Sherwin-Williams has selected a light blue, Upward SW 6239, as its 2024 Color of the Year. The hue symbolizes relaxation and peace, two emotions that the paint brand suggests will dominate the upcoming year’s design choices.
According to Director of Color Marketing Sue Wadden, this “blissful” cool blue will create timeliness spaces and evoke emotions of harmony. The company says it’s a color that maintains its airiness in a variety of scenarios, working well in both residential and commercial settings, from Nordic aesthetics to coastal.
This selection comes as a contrast to Sherwin-Williams’s 2023 Color of the Year, Redend Point SW 9081, an earthy, dusty rose. Wadden credits the increase of empathy, tied with a general warmth seen generally around the world as the inspiration for last year’s shade. This year, it's all about taking a pause to breathe.
“Upward SW 6239 represents the gentle forward momentum in all of our lives,” said Wadden. “It brings to life that carefree, sunny day energy that elicits emotion of contentment and peace. With this color, we invite our consumers to take a pause and infuse a new sense of ease and possibility into their spaces—one that doesn’t overwhelm, but rather establishes meditation and tranquility.”
Sherwin-Williams now curates entire palettes of colors for the upcoming years called the Colormix Forecast, touching on various trending aspects of the home in the year to come. Each selection features a specific color family for ease of use, beginning with Palette No. 1: blues and greens; followed by reds and purples; deeps and darks; and delicate tints.