Sherwin-Williams announces Poised Taupe (SW 6039) as the 2017 Color of the Year. Poised Taupe signals a new direction in society’s ever-growing interest for neutrals that bring warm and cool tones together to create one versatile color.
“Poised Taupe celebrates what people love about cool gray as a neutral, and also brings in the warmth of brown. Not cool or warm, nor gray or brown, Poised Taupe is a weathered neutral,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing for Sherwin-Williams.
As the Sherwin-Williams team traveled the world to identify the latest trends and make this year’s selection, it became clear that neutrals are beginning a transition from the monochrome gray of the past five years to a more complex taupe and brown. In a recent homeowner survey conducted by Sherwin-Williams, nearly 40 percent of the respondents agree that they would like to incorporate warmer neutrals, such as warm grays, taupes or beiges, into their home décor. Additionally, more than two in five people identified taupe as a neutral they would choose.
The well-lived life in the home
Drawn from the Noir palette, one of four palettes in colormix 2017: The Sherwin-Williams Color Forecast, Poised Taupe addresses the search for spaces that recharge the spirit.
“Consumers yearn for spaces that feel welcoming and hug them as they enter. Brown combined with gray, creating Poised Taupe, embodies these emotions,” says Wadden.
With its cool-yet-warm vibe, Poised Taupe is a backdrop for a wide range of color combinations, from pastels to brights to jewels. For example, when paired with the indigo of Stardew (SW 9138), it creates a palette reminiscent of a French countryside. Used in tandem with Rave Red (SW 6608), it evokes the feel of red-stained bedrock. And with the teal of Marea Baja (SW 9185) and Bee (SW 6683), it transforms into a graphic look.
A warming trend is coming to commercial spaces
In 2017, the shift to warmer colors reaches commercial spaces too, which tend to move in more conservative color cycles than residential or designer directions. Influences such as natural or organic materials, weathered and worn finishes and global cultural preferences have suggested alternatives to the primarily gray existence that has been the star of commercial color direction over the past five years.
“Since commercial color direction tends to have longer lifecycles, Poised Taupe is on the forefront of this trend, offering the ability to endure over time, yet complement a wide range of designs,” says Wadden.
Aligned with this trend of moving away from the stark commercial environments, Poised Taupe gives developers, builders and interior designers a warm color that offers dimension, but is neutral.
Anchored by the 2017 Color of the Year and taken from colormix 2017: The Sherwin-Williams Color Forecast, a set of commercial neutrals such as Mudslide (SW 9113), Sealskin (SW 7675), Casa Blanca (SW 7571) takes their place in center stage.
For more information visit SWcoty.com.