“Not only have people’s life priorities shifted following a year of uncertainty amid lockdowns, but so have their colour preferences, with many homeowners eager to make uplifting changes to their living environments,” said Martin Tustin-Fuchs, senior marketing manager, Sico paint brand by PPG.

Tustin-Fuchs points to a recent survey that shows almost half of Canadians have already done or are planning to do home renovations as a result of the pandemic.

“We’re seeing a consumer revolution of sorts as people shift away from the stark, neutral palettes popular in the last few years and opt instead for more saturated hues that are guiding us into a new era of home design,” Tustin-Fuchs said. “This new era also includes a move from open concept living spaces to individual rooms to create privacy and compartmentalize working life from personal – a trend triggered by the rise in remote working and learning over the last year.”

As part of PPG’s annual Global Colour Forecasting Workshop, the company’s experts uncovered that consumers are more inclined to adopt more colourful selections after difficult inflection points throughout history, often seen during the Roaring Twenties or after the Great Depression. As part of this cyclical history, PPG is seeing post-pandemic optimism infiltrating commercial and residential design spaces so many can create a sense of escapism. Just as trends in the 1920s were marked by opulence, metallics, rich woods, layers, moody colours and angular shapes, today’s home decor is drawing inspiration from the Antiquity, Baroque and Renaissance eras of art, sculpture and architectural forms. This colourful embrace is thought to reflect an optimistic rebellion, which is a sign of personal expression or soothing self-care.

Resilience, the need for connection and inspiration from nature were recurring themes at PPG’s Global Colour Forecasting Workshop. This annual event brings together more than 30 PPG global colour stylists from the automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace, and home paint and stain industries. Over the course of several days, the stylists analyze the runway, lifestyles, demographics, geographies, global events and cross-cultural societal inspirations to determine what colours will resonate and represent the PPG global colour forecast, including the Sico 2022 Colour of the Year.

Among the other popular 2022 colours unveiled by PPG are equally-saturated rust, plum, grey-brown and greyish blue – such as the Sico paint brand’s Bombay Red (6060-83), Royal Velour (6041-83), Phenomenal Grey (6212-83) and Blue Ridge (6023-73) – all of which pair beautifully with Cool Current.

To incorporate the trending 2022 colours into your home, Sico paint brand by PPG offers these tips:

• Paint Cool Current on an accent wall, or all four walls, to create a sanctuary in a bedroom or encourage focus in an office.
  Visually separate living spaces and create boundaries by painting a wall or nook one of the popular 2022 colours and using a more subtle shade in the rest of the room.
• Pair any of the 2022 colours with brass accents and wood tones on an island or lower kitchen cabinets to infuse the space with added warmth and sophistication.
• Create a comfortable and grounded space by pairing Cool Current with natural materials and using it as a backdrop for unique architectural elements and furniture with curved forms.
• Use Cool Current as a complement to floor-to-ceiling emerald tiles in a bathroom or a luxe velvet green couch in the living room for an organic look.
• Complete your refuge and elevate the palette by immersing your home in plants in a variety of shapes, colours and sizes.

For more information about the Sico paint brand’s 2022 Colour of the Year, visit sico.ca.