2016 Colors of the Year

Dreaming of the redesigning your home’s decor in 2016 or want to stay current with the latest trends? Here are 2016’s Colors of the Year as chosen by Pantone, Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams.

Pantone’s 2016 Color of the Year: Rose Quartz & Serenity

For the first time, Pantone chose the blending of two shades. Joined together Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace. As consumers seek mindfulness and well-meaning to modern day stresses, welcoming colors that fulfill our yearning for reassurance and security are becoming more prominent. Rose Quartz is a gentle tone that conveys compassion and a sense of composure. Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of relaxation even in turbulent times.

Benjamin Moore’s 2016 Color of the Year: Simply White

Elegant or understated, neutral or graphic, white is the ultimate in versatility. The starting point for every artist, white is where inspiration begins. Interplayed with natural light, Simply White can create nuance and subtle beauty. When mixed with high Chroma colors and black, angles and edges can become sharply defined. Furthermore, White walls mixed with rustic beams can make a room feel warm and soft. White can also help focus and direct the eye when balanced with brightly painted walls.

Sherwin-Williams 2016 Color of the Year: Alabaster

Alabaster is a hue symbolic of new beginnings. At a time of  overstimulation, Alabaster offers a sense of personal solace to weary minds. It is a true neutral to set the tone for 2016.

“Alabaster represents a straightforward and necessary shift to mindfulness,” Jackie Jordan, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams, says. “It provides an oasis of calmness, spirituality and “less is more” visual relief. Alabaster is neither stark nor overly warm, but rather an understated and alluring white.”

It can set the tone for healing and rest in a bedroom or nursery. Furthermore, it can stand alone as a chic hue in an entryway or home office. Finally, this shade can be paired with light blushes or grays and bridge transitional and traditional styles. Or can create a yin and yang harmony with contrasting dark colors in a spa-like bathroom.