Color(s) of the Year

Jan. 21, 2020

Each year major paint companies, Pantone, etc, announce their color of the year—and they are all different. What is the meaning of color trends, and do they have any importance? And how do certain colors become anointed—and is that a good thing? Should designers embrace or ignore color hype? Guests include designers Nick Olsen and Nicole Fuller, who are known for their innovative use of color and Martin Kesselman, a paint retailer and color consultant who recently created the “perfect” modern white for Farrow and Ball.

You’ll love this episode if you’re interested in:

• Color trends and colors of the year
• What meaning trends have and their impact
• How our guests implement color and best practices
• Light, contrast, and perception
• White, a color that can’t be overlooked
• The inspiration and process of color development and selection
• The influence and mood color ignites

Get to know our guests:

Nicole Fuller is an interior designer and owner of Nicole Fuller Interiors with offices in New York and Los Angeles. She is known for contrasting neutrals with bold color and pattern and has created a line of tile with Ann Sacks, wallpaper for Fromental, and various rug designs for The Rug Company. Currently she’s in the process of collaborating on a paint collection with fashion photographer Steven Klein for Farrow & Ball.

After completing an architecture degree at Columbia, Nick Olsen shifted into interior design after working with Miles Redd. Nick launched his own firm, Nick Olsen Style, in 2010, and as Michael describes, is distinguished by the added charm, humor, and playfulness he adds to his designs. His work has been featured on the covers of Domino Magazine and World of Interiors.

Martin Kesselman is an entrepreneur, interior designer, and color consultant. Martin owns his own paint shop in New York City, In Colour, which represents brands including Farrow & Ball, Benjamin Moore, Fine Paints of Europe, and Donald Kaufman Color. He has previously worked with many of these paint companies, and most recently developed a contemporary white with Farrow & Ball called Martin Kesselman White.

Michael notes these 2020 Colors of the Year from paint brands:

• Classic Blue by Pantone
• First Light by Benjamin Moore– Pale rosy pink
• Back to Nature by Behr – Gentle sage
• Naval by Sherwin-Williams – Grayed navy

Check out these go-to whites and off-whites:

• Decorator’s White by Benjamin Moore – Gray hints
• Simply White by Benjamin Moore – Fresh white
• Dove White by Benjamin Moore – Neutral 
• All White by Farrow & Ball – Pure white. Nicole Fuller references this color as a “ceiling pop” white.
• Cornforth White by Farrow & Ball – Hint of gray
• Skimming Stone by Farrow & Ball – Warm gray undertone
• Martin Kesselman White by Farrow & Ball – This new shade of white, created by Martin, was inspired by the stark white of galleries, and transformed into a warmer shade of white for the home.

Shades of gray our guests couldn’t get enough of:

• Gull Wing Gray by Benjamin Moore – Miles Redd’s townhouse entryway is painted in this “Dior gray” featuring a hint of blue.
• Metropolitan by Benjamin Moore – Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year in 2019.
• Purbeck Stone by Farrow & Ball – Nicole’s revered gray she used in her home.

Additional colors mentioned: 

Caliente by Benjamin Moore – a surprising choice of merlot for Color of the Year in 2018.

Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball – Nicole mentions this blue when speaking about monochrome.

For more resources, explore:

• “How Light Affects Colour” from Farrow & Ball.
• “The Colors You’re Going to See Everywhere in 2020” from Elle Decor.
• “The Luxury Paint Company Creating a New Kind of Anxiety” from The New Yorker.
• “How Color Shapes Our Lives” from The Atlantic.
• "Your Guide To Sophisticated Neutrals" from Chairish
• “Unlock Radiant Rooms With Jewel Tones” from Chairish.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.