Colour in home décor may be all the rage, but Canadians seem stuck on neutrals. That’s the finding of a country-wide survey conducted by CIL paint of Canadian paint habits over the last year.
The survey, which polled a sampling of CIL paint stores across the country, showed that neutrals accounted for 65 per cent of sales in the last 12 months. Of the neutral hues, grey was the most requested colour (25 per cent), followed by beige tones (22 per cent) and whites (18 per cent). Greens and blues were next, with 11 per cent of consumers choosing green and six per cent choosing blue tones for their rooms.
“While most people seem to acknowledge that using a more colourful shade can rejuvenate a room, when it comes to actual purchases, the majority appears to take a more conservative approach,” said Alison Goldman, brand manager for CIL paint, a brand of PPG Architectural Coatings. “Neutrals like whites, beiges and greys are often preferred because they are safe, long-term investments that don’t go out of style and don’t compete with other objects in a room.” Goldman cites CIL’s top-selling neutral paints as Granite Grey, Chinchilla White taupe, and Antique White.
Other findings of the CIL survey show that Canadians painted their bedrooms (24 per cent), living and family rooms (23 per cent) and kitchens (22 per cent) more than any other rooms this last year. The poll also pointed to colour selection (44 per cent) and paint preparation (34 per cent) as the biggest challenges people associate with painting projects. When it comes to choosing colour, 77 per cent of Canadians, have a colour family in mind before entering a store, while 15 per cent make their colour family choices in-store.