A Peek Inside the World of Colour Forecasting

: Colour forecasters Daniella Nicolelli, left, Jane Harrington, Meredith Mullins, Dee Schlotter and Anke Bodack brainstorm with mood boards for the 2017 PPG colour palette for paint. They unanimously picked Violet Verbena, a grayish purple, as their colour of the year. PPG Paints via AP

Earlier this year, in a Manhattan conference room littered with half-eaten lunches, water bottles, laptops, and easels, a group of colour forecasters from PPG Brands was wrapping up a week of work.

They came up with recommendations that will influence the colours and finishes we’re likely to see in 2017 on a wide variety of products, including appliances, cars, phones, airplanes, paints, beverage cans, even holiday ornaments. They also picked a colour of the year.