Sherwin-williams goes beachy with blue gray
Sherwin-williams has named Upward, a soft, midrange blue with gray undertones, as its 2024 Color of the Year, continuing the trend of softened versions of bright colors for next year’s home design palette.
“I absolutely love this color because it’s a little different,” said Sue Wadden, director of color marketing for Sherwinwilliams. “Blue grays are always popular, but this is a little brighter and a little periwinkle, really a pretty color. I love the brightness and the positivity of the color.”
So think of Upward as your favorite pair of faded blue jeans but softened with a bit of gray. She said the color can work as well in a bedroom, foyer, bathroom or even a kitchen. And it fits perfectly, she said, in the shift away from modern farmhouse and toward a more coastal
décor vibe.
“I understand that whites have gained momentum in the
market, and in the trend world, white has taken over neutrals. But I’m not going to do a white
for a Color of the Year,” Wadden said. “We’ve been in modern farmhouse for so long, and now we’re in the coastal vibe. Upward works really well with that. Think Serena & Lily and beach houses.”
The current year’s top color picks include HGTV Home’s soft black Darkroom, plus earthy colors such as Glidden/ PPG’S Vining Ivy, Better Homes & Garden’s Canyon Ridge (a sun-baked terra cotta) and Sherwin-williams soft beige-blush Redend Point. Benjamin Moore chose a vivid red-orange, Raspberry Blush.
So far, picks for 2024 are more muted but full of color, with HGTV Home by Sherwinwilliams choosing Persimmon, a soft mix of terra cotta and tangerine; Valspar choosing Renew Blue, a soft blue that leans toward turquoise; Glidden/ppg jointly choosing Limitless, a buttery yellow neutral; and Behr opting for a soft black, Cracked Pepper. Minwax, the stain company, chose Bay Blue, a blue-green teal, as its top pick.