The Color Recession May Be Permanent
The article explores the long-term trend of consumers and designers favoring neutral colors like gray, white, and beige over vibrant hues. Experts suggest this 'color recession' reflects a broader cultural shift toward minimalism and risk aversion.
Why it matters
It highlights how aesthetic trends can reflect deeper psychological and economic shifts in consumer behavior.
Consumers are so afraid of getting colors wrong, they don’t use them at all.
Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani / The Atlantic August 8, 2026, 6 AM ET Share Save W hen Bob Buckter , a 79-year-old housepainter who also goes by “Dr. Color,” began his career, in the 1970s, the job was a lot more fun. Acid-tripping hippies in his hometown of San Francisco wanted “wild-ass color combinations” for their facades, he told me. Armed with mustard-yellow, lime-green, and vermilion paint, Buckter happily transformed drab Victorian and Edwardian homes into vivid eye candy.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in