In the category of seemingly frivolous and silly, I’ve had today marked on my calendar for months. Benjamin Moore’s Color of the Year (and related Color Trends) for 2021 were announced at 2:00 this afternoon: Aegean Teal 2136-40. This may seem ridiculous and “Who cares?” and “Who even gets to determine such things?” but I am influenced by this every year. I never would have spent much time considering this color, what makes it itself, how it interacts with other colors . . . but just a few minutes after it was released, I started having ideas about it for my home and my cards. I use a color *close* to it in my designs, but Aegean Teal is a bit softer and smokier. (I also noticed that one of the colors in the Color Trends palette is Gray Cashmere, which is on about 75% of the walls in my home. I thank my friend Dama for introducing me to that color years ago.)

I love this announcement every year because it makes me slow down and really *notice* a color. And that makes me breathe a bit. Those are good things. I’m excited to see how designers (not just of homes) play with it over time. And I may already have ordered the Color Trends booklet. (You can’t expect me to wait till the local paint store gets their copies in, can you?!) I look forward to getting you know you, Aegean Teal.