Is 2017 leaving you black and blue? You're in luck!

And slightly ahead of the curve, too. It so happens that black (in many iterations) and blue are the colors predicted to trend in 2018, according to various paint entities as part of the companies' prestigious color of the year predictions.

Each year, beginning in fall, several paint companies, fashion entities, and design websites begin to predict what they see as the colors that will dominate the various landscapes of the next year. Last year, it was Pantone 15-0343, a lovely yellow-green shade that "evokes the first days of spring." The Pantone Color Institute, which calls itself the "global color authority," may have the final say when all things are said and done, but that isn't stopping companies like PPG Paints, Olympic Paint, Glidden, and Behr from throwing in their hues of choice.

Specifically, PPG Paints has backed their Black Flame concoction, a lighter black with indigo tones launched back in June. Black Flame was the unanimous choice to become the world's "new neutral" by 20 leading color experts around the globe (think secret underground meetings with weird chants and robes).

While the chants and robes may not actually exist, the opinions of opinion makers certainly do. A company's paint color can mean big business, which is a large part of why so many entities throw their choices into the ring and announcements are highly anticipated. At the same time PPG was showing off Black Flame (it's like Zoolander's Blue Steel but EVEN MORE INTOXICATING), Olympic Paint revealed Black Magic, an "often misunderstood neutral" primed to blot out the easy-going grays and pinks of 2017.

Says Dee Schlotter, senior color marketing manager, Olympic Paint: "In past years, consumers have gravitated toward open, airy spaces that are thought to leave room for exposure. However, in the current day, consumers often feel uneasy, restless, or like their privacy is being invaded, so they crave deep, comforting colors that offer a welcomed escape from the chaos of daily life. Olympic paint's Black Magic perfectly satisfies consumers' desire for privacy."

Schlotter continues, "Black Magic can easily make a statement in any home on a front door, window trim, kitchen cabinets, exposed shelving, or even sliding barn doors. It works especially beautifully in a dining room with a bold light fixture."

Not to be outdone, Glidden put its own spin on black, announcing their Deep Onyx as their color of the year. Why? According to Color Marketing Manager Misty Yeomans, "Just like a little black dress, Deep Onyx is a classic, timeless staple." The hue is meant to give off a "less is more" attitude that reflects a minimalist style inside the homes of those in the know.

Stepping out of the shadows is Behr, who boldly announced their first-ever color of the year as In the Moment, a blue-green blend that "Speaks to our society's desire to disconnect and be present," according to Erika Woelfel, vice president of color and creative services at Behr. Grand Central Station commuters on August 9 were certainly living In the Moment, as they were witness to Behr's blue via a virtual reality color video and chats with the company's color experts as they strolled through different rooms of a makeshift home.

While we could talk about trends until we're blue in the face, we'll await the final verdict on which colors clients will consume in 2018.

One thing does still plague the mind, however: How does one become a color expert, exactly?

By MBAKS Senior Policy Analyst Allison Butcher

Data on jobs released by the Puget Sound Regional Council recently show the four-county region added 362,800 jobs between 2010 and 2017. At this pace, the region continues to add more than three jobs for every housing unit, placing continued strong demand on housing.

As this month’s Builder’s Bulletin shows, we’re seeing more of the same with a very low inventory of homes for sale and rising home prices in King and Snohomish counties. Meanwhile, King, Snohomish, and Pierce counties experienced a 32 percent decrease in multifamily permits the first two months of this year, compared to the same period last year. Single family permits are up 10 percent in King and Pierce counties and down 22 percent in Snohomish County.

The Builders' Bulletin is intended to provide a convenient way to track housing in our market and includes information from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, State of the Cities Data Systems, Office of Financial Management and the Washington State Employment Security Department.

Download this month's report:

MBAKS held its annual Housing Solution Breakfast on October 17, gathering elected officials, industry leaders, city staff and housing partners to elevate the importance of successful middle housing implementation. The event emphasized the partnership it will take to do it right. We used the program to strengthen our messaging on middle housing policy and acknowledge the hard work ahead for many cities.

This year we were joined by 140 guests with over 35 public officials in attendance. The program opened with a video featuring MBAKS homebuilder members and Redmond Mayor Angela Birney. The video highlights the importance of our shared work implementing House Bill 1110 at the local level.

Our Keynote speaker, Morgan Shook, Senior Policy Analyst and Partner at ECONorthwest, provided an overview of Oregon’s middle housing efforts, what’s working and what’s not. Key takeaways include:

• Graduated floor area ratio (FAR) limits encourage the development of more small units.
• Removing minimum parking requirements is another way to facilitate middle housing.
• Local governments should use caution when regulating frontage improvements or other infrastructure upgrades. These costs are substantial and impact financial feasibility, creating an unsurmountable barrier and resulting in fewer homes.
• View the full slide presentation here.

Attendees also had the opportunity to hear from Josh Brown, Executive Director at Puget Sound Regional Council and Cathy MacCaul, Advocacy Director at AARP of Washington. Each brought their unique perspective and emphasized why this work is so important for meeting our region’s housing needs.

To learn more about MBAKS’ efforts on Middle Housing implementation, please see MBAKS Middle Housing Implementation Plan.

And don’t forget to read about middle housing in the news! MBAKS and members partnered to publish three editorials this year in support of successful middle housing implementation. Read more here.