PHOTO COURTESY PPG PAINTS

What colors do you associate with the COVID-19 pandemic? Maybe black? Or gray? Possibly a bland beige?

After more than a year that has included staring at walls, stay-at-home orders and little-to-no human interaction, Pittsburgh-based PPG Paints is seeing more colorful days ahead with its choice for the 2022 Color of the Year — Olive Sprig.

“As many of us know following a year of lockdown, the easiest way to shift your mindset is to change your environment. While we begin to trade sweatpants for strappy shoes, recipes for reservations, and a night in for a night out, our paint color preferences are shifting, too,” says Amy Donato, senior color marketing manager at PPG Paints. “Call it rebellion, but we are certainly here for the resurgence of optimistic colors to guide us into a new era of home design.”

The gray-green color is meant to symbolize “healing and regrowth in a post pandemic world, mimicking nature’s resiliency,” according to a press release. The hue also evokes a soothing feeling.

As part of PPG Paints’ annual Global Color Forecasting Workshop, the company’s color experts found that consumers are attracted to more colorful selections following difficult periods in history. For example, in the aftermath of World War I, homes styles of the Roaring Twenties included metallic embellishments and rich woods. The Baroque and Renaissance periods both had sculpture and art as key points of decoration.

Going along with this trend, PPG Paints is promoting post-pandemic optimism in architectural design, as well as creating a sense of escapism after a tough year.

Held over the winter, the Global Color Forecasting Workshop is an annual gathering of more than 30 PPG Paints color stylists from industries such as automotive, consumer electronics and home paint and stains. Throughout the event, the experts analyze societal inspirations to determine an appropriate colorway for the upcoming year, including the Color of the Year.

This year’s theme was deemed “Horizon” and consists of three palettes, dubbed “Invaluable,” “Introspective” and “Inspired.” Each palette also features new colors that relate to the underlying tone of “resilience.”