Sherwin-Williams and PPG Are Far Apart on Color of the Year Selections for 2017

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Sherwin-Williams Picks Poised Taupe. PPG Paints Names Violet Verbena.


In the second half of each year, upon concluding exhaustive research into fashion and home design trends and delving deeply into consumer sentiment, leading U.S. paint manufacturers announce their picks for the upcoming year’s “color of the year.” While it’s rare for major industry players to agree on the specific up and coming color destined to turn heads, it’s also rare for their choices to be as far apart as they are for 2017.


Sherwin-Williams expects their “Poised Taupe” (SW 6039) to be in vogue. In company marketing materials, Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing for SW explains, “Poised Taupe celebrates everything people love about cool gray as a neutral, and also brings in the warmth of brown…(for) a weathered, woodsy neutral bringing a sense of coziness and harmony that people are seeking.”


Meanwhile, PPG Paints predicts that “Violet Verbena” (PPG1169-5) – a blend of gray and purple – will soon be seen in more and more U.S. homes. “We are seeing this shade of violet on the runway in fashion, and in textiles for the commercial and residential segments,” says Dee Schlotter, PPG’s Senior Color Marketing Manager, in company marketing materials. “Violet Verbena blends perfectly with many different surroundings, like a chameleon. It looks polished yet playful in a child’s room, and it is calming enough to be used in hospitals or other spaces that require tranquility.”


Asked about the apparent incongruity in these two color selections, Kathleen Grodsky, VP of Marketing for Butcher Block Co., who strives to keep abreast of color and style trends, observed that, “The two colors actually have a lot more in common than you might think, at first glance. Both selections feature a strong gray component, which makes them neutral and soothing. Either would be a fun base color to work with. For example, maple or walnut furniture would look great against a background of Poised Taupe; and cherry and oak woods would be striking matched up with Violet Verbena. All in all, I think these “COTY” selections are wise choices.”


About Butcher Block Co. – BBC is a leading online seller of kitchen furniture and countertops plus accessories. The company carries products made by John Boos, Catskill Craftsmen and other major manufacturers.


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