Hues for 2022

It’s not easy being green. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop several of the nation’s largest paint manufacturers from designating various shades of the hue as their colors of the year for 2022. “I feel like people either love green or hate green,” says Frisco resident Stephanie Kratz, owner of Carrollton-based Stephanie Kratz Interiors. For nearly two decades, she has designed the interiors of residential and commercial spaces throughout Dallas-Fort Worth.For the most part, the greens selected as the colors of the year tend to favor the lighter end of the spectrum – from minty to mossy – versus deep forest or dark camouflage colors.“I think this softer green is almost like a new neutral” color, Kratz says, comparing it to the many shades of gray that exploded in popularity among designers and consumers over the past decade or so. “Because they’re softer greens, I feel that it’s a natural way of bringing color into the home, and then just kind of complementing it and mixing it with other neutrals.”But not all greens are created equal. Kratz recently shared her thoughts about the color of the year selections with Frisco STYLE.She is a fan of PPG’s selection, Olive Sprig, which the company describes as “an elegant, grounded, versatile and highly-adaptable gray-green” that “represents regrowth in a post-pandemic world, mimicking nature’s resiliency.”Kratz says it is likely best suited as an accent color, such as on a built-in bookcase or cabinets in a great room that boasts “a real neutral cream wall tone.” She also sees it playing well “maybe with a gray (that has) a bit of a purple undertone to it” and pairing it with design pieces made of iron metals or soft brass. “I do think this would be a really easy color to work with.”Ditto for Sherwin-Williams’ selection called Evergreen Fog, a grayish-green that Sue Wadden, the company’s director of color marketing, describes as “a sophisticated wash of color for spaces that crave a subtle-yet-stunning statement shade. … Evergreen Fog inspires us to begin again and is a great choice for modern interiors and exteriors.”“I feel that it’s a soft, calming color. It reminds me of fall,” Kratz says. “I think it’s pretty easy on the eyes. … It adds a lot of coziness to a space, so I would use this more in a study or a bedroom. … It definitely has that organic, calming, soothing feel to it.” It’s not “fog” but rather “mist” in the air at Benjamin Moore, which named the silvery-green October Mist as its top hue for 2022. The company describes it as “a gently shaded sage that quietly anchors while encouraging creative expression through color.”

“It’s just kind of playing on that earthy, natural, organic” tone and is “very calming and peaceful,” says Kratz, who admits that October Mist is “probably my least favorite” of all the color of the year choices. Still, she believes it could work in a bedroom alongside crisp whites and other neutral tones.Behr Paint Company selected a soft green called Breezeway that aims to inspire people “to fully embrace the hobbies or adventures, both near and far, that excite us. We look forward to a color that welcomes a hopeful sense of renewal, restoration and healing,” according to Erika Woelfel, Behr’s vice president of color and creative services.“This is very minty,” Kratz says. “It’s easy. It’s kind of soft and breezy, just like its name. … I feel that it’s a little more feminine and maybe a little bit more on the traditional side. But I think it pairs really well with white, just for that crispness, or some soft blue tones or softer gray tones.” It may also be effective as an accent color, or in a bathroom or guest bedroom, she says.Glidden® paint (which is manufactured by PPG) named Guacamole its color of the year. “This spirited-yet-soothing green brings an organic energy to any space, which is needed because we all know you’ve probably killed at least three plants this year,” the company joked in a press release announcing the selection. Its color “gurus” recommend employing the hue in homes “with reckless abandon – just like ordering extra chips and guac at your favorite burrito joint.”

“This is a much more traditional color,” Kratz says. “It almost feels a bit more formal to me (when painted) on the walls. I think it would be pretty in a dining room or a guest bedroom … but I definitely wouldn’t use this color a lot.”As it does each year, Valspar® (which is owned by Sherwin-Williams) named not one, but a dozen “trendy” hues as its colors of the year for 2022, including a peppy pink called Lilac Lane that it describes as “soothing and restorative.” It stood out to Kratz, who calls it “a really young and fresh color. I think it feels very bright and cheerful.” That said, “A little bit will go a long way,” so she recommends using it possibly on an accent wall in a bedroom and pairing it “with some soft gray tones to add sophistication and elevate it to a little bit more mature color. This doesn’t have to be something for a little girl’s room.” Kratz also gave a thumbs up to Valspar’s® Mountain River, “a deep, rich” blue that she describes as “really sultry and stormy. … This could be really sexy in a bedroom or even a study, or you can (paint) some bookcases with this.” The shade may pair well with purples and other jewel-tone shades to help maintain the integrity of its dark appeal.The experts at New Jersey-based Pantone – which does not manufacture paint but is considered the international authority on color trends – named the bluish-purple color Very Peri (as in periwinkle) its color of the year.“As we move into a world of unprecedented change … Very Peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family … yet at the same time with its violet red undertone … displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages creativity and imaginative expressions,” according to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. Kratz says she is “excited” about Pantone’s selection. “It is definitely a bolder pop of color in comparison to the other colors” of the year. “I see this color pairing well with some of the more neutral tones to add a bit more excitement and unexpected flair to a room.” It is important to remember that the colors of the year serve primarily as marketing tools for paint manufacturers. Kratz says people shouldn’t necessarily feel compelled to incorporate them into their home’s decor. “If it’s a color that you’re fond of, maybe introduce a little bit” of it into a space, she says. However, “If you paint it and you hate it, change it. Don’t just paint it because it’s the color of the year.”

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