Now that January has arrived, the world’s leading brands have each announced their own ‘color of the year’.
Warm tones look set to replace cooler colours as the preferred palette in 2024 in a bid to create comforting cocoon-like spaces in our homes…and it looks as though we are finally saying ‘goodbye to grey’.
The front-running colour themes for 2024 are tipped to be…
1. Warm Neutrals, like pale to mid-tone whites with undertones of red, orange or yellow:
Pale colours with warm undertones are predicted by designers to be the most popular this year: think whites and pastels with undertones of yellow, red and orange, rather than blue, green, or grey. As Cori Sears of The Spruce says: the aim is to add “sophistication and depth to a space while keeping it bright and neutral”.
Glidden paints have declared as their colour of choice ‘Limitless’ - a warm and bright beige colour that is a great neutral shade for those who want a little more colour, without being too garish. They have also pronounced the cooler greys which we have been using in our neutral decor as “officially canceled”, citing that warmer neutral tones allow for greater versatility, and the ability to work with both new and existing decor.
In 2023 Dulux released a similarly sunny - albeit slightly darker - coloured paint as their favourite (Wild Wonder™), but for 2024 have gone with ‘Sweet Embrace™’ - a pale yet warm dusty pink “inspired by the softness of feathers”, which they have developed to generate a soft, optimistic tone in line with their theme for the year which focuses on creating “a place where you belong” away from the busy and hectic world outside.
2. Natural Greens, like forest green, dark emerald, olive:
With the popular Biophilic and Forestcore trends enduring, nature inspired tones will feature prominently again to reflect the mood of the moment. This year, darker shades of green will headline and, in particular, deep olive shades with warm yellow undertones.
Dutch Boy Paints have put forward ‘Ironside’ as their premiere offering. The deliciously dark olive hue has both yellow and black undertones which elevate the colour from simple the connotations of calmness and nature to the heights of drama and sophistication, whilst retaining a sense of cosiness and comfort. Interior designer and Dutch Boy Paint’s colour marketing manager, Ashley Banbury, says “Our main driving influence for our color of the year is creating a space for wellness […] a sanctuary in your home that can not only help you physically but mentally as well."
3. Moody Tones, like midtone blues, soft black, dark jade, teal:
Intense jewel colours and dark inky hues were popular last year, and this is set to continue…just with a slightly softer finish. They can be used to create real depth to your scheme, and a space which feels daring, comforting and satisfying. While bold and dark colours may seem intimidating, you can embrace the trend tentatively by using them as accents in your scheme, or try adding soft furnishings or other accessories (that can be easily removed if you change your mind) to get used to the new colour first. Interior designer Cara Newhart says “There are endless ways to incorporate darker, more moody tones into your space: from small accents like a painted vase to an accent ceiling, or even repainting your cabinets with a bold hue”.
Paint company Benjamin Moore have chosen ‘Blue Nova’ (a deep midtone blue) for their favourite colour, a soft inky blue which has been injected with a touch of red to generate a warmth fitting of the current colour movement. Colour marketing and development manager Andrea Magno says “The warm notes in this cool color is what gives it depth and makes it inviting […] It’s a captivating, otherworldly color that is kind of magical and can elevate the everyday”. After last year selecting vivid ‘Raspberry Blush’, Benjamin Moore’s choice this year can similarly be used as a bold accent in a neutral space or to embrace the daring ‘colour-drenching’ and ‘colour-blocking’ trends.
4. Earthy Red Tones, like soft terracotta, deep coral, and peachy pink
Moving away from last year’s magenta and blue based reds and pinks, this year’s preference is predicted to be for more warm toned hues. With an emphasis on these colours being restorative and relaxing, expect to see peachy pinks and soft reds with yellow tones. Like HGTV Home’s pick - ‘Persimmon’. This soft terracotta shade has been designed to be gently uplifting yet comforting, has been inspired by natural earthy tones, and they describe it as “connecting to the warmth of nature […] creating an aesthetic that feels personal and unique”.
Another way of introducing some of these on-trend colours into your home is with artwork.
Work by Sam Toft, Gary Walton, and Aaminah Snowdon is a great choice if you want to compliment ‘Persimmon’ coloured accessories or colour schemes, as they too make use of wonderfully warm pastel palletes and peachy pinks. A collection of Nicky Litchfield limited edition prints, with their warm pastel hues would look beautiful against a soft pink backdrop of ‘Sweet Embrace’ inspired decors.
Collagist Sarah Jackson’s Paradise limited edition print is perfectly placed to embody the trend for natural greens - featuring a medley of verdant rainforest hues; and the traditional 'etching' style of accomplished print maker Guy Allen's original prints have a elegantly dark quality which would sit beautifully in a space inspired by the moody tones trend.
Whether you choose to make a statement with fearless colour blocking of the year’s most popular dark and moody tones, introduce just a few elements of colour to punctuate your space, or fully embrace a calm and cosy soft neutral decor, there is a way to use this year’s palette trends to suit every taste.
Head over to browse through our Interiors collection for home inspiration, or our online gallery for beautiful wall art.
