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A PR IL 2018 | 39 Paint & Coatings W hile paint options are staying neutral, with greys being the frontrunner, designers who want that special pop of standout colour have a myriad of options, from bold to metallic. Benjamin Moore colour and coatings brand declared its Colour of the Year 2018 to be Caliente – a vibrant, charismatic shade of red. "Strong, radiant and full of energy, Caliente is total confidence. It is pleasing, passionate and makes people feel special, like 'red carpet treatment'," says Ellen O'Neill, Benjamin Moore director of strategic design intelligence. "Whether used as one note or on four walls, the spirited personality of red turns heads, signalling surprise and adventure." Another product from Benjamin Moore offers a new way of collaborating in the workspace. "Notable Dry Erase Paint – a premium dry erase coating that can transform almost any surface into a dry erase board. Notable is made with a two- component, user-friendly formula that is easy to erase and will not yellow over time, or leave ghosting marks after erasing. "Today's work spaces have evolved to empower creativity and collaboration more than ever before and Notable Dry Erase Paint was specifically developed to meet the growing demands of the modern workplace," says Mary Louise Rubin, Benjamin Moore senior brand manager. Steve Stevens, president, Coast Paint Supply Ltd. says they do a lot of work with contractors and in terms of colour trends, washable flat and white, or the lower scrubable sheens, are by far the most popular. "These days, people want to see flats, no sheen for greater durability," he says. On another cautionary note, he says the downside of the zero VOC paints is that when paint sits in a car or truck overnight, it freezes and destroys the paint. "Paint used to be fairly stable, but now it only takes one freeze to ruin the product because the glycol previously used to slow the freezing process has been removed. When contractors are picking up thousands of dollars of paint, we remind them that it has to stay in a warm area. Even when the temperatures go down to -2 degrees, it could create problems. I've had people bring back paint that only sat overnight and it's rock hard. The products used to be freeze/thaw stable, but not anymore." Kevin Skelly, marketing manager for Cloverdale Paint, says colour trends are often decade to decade so there are not a lot of changes on a year-to-year basis. "Although there are some feature colour selections, wall paints are primar- ily neutral such as complex greys that include grey plus a colour pigment to create a little interest." He adds light reflectance value (LRV) also comes into play with the neutrals with a scale of 0 to 98. "Colours with a higher light reflectance like off-whites and whites range from 96 to 98 and a charcoal grey would be valued at the 30 to 45 range. The colours with a higher LRV value would reflect colours more than the low value. If an off-white with a high LRV is next to a bright red accessory, the result will be a pinkish cast colour." Skelly notes the greys are big because they are matching against natural materials such as aggregates, metals, stone, glass, and wood, which in a building aspect, are more expensive than the actual paint. Sansin's new Resolution offers an environmentally friendly, non-grain raising (NGR) wood finish system that is designed to be tougher, more beautiful and longer-lasting than varnish. Resolution can be used on furniture, doors and other marine and land-based applications where UV resistance and moisture protection are a must. The two-step system delivers brilliant clarity combined with chemical, scratch and water resistance – all in a low-VOC, easy-to-apply finish. "Resolution handles tough environments – both commercial and residential – that range from outdoor dining tables or indoor kitchen islands to doors and windows that are exposed to the elements," says Sjoerd Bos, Sansin's managing director. Resolution I is the primer step. It is a high-solids finish that penetrates and fills the wood grain with deep UV and moisture protection. The second step, Resolution II, is a crystal-clear, low- VOC finish available in gloss or satin. Sherwin-William's 2018 Colour of the Year, Oceanside, is a fusion of rich blue with jewel-toned green, representing the growing desire for colour that is both accessible and elusive. "Oceanside offers a sense of the familiar with a hint of the unknown, bridging old and new, light and dark," says Sue Wadden, director of colour marketing. "Blues evoke a multitude of moods and associations depending on hue, shade, and application." Despite this variety, blues are universally perceived as intelligent, honest and interesting – making it the most beloved colour worldwide – this green-meets-blue tone can also boost creative thinking and clarity of thought in a home office, or invite meditation and introspection in bedrooms or reading nooks. Oceanside offers familiar inroads to bold colour for developers, builders, and interior designers. As with other colours found in nature, Oceanside can channel healing and tranquil emotions, but also spur heightened levels of creativity – making for a peaceful first impression in an office or hotel lobby, and a While greys still dominate for paint and coatings, trends enter a darker phase by LAURIE JONES Take Cover Caliente from Benjamin Moore. Oceanside from Sherwin-Williams.

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