Color of the Year 2024

Every year around fall, paint manufacturers introduce their Color of the Year for the upcoming year. While the color of the year for each paint manufacturer is the predominantly featured color, each company does create a palette of coordinating trending colors as well. We’ll go over some of the most common paint companies and their Color of the Year 2024 and what this means for clients looking for a refresh in 2024.

Benjamin Moore

My personal favorite paint company and the one I go to for the basics, like Simply White, is Benjamin Moore. The 2023 color of the year was a bold Raspberry Blush, a mix of warm pink and deep coral, which was a complete departure from the neutral 2022 October Mist, a grey-hued pale sage green.

Maintaining the more electric appeal from 2023 is their 2024 pick, Blue Nova, a mid-tone violet blue.

​Raspberry Blush

October Mist

Blue Nova

Images courtesy Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore also introduced its color palette for the year. These are colors that include and complement the color of the year. This year, the concept was Home & Beyond. These colors are inspired by travels and adventures.

Image courtesy Benjamin Moore

While I don’t think the general public will be beating down Benjamin Moore’s doors to get Blue Nova up on their walls, it can definitely be used on a kitchen island, a front door, or even laundry room cabinets. It can certainly be an accent color to some of the other colors in the curated palette. I have seen four of the color palette tints or shades used together since about 2020: Topaz, Teacup Rose, Honeybee, and Polar Sky.

And what do you think about a whole bedroom done in that Regent Green? Contact me if you’re interested in exploring that idea!

Valspar

Part of the Sherwin-Williams company and sold at Lowes, Valspar is a favorite among the DIY crowd. Their 2024 Color of the Year is a green-hued blue called Renew Blue. It doesn’t contain enough green to be mint or seafoam, but also not enough blue (or brightness) to be aqua. No, this is much more subdued, even calming, maybe the new “Spa Blue”.

Image courtesy Valspar

I can understand the appeal of this color for a whole room. And the coordinating colors match the emotion perfectly.

Images courtesy Valspar

Behr

The paint brand of Home Depot is Behr, another DIY-er favorite. Where Valspar decided to keep things mainstream, Behr decided to take their neutral Color of the Year and make a bold statement. In Cracked Pepper, we get a suede-like black. It’s a color that plays nice with neutral-toned, warm-toned, and even cool-toned woods. And check out Behr’s coordinating color palette! If you love color the way I love color, your eyes may drool when you see this. (What’s the equivalent term for “foodie” for people who love color? Colorie? Eh, maybe I’m just a color-snob.)

Background: Cracked Pepper; Foreground: Even Better Beige and Weathered White

Image courtesy Behr

Image courtesy Behr

But now you can see how Cracked Pepper (bottom left) is so neutral that it goes with the cool colors, the neutrals, and the warm colors. Hint, they all have a touch of gray (if you’re in the U.S.) or grey (if you’re in the UK).

Again, call me if you’re itching to redo a room in this color!

Sherwin-Williams

Valspar didn’t fall far from the parent-company tree in terms of Color of the Year. Sherwin-Williams, another Lowes paint brand, stuck with the blues with Upward. But where Valspar went a little greener, Sherwin-Williams goes the smidgiest of smidges violet. It has a freshness, cleanness, sereneness about it. I can almost smell the “laundry fresh scent.”

Image courtesy Sherwin-Williams

And because blue is a complementary color to red, orange, and yellow, this hue goes with warm, neutral, and cool woods, as well.

The coordinating colors include some of my favorites: Gale Force and Honeydew.

Image courtesy Sherwin-Williams

Glidden (PPG)

The paint brand of PPG, Glidden, decided to go with Limitless, a pale neutral yellow. While it is a warm color, it is also neutral enough to be paired with cool tones. I have seen this used for kitchen cabinets and it is quite refreshing to see in a kitchen.

Image courtesy Glidden

I have used a similar tone in a breakfast nook to provide some happiness to the room. It blends well with their entire 2024 color palette.

Images courtesy Glidden

Conclusion

Blue is such a classic color that you really can’t go wrong when using it anywhere. And while blue is still having its moment (since around 2005), it’s hard not to be drawn to some of the other trending colors. It’s also easy to be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of choices we have.

Just remember, when it comes to color, my motto is and always will be: you do you. Pick what you will like, and not just what appeals to the general masses.

If you’re still having a hard time deciding which color to paint your bedroom, your kitchen cabinets, or your dining room ceiling, contact me. I can help.