know, paint
an accent wall, paint a small room, paint a large room,
if you really love it. I always think with color,
(46:46):
especially with paint, it's so easy to buy, it's easy
to change, it's easy to experiment because you can get
Benjamin More peel and stick samples. You can get pints
of just paint seven or eight shades of it on
a wall. That's the great thing about these colors when
they're announced. You know, let's say it's Benjamin Moore Mansfield
(47:06):
Tan twenty twenty six, and you're like, I like it,
but it's a little yellow, it's a little blood, you know,
go to the website search it. They're like, here's a
lot of shades, intents of that color. Here are colors
that complement it. So they're going to give you a
lot of tools to be able to integrate.
Speaker 2 (47:21):
Even the color trends, seeing colors that work well with.
Speaker 3 (47:24):
It, right and on my palette is right, yeah, and.
Speaker 1 (47:26):
You can work with those colors. But you can do
the same thing like, Okay, I don't like the main color,
but let's find some variations on that, but some of
these other colors it can help you. Okay, well maybe
I'll look at this kind of a tone, but try
to find another version of that that will work with
the new version that I picked. I mean, it just
gives you a starting point, like a springboard.
Speaker 3 (47:44):
It does. And if you're paying attention. Let's say, if
you're listening to this show, you're interested in home improvement,
maybe the business of home DIY these subjects, so maybe
you're already aware, but anyone paying attention, we'll see, Like
the color palettes that's come out for twenty twenty six
is like going back to a kind of like two
(48:08):
thousand Starbucks, Like we want that feeling again, earthy, warm woods.
We're seeing a lot more cherry and brown and kitchens again.
We're seeing these brick tones and these linen whites and
these ochres and these eucalyptus greens. Right, Like that's what
(48:30):
that feeling of like a warm, cozy cafe was when
the company kind of exploded, right, And you remember feeling
that and thinking, yeah, this is cozy, this is warm,
this is comfortable. And then as we shifted away into
a lot more like pale oak, a lot of black,
a lot of white, a lot of gray.
Speaker 2 (48:50):
It was sort of.
Speaker 3 (48:50):
Reflective of what was happening. But we're now back, and
that was only referential of like, right, the sort of
vegetable autumnal colors of the seven which was really just
referential again of the arts and crafts movement, right, which
was really just referential of living in nature like most
people did.
Speaker 1 (49:09):
So many different things. It's so sick looking. We've got
the big announcement coming October sixteen for Benjamin Moore. You
know other people have already released their colors.
Speaker 2 (49:18):
Andy.
Speaker 1 (49:19):
If our listeners want to get in touch with you,
because you do, I mean all kinds of stuff you
into your design, Like you mentioned it, you'll help people
with a lot of different things relating to color. If
they want to reach out, how do they best find you?
Speaker 3 (49:31):
I can be found on all the socials at Andy
Yates Design and my website is Andy Yatesdesign dot com.
I'm happy to speak with anyone if they're interested in
talking about color. I have color consultations and understanding really
just how to use color in your life to better
enhance not only your daily living, but reflect who you are.
(49:56):
This big trend in general with color is about personalization.
So if you don't like the specific deeal that company
X has come out with, maybe you use it to
find the version of blue green that speaks to you.
It could be brighter, it could be darker, it could
be less or more intense. But ultimately that's what I do.
(50:18):
I help people work out these issues. So if you
want to reach me, I'm available.
Speaker 1 (50:23):
All right, we'll put links in the show notes. Thanks
so much for hanging out.
Speaker 3 (50:26):
Yeah, thank you, Dan.
Speaker 2 (50:27):
This was great and that's going to.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
Do it for this episode of Home in Progress sponsored
by Repcolite Paints and Benjamin Moore. If you enjoyed today's conversation,
be sure to leave us a good review. It helps
other folks find the show, and I really appreciate the help.
Also consider subscribing to the show and you'll never miss
an episode. All Right, have a great week everybody, and
I'll see you next week. I'm Dan Hansen for Home
(50:50):
in Progress. Thanks for listening.
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