Colour has been at the heart of KitchenAid brand's success story since it first launched color products in 1955. The annual Colour of the Year is an opportunity to connect with Makers on an emotional level, inspire creativity and open up new possibilities.
The selection of the Colour of the Year is the purview of the KitchenAid Global Design team. The process of identifying and creating the Colour of the Year begins about eighteen months before a new colour is launched. The team starts by taking an exhaustive look at sociocultural trends and because the team is based in all the regions of the world there's high-level input from every corner of the globe on fashion, design, food and more.
Once the trends have been studied and vetted, the team comes to the table with two or three topics and colour choices that are balanced against the KitchenAid colour portfolio. McConnell describes how the team considers the emotional power of colour to help inform meaningful colour choices: "Colours are so emotional – what kinds of colours will people want to fulfil an emotional need they're having at the time."
'Our team saw yellow continually pop up, and knowing we wanted to tap into comfort and nostalgia, this felt like the perfect marriage of all those elements.' said Brittni Pertijs - Lead colour, amterial and finish designer, KITCHENAID
Bonjour, butter
The newest Colour of the Year is Butter, a soft, energising yellow with a creamy satin finish.
First tapping into the colour when mustard emerged as a popular colour in 2019, the team tracked the trends until the moment was right. Brittni Pertijs, Lead Colour, Material & Finish Designer for KitchenAid, was driven by tapping into comfort and nostalgia, explaining that: 'the colour yellow has the ability to transport you back in time, evoking some of the warmest memories.'
The colour might remind people of kitchens from the 1950s or 1960s that were decorated with a similar soft yellow. While Butter echoes past kitchens, it feels fresh and modern, leaning into present-day design trends—a classic neutral that will last over the years.
In order to get the perfect shade, Pertijs told us that when they were 'creating Butter, we bought a lot of different yellow samples to create a range of options. One of those samples was, ironically, a vintage butter knife we found in an antique shop.' The team worked closely with their paint partner to explore different shades of yellow until they got the nuances just right. 'From there,' Pertijs continues, 'dialling in the finish was important—it had to evoke that creamy and indulgent smoothness that butter has.'
The colour is meant to bring a sense of delight to every space, and to allow us to tap into the past while reconnecting with the present. Pertijs encourages exploration with Butter in your design: from eclectic and traditional styles to clean and contemporary, the Butter Stand Mixer pairs well with shades of blue, like periwinkle or Blue Velvet. Or, with muted tones like a sage green.
More information:
KitchenAid
www.kitchenaid.com