Sustainability, well-being, and biophilia rank as the top macro trends architects and other design professionals have been tracking—and, in many ways, leading—for years. Sue Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at Sherwin-Williams, has also stayed on top of these evolving trends, even in the middle of the pandemic. “We knew that we were going to pull out of the mayhem and focus on a new normal and a shift in priorities,” Wadden says. “And great design and architecture will continue to lead the way.” Here, she shares her unique perspective on how architects can combine the world of color and design with the demand for well-being and sustainability heading into 2022 and beyond.
Q. Parts of the world are starting to emerge from pandemic restrictions. What will look different, and what role do you see architects playing?
A: Architects and designers are at the forefront of problem-solving, so this is just a new challenge. And I think they’re going to push sustainability to an even higher priority. Specifying sustainable products is not just a “win” anymore. It’s a mandate. So there’s this focus on materiality—an exploration of better products.
Q. In many respects, well-being syncs up with sustainability, yes?
A. I would definitely put well-being and living well into sustainability. Well-being and living well are two macro trends that I’ll continue to track, and I’ve separated them because living well might be about smart technology, biophilia, organic products, and the materiality of your living space, whereas well-being is about clean eating, working out, and bringing your best self into a post-pandemic future.
Q. How is living well, along with working from home, influencing residential design?
A. We’re hearing that people want slightly more defined living spaces. The design can still be open concept, but you need places to work, whether they’re dedicated offices or nooks. And the idea is that those little rooms are going to emerge as opportunities for color.
Q. So, what colors are on the rise?
A. I pulled out four palettes from our Colormix Forecast 2022. The first is about sustainability and natural materials infused with Bauhaus and 1980s Modernism influences—sort of fusing that into this organic modern conversation. So these colors are tied to nature: Think sepia tones and warm neutrals.
Our next palette is an extension of maximalism. Last year, it was about vibrancy, but now it’s shifting into this deeper, darker expression. So we’re seeing dusky, deep colors and industrial-glam sorts of finishes, like champagne gold infused with matte black on the hardware. There’s an edginess to it.
From there, we move to a palette of organic neutrals and greens, but I’m pulling them from purple tones. It almost feels like a well-being palette, inspired by athletic wear and what we were doing during the pandemic to try to feel good and take care of ourselves.
Finally, we have our nostalgia palette. There’s a familiarity in design styles over the decades, but younger designers see it as new and fresh. We’re talking deep olive green and bright orange.
Q. How do you see these colors and design in general shaping our post-pandemic future?
A. Coming out of the chaos, I see it as a rebalancing of design. Everybody is excited and feeling the positivity. It’s time and we’re ready.
To further explore the macro trend of well-being and the paint technologies and innovations that contribute to occupant well-being and healthier buildings, take the Sherwin-Williams Coating Innovations and The Healthy Building Movement CEU.
