Every year, paint manufacturers unveil their picks for “color of the year” and it’s fun to see what’s trending and to judge whether we think the choices are good ones or bad. 

And while it’s great marketing by the paint companies, does it really matter to remodelers? Do they pay attention to the choices? Do they buy into the hype? Are the annual color announcements important to them? 

Pro Remodeler launched a poll to find out. Here’s what we learned:

Remodelers are Paying Attention

Remodelers told us that color trends are on their radar, with 61% saying they regularly or sometimes pay attention to color of the year announcements. Only 16% said they don't pay any attention.

Love it or Leave it?

Once the color choices are revealed, remodelers are split on their reaction to the news: 32% say they would consider it for their projects while an equal percentage say they avoid the color trends and stick with the tried and true. Others take a wait and see approach (23%) and a smaller percentage (13%) remain unaffected by the announcements.

It’s no surprise that some “color of the year” choices will be more popular than others, with 71% saying they have pushed back against using a trending color at least occasionally. Only 7% said they never have.

This result suggest that remodelers recognize that one of their jobs is helping clients distinguish between a color they love today and one they'll still love years from now. Homeowners may think they want kitchen cabinets or siding or roofing in a trendy color, but remodelers can help them determine what makes sense for the long-term.

Paint is Low Risk, Roofing Not so Much

When it comes to product categories where color trends matter the most,  remodelers selected paint as the top category at 68%. (Respondents were asked to select all that applied.) Paint is one of the easiest ways to transform a home, and the consequences of choosing the wrong color are relatively low: simply repaint. The stakes are higher with other categories (siding, roofing, cabinets, etc.) where a color mistake is harder to correct.

Remodelers Guide, Clients Decide

Ultimately, the color decisions are those of the homeowner, but remodelers say they still are heavily involved in the decision-making. Nearly half of respondents (47%) said their clients drive the color conversation, but another 37% said they make the decisions together. Not a single respondent identified the remodeler as the primary driver, and this shows how important it is to help clients wisely pick colors rather than simply pick for them.

Inspiration is Good, Regret is Not

The takeaway? Remodelers aren't ignoring color trends, but they're not blindly following them, either. Color-of-the-year announcements can provide inspiration and serve as a conversation starter, but the choices aren’t a fit for every project.

Paint may be the easiest place to experiment, but cabinets, siding, flooring, and other materials show that color requires a much bigger conversation with clients. And while homeowners remain the primary decision-makers, remodelers frequently find themselves advising when to embrace a color trend, and perhaps more importantly, when avoid it.