2024 Color of the Year Predictions from Paint Experts

Paint experts unveil their Color of the Year predictions for 2024.

2024 color of the year by Behr
Cracked Pepper by Behr | Image courtesy of Behr

Every year, paint manufacturers, design enthusiasts, and color experts eagerly anticipate unveiling the Color of the Year. This influential decision sets the tone for visual aesthetics in the upcoming year. It also reflects societal trends and the global mood. In the interior design industry, this color prediction plays a pivotal role, guiding the creation of new products, inspiring designers, and dictating home décor trends.

Last year, we saw an emphasis on stimulating and saturated warm colors that were meant to invigorate and excite. The 2024 color trends lean into comfort, versatility and a solid tie to natural elements. This year's palette spans from a subtle yet solid black through a revitalizing sky blue to a toned-down olive green and warm peach.

Benjamin Moore: Blue Nova 825

Benjamin Moore unveiled Blue Nova 825 as its Color of the Year 2024, drawing inspiration from the fusion of blue and violet, reminiscent of a newly formed star in space. The color evokes a sense of adventure, expansion, and discovery, prompting individuals to seek new experiences.

A modern red office chair sits in a home office painted in Blue Nova 825, with built-in shelving, cabinetry.
Courtesy of Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore describes Blue Nova 825 as a captivating mid-tone that balances depth, allure and timeless appeal. The complementary Color Trends palette also embodies a narrative of contrasts, highlighting the interplay between light and dark, warm and cool tones. It encourages a departure from the ordinary to explore fresh environments and gather colorful memories shaping the ambiance within our homes.

Behr: Cracked Pepper

Behr has chosen a bold direction for its 2024 top color choice, reverting to black despite the prevailing trend favoring brighter near-neutrals. The selected Cracked Pepper, a luxurious charcoal tone, defies expectations by exuding softness, coziness, and comfort while maintaining a strong presence. This standout shade from Behr's Designer Collection Palette earns its Color of the Year status due to various appealing qualities.

home office painted in Cracked Pepper from Behr
Image courtesy of Behr

As a soft black hue, Cracked Pepper can effortlessly elevate any space. It can serve as a striking accent for doors or kitchen cabinets or create a dramatic impact by painting entire rooms in this timeless color. Not limited to interior spaces, it extends its versatility to the exterior, adding sophistication and flair when applied to elements like gutters or the entirety of a home's exterior. This shade's adaptability and transformative nature make it a compelling choice for both interior and exterior design, establishing its prominence as Behr's top color selection for 2024.

Sherwin-Williams: Upward

Sherwin-Williams has unveiled Upward as its 2024 Color of the Year. This soft and captivating blue draws inspiration from the sky. It carries subtle red undertones and hints of gray and natural green attributes. Its versatile nature evokes feelings of Scandinavian slow living or coastal ambiance, offering a calming contrast amidst the hustle of modern life.

sherwinwilliams color of the year 2024
Courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Part of Sherwin-Williams' anthology collection, Upward SW 6239 boasts a spectrum of complementary shades. While white remains an obvious pairing choice, homeowners can enhance the coastal aesthetic by combining Upward with navy tones or soft pastel greens. The color also harmonizes excellently with warm brown accents and wooden furniture within homes.

Valspar: Renew Blue

Valspar's Color of the Year for 2024 is a greenish-blue hue reminiscent of the aqua tones. Dubbed Renew Blue, this shade stands out for its incredible versatility, suitable for all seasons and adaptable to various spaces. It draws inspiration from natural elements like fog, mist, clouds, and glacier lakes. The color aims to uplift daily moods, encourage individual expression, and instill a sense of balance and tranquility and a touch of distinctive spontaneity.

kitchen bar counter with two striped fabric covered chairs and Valspar's Renew Blue kitchen cabinets
Courtesy of Valspar

Blue has evolved into a timeless hue considered the new neutral in contemporary home design, offering flexibility to mix and match across diverse design styles and applications. Valspar's Renew Blue emerges as a color choice that transcends trends, contributing to an ambiance of calmness and self-expression within living spaces for the modern era.

Pantone: Peach Fuzz 13-1023

Pantone's Color of the Year 2024 is 13-1023 Peach Fuzz. This heartfelt color communicates kindness, tenderness, community and collaboration. Peach Fuzz is described as a quietly sophisticated, contemporary peach shade with depth, offering a poetic, romantic and vintage-inspired vibe. It symbolizes the desire to connect with loved ones while cherishing moments of quiet solitude.

dreamy living room with fluffy couches in peach fuzz
Courtesy of Pantone

Positioned between pink and orange, it inspires a sense of belonging, recalibration, and nurturing, fostering an atmosphere of calmness and healing. This color invokes a space for self-reflection, promoting inner peace and impacting overall well-being, awakening our senses to the comforting essence of touch and warmth.

Conclusion

Interior design is heavily influenced by color trends, with choices of hues significantly shaping the aesthetic and mood of a space. The 2024 color trends, emphasizing comfort, versatility, and natural elements, are set to influence interior design profoundly. The solid black can create a sense of depth and sophistication, while the revitalizing sky blue introduces a calming, serene atmosphere.

These colors can be incorporated within various design elements, including wall paints, furnishings, flooring and accessories. By integrating these trending colors, you can craft interiors that are not only visually appealing but also feel contemporary, unified, and deeply reflective of the present.