Home color trends veer green

This year home interiors that register with trend-conscious buyers will be warmer, with greens and earthy tones encroaching on the grays and neutrals that have long-reigned.

Each year paint manufacturers unveil their color of the year, which their research shows reflects the mood of the country and nudges interiors toward new looks.

For 2022, there’s an unusual consensus among the companies that the trend is green.

“It’s fair to assume all of us were eager to choose colors that inspired hope and new beginnings” after the pandemic years, says Erika Woelfel, vice president of paint company Behr.

Phoenix-based DunnEdwards Paints is one company that took a slightly different track, selecting a pink-tinged light brown color it calls Art and Craft. Its Southwest location was an “important facet” in going against the green, but still opting for a natural tone, says color marketing manager Sara McLean.

For homeowners who might have been painting in neutrals and pale grays in anticipation of selling, the new greens shouldn’t make your effort look outdated.

“We are very mindful of the colors highlighted over the past few years because we know that people do not paint every year, and typically the color evolution from one year to the next is quite gradual,” explains Andrea Magno, director of color marketing for Benjamin Moore.

“Neutrals and grays will forever be an integral part of color palettes,” adds Woelfel. Incorporate greens, as well as earthy hues, in small amounts, the color experts agree.

“Powder rooms, pantries, front doors and built-in niches are all great places to include a more intense spot of color,” McLean says. “If that even feels like too much, adding these colors in removable decor like bedding, pillows and accessories still conveys the fresh color image.”

Bolder, deeper and warmer colors have been seen in other periods where the country experienced a new optimism, such as the Roaring Twenties, says Ashley McCollum of paint manufacturer PPG.

“Post-pandemic optimism is creeping into residential design,” she concludes.