A new year means new colors for hospitality designers to experiment and refresh properties with.
Ranging from Benjamin Moore's "October Mist" to Sherwin-Williams' "Evergreen Fog" to PPG's "Olive Sprig" and Pantone's "Very Peri," these colors offer a sense of creativity and fresh excitement for 2022, according to hospitality designers and color experts.
"The first three are cautious, nebulous and somewhat neutral. Then steps in Pantone's Very Peri, which is taking a risk and hearkens back to the late '80s," Suzie Hall, founder and president of interior design firm Cornerstone Collective, said via email.
Speaking on Pantone's "Color of the Year 2022" webinar, Vice President of Pantone Color Institute Laurie Pressman said Very Peri is beyond what the company has ever done.
"Since 1999, the color or colors that we've selected to be our Pantone color of the year would be chosen from our current Pantone Fashion, Home and Interiors color palette," she said. "But with the world in transformation, we felt the best way to accurately capture this collective mood ... of stepping into the unknown ... was for us to also transform our process and introduce this new color."
Pressman said Very Peri is a dynamic periwinkle blue hue with violet and red undertones, making it the "happiest and warmest of all the blue hues [introducing] an empowering mix of newness. Newness and futuristic — those are the key buzz words."
"That's the kind of vibe that falls right in line with many peoples' goals. After two years of intensity due to [an ongoing] life-altering pandemic, it's safe to say we could all use a fresh start," Hall added.
Carla Niemann, senior vice president of design at Premier, said in an email interview there has been a movement towards colors with a warm base as opposed to a cool base, which was on trend for several years.
Incorporating Colors
Over the past 10 years, hotels have renovated to adopt fresh looks with pure whites, light woods and warm gray tones, said Abby Shehan, design director at Premier.
"Most hotels have now leveled out with extremely neutral interior color palettes. Now that we're circling back to five-year soft good renovations, designers have clean backdrops to easily add a lot more color to carpet, rugs and furniture without having to spend an exorbitant amount of money on costly architectural remodels," she said via email.
She said more colors are being integrated in new tile introductions, indicating that consumers will soon start to become more comfortable with using colors in materials that typically are reserved for neutral tones.
Rick Marencic, design principal/studio leader at JCJ Architecure, said quick ways to incorporate these new colors could be through accent pillows as well as paint and vinyl wall coverings on accent walls.
"I imagine these colors working well in a food and beverage area, sitting area, powder rooms, conference/meeting room or the gym," he said via email.
He added that these colors represent the desire to feel the presence of nature. Hotels could emphasize that feeling through natural textures in both soft and hard architectural materials as well as live or artificial plants.
Niemann added the use of these colors depends on the vibe desired for the room.
"These colors don't have the strength to evoke a high-energy workout, but rather evoke a sense of tranquility and quiet for a spa," she said.
Hall said the green tones lend well to a backdrop on painted walls and doors, while Very Peri can be used strategically in places that "pop" by way of fabrics, artwork, fresh florals and other accessories.
Niemann noted colors like these that evoke a sense of calm, relaxation and peace will always be found in interiors and will never be considered trendy.
Her team is currently designing a guestroom in a Sugarland, Texas, hotel using soft greens similar to October Mist and Olive Sprig.
"As the color scheme is developing, the hotel's overall ambiance is different from schemes we have built in the recent past," she said. "At first, I was concerned the scheme would feel anemic, but the green paired with shades of white and warm accent colors create a mood that is fresh, southern and timeless."
Shehan said she doesn't anticipate these colors will become outdated but finds it interesting they are starting to shift more from wall applications to millwork.