Behr's 2023 Color of the Year Is an Adaptable Neutral

The time has come: Color of the Year announcements for 2023 have finally arrived. Last year, we saw that green was all the rage, as multiple brands including PPG, Benjamin Moore, and Glidden all selected soothing verdant shades to define 2022.

Now, Behr has arrived to hit the reset button on Color of the Year selections with a shade sure to evoke a fresh start. Their selection for Color of the Year in 2023 is Blank Canvas, a warm, tranquil white that promotes an infinite amount of design options and possibilities, according to the brand.

The Meaning Behind Blank Canvas

On September 14, Behr unveiled this selection and the motivation behind it, noting that Blank Canvas is just the right shade to define 2023. As we continue to move forward after a tumultuous few years, we are looking for comfort and purity in the new year, which is exactly what Behr hopes to bring forth with Blank Canvas.

“As we’re looking at lifestyle trends for the upcoming year, we’re really seeing nostalgia, versatility, wellness, and comfort as those driving factors that influence color palettes," Erika Woelfel, the vice president of color and creative services at Behr, states. "White, we also know, is the key to individual style simply because it’s so easy to change it up. It’s a color that never goes out of style—it is a classic.”

Versatile, timeless, and chic—we couldn't think of a better option than Blank Canvas to bring into our homes for 2023 and beyond. "It’s a very uplifting color that brings a sense of escape, sanctuary, and wellbeing and home,” Woelfel shares with MyDomaine. "We hope people feel the positive energy and opportunities that the color brings, and that there are unlimited possibilities when they look at Blank Canvas."

How to Decorate With This Warm White

This color is the epitome of a clean slate, according to Woelfel, a shade that decorators can really incorporate into any decorating scheme or design style. The neutrality of the shade brings an opportunity to layer other colors, textures, or patterns as well.

"You can’t go wrong with Blank Canvas—on walls, on furniture, or on cabinetry," Woelfel says. "You can layer this color with other whites, with creamy ivories, or with other neutrals.”

The shade pairs well beyond just neutrals—we can completely envision this warm white paired with clean, modern black accents, soft blues and greens, or against pops of deep rich jewel tones. Though white is often thought to lack personality, Blank Canvas offers just enough warmth to keep things visually interesting yet still soft and neutral.

Blank Canvas also reflects a huge shift in design that has emerged in the past few years, according to Sarah Fishburne, The Home Depot’s director of trend & design.

"We were in a very sterile, decade-long design aesthetic, and now, everything is starting to shift—and that’s what’s so great," Fishburne shares with us. "We’re seeing this natural modern coming in, where we’re embracing woodsy features more than ever before. There is a resurgence of soapstones, honed marbles, and tacility, so that a beautiful layering is achieved that’s not so stark and clean as the 'modern' look of the past."

Utilizing warm whites, beiges, browns, and blacks will continue to give that sleek, modern look, but with a bit more depth and liveliness that decorators and designers have been craving. Blank Canvas is the perfect place to start building an aesthetic like this, and with this announcement, we are so excited to see what the rest of the 2023 predictions have in store.