Coatings World - January 2014

Interior Architectural Coatings

While color certainly plays a key role in choosing an interior paint, customers are also looking for outstanding performance characteristics.

“Customers look for key performance characteristics such as hide, stain resistance and flow and leveling,” said Opolion.

“Increasingly, customers are also looking for ease-of-use and
we see the success of self-priming paints.”
Increasingly customers are looking for greener products –
paints that have low or no VOC or odor. Manufacturers of these
types of coatings need to make sure that these products are not

Kelly-Moore Color Trends for 2014

by Mary Lawlor, color marketing manager at Kelly-Moore Paints

As we enter the New Year it’s time to take a look at some of the colors that will be more prominent in 2014. We will also see some colors that will be going away – as well as colors that will be making a return:

What can we expect? What we expect to see in 2014 is a refreshed lighter palette of colors. These colors won’t necessarily be cleaner, but they won’t be as intense or dark as before. The colors will be more neutralized, but not quite a pastel (sometimes when we think of pastels, we think of Easter egg colors or candy colors). Think of these colors as more powdery. An example is color KM 5424 Gleaming Shells that is part of Kelly-Moore’s ColorStudio Collection.

As we see more lighter, fresher colors, we will also be losing a lot of the heaviness in colors (i.e. some of the dark tones).

These lighter colors come from a variety of influences. In the past, we’ve seen the heavily dark and saturated colors. The pendulum is now shifting and we’re moving back to lighter colors. We are still seeing an influence coming from high-end luxury interior design, such as pearled colors that are in fabrics. Even though we’ve been through a recession, our minds have not stopped thinking of luxury interior design. So this can be viewed as an optimistic palette of colors.

We continue to have some touches of influence based on where we come from (i.e. the many different cultures that surround us). A decade ago, we were talking about global colors. Now, we’re living it because we have today’s modern families, which is a blending of different cultures. As a result of this, we are now seeing colors put together that haven’t been put together before. Examples include a soft clean color (perhaps a pale peach)

mixed with a potent color (like a purple) or a gold and turquoise mixed in with a yellow-influence neutral. These are largely in patterns for flooring or sofas, throw cushions and bedspreads. The blending of strong colors with pastel colors weaves seamlessly with our society of many different cultures. And that’s among the biggest influences of the colors for 2014.

Grey is the new beige: On the way out is the use of primary neutrals throughout our homes. In 2014, more people will step up and use more colors. The warm beige neutrals will be going away very quickly and we’re going to see grey coming in as the new neutrals (although the beiges will be going away kicking and screaming because those colors always worked with the fabrics and carpeting that have been in our homes for quite some time).

As the home fashion industry steps up and
changes over to the grey colors, and as the
consumer replaces items in their homes,
they will take on grey in their wall colors as
well. Kelly-Moore’s KM5826 Volcanic Rock
and KM5819 Rotunda White are examples
of the new greys of 2014.

Also on the way out are colors that are more complementary to beige (i.e. yellows). We’re seeing yellow shift to more red, so it’s becoming a coral (and corals are friendlier to grey). Lavenders are friendly to grey as well. A lot of the olive tones will also go away. Finally, the Tuscan influences we have seen over the decade are on the way out.

What is coming back? The New Year will welcome sea greens and lavenders. Also coming back are the misty blues. Such example is Kelly-Moore’s KM5032 Soft Blue.

What will stay the same in 2014? Metallic finishes continue to be popular with that brushed nickel influence. The platinum influence also remains popular.