KYLIE M’S 5 COLORS OF THE YEAR: 2024 Collection

REAL HOMES, REAL PEOPLE, REAL COLORS!

When choosing my top colors for the year, I’m looking for colors that INSPIRE. Colors that talk to people (mind you, every color talks to me after a few glasses of wine). Colors that have you thinking, ‘You know what? Maybe I’ll step outside my comfort zone and try it – why not!’ And while some colors are only good on a new car or fresh pair of undies (Caliente, anyone?), others are just begging to be slapped on your walls, cabinets, and doors – colors like the ones we’re looking at shortly.

But first…

WHAT’S KYLIE M’S PROCESS FOR CHOOSING HER FAVE COLORS?

First off, it’s agonizing – I can’t even tell you. Colors are like my children, and I love them all the same for different reasons. Just joking – I DEFINITELY play favorites.

Here’s the general process…

1. Choose this month’s fave wine and insert funnel and straw.

2. Break down each color group, i.e., blue, green, beige-tan, gray, white, etc…

3. Focusing on one group at a time, I consider colors my clients have asked for in the previous months and how these relate to where trends could be SHIFTING.

4. Narrow it down to my favorite three colors within each color group, and from there…

5. Consider each color’s useability on the following surfaces…

• cabinets, islands, and/or bathroom vanities
• accent walls
• entire rooms or even WHOLE HOMES
• trims
• doors (interior and exterior)
• exterior siding

6. Consider any shifts I’m seeing on my Instagram feed

From there, I don’t just pick the colors with the most checked boxes; I combine these with my knowledge of WHAT PEOPLE TEND TO LIKE.

Why does this matter?

Because most people buying paint are average people with average homes…

REAL PEOPLE & REAL HOMES NEED REAL COLORS.

Sure, we’ve got a few billionaires here and there or the eccentrics who crave the wild and wonderful, but in the residential paint world…

Most of us are just looking for pretty colors that get us excited to paint.

This is why I still stand by my previous year’s faves, including Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White, Ripe Olive, and Benjamin Moore Edgecomb Gray.

Why?

Because these colors are still kickin’ it, you guys still love them, and I could EASILY choose them for this year, too! But that would be a bit redundant. The point is that these colors WORK, inspire, and are useable.

Sherwin William’s 2023 Coty, Evergreen Fog, is still a super popular shade of green

ARE THESE COLORS NEW & EXCITING?

You might expect my colors of the year to vary wildly from year to year. Look at Benjamin Moore – last year’s color was Raspberry Blush; this year’s color is a ravishing shade of violet-blue. As for Sherwin Williams’s 2023 choice, Old Bologna, I mean, Redend Point, is DRASTICALLY different from this year’s subtle shade of blue – Upward.

Unlike the big brands, I’m not looking at high design, commercial spaces, or fashion when looking for my color inspirations – I’m looking at YOUR HOME AND YOUR TASTES. I explore current trends and consider how they’re shifting to see where things are going in the coming year (again, based on my Instagram feed and Online Consulting clients). This means that this year’s colors are often a variation or tweak of LAST year’s colors.

Why?

While trends can SHIFT, it takes a lot for a ‘wild and wonderful new color’ to come on the scene without SOME kind of warning or warm-up. So, while I’d love to throw down some wild color that gets people talking, I’d rather just show you what I believe you’ll be looking for…

Colors that have a darn good chance of looking good SOMEWHERE in or on your home.

My favorite choice for last year was Sherwin Williams Aesthetic White. And throughout 2023, I was happy to see it pop up on my client’s exteriors, cabinets, and walls!

While it’s not wild and crazy, it sure as heck is popular!

By the way, I talk this much in real life, too.

NOW LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!

BENJAMIN MOORE MARITIME WHITE

Not everyone is ready for the warmer end of beige (myself included), but many are tired or gray, greige, and taupe. PERSONALLY, it’s about the right color, in the right depth, in the right spot. However, with trends continually leaning warmer (in the neutral world), and slowly shifting OUT of the ‘white on white’ trend, Maritime White was one of the first colors to come to mind.

Maritime White walls, White Dove cabinets, Antique Pewter lowers

Contrary to what its name says, Maritime White isn’t white. Nor is it super beige or cream – it’s a hybrid of sorts. While it might cater a bit more to beige than anything, it’s definitely not typical for those who think they’re averse to beige, as it has a touch of gray to slow it down.

What’s great about a color like Maritime White is its lack of commitment, which makes it flexible and ready to suit a wide and wild range of interior finishes. Maritime White is FLEXIBLE, it’s WARM, and it’s ready for you (sounds like a hot date, right?)

Why Maritime White?

More and more, my Online Color clients are leaning into their homes…

They’re picking paint colors based on the home they have, not the home they WISH they had. 

For this reason, we’re seeing more subtle warm hues pop up, colors like Maritime White. They’ve become popular for those updating their 1990s and 2000s homes, as well as homes from earlier decades.

While I’d love to see this WHOLE room in Maritime White, the Urbane Bronze accent wall is pretty!

Homeowners aren’t fighting their homes as much (and I hope I’ve been part of that shift) – trying to get white cabinets where white doesn’t fit or gray walls where beige will be better. Sure, there’s no harm in trying – there’s often a happy medium…

But sometimes there’s something even better…the perfect color.

As mentioned above, I’ve noticed a decreased demand for white walls. This trend is slowly being replaced by softer, warmer hues – colors like Maritime White. Will we reach the heavier end of the beige world next year? We’ll have to see – give me 12 months to think about it.

The Best Off-White Paint Colors

WHERE DOES MARITIME WHITE LOOK BEST?

• Unlike more colorful options, a neutral like Maritime White can suit an entire home (these colors do, too).
• Single rooms, as it accommodates various other colors in a palette.
• Exterior siding, often suiting stone and brickwork.
• Kitchen cabinets, especially given the off-white/light depth cabinet trend.

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF MARITIME WHITE

WHAT COLORS ARE SIMILAR TO MARITIME WHITE

A few colors were in the running with Maritime White but didn’t make the cut (for various reasons). A few of these are VERY similar to Maritime White in depth and intentions; others are similarly warm, but have a bit more depth.

• Benjamin Moore Muslin
• Sherwin Williams Moderate White
• Sherwin Williams Divine White (the first one kicked off the list – pretty, but not neutral enough)
• Sherwin Williams Natural Linen (darn close!)

BENJAMIN MOORE BRITANNIA BLUE

Britannia Blue is a medium-dark shade of blue with a very subtle wink of green – the magic ingredient that makes this blue useable in the average home. Britannia Blue has an LRV of 18.06, so it’s in the medium-dark range and tiptoes in the medium depths.

Along with a touch of green, Brittania Blue has a reasonable, but not overwhelming dose of gray, creating a more calm, subdued approach to blue. To compare it directly with Blue Nova, Britannia Blue looks gray in comparison (it’s not gray), and you can see the green in it a bit easier. And having a bit of green mixed in will make Brittania Blue more useable than Blue Nova (in the average home). However, compare Britannia Blue to a gray with a similar depth, like Amherst Gray, and you’ll see its beautiful blue hue coming through!

The Two Types of Blue & How to Pick Your Best Shade

Why Brittania Blue?

In general, blue greens are more versatile and popular than blue-violets. Of course, there are a few exceptions, especially in the dark range, but blue-green is the boss in the light to medium-dark depths.

Is Britannia Blue a version of navy blue?

Heck no, it’s too light for that. In fact, Britannia Blue is like a fresh, slightly more updated take on navy blue. In previous years, I spent a lot of time consulting on navy blue islands and cabinets. And while these projects are still rolling in (and always will), many are requesting a lighter, brighter approach to blue.

Amongst other subtle (and not so subtle shifts), I’ve also noticed my Online Color clients leaning out of the gray range and embracing the more colorful end of things. They’re not into the bright blues…yet, but these smoky blue-grays will be hot in the coming years. Now, let’s check out the best spots to use a color like Britannia Blue.

WHERE DOES BRITANNIA BLUE LOOK BEST?

• as an accent wall in any room
• on exterior siding or a front door
• kitchen cabinets (the whole kitchen)
• kitchen islands and bathroom vanities
• an entire room, if you’re so inclined!

Get your SAMPLIZE PEEL & STICK SAMPLE

For those not digging the blue hues, check out this next beauty…

SHERWIN WILLIAMS PEWTER GREEN 6208

Pewter Green is a stunner. If you’re looking for a green paint color with depth, without too much darkness, with COLOR, but not too much intensity – this could be your shade.

With its LRV of 12, Pewter Green is a medium-dark shade of green and is clearly shy of dark greens that read like green-black. As for its degree of color (chroma), Pewter Green commits to green but has a reasonable gray backdrop calming it down. While it’s not a gray-green by any stretch, it’s FAR from Kelly or Emerald Green.

I don’t have many great photos of Pewter Green YET, here it is on an accent wall in a commercial space of mine…

Why Pewter Green?

Pewter Green is like a lighter version of my last year’s fave, Ripe Olive (which I still stand strongly by – shown below). However, while dark greens are still going strong on cabinets, many of my clients yearn for a slightly softer approach for their cabinets and walls.

Sherwin Williams Ripe Olive

Pewter Green offers a commitment to green, without being punched in the face by Kermit the Frog. It’s moody, earth-toned, and WILDLY flexible with various finishes. I almost bumped it up to Sherwin Williams Retreat, which is a more consistent medium-depth shade of green. And while both will have their place in the coming year, we still love those dark hues.

Let’s look at a few places Pewter Green can be used…

WHERE DOES PEWTER GREEN LOOK BEST?

• as an accent wall
• on exterior siding or a front door
• kitchen cabinets (the whole kitchen)
• kitchen islands and bathroom vanities
• an entire room (a small bathroom would look wicked in Pewter Green)

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF PEWTER GREEN

Long story short, green isn’t going anywhere in 2024. Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog was 2023’s COTY, and it’s stunning and still in high demand. Benjamin Moore rocked the color world with October Mist in 2022, and I still get requests for it.

Green is timeless; it just comes down to the right color, in the right depth, in the right spot.

2024 will have us exploring these mid-toned greens and DARKER shades of green as well, especially colors like Pewter Green.

The 15 Best MEDIUM to DARK Green Paint Colors

SHERWIN WILLIAMS IRON ORE

It was a toss-up between Sherwin Williams Black Fox, Benjamin Moore Willow, and Iron Ore. I kicked out Willow first, as it’s too warm, so it was down to Black Fox, and Iron Ore.

And while it KILLS me not to choose Black Fox or Willow, I really wanted to…

Ultimately, I chose the color that still caters to yesterday’s black trends while winking at a softer look: Iron Ore. Black Fox put up a good argument – it’s a gorgeous dark gray and brown blend, (with a tiny wink of green for good luck). And while I expect to see it on exteriors in the coming year, I don’t think it will have the popularity of Iron Ore.

Sherwin Williams Black Fox door and Canvas Tan walls

As for Willow – be still my beating heart, I LOVE THIS COLOR. And it’s BROWN, people! Who would have seen THAT coming? However, whereas many browns are super fudgy (technical term), Willow is grounded by a gorgeous gray base, leaving you with a muted, passive warmth that’s great for exteriors, trims, and accent walls. HOWEVER, we’re not quite at that warmth…yet.

Why Iron Ore?

While black is still reasonably popular as a hardware finish, its popularity on cabinets and exteriors is waning. It’s not gone, but I see my clients exploring softer, more interesting shades of black, colors like Iron Ore.

Notice the contrast of Iron Ore with the black door hardware

Iron Ore is a soft shade of black. With an LRV of 6, it’s not as saturated as Sherwin Williams Tricorn Black (still hugely popular) but isn’t light enough to be considered a dark gray or charcoal paint color. This softness has Iron Ore coming in hot for 2024, and I expect to see it on many surfaces, including…

• kitchen cabinets
• islands and bathroom vanities
• accent walls or entire rooms (I did this in my last home and LOVED it)
• front doors
• exterior siding, with a more legit black trim
• exterior trim

Fridge panels are yet to be installed, Iron Ore island. Compare it to the black outlet cover to see the contrast

WHERE DOES IRON ORE LOOK BEST?

• It’s a gorgeous choice for exterior siding and trim
• dramatic accent walls
• a neutral, but not boring, front door color

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF IRON ORE

SHERWIN WILLIAMS EGRET WHITE

Egret White is a warm, neutral paint color. Some see it as warm gray; others find its warmth caters more to taupe – which is more its tendency. The best thing about Egret White is that while many taupes commit hard to violet-pink undertones, Egret White (like Edgecomb Gray) has MINIMAL undertone commitment.

Why Egret White?

Egret White is an awesome color as it’s transitional. Many homes have difficulty shifting out of the BEIGE world of the early 2000s, while others are buried in gray and are looking to warm up their rooms. This is where Egret White comes in.

Egret White bridges the warm and cool worlds, humoring many beige finishes common in today’s home and some gray-on-gray palettes from the previous five years.

Sure, I see a LOT of you leaning into beige – trends are definitely going this way. But for those of you not quite there, Egret White could be the perfect happy medium.

WHERE DOES EGRET WHITE LOOK GOOD?

• in a single room, as it accommodates a wide range of adjoining colors
• multiple rooms or entire homes
• for those who want an off-white exterior with no strong yellow
• interesting cabinet color with the right countertop/backsplash

Get your PEEL & STICK SAMPLE OF EGRET WHITE

FULL Paint Color Review of Sherwin Williams Egret White

READ MORE

Benjamin Moore Blue Nova: 2024 Color of the Year

The Best WHOLE HOME Warm Neutral Paint Colors

The Ultimate Guide to Choosing White Paint Colors

4 PART SERIES: How to Create a Timeless Home

LET ME PICK YOUR COLORS FOR YOU!

Check out KYLIE M’s ONLINE PAINT COLOR CONSULTING PACKAGES

Chat soon,