Every fall, major paint manufacturers announce the single color they expect to define the year ahead. The 2023 cycle settled on a teal described by its own creators as bluish, greenish and somewhere in between, a shade positioned between blue and green that echoes the calm of deep water. For builders and homeowners, these annual picks compress months of consumer research into one workable palette. The discipline that guides paint color strategies for small kitchens works at any scale: choose one anchor hue, then let trim, wood tones and accents respond to it. Understanding how manufacturers choose these colors, and how to adapt them to a real house, turns a marketing announcement into a practical design tool.
How Paint Brands Choose the Annual Color
Manufacturers build annual picks from consumer surveys, social media listening, interior design coverage and economic mood. The 2023 teal was positioned as a response to the post-COVID desire for simplicity. Color experts described it as energizing yet grounding, versatile enough for any space, and the announcement leaned on the importance of serenity and little moments. The marketing pitch matters less than the pattern behind it: brands look for a shade that removes guesswork, because a homeowner who trusts one color buys the rest of the palette around it.
The announcement ritual is not unique to paint. Toolmakers run the same playbook, and the wave of new concrete and masonry tools announced at World of Concrete 2022 showed how a single event can focus an entire industry on the season ahead. Paint and tools are different products, but both categories use one headline moment to shape what contractors and homeowners see in stores for the next twelve months.
What the 2023 pick says about the market
- Teal blends blue and green, two hues that buyers consistently associate with calm.
- Blue reads as tranquility; emerald reads as balance. Together they form a jewel tone that holds up in bright or dim rooms.
- The shade was endorsed for interior and exterior, residential and commercial, which widens the retail audience for one formulation.
- Two brands aligned on a single color, doubling the display space a store could devote to it.
Reading the color code
Paint colors carry catalog numbers such as PPG1148-6. The prefix identifies the brand family and the digits identify the formulation. When a color becomes the year pick, retailers build display cards and machine-mix formulas around that code, so the number matters more than the name when you order at the counter.
Color cycles run on a rough three to five year rhythm. A bold jewel tone typically follows two or three years of neutrals, which is why teal has reappeared in annual lineups in slightly different formulations each time. Tracking the cycle helps builders time renovations: repainting during the peak year of a trend costs the same as repainting after it fades, but the resale response is stronger in the first window.
Why Blue Green and Jewel Tones Keep Repeating
Annual picks cluster around a few durable families: warm whites, earthy greens and blue greens. Teal returns every few years because it sits at the intersection of two reliable sellers. Color research consistently links blue to tranquility and green to balance, which is why the 2023 announcement described the shade as symbolic of deep water. Jewel tones add saturation to that calm base, and stylists expect the hue in hospitality settings where comfort and impact both matter.
The log and timber market took notice immediately, and trade outlets announced their paint color of the year for 2023 with a consistent set of recommendations: pair the teal with deeper-toned woods and off-white trim inside, or with golden accents and bright white trim for a crisper look.
Wood tone pairing explains much of teal’s popularity in timber construction. Warm woods, from honey oak to chocolate walnut, sit opposite teal on the color wheel, so the two materials reinforce each other without competing. In log and timber homes, exposed beams and heavy posts give the shade a warm counterweight, which is why the recommended interior treatment pairs the color with deeper-toned wood rather than all-white trim.
| Location | Recommended pairing | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Interior walls | Deeper-toned woods, off-white trim | Grounded, calm room |
| Interior accents | Golden accents, bright white trim | Fresh, high-contrast pop |
| Front door | Colorful landscaping | Immediate curb appeal |
| Cabinetry and vanities | Matte brass, light counters | Jewel tone anchor |
How New Colors Get Tested Before They Reach You
Behind every annual pick is a year of formulation work. Color scientists tune pigments for light reflectance, opacity and durability, then compare the result against previous year shades to avoid near duplicates. Once a color ships, its success depends on how it performs in real rooms, which is why manufacturers push sampling hard.
The testing loop resembles other building product categories, where new tools get announced and tested at media events before retailers stock them. A paint color cannot be bench-tested the way a drill can, so the industry substitutes sample quarts, peel-and-stick swatches and in-store demo walls.
A five-step sampling routine
- Buy a sample quart of the announced color. Paint is the only accurate test.
- Roll a 12 by 12 inch patch on two walls that receive different light.
- Check the patch at morning, noon and dusk. North light and south light change a teal dramatically.
- Hold trim samples, wood swatches and fabric next to the patch before committing.
- Wait 48 hours for the paint to cure fully before judging the final value.
Trade Shows, Virtual Launches and Where to See the Color
Paint releases follow the same distribution pattern that governs how new construction tools get announced at trade shows, virtual launches and what to watch. The color appears first at press events and design shows, then lands in retail displays, digital visualizers and sample programs over the following weeks.
Store locator tools on manufacturer sites tell you which nearby outlets carry the full year palette. Big-box paint departments usually get display cards and tinting formulas within a month of the announcement. Independent stores may stock the color later, but they often provide better mixing and application advice.
What to watch in the weeks after an announcement
- Release timing: display cards and tinting formulas arrive at big-box stores within about a month.
- Sample programs: many retailers discount sample quarts during the first quarter.
- Visualizer tools: digital room painters let you preview the color on your own wall photos before buying.
- Pro pricing: contractor accounts often get the year palette at volume rates once it launches.
Interior Applications: Walls, Trim and Wood Tones
The 2023 recommendations give a clear playbook for interiors. Use the teal on walls and let deeper-toned wood floors and beams carry the warmth, with off-white trim keeping the room from going dark. For a lighter treatment, keep walls neutral and use the teal on an accent wall, an island or window casings, then bring in golden accents and bright white trim for contrast.
Light changes a jewel tone more than any other variable. A south-facing wall at noon shows the green side of the teal; the same wall at dusk shows the blue. Before choosing which room gets the saturated treatment, note where each wall faces and what the artificial lighting does after sunset. Warm LEDs push teal toward green; cool LEDs push it toward blue.
These choices ripple through the market. Annual picks shape residential paint choices months after the announcement, showing up in cabinetry, doors and furniture as homeowners extend the trend beyond walls. Paint is one of the cheapest renovation levers, which is why the color aisle moves faster than any other finish category.
Rooms where a jewel tone pays off
- Hallways and entries: a saturated teal turns a pass-through into a moment.
- Powder rooms: small spaces tolerate bold color at low paint cost.
- Kitchens: a teal island or lower cabinets with white uppers give the room a jewel tone anchor.
- Bedrooms: use the teal on the wall behind the headboard and keep the rest light.
Exteriors, Curb Appeal and Building a Full Palette
Outside, the color works best in measured doses. A front door in the year teal adds immediate curb appeal, especially against colorful landscaping and warm stone. Exterior-rated formulations resist UV fade better than interior grades, so check the label before painting anything that faces full sun. Siding in a full jewel tone is a bigger commitment; most homeowners reserve saturation for doors, shutters and trim.
Once the exterior anchor is set, carry the logic inside. The same color wheel that justifies a teal door generates the color schemes for interior design that keep a house cohesive from curb to bedroom. Annual announcements are useful precisely because they hand you a tested starting point; the rest of the palette is your own.