In 2000, Pantone set a precedent when it announced for the first time its "Color of the Year:" Cerulean blue. Since that first announcement, legacy paint brands have joined Pantone in selecting their own Colors of the Year, ultimately setting (or reflecting) trends for the coming year and creating a sort of recorded palette of the last two decades. Most of the color selections are influenced in part by cultural shifts, worldwide events, and even fashion trends, making them just as much of a cultural statement as the events that inspired them. But as exciting as each Color of the Year announcement is for consumers and brands alike, there are a handful of hues that have proved more popular than others. Below, find seven of the most popular Color of the Year selections of all time, based on sales data.
First Light
Benjamin Moore
This rosy shade came to light (pun intended) as Color of the Year in 2020. According to sales data from Benjamin Moore, it is the brand's most popular COTY shade in the last five years. "It brings just the right amount of color to a space and allows consumers to see pink as an option for any room in the home," says Arianna Cesa, Color Marketing & Development Specialist at Benjamin Moore.
Metropolitan
Benjamin Moore
More subtle than other popular Colors of the Year, this Benjamin Moore hue from 2019 was considered a near-perfect basic. "It showed the comforting, composed, and effortless quality of a cool gray," says Cesa. "We still see consumers looking towards grays as versatile color palette staples to use in their home."
Urbane Bronze
Sherwin-Williams
Named as Color of the Year in 2021 by Sherwin-Williams, this smoky shade immediately proved a fan-favorite. The shade saw a 30% increase in gallon growth and color chip orders after its selection as COTY. The shade also became the twelfth most popular Sherwin-Williams color of all time. "That’s the power of the Color of the Year conversation, it gives consumers the confidence to try something they didn’t before," says Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams.
Night Watch
PPG
"A dark, neutral, jade aqua-green with a malachite undertone," is how PPG describes this 2019 Color of the Year. According to Architectural Digest, the shade saw a sales increase of 1,1475% after the COTY announcement. "It continues to be one of our bestselling green paint colors, and it is one of the top 40 most tinted colors for PPG," says Amy Donato, Senior Marketing Manager at Glidden.
Olive Sprig
PPG
Despite only recently being named as Color of the Year, this hue from 2022 is already making waves. "We anticipate [it] to be a popular choice as we’re seeing increased interest in greens," says Donato. "In fact, website views of green paint colors have increased 240% year over year," she adds. Described as "a mid-tone, neutral, lush green with an organic green undertone," Olive Sprig is bound to be a favorite.
