It’s that time of year when we pull out the color wheel and take it for a spin to see what hues made the must-have list for this year’s interior painting projects. Nothing changes the vibe of a room faster and more efficiently than changing its color.
So, we combed the Internet, tapped interiors and design experts, and then envisioned which colors would best suit our Chesapeake Bay sensibilities, and came up with our
Top 5 color-infused vibe boosters!
Renew Blue, 8003-37D
Valspar
And there’s another blue on the horizon that’s vying for our attention this year—Renew Blue by Valspar. Described as “combining soothing tones of blue and organic undertones of green and gray to create a use-anywhere shade that can anchor your home’s entire aesthetic,” this shade certainly caught our eye! Quite frankly, they had us at “anchor.” This seems like the perfect Bay-side bedroom color. Or perhaps even a great contender for a pool-house hue, or bathroom. Paint it anywhere you want to evoke peace and a sense of wellbeing, as these home trends are forecasted to remain relevant for the foreseeable future.
Upward, SW 6239
Sherwin-Williams
Described as a “bright and blissful blue,” Sherwin-Williams, has introduced a color they named Upward, as a signature hue of the year. We love it because it’s so sweetly coastal, can jibe very well in almost any room of the home, and can lend a new kick to furnishings. This lighter shade is also indicative of what is forecast as a wave of lighter shades hitting the walls in 2024 and 2025. Its popularity is also related to the rising trend in what is called the “coastal grandmother chic” design aesthetic. This trend highlights the earthy colors you would associate with sand, sea birds, and water. Everything about this aesthetic communicates ease and flow, so no bold patterns, slick finishes, or fussy fabrics. Complementary colors include whites, blues, ivory, taupe, and muted greens.
Mountain Olive, N350-7A
Behr
The color experts at Behr went in a surprisingly different and dramatic direction when they chose “Cracked Pepper” as their Color of the Year for 2024. They note, this soft black, “…exudes confidence” and is an instant space elevator. While it certainly evokes an earthy, even moody mindfulness, we were most excited about their choice of ‘Mountain Olive’ from this year’s palette of a dozen complementary options for their Color of the Year pick. This warm, watery green works so well as an accent wall color, intermingles swimmingly with our Bay-based tones, and provides the ultimate mood booster with its healthy, plant-based vibes. For those who wish they could bring more of the natural world inside, this is a great option.
Limitless, PPG1091-3
Glidden
Into every well-executed interior scheme, a base or neutral color must live and breathe, so we chose “Limitless” from Glidden, its Color of the Year for 2024. And it is just that, limitless, in the sense that it blends so well with the rest of the earth-based color ethos going on in our contemporaneous interiors. We love how it helps other subtle or seemingly more mutable shades, such as driftwood-like browns, and shell-like pinks pop. With additional colors like “Aquamarine Dream” and “Night Rendezvous,” Glidden’s entire 2024 Trending Colors Collection best captures our Chesapeake Bay sensibilities in one wondrous color wheel. Now, where’s that painter’s tape?
Blue Nova, 825
Benjamin Moore
“Softly saturated” is how the experts at Benjamin Moore describe the palette of custom colors they conceived for 2024. Their “Color of the Year” is—surprise—another blue, “Blue Nova,” which indeed presents as a blue that is softly saturated with violet undertones. Our pick from their palette of 10 tones that range from a “Tea Cup Rose” to a piney “Regent Green,” is “Polar Sky.” This palest of shades evokes the vibe of a winter morning sky. One lesser-known painting tip is to apply a color with this mist-like quality to the ceiling of a waterfront bedroom to enhance the reflective nature of the water within the room—a cool, but subtle tool that makes a waterside room even more inviting.
