Color has profound psychological effects on our mind and body. After the uncertainty of the past two years, it is not surprising that color experts are predicting a turn to calming neutral earth tones in 2022. Natural stone trends are also moving to timeless, sustainable materials like white marble.

Colors Impact Our Health and Well-Being

Experts understand the power certain colors have on our health and well-being. For example, earth tone colors like greens and blues tend to be calming, while red can be perceived as bold or harsh, depending on the circumstances and application.

“We are seeing many homeowners embrace earth tones as an option to neutrals and using paint to create a sanctuary in the spaces around them by incorporating nature-inspired hues,” explains Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, where Evergreen Fog has been named Color of the Year.

“For example, green is becoming a popular color choice as people are thinking about how plants and trees can add life to a space and want to bring that feeling inside. Because of the versatility of the color, green can be paired with any style of design and décor to help create the mood you want for each room,” Wadden adds.

Similarly, Benjamin Moore’s October Mist is described as a gently shaded sage that quietly anchors a space while encouraging individual expression through color and creates a canvas for other colors. Both of these colors pair well with a variety of natural stones, from dramatically veined marbles to bright granites or quartzites.

“As the spaces in our homes continue to evolve, we uncover more opportunities to express our individuality and leverage the power of color to design environments that serve different functions and styles,” says Andrea Magno, Benjamin Moore’s director of color marketing and development. October Mist and the corresponding Color Trends 2022 palette reflect an effortless harmony of colors, while inspiring unique combinations for any paint project, according to Magno.

According to the team at Pantone, 2022 Color of the Year Very Peri is suited to an array of different materials, textures, and finishes, providing a pop of color whether introduced through a painted wall, statement furniture or home décor, or acting as an intriguing and eye-catching accent in a pattern. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, says that her team felt it was time to “ignite our creative spirit with a bolder color.”

A dynamic periwinkle blue hue with a violet-red undertone, Very Peri colorways can work well with a variety of natural stone types.

White Marble: A Classic Material that Complements Trends

White marble has been used for centuries for both residential and commercial properties. Peter Prvulovic, director of sales and marketing for Vermont Quarries, believes white marble has and always will be a staple in the building industry. Vermont Quarries has sponsored the Natural Stone Institute’s 2022 Stone of the Year, which is Olympian White Danby marble.

“The nice part about white marble, in general, is the different types of veining it comes with,” Prvulovic says. “Depending on what you are building and what your vision is for your project, you can always find some type of white marble to achieve your goal.”

White marble has stood the test of time because it naturally shows worn areas that can bring the activity of the past to the present, says Jan Neiges, CMKBD, a certified master kitchen and bath designer with the National Kitchen & Bath Association and principal of Colorado-based Jan Neiges CKD LLC. Think of the beauty of worn marble steps and pathways as just one example.

“White marble is warm to the touch compared to the engineered quartz marble lookalikes,” Neiges adds. “You can’t replicate the veining in real marble with manmade materials. With new surfacing applications today, there is no reason to be afraid of real marble.”

She often notices clients use large marble sheets for backsplash areas in the kitchen, especially around a hood, or as waterfall for islands. Large material for showers helps to reduce grout lines. She has also seen clients use marble as a back wall treatment behind a freestanding tub.

White marble can imbue a sense of calm and serenity—just like the trending colors for 2022. It’s the reason so many homeowners opt to use the stone to create their own personal wellness space. According to Neiges, white marble pairs well with other materials, including wood, metal, and concrete.

Neiges feels so strongly about the material that she has white marble in her own home and one of the reasons she chose it was for its beauty as it ages.

Creating a Look All Your Own

Prvulovic understands the appeal of using natural stone. It’s a beautiful material that Mother Nature created. “It is not a material that someone printed or stamped,” he adds. “The beauty is the veining and movement that was created through the settlement of the material itself. As they say, often imitated but never duplicated. The beauty of natural stone is the fact that even same material used on different projects does not look the same.”

Like Neiges, there are reasons Prvulovic himself is drawn to marble. “I appreciate the fact that you can obtain slabs with very little to no veining or something that has large wild movement,” he says. “I am one of the odd people in this world who likes to see the movement in the material.”

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Creating warm and inviting spaces involves more than just choosing furniture or fixtures. The products we use, from the colors we paint our walls to the natural stone we choose for our kitchen or bathrooms, impact the overall well-being of our spaces.

Changing Color Trends

In recent years, color trends have shifted from the cool neutrals and maximalist hues dominating the 2010s to the richer colors of today.

“Following a period of uncertainty and upheaval, we yearn for connection and comfort,” says Carolyn Ames Noble, ASID, interior design director and founder of Ames Design Collective and ASID chair elect. “The trend forecast for 2021 will see colors that are rooted in nature, invoke respite and joy in our homes and spaces.”

Noble looks to soothing and tranquil colors like golden yellow, the color of honeycomb, which she says represents a sense of earnest optimism in the future.

She’s not far off from others’ predictions. Pantone recently chose two colors for its 2021 Color of the Year: a gray and yellow, which the company says come together to create an aspirational color pairing, conjoining deeper feelings of thoughtfulness with the optimistic promise of a sunshine filled day.

“The union of an enduring Ultimate Gray with the vibrant yellow Illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude,” says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. “Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. We need to feel encouraged and uplifted; this is essential to the human spirit.”

Interior designers are noticing how this shift for more warm, optimistic and tranquil spaces are influencing the types of natural stone clients are choosing for their homes.

“Right now, more than ever, we need to feel comfortable and tranquil in our home, and our choices of color for walls and surfaces can contribute to that feeling of safety and comfort,” says Jessica Shaw, director of Interior Design at The Turett Collaborative. “For us, creating environments that help people enjoy their time at home, even more, is a very important part of our job.”

Changing Trends in Stone Choice

In the past, Shaw says clients favored and requested a more dramatic deeply patterned stone. Interest in those bolder styles have definitely waned.

“Recently, we have seen a rise in popularity for lighter, softer colors of stone, notably Calacatta Gold marble,” Shaw adds. She feels these more neutral shades exude class and timeless beauty.

Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams, and her team chose Urbane Bronze as the 2021 Color of the Year as a way to honor nature at is simplest and most elemental, which also embodies the richness of the Earth’s stone, metal, and wood. The color forges a feeling that’s grounded, meditative and serene, not unlike the feelings one has when it comes to natural stone.

According to the company, as a pure, minimalistic expression of nature, Urbane Bronze effortlessly conveys a feeling of warmth and welcome. It can serve as a rich anchor that grounds the mind in calm and stability with its ties to the natural world.

“Complement the simplicity of Urbane Bronze with natural materials—like wood finishes, organic stone accents or woven textiles—and a variety of mixed metals to create a serene space grounded in nature,” Wadden recommends.

An example is juxtaposing Urbane Bronze with Carrara marble, travertine, or another pale-tone stone.

According to Diane Kaptur Kitchell, LEED AP ID+C, adjunct faculty at Boston Architectural College and owner and principal designer at DK Interior Concepts, the metallic dark brown with green undertones of the Sherwin Williams’ Urbane Bronze hue lends itself to elegant contrasts of lighter color marbles or warm white Carreras to reference mid-century modern neutrals with upscale refinement.

“Deep neutrals like bronze can create a sense of calm in a home,” says Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS, MCCWC, wellness design consultant and author of Wellness by Design (Tiller Press, 2020). “This makes them perfect for libraries, dining areas, living rooms, even bedrooms. I can easily see a golden-veined marble pairing handsomely with this color.”

For those who might be interested in incorporating Pantone’s two colors into their designs that use natural stone, Kitchell says slates are always great for tone-on-tone with grays. “And they provide a natural non-slip texture if left unsealed,” she adds.

Gold recommends people carefully consider where, when, and how one uses yellow as it can affect our moods. “A sunny yellow like the one chosen can be bright and cheerful for kitchens and playrooms, for example, but they can also overheat a room that gets tremendous afternoon light and they can promote unease in some people, according to color scientists,” she adds.

In a kitchen space, Gold would pair the Pantone Illuminating yellow hue with an Absolute Black granite for a classic combination.

No matter which colors and natural stone one decides to use in upcoming projects, many will be seeking colors and materials that inspire warmth, balance and an invitation to relax.

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Photo courtesy of The Turett Collaborative

Photo by Stone Interiors New Orleans – Discover kitchen design ideas

In 2020, our homes have evolved from living spaces to makeshift offices and classrooms. We’re tired. We’re stressed. Finding those spaces to “escape” is becoming more important than ever, whether it’s a nook or a separate room entirely. Experts say the thoughtful use of color and strategic placement of natural stone throughout our homes can help create that sense of connection and comfort many of us are seeking more than ever right now.

“During this unprecedented time, less is more and we’re experiencing a pause that’s called us to be mindful of how we’re living,” says Sue Wadden, director of color marketing at Sherwin-Williams. Wadden believes now is a good time to focus on building sustainable sanctuaries and breathing new life into existing spaces.

Wadden and her team recently revealed the 2021 Sherwin-Williams Colormix Forecast, which includes a palette called Sanctuary.

“The Sanctuary palette is about being rooted in peace so it’s the ideal palette to help create a safe haven at home,” notes Wadden. “Sanctuary’s simple palette of earthy neutrals cultivates wellness and calm within the home.”

Color us ready for change.

Refreshing Our Spaces with Color and Natural Stone

We know that color holds power; it seems that everyone is predicting we’ll be craving more calm in our lives in 2021.

PPG Be Well

PPG’s 2021 Palette of the Year is called Be Well and consists of three hues: Transcend, Big Cypress, and Misty Aqua. Transcend is a mid-tone oatmeal-colored hue which draws on earthy influences and nostalgia and grounds the Be Well palette. Big Cypress is a shaded ginger with persimmon undertones while Misty Aqua is a watercolor cerulean blue.

“When the world experiences events that cause unrest, anxiety, and grief, we tend to naturally gravitate toward compassionate colors that allow us to create a personal retreat from the world,” says Dee Schlotter, PPG senior color marketing manager, architectural and industrial coatings. “These comfort colors are similar to comfort foods – both offering a certain sense of familiarity and normalcy when facing the unknown.”

Nature often plays a starring role when it comes to finding comfort. Natural materials such as real plants, wood, and natural stone have a grounding effect on our mental health, and choosing colors found in nature can have a similarly calming effect.

Natural stone has a wonderful position in the color story, according to Carolyn Ames Noble, ASID, interior design director and founder of Ames Design Collective and ASID chair elect.

Photo courtesy of Stone Interiors

“Human beings have an intrinsic attraction to nature,” says Ames Noble. “Natural stone brings biophilia into our spaces and it is well documented that biophilic engagement can reduce stress, improve cognitive function, and enhance mood and creativity. These and other outcomes can increase wellbeing.”

Angela Weil, CFO and co-owner of Stone Interiors, isn’t surprised that natural stone is commonly used to refresh and update indoor spaces, since we’re often looking for ways to implement the natural world into our homes. One of the best ways to take advantage of natural stone and color, Weil says, is to make sure the stone blends into the overall feel and natural environment. “Natural stone can be used in all spaces if selected to complement the colors and fixtures,” she adds.

A little natural stone can go a long way. It isn’t necessary to undergo a complete remodel every year to incorporate changing color trends. Because so many stones are neutral in color, your countertops and fireplace surround will act as a perfect backdrop to changing paint colors and other accents.

Health and Wellness

Photo courtesy of Stone Interiors

When Wadden shares the feelings some of the colors in the Colormix Forecast evoke, she uses terms like slowing down and relaxation. The Sherwin -Williams 2021 Color of the Year is Urbane Bronze: a warm, sophisticated hue that promotes relaxation and serenity. “All of these colors are versatile enough to be used alone or together in a variety of rooms from the kitchen island to an accent wall in the bedroom,” Wadden says.

While mental health and wellness are among some of the reasons we gravitate toward certain colors, it’s important to remember that natural stone can play an equal part in maintaining good health. Ames Noble reminds us that having highly cleanable surfaces such as natural stone is important for our health and safety—whether or not we’re living during a pandemic.

If homeowners are seeking ways to integrate natural stone surfaces that promotes a more calming feel, Weil recommends looking at color, pattern, and texture. She believes the use of stones with cooler tones and dainty veining can help bring a calming feel into one’s space.

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When Gaye Mack upgraded her two condo bathrooms, she carefully considered how color would affect the space while still searching for that ‘wow’ factor. The Barrington, Illinois-based author and Evolutionary Astrologer chose a deep green marble countertop for one and a variant of darker green granite for the other. “The contrast with the white cabinetry is, I think, stunning,” she says.

“The marble job involved me going to the stone warehouse where they cut pieces from humongous slabs of stone,” adds Mack. “I even picked out the corner of the slab for them to cut from which had some interesting white ‘veining’ in it.”

Show Your Personality and Style

Experts agree that countertops should reflect your personality and style. “Natural stone is all about personality,” says Katelyn Anderberg, A&D Outside Sales Representative with Elements Room, which provides premium surface materials for designers, architects, and industry professionals. “The bigger the personality of a client, typically the more fun and bold the movement in the stone tends to be.”

Photo courtesy of Modern Luxury Interiors Texas.

Traditional people tend to be drawn to more traditional designs, while people with bolder personalities tend to be comfortable with big movement and bold colors, according to Kathlyn Gossman, Kitchen and Bath Account Manager with Smokey Mountain Tops, which specializes in fabricating and installing granite, marble, and quartz surfacing for residential kitchen and bath and commercial projects.

“Whichever one you lean toward, your countertops and overall style should look like you,” Gossman recommends.

What if you don’t know what your personality or style is when it comes to countertop selection? Anderberg suggests asking yourself what colors you are drawn to: cool or warm tones? “After you know what tone is desired, find countertop colors that flow with the desired look.”

Stacy Garcia, a kitchen designer in Southern California who, along with her husband, owns Garcia Cabinetmakers, a custom cabinet shop in Southern California specializing in residential cabinetry, also recommends clients choose their countertop alongside their cabinetry and flooring. A material board can help them visualize options and develop a cohesive look.

Photo courtesy of Garcia Cabinetmakers.

“One formula is to make sure the stone includes a color from the cabinetry,” Garcia recommends. “The overall room style also determines the cabinetry and countertop choices. Ask yourself if you prefer a modern look with frameless cabinetry and waterfall counters or a more traditional look with face frame cabinets and a classic edge detail, for example.”

Making these decisions from the onset not only helps clients visualize the space, but helps save time and money in the long run since they’ll be fewer changes and delays once a project begins.

Consider the Cabinetry

Clients don’t always consider a cabinet’s style, other elements of a room and their needs when choosing a countertop, experts say. “A traditional style cabinet pairs well with more conventional stone color palettes such as taupes, browns, and golds,” says Gossman. “A sleek cabinet shines when paired with contemporary materials like honed black granite or statement slab material with large movement.”

As far as other elements are concerned, Gossman goes as far as inquiring about colors throughout the house so that all the areas flow together. “We suggest clients bring in as much as they can when they select countertops,” she says. “Samples of cabinetry, flooring, wall colors, backsplash tiles, and even fabrics from adjoining rooms all help the client picture everything together and guide their decision.”

She also suggests looking at things like durability, care and maintenance, practically, functionality, and design. “It’s not so much about the cabinet or base material itself, but about the look of the cabinet and countertops together in the space,” she says. “Make sure you select materials and textures that work well together.”

Match or Contrast?

Don’t be afraid to mix different shades of the same color. “Many clients are surprised to find you can put together different shades of whites or grays,” Gossman explains. “You don’t have to exactly match your cabinets to your countertops. You can also blend textures together such as sleek cabinets with softer honed materials.”

While one’s personality can drive the countertop style decision, something else clients should keep in mind is how long they’ll be living with their choice. Solid colors with little to no movement help with resale of the home due to the versatility of the stone and kitchen, according to Anderberg.

“If a client plans to live in their home for years and love the look of bold movement, then by all means, they should pick out something they love,” Anderberg says.

Vitoria Regia quartzite. Photo courtesy of Brasigran

For those who love a bold look but want to temper it, Gossman suggests looking at perimeter applications versus islands, where movement shows better on larger pieces. “Often customers will do a high-movement statement piece on an island or peninsula where you can see more of the large design, and then do a toned-down solid for the perimeter to complement the other,” she says.

Want some quick expert advice? Garcia runs a popular kitchen and bath industry Twitter chat where professionals share weekly insight on design: #KBTribeChat. While the discussions are geared for professionals, consumers are welcome to join in every Wednesday, from 2-3pm EST.