The Best Color Of The Year Is Largely A Farce – Here’s Why

December 19, 2017
30 Comments
Posted in: interior paint colors

Oh my! Thanks guys for all of your votes for the Best Color Of The Year 2018.

If I had my wits about me, I would’ve created a survey, so that I didn’t have to laboriously count each vote and make a nerdy little chart like this. Well, next time.

We can plainly see that number eight is the winner!

6, 3 and 2 are close to a three-way tie.

The comes 7 and 5

and sorry number 4, but you bombed out.

However, I actually think that’s a perfectly fine color. It’s a soft warm black, but you guys prefer a soft cool black that is #9. That IS, if what you are seeing on your monitor IS what I’m saying it is!

Now, let’s reveal the actual colors and their corresponding companies.

Dunn Edwards – The Green Hour
PPG – Black Flame
Dutch Boy – Sandstone Tint
Glidden – Deep Onyx
Benjamin Moore – Caliente
Sherwin Williams – Oceanside
Pratt and Lambert – Heron
Behr – In The Moment
Olympic Paint – Black Magic

Here are some interesting things I learned.

As some of you pointed out, differences in computer monitors can change things a fair amount. And I base that on the fact that some of you saw colors differently than I do.
And one or two of you pointed out that this is a weird exercise because colors in and of themselves, don’t mean a lot. That’s also true.
Also, many of you put in more than one color, so if you didn’t say specifically say which was your number one, I couldn’t count it in the tally.
As you can see, #4 fared the worst. On my computer, it is a soft, warm black. The preference is for #9 is a soft cool black.

But here’s the thing that drives me the most nuts. Not only are the monitors different, but if looking at images of rooms in these colors, they are different too! More about that in a bit.

What is Laurel’s favorite color?

Well, quite frankly, I like all of them, but I have been hankering for a rich, blue for at least two years now and #7 which on my monitor looks to be a deep blue with some green in it. It reminds me a lot of Farrow and Ball’s Hague Blue– a fabulous color.

But you guys chose #8 – which BTW, you can purchase a sample here.

So, let’s examine this lovely color.

I went to my Laurel Home Essential Paint Collection of 144 beautiful Benjamin Moore colors to see what is closest to Behr’s In The Moment.

Behr Color of the Year 2018 – IN THE MOMENT

Here’s the deal. When they shoot these images, while they get the tone pretty close, they flatten out the color. The plain square is darker than the parts of the interiors that are in shadow and that’s not possible.

And some images will be bluer or greener. The reality is, that in your room, it might appear to be bluer, greener, brighter, darker. Who knows?

But, this is why I get a little more nutso than usual when someone asks me what color something is from an image they send me on my computer. Even IF I knew, it is not going to be the same color.

What I wish they would do, is talk about a color range, or color family. Even a small family.

However, just because they aren’t, doesn’t mean that we can’t. And the reason I feel strongly about this is that well… their images don’t do this beautiful color justice, in the slightest. They are all pretty one-note and plastic looking. As in FAKE. No color is going to look good in this situation.

That was a rather long preamble into seeing if there’s a Laurel Home Collection color that’s close to Behr’s In the Moment. lol

The closest is probably Benjamin Moore Jack Pine. But JP is a fair amount darker. You might recall that Alexa Hampton used this great color in her home.

There are also some terrific Laurel Home (well, Benjamin Moore) colors that are lighter than In the Moment. One is Quiet Moments, one of my all-time go-to favorite colors–especially for bedrooms.

However, there are some fabulous Benjamin Moore colors which are very close to In The Moment.

Atmospheric af 500

Mystic Lake csp 745

Stratton Blue hc 142

This color, I have used twice and it is a very lovely teal and will look somewhat deeper if the light is low. It was on the short, short list for the Laurel Home Essential Paint Collection, but alas, in an 11th hour brutal final cut, it got the ax and I don’t remember why except that I had reached my quote of greens.

Another color which is very close (a hair deeper and bluer) is Farrow and Ball’s Oval Room Blue.

Sheila Bridges used this color in her now, iconic living room.

She spiced it up with shots of warm red, brown, white and gold tones.

Another shot of the Sheila Bridges living room painted in Farrow and Ball Oval Room Blue

For the kitchen, she chose for her cabinets, a Benjamin Moore color called Hemlock 719

It’s definitely in the same family, but more blue and a less gray.

Notice how the color has changed in this shot. (I ADORE those Gustavian chairs!) And if you don’t know as seen here, lower cabinets almost always appear lighter. Therefore, if doing a two-tone look, make sure that the lower color is substantially darker or it might look like the same color. I made that boo boo one time.

She paired it with her fabulous Torino Damask wallpaper which she sells on her website.

I love this view looking into the dining room. I believe that the green-yellow is Farrow and Ball Churlish. click here to see more of Sheila’s beautiful work.

Another example of how colors change is in this gorgeous entry designed by Jimmy Stanton.

In this photo, the blue looks more saturated and brighter than our color of the year.

They’re all gorgeous, but the bottom two are lighter than the top one.

And far lighter and saturated than our color of the year.

Above three photos via Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles
Photos Erica George Dines

original source unknown

I’ve always loved the colors in the room. The Paule Marrot print is what makes it, I think.

But, it also makes this fabulous space with black walls. (original source unknown)

Designers can purchase this lovely print through Natural Curiosities which is one of about 500 sources in Laurel’s Rolodex. If not in the trade, you can get it here for a substantial discount.

And below, I made a widget for inspiration of some home furnishings that I think would look terrific with the best color of the year 2018, In the Moment and similar colors.

And folks, this is the last time you will hear me hawking Christmas presents. Well, not counting all of the great sales that will be forthcoming, perhaps.

In the meantime, tomorrow is the DEADLINE to get stuff if you order online. Please go to my holiday shop because there are a ton of great gift ideas.

BUT, Anthropologie is THE place for women and girl teens and tweens. And they are offering 30% from now until the deadline. And they have 1,100 gifts at very reasonable prices, especially with the discount.

This is funny. Sunday, I went on a little tour of Rockefeller Center. Yes, in the middle of December on a SUNDAY, Laurel who HATES CROWDS WITH A BARNEY PURPLE PASSION went to the most crowded place on the planet for about 90 minutes. Fine. Call me a masochist, but I have such fond memories of the Rock. In fact, I was a waitress there, for two months in 1984. Well, that one wasn’t so much fun.

xo,