Paint Trends: Pretty and Pale Hues You’ll Love

Whether layering almost-white greys that evoke Scandinavian skies or lightening up a space with the buttery hue of blooming dandelions, paint is about subtlety this summer.

Soft Scandinavian. Think Gustavian, in the spirit of a whitewashed cottage on the Swedish coast that reflects as much northern light as possible. Channel Scandinavian style by layering Farrow and Ball greys—Ammonite, Purbeck Stone, Wevet (pictured)—for a sophisticated yet understated look (Estate Emulsion, $97 per gallon). farrow-ball.com Petal Palette. Behr Paints has named “Frosted Pastels” a colour trend for 2015, and that means an ethereal grey like its Dreamscape Gray, paired with the citrony and creamy Dandelion Tea (Premium Plus Ultra Interior, $52 per gallon). behr.comFlower Power. Deeper pastel tones are on Sico’s list of hot colours this summer, like the hydrangea tones of Impetuous Blue alongside the wispy neutral of Cotton Flower. Do these garden-forward colours justice with Muse, the company’s new paint-and-primer-in-one that has scratch- and stain-deterring “touch-resistant technology.” ($60 per gallon). sico.caNatural Neutral. Benjamin Moor’s 2015 colour of the year is Guildford Green, a silvery, soft sage that makes a dreamy monochromatic mix with Shadow Gray and Aloe Vera or Chantilly Lace (from $48 per gallon). It’s a bit of weathered whimsy for your walls. benjaminmoore.comClean Slate. Even if you’re not into channelling your inner Monet and getting artistic with paint, you can still make your wall a blank canvas—quite literally. Smart Wall Paint is a clear coating ($139 per 2 square metres) that turns any wall into a dry-erase board— shopping list in the kitchen, brainstorming centre in the office or sketch pad in a kid’s room—and can be any colour underneath. Of course, we’re thinking grey… smartwallpaint.comGrey Matters. Forget 50 shades of grey: how about 95? Sherwin-William’s menu of the still strong-and-sexy hue has some rather pleased-sounding varieties to chose from, including Agreeable (pictured left). Repose, Mindful and even Amazing Gray (pictured right), which we’ll take over angsty Christian Grey any day ($46 per gallon). sherwin-williams.com