Colour of the Year: Benjamin Moore

With the COVID-19 pandemic falling behind us, people are settling back into meeting up with friends, going out, and generally enjoying that sense of freedom that seemed out of reach for quite a while. It seems fitting then that Benjamin Moore’s colour of the year for 2023 seems to celebrate the warmth and joy of just being together.

Raspberry Blush is a saturated red-orange meant to liven up and awaken the senses with its vivaciousness, boldness and unapologetic confidence.

“People are ready to bring colour back into the home, taking a step outside their colour comfort zones,” says Andrea Magno, colour marketing and development director at Benjamin Moore. Magno is correct to say this colour oozes charisma and is an excellent option if you want to add a pop of colour to your favourite piece of furniture or to create a bold front door.

Choosing its colour of the year is always an interesting topic at Benjamin Moore. The team looks beyond their palette of 3,600 plus colours and dives into the world of art, fashion, architecture and design to get a feel for trends influencing culture. A surprisingly broad conversation ensues over the course of the year as they figure out what colours make the cut, not just for the colour of the year but the whole Colour Trends palette.

The natural lighting of a room has a huge influence on how the colours on our walls really appear. As it is such a warm colour, Raspberry Blush is versatile enough to work beautifully in most lighting conditions.

The reason warm colours are so popular is because they’re so versatile. A warm colour in a north facing room feels nice and cozy, while a warm colour in a south facing room doesn’t become anything other than warm.

However, in order to truly appreciate the complexity of this shade, using it within a warm colour scheme in a south facing room would be more complimentary. Raspberry Blush is not a red and it’s not an orange, it’s in that space in between.

While there’s a lot to love about this shade, choosing the right room will be vital. To us, this playful hue has a convivial and fun vibe which lends itself well to more sociable spaces, like the kitchen.

The idea behind Raspberry Blush was to do a more modern take on the rich heritage reds in traditional dining rooms. This is a more contemporary colour, but still gives that warmth and cozy feel we seek in a dining room space. Use it in a dining area with curved banquette seating for the perfect spot to host guests.