Pittsburgh Paints, the parent company of Glidden, has named Artifact (PPG10-16) its 2027 Color of the Year.
A smoky blue, Artifact is meant to bring a “steady sense of calm” to both residential and commercial spaces, encouraging designers to “recalibrate and return to colors that draw on instinct and authenticity over perfection,” the company said in a statement announcing the color.
Pittsburgh Paints color professionals forecast Artifact as the top trending color of 2027 as a reflection of societal sentiments leaning toward a collective desire to return to what once felt steady and defined our homes and spaces. It's a familiar, enduring blue that imitates a protective cocoon or haven of safety.
“Artifact invites reflection and calls us to pause, reassess and reconnect with what’s essential and gives meaning to our lives,” Michelle Vincent, Pittsburgh Paints color and design manager, said in the statement. “Artifact creates balance without feeling flat. It is nostalgic, but not regressive, by pulling forward what was good from the past and reshaping it into something newly personal and curated. This color feels rare not because it is loud, but because it is used intentionally.”
Drawing inspiration from water, Artifact pulls from the “vitality of greens and the depth and fluidity of blues.” Like water, the color adapts to its surroundings while channeling an energy that invites reconnection with nature.
According to Ashley McCollum, Glidden paint color marketing manager, Artifact is “the color of reset, but without erasing your personality. It’s fresh, optimistic and lets people design a space that reflects who they actually are, and not who they’re expected to be.”
McCollum recommends Artifact to reset high-impact surfaces including interior walls, exteriors, ceilings, accents, doors and cabinets.
Color Collections
The color will be featured across three key design collections:
- Foundations Collection creates spaces that feel grounded, clear and purposeful. Anchoring hues like Smoky Slate (PPG1028-4), Thyme Green (PPG1128-6) and Chocolate Truffle (PPG15-13) create a sense of stability and ease.
- In Motion Collection includes colors like Smoky Orchid (PPG1179-2), Nostalgia (PPG1049-3) and C'est La Vie (PPG1120-6) for greater contrast and expression.
- Resolution Collection blends colors like Craftsman Gold (PPG1092-4), Juniper Berry (PPG1145-6) and Discover (PPG1021-3) for both depth and calm.
“In 2027, consumers, designers and industry professionals are choosing colors that hold emotion, memory and meaning—colors that feel safe enough to build new traditions within,” said Vincent. “Artifact answers the call to recalibrate.”
Artifact can be tinted in Pittsburgh Paints products, available at Pittsburgh Paints stores and independent retailers across the U.S.
The Pittsburgh Paints brand is part of The Pittsburgh Paints Company, a leading producer of interior and exterior paints, stains, caulks, repair products, adhesives and sealants for homeowners and professionals in the United States.