Sherwin-Williams declared a soft green as its color of the year, to encourage ‘rebirth’ and ‘re-emergence’

• Sherwin-Williams has selected Evergreen Fog as its official color of the year for 2022.
• The paint manufacturer's latest pick is a soft gray-green mid-tone.
• Sherwin-Williams' director Sue Wadden told Insider the shade is all about "positivity."
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

Sherwin-Williams has selected Evergreen Fog – a gentle gray-green hue – as its Color of the Year for 2022. Each year, the paint manufacturer's global color and design team handpicks a specific shade to convey themes meant to resonate with consumers. For the year 2022, that means resurrection and renewal.

"We wanted to talk about positivity," Sherwin-Williams' director of color marketing, Sue Wadden, told Insider. "What was the color that symbolized this idea of rebirth and re-emergence? That's really where green comes into play. Green is the color of nature and rebirth and all those positive associations with nature and growth."

Choosing a specific green would pose more of a challenge for Sherwin-Williams' team. Along with selecting a color of the year, this team is also tasked publishing an annual color forecast. The group mulled over an avocado shade and a dark, deep hue until they "fell in love with" the soft mid-tone Evergreen Fog.

Evergreen Fog marks a change-up for Sherwin-Williams. For the past two years, darker colors – deep blue Naval and gray-brown Urbane Bronze – took the top spots. Wadden said that Evergreen Fog pairs with natural textiles, and metals like gold and brass.

When arranging photo shoots for Evergreen Fog, Wadden and her team sought to capture an organic modern "vibe," a style trend that focuses on sustainable materials, plants, and natural light. But Wadden stressed that the gray-green paint could compliment a range of styles, including rustic, cottage-core, and granny-chic.

"From interiors to exteriors, it's a really usable color," she said. "If you talk about modern vintage - retro interiors - it's great there too, because it's a nostalgic color in different applications."

Vintage styles have had a moment during the pandemic, as millennials and Gen Z have opted for retro looks to decorate their new homes: Repurposed and recycled decor has been touted as both sustainable and fashionable.

The Sherwin-Williams team recommended Evergreen Fog for both the home and commercial spaces. Wadden said it's a "versatile color," fit for bedrooms and kitchens, and even cabinetry and trim. The one space where the director of color marketing cautioned consumers about using it was on the walls of a bathroom.

"Sometimes, green doesn't work out in a bathroom because you'll see a green cast on your face in the mirror when you're putting on makeup," she said. "You can look a little jaundiced if you don't have natural light in your bathroom."

That being said, Wadden is thinking about incorporating Evergreen Fog in her own bathroom.

"I am considering painting my bathroom vanity this color, because I think it's great," she said.