In 2021, the paint colors of the year named by top brands spanned the spectrum: There was orange, green, blue, red, and even a bronze shade. And while most of them were said to signify similar themes — ease, comfort, calm, peace — it appeared that no one really agreed on what hues achieved those feelings. This year, that’s no longer the case. As the 2022 paint colors of the year started to roll in earlier this fall, it quickly became obvious that the world at large (as well as the paint industry) has reached a consensus on what people will be looking for in the upcoming months. And this time around, it’s all about green.
In fact, many of the colors are nearly the same. Picks include shades such as Behr Paint’s silvery green Breezeway, Benjamin Moore’s sage-hued October Mist, and Sherwin-Williams’ gray-green Evergreen Fog, with very few outliers breaking the nature-inspired mold. Clearly, consumers are still looking to imbue serenity into their spaces. Now, it’s just in a more obvious way.
Erika Woelfel, Vice President of Color & Creative Services at Behr, confirms this. “For our 2022 Color of the Year, we wanted a hue that embodied our excitement for the sense of renewal, restoration, and rediscovery of the outside world through color,” she tells TZR in an email. “We selected Breezeway MQ3-21 because of its feeling of peace and tranquility as well as the physical and metaphorical breath of fresh air it offers in your home.”
However, it seems that there’s another reason greens are trending for the year ahead. For many brands, it feels like a time to look to the future. They wanted their choices to represent that optimism as well. “We’ve spent more time inside our homes than ever before,” explains Woelfel. “Because of this, we selected a color that is both calming and representative of the intention to move forward in 2022. Similar to a physical architectural breezeway, the gentle silvery-green hue leads you forward from one place to another while acting as the link between your home and the world outside.”
Amy Donato, Senior Color Marketing Manager at PPG paint, echoed a similar idea in a press release about its 2022 Color of the Year, Olive Sprig. “As many of us know following a year of lockdown, the easiest way to shift your mindset is to change your environment. While we begin to trade sweatpants for strappy shoes, recipes for reservations, and a night in for a night out, our paint color preferences are shifting too, in both residential and commercial spaces,” she said. “Call it rebellion, but we are certainly here for the resurgence of optimistic colors to guide us into a new era of home design.”
“Nature has been a solace for many over the last year and will continue to play an instrumental role in design and color inspiration in 2022,” Woelfel continues. See how that will play out with some of the colors of the year for 2022, ahead.
Behr Paint: Breezeway
Behr’s 2022 Color of the Year is Breezeway, which the brand describes as a “relaxed and uplifting sea glass green.” Woelfel says that the brand selected it not only because of the fact that it promotes a sense of tranquility, but also because it’s so versatile. “Breezeway MQ3-21 seamlessly pairs with colors from our 2022 Trends Palette, allowing DIYers to create unique looks that appeal to any decor style or to create different moods from peaceful to uplifting,” she shares.
Sherwin-Williams: Evergreen Fog
Sherwin-Williams’ 2022 Color of the Year follows years of neutrals and jewel tones with a “nourishing and sophisticated” gray-green hue, Evergreen Fog. “Evergreen Fog is a sophisticated wash of color for spaces that crave a subtle yet stunning statement shade,” said Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams, in a press release. “[It] inspires us to begin again and is a great choice for modern interiors and exteriors.”
Benjamin Moore: October Mist
For its Color of the Year 2022, Benjamin Moore chose a “gently shaded sage” dubbed October Mist. “As the spaces in our homes continue to evolve, we uncover more opportunities to express our individuality and leverage the power of color to design environments that serve different functions and styles,” said Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore Director of Color Marketing & Development, in a press release. “October Mist 1495 and the corresponding Color Trends 2022 palette reflects an effortless harmony of colors, while inspiring unique combinations for any paint project.”
Glidden: Guacamole
Glidden’s 2022 Color of the Year of the year is Guacamole — which, you guessed it, is a cheerful green the brand describes as both spirited and soothing. “We’ve all saved beautiful green kitchens and earthy-inspired bedrooms on our Pinterest boards and TikToks over the past year and a half, driven by our need for calm, regrowth, and rejuvenation after living through these ‘unprecedented times,’” said Kim Perry, Glidden paint color guru, in a press release. “Now, with a little elbow grease and Glidden paint, DIYers and procrastipainters everywhere can make their social screenshots a reality and hopefully gear up for some ‘precedented’ times in the future.”
PPG: Olive Sprig
PPG’s 2022 Color of the Year is another gray-green shade named Olive Sprig, dubbed “elegant, grounded, versatile, and highly adaptable.” It’s meant to represent “regrowth in a post-pandemic world” by mimicking nature’s resiliency, and is said to blend with nearly any environment.
