Do you ever think about colour trends and where they come from? We do, ALOT! Sometimes, we even like to imagine the Pantone Council in various comical incarnations. Witches seated around a crystal ball waiting for the subsequent years’ colour forecast to appear. Maybe they’re a group of pale, stalky men dressed in head-to-toe black, with bowler hats who argue over chartreus (it’s MORE green, goddammit!!) while chainsmoking. Is the reclusive think tank comprised of a sea of perfectly aligned desks with analysts crunching numbers, in synch, calculating the statistical significance of every hue of every colour ever created until they’re blue (Pantone 282 U) in the face?

In reality, the Pantone Council is a secret group of 10 people who meet twice a year in Europe in a room with white walls.  While there are other colour forecasters in the field, Pantone has the most solid game in the biz with 1,925 colours in their current index and a whole lotta bragging rights.

So….how do the colours get chosen? By watching the runways in Milan, studying demographics (Millenials are taking over in case you didn’t know), looking at economics, entertainment, pop culture, politics, technology and EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN! For 2015, colour trends are rooted in our desire for social change and security.

What does that look like? For home and interiors, think Mahoganies, off-whites, grays and taupes paired with rich champagne beige, lilac and violet. If you’replanning any DIY home makeover projects over the next year, this is definitely something you’ll want to keep in mind.

Now that we’ve wet your whistle, be sure to check out the Benjamin Moore website where you can have all sorts of fun with colour! Check out the Colour Gallery, or download an app that lets you paint a room of your choice online! There’s also a colour puzzle game called Bendoku and more!

Aaaaand, once you’ve chosen the colour of your dreams, get your butts over to your nearest Benjamin Moore retailer to pick up your ben & ME kit which includes EVERYTHING you need to have a tidy and easy DIY painting experience!