Heart Wood has today been unveiled by AkzoNobel as the much-anticipated Color of the Year for 2018, following continuous expert research into trends, insights and consumer behaviors.

A subtle and warm tone of grown-up pink, Heart Wood draws from the tactile qualities of natural wood and leather, conveying comfort and ease in response to consumers wanting to nestle down more and create a "welcome home".

Extensive research was conducted by the color team at AkzoNobel's Global Aesthetic Center, together with a group of 11 international experts. It revealed a strong overarching trend of consumers wanting to transform their homes into spaces of retreat from the outside world.

"As life gets faster, now is the time to press pause," said Heleen Van Gent, Creative Director at the company's Global Aesthetic Center. "Our home needs to be a place where we can turn down the noise, where we can nurture our values and recharge. Color can play a significant role in addressing the balance between outside clamor and inner calm.

"Our 2018 Color of the Year truly captures the mood of the moment. Heart Wood and its four complementary color palettes will help consumers achieve a home that is truly and uniquely theirs, bringing feelings of safety and reassurance and creating a welcome home for all."

The Heart Wood Home palette blends harmoniously with the materials from which the hero color takes its inspiration, while three supporting palettes balance softer shades with deeper and bolder tones.

The Comforting Home palette features warm earth tones, bringing together clay and blush pink tones to calm the mind, soothe the senses and shut out the noise. The Inviting Home palette brings comfort and convenience to life. Cool shades of blue encourage a clear-headed approach to life, while neutrals and fresh green support the need for connection with the outside world. Softer pastel shades are enhanced by coal and ink blue. The Playful Home palette creates a space to inspire and invigorate the senses. Yellow-toned green and gold encourage a creative approach to life. Pops of color add a sense of fun and energy.

With the 2018 Color of the Year and its four contemporary color palettes, customers around the world can now create spaces within their home that are truly theirs and up to date with their everyday needs.

2018 marks the 15th year of the development of the Color of the Year, based on the ongoing expert analysis of social, economic and design trends by AkzoNobel's Global Aesthetics Center. The Color of the Year is selected annually to help consumers make color and design choices with more confidence, especially when combined and integrated with innovative digital solutions such as the Visualizer, the multi-award-winning app designed to make decorating easier and more inspiring.

"Color is strategically important to AkzoNobel. We continuously build on our expertise to understand consumer behaviour and any emerging trends, innovations and technologies that will enable us to stay one step ahead and provide innovative products, tools and services that support our consumers in making confident color choices," says David Menko, Chief Marketing Officer for AkzoNobel Decorative Paints.

To date, the Visualizer has been downloaded over 17 million times. Its latest version includes a wide range of exciting features to help consumers see, share and virtually paint in their chosen colors - before anything is actually applied to the walls. Statistics show more than 250 million visualizations, and that Denim Drift, Color of the Year 2017, was the most searched and saved color on the app in the past year.

For more information about the 2018 Color of the Year, visit http://www.akzonobel.com/colourfutures or follow #CF18 on social media.

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About Color Futures 2018

Established in 2004, Color Futures aims to build an annual picture of what home life will be like for consumers and create color palettes that will transform their interiors accordingly. Color Futures involves the selection and identification of AkzoNobel's Color of the Year, its hero palette and three supporting palettes. These are brought to life by the company's Decorative Paints brands, including Alba, Astral, Bruguer, Coral, Dulux, Flexa, Inca, Levis, Marshall, Nordsjo, Sadolin, Sikkens and Vivechrome.

The trend analysis behind Color Futures and the identification of the Color of the Year is conducted by the AkzoNobel Global Aesthetic Center, led by Creative Director Heleen Van Gent.

Based in the Netherlands, it leads the company's Decorative Paint's trend analysis, color research and design, and art direction. Each year, it invites a select group of independent experts to forecast the emerging global design trends for the year ahead. It supports 80 global markets, empowering consumers to make the right color choices for their homes.

Through this extensive research and a deep understanding of how the continuous shifts in the global landscape filter into consumers' lives, the Global Aesthetic Center experts ensure that Color Futures not only evolves with, but also anticipates, the changing needs of the home. As such, Color Futures provides consumers with contemporary complementary color palettes that bring the comfort and ease that we desire into our homes.

About AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel creates everyday essentials to make people's lives more liveable and inspiring. As a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, we supply essential ingredients, essential protection and essential color to industries and consumers worldwide. Backed by a pioneering heritage, our innovative products and sustainable technologies are designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet, while making life easier. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have approximately 46,000 people in around 80 countries, while our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International, Interpon and Eka. Consistently ranked as a leader in sustainability, we are dedicated to energizing cities and communities while creating a protected, colorful world where life is improved by what we do.

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Last Updated ( Tuesday, 12 September 2017 )