Colour of the Year

Designreal estaterenovations

Nov 22

Written By

Last week, Sherwin Williams recently announced their colour of the year for 2016 - Alabaster.

Beach Style Dining Room by Atlanta Interior Designers & Decorators Beth Webb Interiors

In October, Benjamin Moore announced their colour of the year for 2016 - Simply White.

Traditional Kitchen by Washington Architects & Building Designers Donald Lococo Architects

Colour of the Year: Why the Panties in the Knot?

I had posted Sherwin William's Colour of the Year in a Facebook design group that I belong to and the feelings were pretty one-sided. The majority of the comments were,

"The operative word though, is color... Not the combination of all colors with a slight hint of beige!"

"White is not a color. It's a shade."

"OK.... WTF? NO WAY...."

What I can't understand is why the majority of my colleagues have their panties and tightie whities in a knot. There's no rule you have to use the 'colour of the year' in ANY space you design. There's no 'rule' that you have to use the 'colour of the year' in EVERY flipping space, every wall, etc. It's a colour (and some will debate white is not even a colour) - so get over it. Maybe I was just cranky the day that all the negative comments were streaming in. Maybe I was cranky because I have such a love for white. Whatever the reason, you'll be glad to know I didn't engage in debates of the colour of the year conversations (yup - I took the high road).

Colour of the Year: My Love For White

If you've been following my blog, you will know I'm a HUGE fan of white - especially in kitchens! It doesn't matter what spectrum the white falls in (see the 4 below), I really do love them all. When you pick the RIGHT white (whether it be for your trim, doors, walls, and/or cabinets), a space can look amazing!

Blue White

colour of the year SW 7007 Ceiling Bright White BM OC-61 White Diamond

True white

colour of the year

SW 7006 Extra White BM OC-65 Chantilly Lace

Off white

Colour of the Year (for both SW and BM)

colour of the year

SW 7008 Alabaster BM OC-117 Simply White

Cream

colour of the year SW 7566 Westhighland White BM AF-20 Mascarpone

Colour of the Year: Feeling

I think what it comes down to me is the feeling that white exudes. Although white can be cool and 'institutional' feeling depending on where you use it, white can also evoke emotions and feelings like no other. Jackie Jordan with Sherwin Williams shares below her reason for choosing Alabaster. The 'less is more' is an unwritten rule that I always take into consideration when designing spaces.Sherwin Williams' Jackie Jordan in choosing Alabaster for the Colour of the Year for 2016.

"I selected this color from our 2016 colormix™ Pura Vida palette because it represents a straightforward and necessary shift to mindfulness, well-being, and a pure and simple atmosphere. Alabaster provides an oasis of calm, simplicity, spirituality and a less-is-more visual relief. Alabaster is neither stark nor overly warm, but more exactly an understated and alluring white. The chaos of everyday life calls for a color that is soothing and meditative yet allows us the freedom to take it in any direction that suits us."

Benjamin Moore's Ellen O'Neill explains their reasoning for choosing Simply White for their Colour of the Year for 2016.

“The colour white is transcendent, powerful and polarizing – it is either taken for granted or obsessed over. White is not just a design trend, it is a design essential. The popularity of white, the necessity of white, the mystique of white is quantifiable in our industry. Of the top ten best-selling Benjamin Moore colours, variants of white occupy five spots. It was inevitable that we would ultimately recognize white as our Colour of the Year.”

Colour of the Year: Relax

This is the part where I could tell all the nay-sayers to relax, I could say, "Chill out," or I could say, "Settle down" (BTW - I absolutely detest that when the hubby tells me to relax or settle down so I won't tell you to do that). Instead, I'll let these images do that for you. Enjoy some peace and calm (I hope) when you see these white spaces (and notice how there is still colour)!