Checking Out: Andrea Magno

Andrea Magno
Benjamin Moore’s Director of Color Marketing and Development reveals the company’s Color of the Year palette. Cool or warm, soft or bold, these hues represent the time people are living in.

So you and your team are the ones who determine the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year. How do you do that?
A lot of research, a lot of trend-watching, a lot of domestic and international travel to European design shows like London Design Week and the Maison&Objet fair in Paris. We follow socio-cultural trends, influences in art, design, retail – really anything that grabs our attention is fair game. From our initial research, we synthesize the information as well as look for themes across color families. If we see a lot of, say, reds, we focus on which hues within that color family are most prevalent.

Apparently, this year, you saw a lot of blues.
Yes. Well, full disclosure: I am a ‘blue’ person. Give me Navy Blue any time. But blue is generally a popular color. For 2024, we decided on Blue Nova, a beautiful mid-tone blue shade with a tinge of violet. Very sophisticated, but the muted quality makes it livable. It has an enigmatic quality – celestial and mystical. It’s relaxing; it draws you in. It felt right for the time because it makes a color statement and encourages exploring color, but in a way that feels easygoing.

📷 BENJAMIN MOORE

Living Color

You said the choice of Color of the Year often relates to what’s going on in people’s lives. Any examples?
Sure. In times of uncertainty and unrest, people gravitate toward comforting, safe-feeling colors. In a more optimistic time, colors are likely to be bolder and stronger.

Last year, our Color of the Year was Raspberry Blush, a really bold coral. We were just coming out of Covid, and a lot of people were still working from home. This color brings fun and expressiveness into the home environment. We described that color as ‘charismatic.’ It stated, ‘I’m here, and I’m running this show!’

During Covid years, we chose Aegean Teal, a muted blue-green, and October Mist, a soft, sage green that quietly envelopes a space. Both are quietly reassuring.

So, all in on celestial Blue Nova in 2024?
Not entirely. Our Color of the Year gets the spotlight, but we also release a palette of other featured colors. The Benjamin Moore Color Trends 2024 palette of 10 colors is curated from our existing color collections. It is fascinating to watch what kinds of reactions each color receives, and which color may be a new favorite.

Second, Benjamin Moore has over 3500 colors, so designers, consultants, professionals – and the ultimate consumers – can find the right color for any type of project. At first, people might find that overwhelming. But as they start to narrow it all down, they’ll get exactly the right color they want. They’ll never have to settle. We’re confident in all our colors.

What all is in this year’s color palette?
We have a nice range of color in the palette – Regent Green is a deep, classic hue, plus we included pleasing mid-tones with Topaz and Hazy Lilac. We also have some lighter, dreamy colors like Pristine, Teacup Rose, and Polar Sky. On the neutral side we have White Dove and Antique Pewter – so even with a small palette we offer variety for many styles and preferences.