COLOR TRENDS 2024

New horizons are sought by exploring disparate places, thoughts, and colors to form endless creative possibilities. Softly saturated with a nuanced approach to contrast, the Benjamin Moore Color Trends 2024 palette takes inspiration from the hues experienced through travels and moments that span beyond routine. On adventures near or far, we encourage collecting poignant color moments with verve and personality that are unexpected and boundlessly magical.

The OPPOSITES and CONTRASTS…

New and old, day and night, light and dark, warm and cool, near and far – we are surrounded by contrasts and opposing forces at every turn. From simple opposing relationships to the most thought provoking and complex, these juxtapositions shape our surroundings.

For 2024, Benjamin Moore’s Color Experts conversations and research findings centered on contrasts and opposing relationships. Their discussions and trend workshops focused on the question: we say opposites attract, but is it more a story of things that are seemingly different complementing one another? And do those differences come together for results that are unexpected, exciting, or compelling while taking us on a journey filled with new adventures?

These questions set the stage for the exploration that brought us to Color Trends 2024.

Story of adventure

"The palette is a story of adventure and duality and juxtaposing light and dark, warm and cool and experiences from near and far", said Sharon Grech, Media Spokesperson, Colour Marketing Development at Benjamin Moore & Co.

Two main themes emerged, shaping the narrative for 2024.

The first theme centers on the relationships between complementary and contrasting colors.

When combing through research, images and in discussions, there was a strong story coming forth around complementary pairings as well as contrast used in color schemes.

In Color Team members travels this theme reoccurred through art installations where the works of master colorists were observed, exhibits focused on various cultures where textiles and other artifacts filled with color and pattern, architecture we noted through our travels, as well as smaller moments that made us stop and snap a picture.

Whether something was modern and new or dated back hundreds of years, these color relationships captured our interest and triggered our thoughts on opposing colors on the colors wheel, and other diametric relationships.

This brings us to the second theme that stood out not only in its congruence to macro trends, but also its connection to our personal relationships with color – the need for new experiences.

Key macro trends include a strong sense of nostalgia, sustainability as a key part of everything we do, the interest in making meaningful connections and enriching our lives with new experiences, as well as a newfound value for time.

We’ve noted a need for adventure and breaking away from the everyday for something new and different. This may bring us to far flung places or just a drive away. In either instance it’s the idea of finding a change of scenery to enrich our lives. Even as a team, we found that some members are yearning to fly thousands of miles to exotic places, while others love the ability to hop in the car for an escape that is closer to home.

The interest in travel and getting away helps us collect memories or “color mementos” that influence our color choices. When we think about a trip and the pictures captured in our memories, often the character of a place is shaped by the geographic colors of that region, in addition to the culture and history that makes that place unique.

Collecting color moments whether near or far is part of the color trends process each year. For 2024 this was a key influence that brought us to our Color of the year and the process of building the Color Trends palette.

TIME FOR „DESSERT”….

Let’s move to the compilation of the Color Trends 2024 palette.

As we looked through the color research collected by each member of the color team, we found many examples of complementary or contrasting color relationships. Interesting combinations came through that related back to basic color relationships on the color wheel, but done in ways that played with saturation, value, and undertone, making them memorable. Beyond complementary color schemes, we also considered the play between warm and cool, light and dark – this sparked several great discussions on how this duality can deliver beautiful results in the home.

Next, let’s walk through the palette with examples of complements and contrasts used in interiors, paired with images from our travels that helped to inspire the 2024 palette.

Color of The Year 2024 – inspires and gives hope…

Color of The Year 2024 is an intriguing hue because it falls in the blue color family, but it has a hint of red in its makeup that creates an appealing violet cast. Through this touch of warmth, the Blue Nova is alluring and comforting all at once.

Blue Nova—a celestial “New Star”, as Andrea calls it—is rooted in nature’s blue hour, the time of day just after sunset when the sky takes on a deep blue, almost purplish haze just above the fiery topaz of the remaining sun’s rays. “It’s a captivating, otherworldly color that is kind of magical and can elevate the everyday”, she says.

“It really is an eye-catching blue”, added Sharon Grech, the other Color Hunters. “It's a mid-tone hue. It's not too dark, it's not too light. So it really doesn't just fall into the background, but rather it holds our attention with its personality”.

When the Color Hunters sank into the comfortable seats of the plane, they saw a spectacular combination - navy blue and red-orange tones from the setting sun.

The walls, trim and cabinetry are painted in Blue Nova 825, demonstrating the presence of this color. To create a complementary scheme, vibrant terracotta bedding in color similar to Topaz 070 provides high contrast, energizing the overall look of the room. This combination is not unlike the colors in the sky at sunset with clouds that take on a blue-violet cast with a last look at the fiery orange of the sun.

In another example, Blue Nova 825 acts as an anchor with White Dove OC-17 on the upper section, divided by a shelf painted in Topaz 070.

This complementary scheme is furthered by the red-orange sofa positioned against the mid-tone blue hue, which is both unexpected and dynamic. A complementary scheme can take on a vibrant look as shown here, or it can be done with just a small hint of the opposing color for a look that is a bit more subtle.

What was the inspiration for the described interior? One of the buildings in Singapore that stood out with an earthy orange stripe against the inky blue walls.

This living room presented below takes the accent in the prior room and makes it the main event with Topaz.

By painting the walls, trim and ceiling in the same color, the entire space is enveloped in this jewel-toned hue, following the interest in color drenching. This impactful color is sure to be both warm and memorable.

Here, the room is drenched in lively color, not unlike the opposing travel shot of a dynamic floral display in the Mayfair section of London.

DELICATE Antigue Pewter

There is a pleasing level of contrast in this combination, but there is a softness that makes this combination very approachable and sophisticated. This combination is not unlike the image from a trip to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston with its soft pink courtyard walls that are enhanced by botanicals that are part of the original Frederick Law Olmstead design.

Antique Pewter 1560 looks great on walls illuminated by rays of natural light coming through the open door. They too were painted in this elegant shade.

The magic sunset at Ayers Rock in Australia

The graceful inspiration below features a wall painted in a shade of purple, Hazy Lilac 2116-40, which creates an ethereal backdrop for the whimsical bow-shaped chair in Honeybee CSP-950 from the Color Stories palette.

The softness in this combination is not unlike the photo brought back from a sunset at Ayers Rock in Australia. The soft violet and blue hues of the sky accentuate the last yellow light of the sun before setting.

What a CONTRAST. There is POWER…

The pairing of White Dove OC-17 and Regent Green 2136-20 is dramatic with its high level of contrast, which feels appropriate in a room with exceptionally high ceilings and opportunities to highlight architectural details.

White Dove is a mainstay color and is exceptionally neutral, while being just the right step away from a bright white. This quality makes this variation of white very easy to pair with other colors, making it a top color year after year.

Regent Green is a gripping color with its depth and gorgeous green undertone. In some lighting this color can appear black, while when light hits a wall painted in this color the undertone shines through for a rich, classic color. High contrast combinations can work very well to highlight architectural details and other elements in a room that deserve our attention.

What was the direct inspiration for Regent Green? The deep shade of green of the trees in Costa Rica, contrasted with the background of billowing white clouds.

Contrast but subtle…

Here are two more examples that uses contrasting colors but in more subtle ways. The staircase in White Dove highlights the beautiful curve of this home’s architecture, while Topaz grounds the space underneath the stairs creating balance.

Contrasting colors can also work well in adjoining rooms. Drench yourself with color by painting walls, trim in ceiling in a rich Antique Pewter 1560 as shown here. Then step outside of the hallway painted with Pristine OC-75, a delicate shade of rosy off-white. The contrast from cool earthy hue to a warm light shade creates a unique color experience in a home.

Balance between warm and cold…

Finally, our palette features a balance between warm and cool, rounding out our study of contrasts. In both images shown here, Polar Sky 1647/CC-790 plays against Honeybee CSP-950 on the left and Teacup Rose 2170-50 on the right. In both images pastel hues are used to create playful spaces filled with personality. On the left travel image line the doorway, while the stairway on the right becomes a gallery with prints and artwork collected on adventures. In both images, color brings personality to small spaces.

What if we could heat up the atmosphere?

Two warm shades from the 2024 palette - Honeybee CSP-950 and Teacup Rose 2170-50 in one interior, additionally heated by the warm colors of the blinds, carpet, paintings and bedding. This is, of course, a child's room.