Sherwin-Williams Announces 2020 Industrial Wood Colormix Forecast

Sherwin-Williams, through its Global Color & Design Center in Greensboro, NC, announced its 2020 Industrial Wood Colormix Forecast.

This forecast is built to inspire product developers and manufacturers of wood products to create finishes in line with consumer preference shifts based on global, cultural and economic influences.

“Due to the hustle and bustle of everyday life, self-care remains a top priority for many as we head into 2020,” said Lauren West, Global Color and Design director for Sherwin-Williams Industrial Wood. “Individuals are gravitating toward finishes that bring a sense of warmth and comfort to their homes and offices, resulting in the creation of spaces that allow them to recharge and relax.”

As part of the Sherwin-Williams Color Forecast Team, West, who leads color and design for the Industrial Wood Coatings division, collaborated with color experts from the Sherwin-Williams Paint Stores Group, led by Sue Wadden, director of Color Marketing. This team spent the year researching color, design and pop culture trends across the globe, culminating with a workshop in which they identified five trend stories that highlight consumers’ desire to achieve balance when it comes to work, family and commitments that encompass everyday life.

The five stories are:

Alive
Be present, be positive, and relish moments of life. Enjoy it in an authentic space touched by fumed, charred and burnished wood finishes – many with higher sheens – that evoke a satisfying and rejuvenating sense of community and living well. Inspired by mindful living, grounding natural colors are artfully arranged with rich hues that encourage thoughtfulness, togetherness and nurturing home life.

Mantra
East meets West in this collection of finishes, and both styles have entwined in the most appealing way. A unique blend of bleached, whitewashed and blonde finishes, Scandinavian simplicity happily engages with the order and elegance of Japanese aesthetics to create a look that is the best of both worlds. With light finishes that glide from warm to cool, it embraces all that is simple yet essential.

Play
These fun, buoyant, expressive and heavily textured finishes extend an invitation to mingle. Energetic and clever, these finishes pack a lot of punch and are the true definition of maximalism. An extension of your unique sense of humor, they personalize a space by adding warmth, resulting in a direct reflection of you.

Haven
Like being welcomed home with open arms, these finishes beckon to those seeking an oasis. Inspired by Earth’s seasonal cycles, warm naturals and the organic beauty of wood’s unique imperfections are highlighted. Influenced by shades of our natural surroundings – sea, sand, forest and sky, these finishes are an innate reminder that sometimes real beauty lies in the spaces outside the lines. Calm comes from knowing perfect isn’t the only way to be.

Heart
Layered genres and emotions permeate these finishes. They represent a unique fusion of iconic modern design mixed with an intergenerational boho vibe. The result is a collection of natural, casual and “barely-there” finishes that bring to life a meditation on comfort, connection and the pleasures found in the everyday.