Propose these stylish designs for homeowners
Have you been in this situation before? A potential client is asking for input on which colors to choose for their new home or repainting their existing home, and you don’t have any idea what to tell them. You’re not alone. Many painting contractors say they’re more comfortable recommending products than colors. And even if you’ve brushed up on your color theory, you may still feel uninformed about current design trends.
For contractors seeking resources to help their customers in the color selection process, the 2023 Commercial Colormix from Sherwin-Williams makes an excellent starting point. It offers distinct color palettes for contractors working in the commercial, education, hospitality, new residential, multi-family, and healthcare markets.
The Perfect Palette
The New Residential Color Collection incorporates colors from all four of the 2023 Colormix Forecast palettes, providing a beautiful range of options and a harmonious palette for homeowners.
“Homebuyers are savvy,” says Emily Kantz, Color Manager for Sherwin-Williams Color Marketing & Design. “They have a good grasp on residential trends from TV shows and social media platforms, and sites such as Pinterest and TikTok. Taking this into consideration, this palette provides the homeowner with a collection of solid, usable, forward-thinking colors that tie their interior and exterior looks together for a cohesive, up-to-date design aesthetic.”
The Biome palette emphasizes balance, peace, and consciousness through natural and earthy tones, like Shiitake SW 9173 (248-C1) and Urbane Bronze SW 7048 (245-C7).
The Origin palette encourages joy and vibrancy with a mix of bright, deep, and neutral colors. From this palette, the New Residential Color Collection incorporates Skyline Steel SW 1015 (283-C3), Pure White SW 7005 (255-C1), and Black Magic SW 6991 (251-C3).
The Nexus palette highlights communal well-being and uses clay tones—like Chatura Gray SW 9169 (242-C4) and Reddened Earth SW 6053 (194-C5)—to create a sense of comfort and homecoming.
Finally, the Lore palette aims to spark creativity and inspiration with ancient reds like Carnelian SW 7580 (276-C6).
The New Residential Color Collection combines these four palettes together in a way that offers an array of good options for your clients, keeping in mind geographic locations, architectural building styles and design preferences that cover the gamut.
“No matter where a home is located, this rich, sophisticated palette of warm and cool tones fits within any region of the country and any style of home,” Kantz says. “Earthy accents such as Homburg Gray, Mount Etna, Reddened Earth, and Carnelian add that dose of subtle depth to a home’s exterior, while neutral shades ranging from Pure White and Skyline Steel to Shiitake and Chatura Gray offer both warm and cool offerings as a main body or trim color for the home. For a trendier take, try a dark trim color in Urbane Bronze or Black Magic, or just use it as a front door color.”
Home Trends
The colors of the New Residential Color Collection represent the latest research by Sherwin-Williams into current design trends and homeowner demands.
“You can feel confident showing these colors to your customers, knowing we have done extensive market research to support the palette,” Kantz says. “When pulling colors, we look at building trends, finish materials and the latest in furniture and decor pieces for inspiration.”
She adds, “The variety of warm neutrals are the foundation to this palette while the saturated accents give personality to the home. When paired with natural wood tones or stone, these colors create a cohesive and inviting design aesthetic.”
One of the major trends among homeowners is a focus on outdoor living. Builders and homeowners are increasingly looking to nature and the earth for inspiration, with designs meant to help connect people with the outside world even when they’re inside. As a result, covered porches, four-season rooms, warm wood accents, light natural stone, and large windows are a high priority for many residents.
“Connecting with nature has become the new norm, and homeowners are finding creative and sustainable solutions to bring the outside in,” says Kantz.
If your clients are interested in this trend, try recommending natural finishes and organic color tones like Mount Etna SW 7625 (279-C2) and Homburg Gray SW 7622 (238-C7). Incorporating these trends can make even existing homes feel like new.
With more people working from home in recent years, multipurpose living spaces represent another major trend.
“Floor plans for residences have undergone an evolution in the last several years to include not only remote work areas, but designated spaces for multi-functional use,” says Kantz.
Multi-functionality means the clients’ living room may not just be their living room, but also their home gym, office, and dining room. Open floorplans can allow for various furniture configurations to meet your clients’ needs, and soft or neutral colors likewise lend themselves to further versatility.
For more information on current trends and examples of these styles in action, check out Sherwin-Williams’ 2023 Commercial Colormix Lookbook.
Conclusion
Help your clients find the right look by understanding these trends, so you can better discuss color and separate yourself from your competitors with practical style advice.
For projects that require further assistance, you can talk to your Sherwin-Williams sales representative or use your PRO+ account online to help your customers schedule a free, virtual color consultation here. These consultations—part of a new feature under the PRO+ductive Solutions pillar of the PRO+ program—can provide color assistance to homeowners in just 30 minutes.