Color Trends for Wood Coatings

DIYers are an important segment for the wood coating market. When selecting the right wood coatings product, consumers are looking for a number of things, such as ease of use, durability and special finishes – all offered in the most popular colors.

“Despite the classic colors that customers can sometimes default to, like the ever-popular Cedar and Redwood colors, there are some colors that are trending with those willing to step out of the norm,” said Alison Bruce, senior marketing manager at PPG. “Consumers are more willing to try new color choices for their upcoming woodcare project. We see natural wood trending, like the Olympic Elite brand’s Drift and Olympic MAXIMUM Semi-Transparent Cape Cod Gray colors. On the other end of the spectrum are the non-traditional blackened, “charred” colors, like the Olympic Maximum Semi-Transparent and Solid Ebony color. Charred, deep stains give the wood a modern look and are prominent in restaurants, hotels, retail and condominiums in metro areas. We are also beginning to see charred black stains becoming more popular in residential and suburban areas. If consumers are apprehensive about a bold color like black, they can try it out on spindles, railings or furniture for a great accent.”

In terms of performance, the latest trends include products that are versatile and can perform on a variety of substrates and in various weather conditions, Bruce noted. “A great example of a product like this is the PPG’s Olympic MAXIMUM stain, which contains unique WEATHER-READY, with opacities that can be applied to damp wood, or in temperatures down to 35˚F and can even be rained on as soon as eight hours after application, giving users a window to stain without being reliant on the weather.”

Despite the classic colors that customers can sometimes default to, like the ever-popular Cedar and Redwood colors, there are some colors that are trending with those willing to step out of the norm,” said Bruce. “Consumers are more willing to try new color choices for their upcoming Woodcare project. We see natural wood trending, like the Olympic Elite brand’s Drift and Olympic MAXIMUM Semi-Transparent Cape Cod Gray colors. On the other end of the spectrum are the non-traditional blackened, “charred” colors, like the Olympic Maximum Semi-Transparent and Solid Ebony color. Charred, deep stains give the wood a modern look and are prominent in restaurants, hotels, retail and condominiums in metro areas. We are also beginning to see charred black stains becoming more popular in residential and suburban areas. If consumers are apprehensive about a bold color like black, they can try it out on spindles, railings or furniture for a great accent.
In terms of performance, the latest trends include products that are versatile and can perform on a variety of substrates and in various weather conditions. A great example of a product like this is the PPG’s Olympic MAXIMUM stain, which contains unique WEATHER-READY, with opacities that can be applied to damp wood, or in temperatures down to 35 F and can even be rained on as soon as eight hours after application, giving users a window to stain without being reliant on the weather.”

According to Jenny Thavenet, marketing director at Rust-Oleum, there are a number of trends in terms of color and finish.  “Antique reproductions with aging techniques and vintage designs/finishes continue to be strong in today’s market and are here to stay for some time. The furniture and home market continue to trend with gray-based browns. Red- based browns are declining in sales and the Gray/Driftwood look has proven longevity in the market and is not a short-term trend and whitewashing/ white grain look is dominate in the market place.

According to Joe Kujawski, business director, Sherwin-Williams Industrial Wood Coatings Division, kitchen cabinetry is more like furniture than ever before. “Homeowners want to make their kitchens unique – truly an extension of themselves. Sherwin-Williams makes it easy for kitchen cabinet manufacturers to meet those desires by offering the ability to match virtually any color. We can certainly match any of the more than 1,500 colors in the Sherwin-Williams fan deck, but we can match custom colors as well. That’s important. A homeowner can ask a cabinet manufacturer to deliver cabinets that match a wall paint color that hasn’t been available for more than 10 years. We can match that color. Bottom line is, we help our customers succeed.”

“Sherwin-Williams is always working on ways to help our customers succeed,” he continued. “It’s an exciting time in the wood finishing business – the economy is robust and demand for kitchen cabinetry and furniture, along with the other wood markets we serve, is strong. We look forward to building on our success in helping our customers achieve their goals. Whether it’s helping them develop a new product line by providing a color palette assessment, providing products that help them achieve higher efficiencies and reduce manufacturing costs, or working with them to deliver sustainable finishing solutions, we believe we have the products and the know-how that today’s wood manufacturers need.”