As of this article, the US is surpassing 7 million confirmed cases with over 200,000 deaths from COVID-19 , we have political unrest throughout the county and people are just tired of being cooped up. With so much going on in the United States and the World, social impacts are bound to be felt in consumer choices this year.

In reading different articles I find the term “new normal” mentioned a lot.  What is that?  Our normal way of life is being affected so much with this pandemic.  As a result, never have we found this many people forced to stay in their homes for what is going on 6 months now. As our homes have become our work place, our daycare, our children’s schools, its getting harder to maintain a home that we feel we can relax and destress in.

Because of this elevated stress levels, my business, as well as others in this industry, are getting busier and busier.  People need to make changes to get back some of that feeling of what home used to be for them.  This may mean something as small as rearranging furnishings to make things work and flow better, to adding on an addition to accommodate two home offices.  But one thing is for sure – homeowners are changing colors.  Of all visual stimuli, perhaps none evoke an array of emotional responses quite like color.  

A shift in what we want our homes to feel like can go in a couple of different ways;

1.  We are seeing back to neutrals happening. A shift to minimalism and a calming effect.  “When people are anxious and stressed out, they will look for the colors that make them feel relaxed and quieter” said Leatice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute. Homeowners find themselves much more emotionally connected to their homes.  They are gardening more, spending more time outside, landscaping, etc.  Naturally the way the outdoors is making them feel, they in turn want to bring that feeling inside.  Colors that mimic the sky, sea, forest, sand are all popular right now.  Greens are going towards a softer olive tone as opposed to the gray undertones we have seen in the past.  Blue is the #1 favorite color in the world right now. With shades leaning towards the cobalt and cerulean hues, which are more calming and more traditional than pre-pandemic blues. 

2.  For a decade now homes have been going towards the gray and white combo.  Fresh and neutral.  Right now you may need to add a more exciting, bolder color to your color scheme.  Neon colors are making a comeback.  We haven’t seen neon since the 1980s.  They pair beautifully with the neutrals.

3.  If you’ve been sequestered with the gray and white palette, you may be yearning for a moodier color scheme.  We’ve seen black or dark midnight blues take a huge leap forward lately in trim and wall colors. Sherwin Williams new 2020 color of the year – Urbane Bronze is a perfect “moody” choice.  Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin Williams states, “The color’s connection to the earth can help elevate the home as a sanctuary amid turbulent times.”

“Design is going to be hyper personalized as we are living and working at home and will for the foreseeable future.  It will be interesting to see the impact on design and where new concepts are going to lead us,” she said.  “I believe the concept of physical versus virtual is going to drive design, and how we can make the virtual feel more physical.  It’s an interesting duality.  One thing is for certain we all need to put forth our best creativity to reinvent the future.”.

If you find yourself feeling stressed, crowded and frustrated with your home, Click here to contact me for more info.