A bold blue and a zingy green celebrate creativity and artistic freedom.
Paint and colour expert Annie Sloan has announced her 2027 Colours of the Year, and for the first time in a while, she’s chosen two: Frida Blue and Firle. Both are bright, optimistic shades meant to encourage creativity and self-expression at home.
Two artistic worlds, one idea
Each colour is named for an artist’s home. Frida Blue takes its cue from Frida Kahlo and the vivid blue walls of Casa Azul, her home in Mexico City. Firle is named for the East Sussex village near Charleston, the farmhouse where artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant lived and worked, covering the walls, doors, fireplaces and furniture in paint until the house became a work of art itself.
Though the two places are continents apart, they share the belief that art and colour belong in everyday life, not just in galleries.
Frida Blue: bold and joyful
Frida Blue is a saturated, energetic blue with plenty of personality. “It’s bright, joyful and full of life. You can’t really ignore it — and why would you want to?” says Sloan. It’s a natural for a statement piece: picture a cabinet, a desk or a front door that becomes the focal point of the room, perhaps with hand-painted details in lighter blues and white.
Firle: a happy, versatile green
Firle is a fresh, leafy green with a lively zing. Sloan says it has enough depth to work beautifully on furniture, and she loves greens for the way they bring a little of the outdoors in. It looks especially good on cabinetry, doors and trunks, and it pairs well with soft pinks and warm terracotta tones.
A more optimistic outlook
“For 2027, I wanted to choose colours that make you feel good,” says Sloan. “They’re colours that make you want to pick up a paintbrush and do something!”
That invitation fits her philosophy. Sloan invented Chalk Paint™ in 1990 to make furniture painting approachable, and the paint is now available in 51 colours. It’s quick to dry and easy to use, and it works on wood, metal, laminate and concrete, indoors and out. It can also be used for a range of decorative finishes, so it suits upcycling and crafting projects as well as furniture.
Annie Sloan products are sold through a network of more than 1,200 stockists in 60 countries. Visit anniesloan.com to learn more.
