Home Paint Trends of 2009

In 2009 many magazines and designers indicated that gray was on the way to being the new beige. Top accent colors and schemes are fairly obvious because all major retailers of home goods carry something in the light blue-green range, usually with chocolate accents. But, what about the walls?

Fabric, furniture, textile and home goods design dictate paint trends. This is because paints are available in an almost unlimited variety, but the selection of color in furnishings is much more restricted.

As with fashion, it used to be the case that by the time a product was made at an affordable level for the average consumer, the design world had moved on. However, with major designers creating specific products for mass retailers like Target and K-Mart, it allows the average consumer greater access to cutting-edge trends.

While watching a chef based reality show, I exclaimed to my husband, "look, there are our pillows!" To me this was proof of our own stylishness as I watched the TV participants lounge on the same Dwell Studio pillows I had purchased from Target.

So what wall colors are most people using with these popular accent pieces? In a professional capacity I've had many opportunities to hear people remark in a disparaging fashion about 'builder beige'. Beige is often chosen by contractors and has been popular for several years now. It's neutral enough not to scare away potential buyers, and in higher end construction, it has the advantage of showing off wide, white, baseboards and crown molding.

Curiosity aroused, I phoned Loretta, one of my favorite paint store contacts, to see what had been selling most in 5 gallon buckets this year. Immediately she rattled off these Sherwin-Williams colors: Softer Tan and Kilim Beige. Then after describing to her the theory that gray was becoming the new tan, she added that Accessible Beige and Balanced Beige has also been picking up over the past year in high quantity sales. These two colors, though named 'beige' are more cool and gray in comparison to Softer Tan and Kilim Beige.

On a smaller scale, some national paint color trends I've seen introduced to local homes include black or muted red-violet.

For example, one of my favorite personal projects was a textured high-gloss black accent wall behind a bed that I created based on the guidance of designer Karen Caldeira. The wall was freestanding and created a dramatic focal point for the large bed. Modern glass sconces on the wall added to the effect.

Beige is here to stay, at least until contractors stop buying it. Neutrals don't have to be bland. The dynamics of an environment are composed of many elements. For this reason, beige need never be synonymous with bland.