Sherwin Williams puts out a color forecast every year, diving into the trendiest colors of the upcoming New Year. This year is no different and I think it is safe to say that 2019 looks beautiful but pretty neutral, with the exception of one collection, the Enthusiast. The other five collections, the Shapeshifter, the Wanderer, the Aficionado, the Naturalist, and the Raconteur , are all filled with beautiful, deep, and grounded versions of colors I already loved. But, the Enthusiast collection is WOW!
And, it is this collection that I wanted to blog about for a couple of reasons. One, like I said, it is the boldest of the collections. It has deep, vivid colors that not everyone is going to fall in love with. So, you need to be really strategic in the placements. Two, it forces most people out of their comfort zone with color. If you are picking paint from this collection, you have to have some gumption. Three, it is so FUN. I mean, with color names like Majestic Purple and Positive Red, who wouldn’t have a great time painting?
So, how does this 2019 Enthusiast collection of paint tie into flooring? Well, I am consistently helping people with design choices for their floors. And, there are two things I try to instill in all my customers when it comes to picking new flooring and paint. One is that while floors come in a variety of hues, most of them are some form of brown or gray. Two is that floors are MUCH more permanent than paint. So with those two things in mind, you want to pick a floor color that speaks to your overall design, but that will work long-term. When picking wood floors, most people these days stay away from orange-y stains and stick with medium to dark browns. That floor will match about any paint choice. And, speaking of paints, you want to pick out paint AFTER the floor because paint comes in literally thousands of colors, and flooring, well, not so much. Plus, even if you don’t like the paint color down the road, it is relatively easy and cheap to change. Once again, flooring is a much more expensive and much bigger project to modify down the road.
Now, let me bring us back the 2019 Enthusiast palette. Try to incorporate these colors by popping them into less permanent but very visible places. Don’t limit yourself to using these colors in paint, either. Buy the medium brown floors and paint a wall Majestic Purple! Go for the gray carpet and accent it with an Oceanside area rug. Positive Red sofa on a an espresso hardwood floor? Yes, please!
Bottom line? Let the colors of 2019 help shape your new design and let the flooring keep your design balanced. Have fun with color!
