Violet verbena, with its grayed-off, moody purple, is both elegant and calming. Lighting and other colors it is combined with will reveal different nuances to the paint shade. According to PPG, it is a great color for an accent wall, and it has a lot of versatility.

“Violet verbena was unanimously selected as the 2017 Color of the Year by PPG’s global color experts for its distinctive qualities. We are seeing this shade of violet on the runway in fashion, and in textiles for the commercial and residential segments,” said Dee Schlotter, PPG Paints senior color marketing manager. “Consumers now embrace the middle ground between masculine and feminine, young and old, and work and leisure. Violet verbena’s blending of gray and violet reflects that middle ground.”

PPG has more than 20 color stylists around the world, each specializing in different industries including architectural, automotive, aerospace and consumer electronics. Schlotter said they gather each year to analyze trends to determine which colors will appeal and represent the PPG global color forecast for the following year, including PPG’s Color of the Year.

Locally, PPG Paints’ violet verbena can be found at any of the three Caddo Paint locations. Alandia Pinchera, Caddo Paint wall covering manager, has worked at the family-owned business for 25 years and works to help customers select the best color choices to make their space unique. Pinchera says she determines whether a customer is trying to coordinate their paint color with fabric or furniture pieces, and then helps them match the best shade.

“If they have a fabric, it’s a really good guide to go by. A lot of times, if I lay the color strips on their fabrics, you can either see all these colors are going to work, or none of these colors are going to work,” she said. “You’ll find that there are so many shades of colors, sometimes the choices get overwhelming … and we just try to help them pick it out.”

Pinchera said customers bring in many different types of materials in their search for wall colors, including tiles and granites, in addition to fabrics.

She said the best advice she gives customers is to purchase a sample can of paint before committing fully to a color choice. She says painting a part of a wall or a piece of poster board will reveal how the color will look in the home.

“The lighting in everyone’s home affects how the color is going to look in that room. You might have a color you think is perfect, and you get it home in your lighting and it doesn’t look right,” she said. “A sample can of paint is well worth the expense.”

For PPG Paints, developing color trends is a global effort that takes different cultures into consideration. The company believes color reflects cultural changes and sociological shifts. Violet verbena is the focal point of PPG’s four global color trend stories for 2017. The color trends focus on the elemental themes of earth, air, fire and water. The trend themes are Hour Glass, ES/Sence, IMpower and Biocentric.

Hour Glass represents earth. Rich hues were created to pair with wood, marble and stone tile. The lavender hues of violet verbena blend with greens, blues and neutrals. ES/Sence focuses on the purity of water and that less is more. The palette was created to evoke a sense of simplicity and calm with watery blues and lush greens. Impower represents the element of fire. It features deep tones to light neutrals. Air is represented by the Biocentric theme. The palette showcases space-inspired shades to show that everything is connected.

“Consumers are drawn to the galactic dark colors that combine deep purples, blues and grays to create an intriguing futuristic vibe,” Schlotter said.

Pinchera says shades of gray are very popular right now, and it is an adaptable color. “You can get a gray that turns blue, some turn lavender, some turn green, some turn tan. It’s just amazing what lighting will do to the color choices.”

PPG Paints’ 2017 Color of the Year is a unique violet hue with a quality that allows it to adapt to surrounding environments. According to Scholtter, the color unveils gray undertones when paired with dark neutrals, but reads as a purer purple when paired with whites.

“Violet verbena blends perfectly with many different surroundings. It looks polished yet playful in a child’s room, and it is calming enough to be used in hospitals or other spaces that require tranquility,” she said.

PPG Paints boats more than 2,000 colors in its available paint hues. Schlotter says PPG Paints is already looking ahead to colors that will be prominent in 2018. 2016’s Color of the Year was Paradise Found, a shade of aloe green.