After stay-at-home orders and too few face-to-face moments over the last two years, people are craving authenticity, nature and meaningful human interaction after living in a mostly digital world.

Introducing the PPG 2022 Colour of the Year: Olive Sprig (PPG1125-4) – a grounded, versatile and highly adaptable grey-green. Featured under the JOHNSTONE’S® by PPG trade brand, Olive Sprig represents renewal in a post-pandemic world and brightens any space with an organic liveliness – the perfect refresh.

Olive Sprig works almost like a neutral. It is a relaxed but enticing green - a flexible hue, that lives well inside or outside, adapts to most environments, styles and usages and brings your designs to life.

“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 comfy clothing for our going-out gear, recipes at home for restaurant reservations, and a night in for a night out, our paint colour preferences are shifting too,” said Donna Taylor, PPG colour expert, Architectural Coatings UK. “People are growing tired of the stark, neutral palettes of yesterday and opting for colour in all forms. Call it rebellion, but we are certainly here for the resurgence of optimistic colours to guide us into a new era of home and commercial design.”

Lending itself to be paired with natural materials, Olive Sprig looks effective alongside unique architectural elements and furniture with curved forms to create a comfortable and grounded space. The colour can help create a sanctuary in a bedroom or office, and pairs effortlessly with brass accents and wood tones on lower cabinets or other building features.

“We see green budding everywhere; as a natural world symbol it is the rising colour in the design market and combining this with resilience and the need for connection, these became the recurring themes at PPG’s Global Colour Forecasting Workshop,” Taylor said. This annual event brings together more than 30 PPG global colour experts from the automotive, consumer electronics, aerospace, and home paint and stain industries. “Over the course of several days, our experts analyse the tends in lifestyles, demographics, geographies, global events and cross-cultural societal inspirations to develop an overarching theme and to determine what colours will resonate and represent the PPG global colour forecast, including the PPG 2022 Colour of the Year.”

Under the chosen theme Horizion, which represents our current state of hope, reflection and new beginnings in the post-pandemic era, PPG’s colour experts identified three colour trends that will influence future architectural design trends in 2022 and beyond. Each one tells its own story and has its own narrative and personality:

Invaluable: The Invaluable palette brings together a rich library of colour that is not afraid to be bold. Using colours such as Voice of Colour’s Black Lily, Castle Stone and Ancient Copper, the Invaluable palette adds depth and warmth to any space. Owing to the rising appreciation of vintage and antiques, this palette speaks to the contemporary audience with a desire to layer styles and periods. Drawing elements from the past to create a new era of heritage designs, there is a comforting amount of certainty from architectural styles and classical interpretations of design. The recent times living in chaos fuels a desire to be grounded in something solid and established. The darks in this colour story hold historical references enhancing the composition of highs and lows inspired by glamorous, artistic interiors.

Introspective: The Introspective colour story creates a serene and intimate space with colours like Voice of Colour’s Rose Souffle, Causeway, Silver Service and Pine Whisper, which complement the soothing comfort of Olive Sprig. This colour story addresses the soulful audience. The warm and welcoming palette holds a quiet theme for those seeking calm, clarity and healing. With architecture demonstrating an unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility, the introspective theme draws a deep sense of comfort by bringing nature and self-care into this personality. Delicate neutrals and softened pastels portray privacy, simplicity and peace.

Inspired: Those drawn to the Inspired colour palette are looking for mood-boosting shades that are sure to add an optimistic jolt of energy in to spaces that need it most. Voice of Colour’s Cenote, Aloha and Lettuce Alone offer liveliness and mimic high-tech greens and blues that are sure to turn heads. These inspired hues hit the high notes; they are vivid and joyful, telling a story of renewal. It is an optimistic palette that can be visualised on incredible textures and quirky art pieces for uniqueness. This palette embraces innovation and curiosity, and using intriguing designs, will take inspiration from digitally enhanced aesthetics, blurring the lines between real and virtual.