Melissa MurphyMay 23, 2016

Trends in Interior Color for 2016 and Beyond

Melissa MurphyMay 23, 2016

Where are color trends headed?

Recently, it’s been neutrals all around: grays, champagnes, silvers, and whites – all throughout the house. Add minimalist design elements, like shiplap siding and neutral tile work, on top of that and it’s plain to see the very clean, very white, very minimal aesthetic that emerges. In fact, minimalist neutrals have been going so strong that Simply White was chosen as Benjamin Moore’s 2016 color of the year.

That’s a lot of neutrals.

Why? Well, part of the reason could be that times of economic stress tend to minimize color. We buy less and spend more on what we buy: We want to buy once and buy smart on pieces that can stand the test of time.

And that’s certainly not a bad model. But after years of being steeped in neutral trends, you might feel it’s time for a change.

So what’s on the horizon?

One of the best places to look for clues on what’s to come in home design is women’s fashion. Because fashion moves so much more quickly than interiors, we can get a good idea of the overarching arc of trends: and color is in.

Take Pantone, for example. The company that’s long been a muse for designers and fashion icons alike chose not one, but two colors of the year for 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity, and filled its suggested color palettes with even more colors complementing those shades.

If Benjamin Moore’s Simply White reflects the present, Pantone’s color forecast indicates what may be coming to the mainstream world of home interiors just down the line.

Here’s what Vicki, one of our color specialists, forecasts:

Look for a slow ending of the minimal-focused “grayzone” of white and neutral-on-neutral designs. We’ll be seeing furniture and wallpaper trend toward pattern, color, texture, and exuberance, like these:

Trends with a vibrant mix of color, pattern, and texture are on the horizon.

In home fixtures (like plumbing fixtures and lighting fixtures) we’re going to see warmer tones like polished nickel come to the forefront. Cooler finishes, like brushed nickel, are headed to the wayside.

In appliances, the prevailing minimalist aesthetic trend will most likely continue. White is still in, while stainless steel appliances have fallen out of style. Glossy white appliances with polished nickel or chrome handles coordinate well with many different aesthetics.