2016 Color of the Year: Off-White

Posted on: November 12th, 2015

This year has been colorful. We had Marsala (Pantone’s 2015 Color of the Year) and Coral Reef (Sherwin-Williams 2015 Color of the Year) as two good examples of it. They are everywhere from paint to fabrics, turning 2015 into a vivid and bright year.

However according to the four major paint brands, 2016 will be the year of white. Actually, it will be the year of shades of off-white. Last October, Benjamin Moore officially announced its color of the year: Simply White, followed by Glidden that also has made an off-white hue its color of the year. Besides that, Sherwin-Williams and Behr included off-white in their color trend forecasts for 2016.

But if you are a little bit disappointed by the news, there is hope. Unlike bold colors, off-whites are soft and neutral and can be used in the entire room, rather than as an accent only. Also, because white is neutral it can be a nice backdrop for a gorgeous room, making it easier match with other colors and materials.

Besides that white is fresh and evokes a clean feeling which helps to create a resting place for your eyes after a long day being bombarded by so many colors. To take advantage of this new trend, use bold accents to make a statement or keep you décor in soft hues to have a calm room to relax and recharge.