America’s true colors are not red, white and blue after all, but blue, black and gray, according to a new study ranking the U.S.’s favorite colors based on home décor purchases.
There are also strong regional differences in color preferences, reveals the study conducted by Spoonflower (www.spoonflower.com) which allows customers to design, print and sell their own fabric, wallpaper and gift wrap. California and the West buy black décor most; the South likes gray; the rest of America prefers blue.
A few results: The top six colors nationally are blue, black, gray, pink, white, and green.
The study’s surprise findings for color experts include: the dismal ranking of red, in just seventh place; the high ranking of neutral colors, with black, gray and white all in the national top five; and the popularity of pink, which ranks fourth nationally and is the most bought color in no less than five major U.S. cities. The study reveals the most popular color in every state and 74 U.S. cities, based on data from nearly 200,000 purchases on Spoonflower over two years.
Since we are in an election cycle, consider this political slant: Blue is the top color in 41 states and just over half the cities, while red ranks top in none of either.
“Blue states have wiped red off the map,” says Allison Polish, president of Spoonflower. Black, however, ranks top in a block of five neighboring Western states (California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah and Wyoming), while gray does so in a swath of three adjacent Southern states (Arkansas, Mississippi, Oklahoma), plus North Dakota.
“The popularity of blue doesn’t surprise me,” says Ethel Rompilla, professor of color theory at New York School of Interior Design, and author with Stefan Steil of a new online course, Color for Interiors. “The reason for the universal popularity of blue, say color theorists, is likely the connection to sky and sea. There’s nothing more uplifting than a clear blue sky on a sunny day.”
What is surprising, she said, is both the low ranking of red and the high ranking of so many neutral colors, like black, gray and white. “The latter may be because, as color becomes more popular, the relief of neutrals is more needed.”
“Not only have blue states wiped red ones off the map,” says Polish, “but cool (blue, green) and neutral (black, gray, white) colors have left warm ones in the cold.”