By Dee Schlotter, senior color marketing manager, PPG’s architectural coatings business
PPG paint brand’s 2019 Color of the Year, Night Watch (PPG1145-7) is a rich, luxurious and classic shade of green. The color resembles the deep green hues found in forests, and emulates the feeling of lush greenery and the restorative power we feel in nature. Night Watch evokes a soothing feeling when incorporated into any space in the home. The dark green hue pulls our memories of natural environments to the surface to recreate the calming, invigorating euphoria we feel when in nature.
This universal color can be used in a variety of rooms and spaces. On the inside of the home, Night Watch is perfect as a focal accent wall color in a bedroom or dining room. The color is especially impactful in spaces throughout the home that do not have windows or views of the outdoors, such as the end of a windowless hallway.
As darker colors continue to grow in popularity for the exterior of the home, such as on siding, front doors or shutters, Night Watch offers a beautiful alternative to the trending black or deep blue-black colors. Colors from nature do not clash, so Night Watch blends perfectly with greenery or other landscaping.
For a color to catch on and truly become a trend, it has to resonate with other décor and design trends, and it also has to reflect the current state and mood of society globally. PPG recognizes that we influence trends as much as trends influence us, and our thoughtful approach to color forecasting represents and connects to consumer feelings and preferences.
The emerging movement of biophilic design – which aims to reconnect us to nature by bringing natural outdoor elements indoors – is on the rise in senior living buildings, office spaces and multi-family developments. Now breaking into the residential space, biophilic design is becoming popular with millennials, who are increasingly seeking to disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature. We see this generation adding succulents, moss bathmats and other natural elements into their spaces, as they create a closeness to nature with little maintenance.
Although our global color stylists unanimously selected Night Watch, we also considered PPG paint brand’s Golden Field (PPG1107‑7), a dramatic mustard yellow. We see yellow being a very strong color for the upcoming year, but this particular shade of yellow can prove to be difficult for homeowners, as bright yellows are often too bold and loud for an entire surface area and overpower the space. We recommend using Night Watch and pairing it with a Golden Field-colored statement piece, such as a chair or ottoman, to create a bold, lively space.
Millennial pink will continue to trend in the coming year, but will mature a bit. The PPG paint brand’s Cinnamon Diamond (PPG1055-5) is a warm, rosy beige described as a grown-up millennial pink. The hue exudes sophistication and tradition when paired with Night Watch.
In the architectural paint market, PPG‘s global forecast not only resonates with the current consumer mindsets, but it also coordinates with trending materials such as textiles, wood, tile, cabinets, window frames and more. The colors are brought to life through four color stories in 2019:
PPG paint brand’s 2019 Color of the Year, Night Watch
With It: This color collection resonates with consumers that are youthful in spirit, playful, artistic, creative and energetic. These hues reflect the optimistic drive, the collective nature, and the diversity of today’s young adults, but it is important to note that this theme is not defined by a certain age, but rather the collective spirit. The palette incorporates vibrant, lively hues like the PPG paint brand’s Cherry Brandy, a cheery red; Crushed, a bold yellow; and Mystic Blue, a playful blue.
With Class: Centered on old-school elegance, this palette offers a rainbow of saturated darks that convey a worldly tone while simultaneously expressing a contemporary aesthetic. Elegant gem tones like the PPG paint brand’s Deep Emerald and Chilled Wine embody this palette, and softer tones like Hot Stone, a beautiful, warm brown; and Cinnamon Diamonds, a unique red, offer a timeless feel that exudes sophistication and tradition.
With Out: This theme represents consumers’ desire for simplicity and craving for only the things that make them feel healthy, grounded and calm. This design aesthetic emphasizes an interest in minimalism and connectedness to the outdoors. The color collection boasts an abundance of nature-inspired greens like PPG paint brand’s Pine Forest and Antique Slate, as well as organic colors like Cocoa Delight and Cool Concrete.
With Spirit: This color collection addresses the rise of spiritual consumers who seek to infuse their interest in meditation, zen-living, mindfulness and interest in the cosmos into their environment. Intense hues like bluish purple PPG paint brand’s Imperial Purple evoke spiritual overtones, and pair well with colors like Wild Lilac that serve as softer, romantic accents.
Because PPG’s paint colors are sold in more than 70 countries, developing color trends is a global, cross-cultural effort. Collaboration between PPG’s more than 20 color experts generates a fact-based approach to color trends and consumer preferences, resulting in a unified voice on color direction. The company’s color stylists around the world specialize in industries that include consumer electronics, architectural, automotive and aerospace. PPG experts study consumer mindsets, building material trends, wellness preferences and more to select a curated color forecast that resonates and is reflective of current consumer attitudes and spans cultures, regions and markets.
The PPG Global Color Team converges at the beginning of each year to determine which color best represents current consumer mindsets. At this year’s workshop, our society’s longing for the restorative power of nature was a reoccurring theme in societal trends from around the world, drawing the color team to the PPG brand’s Night Watch hue. After further analysis of other industry trends, the color team unanimously chose the color as the 2019 Color of the Year.
