Mimicking nature’s resiliency is PPG’s 2022 Color of the Year—Olive Sprig. The sophisticated gray-green is a grounded, highly adaptable color that represents regrowth and healing in a post-pandemic world.
As part of PPG’s annual Global Color Forecasting Workshop, the company’s experts uncovered that consumers are more inclined to adopt more colorful selections after difficult inflection points throughout history, often seen during the Roaring Twenties or after the Great Depression. As part of this cyclical history, PPG is seeing post-pandemic optimism infiltrating commercial and residential design spaces so many can create a sense of escapism.
Just as trends in the 1920s were marked by opulence, metallics, rich woods, layers, moody colors and angular shapes, today’s home decor is drawing inspiration from the Antiquity, Baroque and Renaissance eras of art, sculpture and architectural forms. This colorful embrace is thought to reflect an optimistic rebellion, a sign of personal expression or soothing self-care.
Olive Sprig is a relaxed, but enticing green that emulates the feeling of soothing aloe vera or a fragrant plant, brightening any space with organic liveliness. It’s a versatile color that lives well inside or outside and blends in with nearly any design.
“As many of us know following a year of lockdown, the easiest way to shift your mindset is to change your environment. While we begin to trade sweatpants for strappy shoes, recipes for reservations and a night in for a night out, our paint color preferences are shifting too, in both residential and commercial spaces,” said Amy Donato, senior color marketing manager for PPG Paint, in a company press release. “DIYers, property managers, designers and architects are shifting away from the stark, neutral palettes of yesterday and opting for color in all forms. Call it rebellion, but we are certainly here for the resurgence of optimistic colors to guide us into a new era of home design.”
[Related: How Wallcoverings Are Helping Designers Provide Interior Comfort and Inspiration]
Lending itself to be paired with natural materials, Olive Sprig can work well alongside architectural elements and furniture with curved forms to create a comfortable and grounded space. The color can help create a sanctuary in a bedroom, encourage focus in an office, offer a neutral backdrop in retail or a restaurant, and create a grounded getaway in hotels. Olive Sprig also pairs nicely with brass accents and wood tones on an island or lower kitchen cabinets.
Homeowners, designers, architects and other customers of professional painters can also gather inspiration from this color and consider pairing more green-hued elements with the shade, such as floor-to-ceiling emerald tiles in a bathroom, a luxe velvet green couch in a lounge space, or immersing an interior in plants in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes.
To find Olive Sprig and the rest of PPG's 2022 trends colors at a store nearest you, visit www.ppgpaints.com. You can also learn about PPG’s 2021 Color Palette of the Year here, which emulates both the optimism felt in nature and soothing nostalgia.
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