Breathe of Fresh Air – Color of the Year 2014

Perhaps you’ve been made aware of this, but if you haven’t heard already, Benjamin Moore has announced the 2014 Color of the Year: “Breath of Fresh Air.” The color is a lovely powdery pale sky blue.

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There has been a shift in recent years toward hues with a “lighter touch.” Pastels with depth. While grey has been the go-to undertone for some time, now those undertones encompass more blues and greens, even lavenders and pinks.

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According to Benjamin Moore: “Pastels, softened and filtered, to lift the spirit but not shout too loud… colors that can make a room happy, flatter your possessions and your art. We call these the new neutrals.” In other words, Breath of Fresh Air blue is among the new neutrals.

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This color is, indeed, very light. Very fresh. Very serene.

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Although some disagree that a color as soft as this should be named Color of the Year – is it too subtle? Too underwhelming? Too shy to hold its own on the color spectrum? – the color has a definite sense of place. An understated presence, almost a maturity (if colors could have maturity?) and ability to bring out the best in whatever the surroundings may be.

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Although the color itself – like all colors, really – changes due to the amount of natural light in the space, it always remains a calming presence. It’s somewhere between sky blue and robin’s egg blue. It’s quietly warm and icily fresh at the same time. Hence the name, Breath of Fresh Air.

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As for me, I think it’s a beautiful blue neutral. Which, at least for 2014, should maybe be known as a bleutral. Maybe.

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You know a color is a winner when it can envelop a room as a wall color or stand on its own merit on any style, type, and size of accent piece.

What about you? Do you think Breath of Fresh Air is a worthy Color of the Year?