Paint Trends: Predicting Next Year's Hottest Colors

Who feels like painting?! Each year paint companies release their diagnosis for the color trends of the coming seasons. Typically "what's hot" in the world of color is just like that of fashion -- a bold statement that will invade the runways (er, magazine pages) for a short period and then fade into the clearance racks of our minds. But not this year. We're in a recession people. Who has the budget to keep repainting?

Less a prediction and more of a calculated process, paint companies determine the trends based on a variety of factors, one of which is the general state of our society. So it is no surprise that while we continue facing economic turmoil, rising unemployment numbers and two wars (anti-depression meds anyone?), there is a general longing for serenity at home, as well as a palette that will have some staying power.

This year's colors have one thing in common: they were picked to create a peaceful and calm home environment. But what represents "serenity" varies from one person to the next. So we checked in with Olympic Paint, Pittsburgh Paints, Behr and Valspar to see what each think represents "calm" and "serenity" best. See which one you like best.

Olympic Paint's "Allure of Autumn" palette is half inspired by nature and half evocative of the calming environment we desire at home.

Chocolate brown, creamy white and rich gray prevent the lavender from feeling too frilly, while a Chinese red provides the small pop of energy we all need.

For more paint swatches, scroll to the bottom.

Behr pulls a 180 from Olympic with the meaning of serenity as shown in their "Vintage Chic" palette. Meant to "evoke the hues of a simpler time," this palette is perfect for those who prefer a more soft, traditional color scheme.

That quiet blue feels like it'll stay fresh, too, long through spring and summer -- so save your repainting pennies for another time.

With such a hectic, stressful outside world, the team at Pittsburgh Paints wanted to help create the calmest, soothing indoor world as possible. The result? Their "Canvas" palette full of warm neutrals and rich earth tones.

While gray seems to be the color du jour, the grays found in this palette are bound to have some staying power and can easily be accented with bold pops of color shall you ever feel the need to liven things up a bit as the seasons turn.

Valspar's "Peaceful Ambiance" palette offers a calming combination of watercolor-like hues that are soft and refreshing at the same time. These creamy colors are a world away from the palettes above, yet they all have the same intended effect -- proving that color really is in the eye of the beholder. Which palette is your favorite?