What does paint say about us?

Happy Monday's w/Mere!

Sherwin-Williams's 2020 Color of the Year Reveals a Lot about Americans' Mental State The brand says it's a sign of the next decade's biggest paint trend.

Naval

BY CANDACE BRAUN DAVISON SEP 23, 2019

Sherwin-Williams 2020 Color of the Year

People have always sought a home that helps them escape the stresses of day-to-day life, but these days, that desire feels more prominent than ever. There are all kinds of gadgets to help you relax—fidget spinners, weighted blankets, CBD oil-infused candles—and the latest Color of the Year predictions are already proving to be a marked contrast from the brighter hues of years past. Case in point: Sherwin-Williams's 2020 Color of the Year, which is—drumroll, please—a deep, celestial-sky blue called Naval.

"The use of color in interior design is changing. It's not just about what a space looks like anymore, but how it makes you feel," Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, said. "People want to feel grounded and inspired to pursue their mental, physical and emotional wellbeing."

Naval was designed to do just that, inspiring a sense of "restfulness and tranquility" in one's home, according to a press release. (Similarly, Behr's Color of the Year, a mellow green, was designed to help you achieve a sense of calm.) This trend toward soothing paint colors makes sense, especially given Gallup's recent findings that Americans are some of the most stressed-out people in the world. No wonder we'd crave anything—from our paint to the blankets we curl up with at night—that'd help relieve tension.

Sherwin-Williams's pick is relaxing, but the brand is also betting big on it because it can act as a neutral in the way that your favorite pair of jeans can, complementing any style (Boho! Traditional! Coastal! Even Grandmillennial!).

Sherwin-Williams recommends pairing it with natural materials and warmer tones—think woven-fiber rugs, plenty of plants, and brass accents—and says this particular shade may be a harbinger of color trends that will last through 2030.

"We're predicting that the next decade in color is going to be bold," Wadden said, adding that the luxe designs of the Roaring Twenties will inspire looks in the 2020's. "In the next 10 years, we'll continue to move away from omnipresent neutrals and design will feel more personal again."

The color's also in line with what designers are seeing—and using, and loving—lately. Arent & Pyke, Emily Henderson, and Bright Bazaar's Will Taylor have all dabbled in dark blue kitchens, and designer Jeremiah Brent says you can expect to see more of them in the future. "It’s all about moody. People need a break from the white subway tile and all-white everything," Brent told House Beautiful at a recent press preview. "Every project for so long, for the last two years, every time I meet a client, they’re like, ‘I just want an all-white kitchen.’ I’m like, ‘no, you don’t. You saw that image, but let’s talk about what you’re really trying to say.’ I think that’s going to shift.”

If Sherwin-Williams has anything to do with it, those tides are already