PITTSBURGH – Residential and architectural paint specialist PPG has unveiled a 2021 color palette it is marketing under the “Be Well” theme aimed at consumers’ desire for physical and mental well-being emphasized in “simple comforts and a slowed-down lifestyle.”
“With the world sheltering in place for the better half of the year, we have begun to crave human connection and embrace simple activities, including walking, hiking, baking and gardening,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager, architectural and industrial coatings. “This organic and hopeful palette represents what we have been longing for after decades of over-stimulation and over-consumption: simplicity and restfulness.”
The Be Well palette is showcased in three color themes that are as follows:
- Transcend is a mid-tone oatmeal colored hue that “draws on earthy influences and nostalgia. It is meant to be a contrast to the cool grays that have been in the marketplace for some time not just in wall colors, but also wood furniture finishes.
- Cypress is a tone the company describes as a shaded ginger with persimmon undertones.
- Misty Aqua is a water color cerulean blue tone that offers a burst of color against the more subdued earthy tones.
Using a 60-30-10 design model with 60% of the room being a dominant color, 30% as the secondary color and 10% as an accent color, the company said that these three tones pair well with “greenery, blonde or natural blonde tone woods as well as layers of texture in the form of rattan, linen, velvet and woven textiles like pillows, blankets and rugs.”
“When the world experiences events that cause unrest, anxiety and grief, we tend to naturally gravitate toward compassionate colors that allow us to create a personal retreat from the world,” Schlotter said. “These comfort colors are similar to comfort foods – both offering a certain sense of familiarity and normalcy when facing the unknown.”
In addition to the “Be Well” palette, the company is introducing two other themes for 2021:
- “Be True: Anchoring reality” – This palette “celebrates authenticity and connection by imitating an artisan’s touch and renewing traditional know-how by layering vintage-inspired colors and recycled and contemporary touches. It offers a mixture of organic and heritage influences with warm, earthy tones combined with jewel box hues.” Enchanting Eggplant is a rich maroon with chocolate undertones, while Gargoyle is a glass-bottle green tone.
- “Be Wild: Activating optimism” – is what the company describes as a “mood-boosting combination of colors.” Included in the “playful, expressive and creative” palette is PPG’s Transcend, which brings “an earthy element to French Lilac, an unexpected periwinkle, and Mediterranean Blue, a marine aqua-blue with a deep-water undertone.”
